I've been working in the digital sphere since 1994, so like most marketers, I've seen new channels constantly emerge and quickly dominate— web, podcasting, social, chat, apps. What is far less obvious is how channels themselves have changed in both our expectations for them, and their potential for brands. With many clients deep into 2018 planning, this is a good time to avoid the cut-and-paste of last year's choices and rethink what else your channels can do for growth next year.
Posted Sep 22, 2017
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has quickly become a driving force in retail, with Forrester Research predicting earlier this year that investments into AI would triple before 2018. These trends in consumer marketing have primed the pump for widespread use of AI and insight-based marketing in B2B relationships. In fact, recent studies of business buyers show that almost two-thirds of them fully expect AI to anticipate their needs in the near future.
Posted Sep 22, 2017
Adjust announced the expansion of its Coalition Against Ad Fraud (CAAF) with a new set of strategic partners and guidelines for entry. All CAAF members have contractually undersigned these guidelines in order to participate in the fight against fraud.
Posted Sep 21, 2017
As entrepreneurs, we are eager to share our latest innovation with the masses, whether it be a mobile app, a website, or a physical product. As marketers, we need to figure out the best way to ensure each new technology or solution is adopted. We all know user experience is critical when it comes to full-scale adoption, and yet, so many of us aren't great at cultivating it. The best way to promote large-scale adoption? Make it a habit
Posted Sep 20, 2017
Skimlinks, a content-to-commerce platform, released its annual analysis of online holiday shopping behaviors, traffic, and purchases, Holiday 2017 eCommerce Report. This report uncovers purchase-intent data from the company's network of publishers including BuzzFeed, Refinery29, Conde Nast, The Wirecutter, and HuffPost, and reveals holiday trends publishers, merchants, and marketers can use to make decisions for the 2017 season.
Posted Sep 19, 2017
Centro, a provider of enterprise-class software for digital advertising, announced an integration with Sharethrough to give marketers more programmatic buying capabilities of native ads. The Sharethrough Exchange is the largest programmatic ad exchange in the ad tech ecosystem, transacting 8 billion impressions each month, with three-quarters of those on mobile devices.
Posted Sep 19, 2017
One of the few axioms that marketing strategists can agree on involves brand and reputation management. There is an overwhelming consensus that brand reputation matters, impacts revenues, and can cripple organizations.
Posted Sep 19, 2017
John Snyder, CEO and co-founder of Grapeshot, which help brands better target advertising campaigns through advanced probability algorithms that understand context on real-time basis, says the company he keeps a close eye on teaches him through its mistakes.
Posted Sep 15, 2017
Brands have a remarkable opportunity to use storytelling strategically to strengthen customer relationships. It can forge, or restore, a company's reputation by informing and delighting customers. Here are a few elements to consider when planning your storytelling marketing strategy.
Posted Sep 14, 2017
e-Spirit Inc. announced the FirstSpirit Intelligent Content Engine, a new core component of the FirstSpirit Digital Experience Hub. The FirstSpirit Intelligent Content Engine enables marketers to provide personalized, content-rich digital experiences via any channel to increase engagement and compel users to action throughout the buyer's journey.
Posted Sep 13, 2017
Demco Software highlighted the far-reaching capabilities of DiscoverLocal, its latest offering that gives libraries priority in local search results. Launched in June 2017, the new product is a comprehensive discoverability tool that promotes libraries' events and resources on the open web without requiring a library name to be mentioned in the search query.
Posted Sep 13, 2017
my6sense, a white label programmatic native ad platform and exchange, is enhancing its Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, enabling over 100 ad serving and media group clients to better optimize, relevance, and personalization. Specifically, Digital Intuition, the company's advanced machine learning algorithms and optimization engine, learns user behaviors, publisher patterns, and context in order to best match the right content to the right users.
Posted Sep 12, 2017
I should cop to my bias at the outset. I have been on the podcasting bandwagon since shortly after Apple added the format to its iTunes player in 2005. Personalization and portability, along with the seamless continuity of media experiences across different contexts, was the magic for me. And it is not surprising that the same recipe is at the heart of the most successful digital media brand of our era: Netflix.
Posted Sep 12, 2017
It seems there's hardly a job a machine can't do. You go to the grocery store, and your cashier has been replaced by a computer. Your travel agent was replaced by Expedia years ago. The car in your driveway was mostly built, not by an assembly line of workers, but by advanced robots. Artificial intelligence (AI) can drive your car and clean your floor. Honestly, what doesn't your smartphone do for you? And if you happen to work in a marketing department, you may be wondering if you're going to come in one morning to find some form of AI sitting at your desk.
Posted Sep 11, 2017
Evergage, a real-time personalization platform company, announced several new services partners. These agencies and consultancies - including Brooks Bell, Demand Spring, Harte Hanks, The Plum Tree Group, Sophelle, SFCG, WiderFunnel and Yes Lifecycle Marketing - will work with Evergage to help clients apply personalization strategies and tactics to boost customer loyalty and conversion rates.
Posted Sep 07, 2017
Chatmeter, a provider of search marketing and review management, unveiled major enhancements to its social media features that allow brands to better compete with local competitors. The new technology enables major national retail brands and chains to publish, monitor, and respond to social activity and customer feedback in real-time at the local store level.
Posted Sep 07, 2017
SnapApp, provider of the leading SaaS platform used by B2B marketers to create, publish, and measure interactive content, announced that it is among the first set of partners to be named a member of the newly launched Marketo Accelerate program.
Posted Sep 07, 2017
Location3, a digital marketing agency that delivers enterprise-level strategy with local market activation, announced the launch of LOCALACT, the premier platform built to power and scale local digital marketing for franchise systems and multi-location businesses. ?LOCALACT unifies localized digital advertising with organic listing and search management to provide a complete digital marketing solution that drives measurable results for brands with a large brick-and-mortar footprint.
Posted Sep 07, 2017
It will be no surprise to regular readers of this column that I can be a bit of a skeptic when it comes to new technology. I don't stand in line for the new iPhone. In fact, I'm usually a few generations behind, preferring to wait until the reviews are in on new features. I like to know exactly what I want and need in a device before I buy one—and I keep the gadgets to a minimum. But lately, I've been thinking about bringing a robot into my house.
Posted Sep 05, 2017
We've all been there: followed a bit too long, and a bit too closely. Hopefully not in the real world, but it certainly happens during our digital travels, as advertisements clued in to our search and browsing behavior dog us for hours, days, and weeks on unrelated sites—and well past the point of purchase decision. "In the world of digital ads, the consumer is disenfranchised—they're being stalked or else they're turning on ad blockers," says John Snyder, co-founder and CEO of Grapeshot, which uses adaptive machine learning algorithms to improve ad targeting, creating a more contextual experience.
Posted Sep 01, 2017
Ness Digital Engineering announced a new Personalization Accelerator that applies machine learning principles to existing data to help companies get customer experience personalization improvements to market faster.
Posted Aug 31, 2017
Aprimo, a provider of marketing operations technology and digital asset management solutions, announced the full SaaS (Software as a Service) offering of its Digital Asset Management (DAM) software. The company says its cloud-based product will bring all the benefits of SaaS-based operations to give marketers an advantage, including increased innovation, faster implementation, scalability to match business growth, and a significantly lower total cost of ownership.
Posted Aug 31, 2017
MediaRadar, the leading intelligence platform for ad sales teams, announced the launch of their newest tool for publishers, Power Prospecting Report. The new capability gives ad sales teams a powerful and intelligent new solution for pursuing the best potential clients for their media. With a range of precise filters and search functionality, identifying, and connecting with the right prospects is easier than ever.
Posted Aug 31, 2017
When done right, brands can use customer data to build relationships with individuals and offer concierge-level experiences. The "State of the Connected Customer" report found that 57% of consumers are willing to give up personal information and data, but there has to be a return. Ultimately, consumers must feel that they're giving marketers their data, not that marketers are creepily stalking and taking their information behind the scenes.
Posted Aug 30, 2017
My Webinar, the newest offering from TSN Communications, has launched its new website to provide customers with one-time webinar hosting. This online webinar service provides the platform to hold a single webinar without purchasing additional products or software — or signing long-term contracts.
Posted Aug 29, 2017