1. How is the shift toward creator-owned platforms influencing traditional content distribution models in the media industry?

Identifi is decentralizing content control, allowing creators to own their IP, monetize directly from fans, and bypass traditional gatekeepers — ultimately challenging the predominance of legacy studios and Hollywood structures. We are reshaping how and where audiences discover and consume content, because now they can get it directly from the source.

2. In what ways are emerging platforms enabling diversified monetization options, such as subscriptions, pay-per-view, and sponsorships, for content creators?

Identifi is a visionary platform where creators centralize their content and the experiences they want to give their audience through all of those distribution and revenue modes mentioned. Creators can self-distribute content on Identifi and monetize through transactional video-on-demand, subscription video-on-demand, live pay-per-view, customized advertising and sponsorship. Creators now control all of those revenue streams with the simple click of a button so they can tailor offerings to their audience, not just algorithms.

That is the ultimate control: what to program, what stories to tell, what can be said and how, when to release it, how much to charge / or not, who can sponsor or advertise in the programming, whether to release an episode, film, or song live - and how much to charge the audience or members for that. That level of control creates power: power to own their content, own the narrative, set their terms, and grower deeper direct relationships with their audience — without middlemen who take control of the creative, the purse and the profits.

Creators and producers no longer need to sell their stories and pitches to traditional studios, networks or streamers. Identifi brings you the ultimate creative independence.

3. How is the demand for authentic and uncensored storytelling shaping content development strategies?

The demand for platforms and creators to break from polished, corporate-safe content is leading to raw, real narratives that reflect lived experiences and unfiltered truth, particularly in the case of non-scripted and non-fiction programming. At Identifi, that’s the strategy: give creators full creative and financial control so audiences get the purest form of each creator’s artistic work, not just what’s approved by a “buyer” at a corporate network for mass appeal.

The Artist influence can now be uncensored and uninterrupted by corporations and social media algorithms. Creators and producers can shape their programming strategies around direct feedback from their audiences and their own brand partners.

4. How are platforms adapting to incorporate interactive and live media experiences to enhance user engagement? 

The world we live in today is more frenetic and real-time. With shorter attention spans and news cycles, live-streaming is becoming an expectation. Now Identifi offers live-streaming as a component of each creator’s ecosystem — from free promotion through DM’ing fans inside the app for a live announcement, to subscription paywalled live viewing, to full-fledged pay-per-view events. Once creators experience the power of marketing messaging, live-viewing and transacting seamlessly in one place - the world will never be the same...

5. What challenges do organizations face in balancing creative freedom with regulatory compliance in content distribution?

The challenges are enormous and cannot over stated. In recent years, artists and general populations have suffered from massive infringement on free expression at the hands of Big Media and Big Tech censorship. Our world has taken a step back in that regard, but the pendulum is swinging back at Identifi. We honor artistic freedom to protect their voices and the truth, while striking a balance with our responsibility for legal compliance and standards in civilized societies.

At Identifi, we approach content policy through a First Amendment lens, guided by the principles upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court — protecting free expression while limiting only what the law clearly defines as unprotected speech, like incitement, defamation or obscenity. This creates a space where creators can speak boldly, tell uncensored stories, and trust that their voices won’t be silenced by vague or arbitrary standards - or AI hall monitors.

6. How do you envision the media and entertainment landscape evolving with the rise of creator-first platforms?

There is a tectonic power shift from studios to storytellers, and success will be built on authenticity, talent, direct fan connection, and ownership. At Identifi, the future is full creative control, setting the terms, keeping the upside, and audiences follow talent — not corporate channels or distributors. Welcome to the future of media.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts. 

1. Given the longer B2B buying cycles, what role does ABM play in your go-to market strategy today?

B2B buying cycles are complex and delicate and often involve a lot of stakeholders in the buying committee and often include additional influencers outside of the formal buying group. One of the biggest challenges organizations face is that many inmarket accounts and personas, those actively researching or showing intent, aren’t even present in CRM or organizational records and remain hidden from demand generation and marketing teams.

A go-to-market (GTM) strategy needs these data points to help define who to target, how you’ll reach them, and what message or value to deliver across acquisition, expansion, and retention. ABM aligns perfectly with this by operationalizing GTM plans at the account level. It turns high-level GTM strategy into executable workflows by using data to prioritize the right accounts (based on fit, intent, and engagement), tailor messaging by segment or stage, and activate personalized campaigns across channels.

For GTM execution to work, you need a foundation of unified data, from firmographics, technographics, contact data, to behavioural and intent signals, you need a bridge to connect this data to intelligence to understand TAM and ICP fit. Then, this intelligence must link to execution tools that allow real-time targeting, measurement, and feedback. In short, ABM makes GTM strategies actionable, measurable, and accountcentric.

ABM, especially when powered by intent data, helps surface these previously unknown or overlooked accounts, bringing new opportunities into view based on their intent and fit. At the same time, ABM enables us to monitor familiar accounts for renewed engagement signals which is crucial for upsell or expansion motions. With platforms becoming more integrated and user-friendly, we’re now able to combine first-party signals with third-party intent and engagement data to prioritize efforts in real time. This helps marketing and sales stay aligned, act faster, and tailor outreach to where actual buying activity is happening whether that’s net-new acquisition, cross-sell, or retention.

2. Which ABM platform vendors do you currently evaluate or partner with, and what key differentiators drive your decision?

QKS Group is a leading global advisory and research firm, dedicated to empowering technology innovators to accelerate their growth journeys. We do this by covering market needs both from a technology vendors’ and end-users’ perspective. A major role we play is through our proprietary SPARK vendor assessment tool. Offering key insights into market dynamics and trends, it helps businesses gain a competitive edge, assess strengths and weaknesses, and make informed strategic decisions for growth and success. 

One of our SPARK titles is the Account Based Marketing Platform, going live in Q3, a market we’ve been tracking for 5 years now. We look for technology, service and customer impact differentiators that ABM platform vendors provide for a comprehensive assessment on where the market is headed, and which players are emerging as ace performers, and innovators in their market.

The research for our SPARK study Account Based Marketing Platform, Q3, 2025 has the following vendors- 6sense, Demandbase, Dun & Bradstreet, Informa TechTarget, Jabmo by Expandi Group, Leadspace, Madison Logic, N.Rich, Rollworks by NextRoll, Salesforce, Terminus by DemandScience and Zoominfo.

We analyse vendors at the granularity of each capability, and evaluation criteria. These criteria may change as the technology evolves to accommodate a fresher, more up-to-date set of evaluation criteria, and this year, vendors are being evaluated on the following parameters:

• Audience Data Management: This is critical in ABM because it ensures users of the platform are targeting the right accounts and maximising relevant engagement. ABM platforms unify and enrich first- and third-party data, from publisher networks, intent data partners, sales data partners, data co-ops and other proprietary and commercial databases into accurate, complete profiles crucial for precise segmentation and personalization. By consolidating disparate sources, validating quality, and layering on firmographic, technographic, and intent data, the platform sits on a strong foundation for dynamic audience creation and activation. ABM vendors should also ensure regulatory compliance and explore newer sources to supplement cookiebased tracking meanwhile keeping data actionable, forming the backbone of all successful ABM strategies. 
• Account Intelligence: The next step to effectively collecting and managing vast account and intent data, is to convert the same into precise account insights, essential in ABM because it informs who to target, how to engage them, and when. It combines firmographic, technographic, intent, and engagement data to build a rich, real-time view of each account. With predictive analytics, it helps identify high-value opportunities, prioritize accounts by conversion likelihood, and recommend optimal engagement strategies.
• Account Journey Management: This is an outcome of the shift from static outreach to dynamic, account-centric experiences. This capability represents the use of account-specific data to orchestrate personalized campaigns across the entire lifecycle prioritizing activation over planning. With ABM increasingly driven by real-time engagement, strong native and integrated activation channels especially in advertising, social, and web personalization are key to delivering scalable, relevant touchpoints. Platforms that support emerging channels and allow marketers to manage these journeys natively (without relying on external tools) enable more agile, CX-led account strategies. Evaluating this shows how well ABM platforms can keep pace with how accounts move and engage. 
• Account Analytics and Optimization: For making ABM accountable to real business outcomes, especially pipeline impact, reporting across web, ads, and sales to identify which actions influence opportunity creation and progression is crucial. With attribution modeling and AI-driven insights, analytical insights reveal which channels, content, and touchpoints actually move accounts through the funnel. This enables continuous refinement of campaigns and tighter sales-marketing alignment. Evaluating this capability shows how effectively the data-intelligence-activation complex of the ABM platform is driving engagement, pipeline and revenue. 
• Account based Sales Intelligence: Account-Based Sales Intelligence in ABM uses data and AI to enable sales teams prioritize and engage high-value accounts. The capability delivers sales alerts and AI-powered next best action recommendations in real-time, helping sales teams focus on priority accounts and take informed actions based on intent signals and engagement activity. This enables more efficient, targeted outreach to the most promising opportunities.

Beyond core capabilities, our SPARK ABM platform evaluation also depends on Integration and Interoperability with existing tech stack, and parallel technologies such as engagement and MAP platforms, Competitive Differentiation through unique features like proprietary data or AI-driven orchestration, and a strong Vision and Roadmap that aligns with future trends such as omnichannel activation and privacy-first strategies.

Our research also evaluates vendors based on service and strategic differentiators, focusing on criteria like Product Strategy & Performance, Market Presence, Proven Track Record, Ease of Deployment & Use, Customer Service Excellence, and a clear Unique Value Proposition. These factors help ensure the solution is not only functionally strong but also reliable, scalable, and aligned with business needs.

3. How do you assess ROI on your ABM investments across different regions or business units?

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a strategic B2B approach that focuses on identifying and engaging high-value accounts with personalized, coordinated marketing and sales efforts. Unlike traditional lead-based marketing, which prioritizes volume, ABM emphasizes depth of engagement and long-term relationship-building. It’s particularly effective for complex, high-consideration purchases where influence is built over extended sales cycles. By aligning go-tomarket teams around shared account goals, ABM enables more relevant messaging, better timing, and tighter orchestration. 

This targeted nature also makes it inherently more measurable success isn't based on lead quantity but on meaningful account engagement and revenue impact. As a result, ABM strategies rely heavily on platforms with strong analytics capabilities tools that can track engagement across channels, tie efforts to pipeline movement, and help teams course-correct in real time to focus on the accounts that matter most.

Modern ABM platforms offer advanced advertising capabilities, allowing for optimized budgeting. They also provide dashboarding features that offer users a clear, real-time view of how their campaigns are performing across the entire account journey. These dashboards unify marketing and sales data such as ad engagement, content interactions, email performance, outreach activities, and pipeline progression into a single, cohesive view.

This level of visibility helps teams not only track ROI with precision but also uncover critical insights into what's working and what’s not. Gaps in engagement, content redundancies, or inconsistent messaging become easier to identify and resolve. Performance reports on the campaigns can also be segmented by geographies.

By linking all activity directly to pipeline outcomes, ABM platforms provide a consolidated view of how ABM strategies are impacting revenue — offering transparency and ROI justification to businesses.

4. Are there industry-specific trends or regulatory considerations influencing how you deploy ABM strategies globally?  

The time from awareness to purchase in B2B can vary significantly depending on the product and industry. For complex solutions like enterprise software, it can take 6 to 18 months, as buyers go through research, demos, trials, and internal approvals. Simpler or already-approved purchases, like hardware tools, may take just 1 to 3 months. Regulated industries often have longer cycles, while startups or fast-moving teams may decide much faster for lower-risk buys.

ABM platforms allow full customization of their predictive models based on industryspecific indicators, region-specific factors, or custom criteria aligned to client needs. There are also service differentiators offered by ABM platform vendors that include service components. These aim to cater to industry-specific nuances through teams of diverse experts who understand the buying cycle and behaviors of their clients’ target accounts. This ties closely to the regulatory landscape.

Data privacy regulations and the end of third-party cookies are reshaping how ABM strategies are built and executed. ABM platform vendors are adhering to security standards like SOC 2, GDPR, CCPA, and CASL to protect sensitive data. Further, vendors can no longer rely on broad, anonymous tracking. Instead, they are shifting to alternative sources of data, collected with clear consent, either by themselves or their data partners.

This shift is also shaping the growth strategies of ABM platforms. We’re seeing a rise in mergers and acquisitions, as companies join forces with intent data or lead generation providers, event tech platforms, or vendors of proprietary, industryspecific market data. These moves aim to enhance targeting precision, expand addressable markets, improve conversion efficiency, and capture more first-party signals. There is also a growing collaboration between ABM vendors and regional or industry-specific data and service partners those with a deep understanding of regulatory compliance and localized intelligence to further boost data accuracy and campaign effectiveness.

From a data perspective, these consolidations help keep data within one ecosystem, making it easier to manage and activate. They also help organizations rely more on consented, first-party data instead of third-party cookies and ensure compliance with privacy rules that vary by region.

5. How does your organization plan to respond to the projected growth and competitive landscape outlined in recent ABM market analyses?

Our firm will continue to closely monitor intent data providers, ABM platforms, and B2B marketing technologies while expanding our coverage into adjacent Martech and SalesTech markets. These areas, once focused on specific team functionalities, are now evolving to support entire Revenue Operations (RevOps) teams. We anticipate rapid evolution in these spaces, fundamentally reshaping how organizations approach data-driven marketing and sales. By staying at the forefront of these developments, we aim to deliver timely insights, lead with thought leadership to shape industry understanding, and guide strategic decisions. This will enable vendors and end-users to navigate the shifting landscape and strategize effectively with clarity and confidence.  

6. What platform capabilities such as cross-channel orchestration or real-time data access are most essential for your ABM success?

As noted earlier, ABM platforms have broadened their scope beyond marketing to encompass sales and customer success teams. This expansion allows the platform’s capabilities to support larger marketing groups beyond just account and demand generation functions.

At present, vendors place significant emphasis on data partnerships and advancing data management capabilities, as these form the foundational backbone for successful orchestration. Effective data management includes the ability to aggregate, cleanse, and unify data from multiple sources such as CRM systems, marketing automation platforms, third-party data providers, and engagement channels.

Vendors that lead in integrating diverse datasets and providing real-time data access tend to be favoured because strong data management directly impacts the effectiveness of cross-channel orchestration and intelligence.

Further, as end-users increasingly seek to break down silos across different teams, we anticipate a growing focus on ABM vendors offering native channel activation, enhanced by powerful playbooks for fast, scenario-based cross-channel activation. This enables vast amounts of data from these channels to be seamlessly fed back into the intelligence layer, enhancing insights and driving smarter orchestration tying back to the fact that vendors are relying more heavily on first-party, proprietary, and consent-based data.

So, with evolving client expectations, ABM platforms are evolving as well. And the market, although mature, is seeing some seismic shifts making it more interesting than ever to track. 

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts. 

1. How is the shift toward creator-owned platforms influencing traditional content distribution models in the media industry?

The rise of creator owned platforms is fundamentally disrupting legacy distribution models by removing traditional gatekeepers like studios, networks, and agencies from the equation. These platforms empower creators to own their IP, control their monetization, and directly engage audiences. This shift is forcing traditional distributors to either adapt with more creator centric deals or risk irrelevance. We’re witnessing a migration of talent and audiences to ecosystems where transparency, ownership, and revenue share are more favorable.

2. In what ways are emerging platforms enabling diversified monetization options, such as subscriptions, pay-per-view, and sponsorships, for content creators?

Emerging platforms are developing multifaceted monetization ecosystems. Subscription based models (like Patreon or Substack), pay-per-view and transactional video-on-demand (TVOD), tipping, affiliate commerce, and brand sponsorships are all being integrated natively. Some platforms are even tokenizing content using blockchain to allow fractional ownership or resale. This diversification empowers creators to build hybrid revenue stacks tailored to their audience and content type, reducing dependence on ad revenue or traditional deals.

3. How is the demand for authentic and uncensored storytelling shaping content development strategies?

Audiences, especially Gen Z and younger millennials, gravitate toward raw, unfiltered content that challenges narratives pushed by mainstream media. This cultural pivot is pushing platforms and creators to embrace vulnerability, diverse perspectives, and investigative storytelling. For development, it means investing in docuseries, creator-led journalism, and narrative formats that trust the audience to engage critically rather than be passively entertained. Authenticity is no longer a stylistic choice, it’s a strategic imperative.

4. How are platforms adapting to incorporate interactive and live media experiences to enhance user engagement?

Platforms are rapidly evolving to meet the demand for interactivity. Features like real-time chats, polls, choose your own path narratives, and live Q&A are becoming standard. Technologies such as low latency streaming, AR/VR integration, and gamification are redefining what it means to “watch” content. In platforms like Identifi, these tools can be leveraged not just for engagement, but for data feedback loops that inform future content decisions and community growth strategies.

5. What challenges do organizations face in balancing creative freedom with regulatory compliance in content distribution?

The line between expression and compliance is increasingly complex. Global platforms must navigate a patchwork of local regulations ranging from content restrictions to data privacy laws, while supporting creator autonomy. Content flagged for misinformation, hate speech, or cultural insensitivity can trigger platform penalties or legal actions. Successful companies are implementing transparent content moderation systems, AI-assisted filtering, and community guidelines that uphold both creative freedom and legal accountability.

6. How do you envision the media and entertainment landscape evolving with the rise of creatorfirst platforms?

The future is decentralized and audience-driven. Creator first platforms will become cultural powerhouses, not just for entertainment, but also for education, politics, and activism. Studios will evolve into collaborators and incubators rather than controllers. Traditional models will adapt by integrating with these ecosystems via partnerships, funding, or technology. Ultimately, we’re heading toward a landscape where community is the new currency, trust is the new brand, and content is co-created, not just consumed.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts. 

1. How can businesses ensure that real-time AI-driven engagement does not come across as intrusive to consumers?

To avoid coming across as intrusive, real-time AI engagement needs to be rooted in relevance and respect for the customer’s context. It’s not about sending more messages. It’s about knowing when, where and how to engage in a way that feels timely and useful for each individual.

With Genie, we’ve built an AI-powered agent that learns at the individual level and generates contextual, brand-aligned content in real time. It factors in cadence, recency and personal preferences so that every touchpoint feels intentional and relevant. The goal isn’t just to act faster; it’s to act smarter with personalization that adds value.

2. How does Genie AI integrate with existing MarTech stacks to improve engagement and conversions? 

We built Genie to work with the systems brands already rely on. Not only does it add an agentic AI layer to the Resulticks suite of solutions, it also connects with CRMs, CDPs, POS systems, loyalty platforms, campaign tools and much more to create a truly 360-degree connected shopping experience for consumers.

Because all these systems are integrated, the AI can keep learning and improving with time. That’s where engagement and conversions continue to improve – when AI can act across the entire journey instead of being limited to just one channel or tool.

3. How can brands leverage AI to predict customer behavior and automate responses accordingly?

AI gives brands the ability to shift from reactive to proactive engagement. Instead of relying on historical reports or broad personas, platforms like Genie track behavior signals and micro-conversions in real time to anticipate what a customer is likely to do next, whether that’s engaging with a promotion, abandoning a cart, or dropping off entirely.

That predictive power becomes even more valuable when combined with automation. Genie acts on those signals instantly, generating brand-aligned content and activating personalized engagement across channels without waiting for manual inputs. It’s not about guessing. It’s about letting AI orchestrate dynamic, one-to-one experiences that evolve with the customer.

4. How do privacy regulations impact AI-driven customer engagement, and what best practices should brands follow?  

Privacy can't be treated as a feature. It has to be part of the foundation for any AI strategy. Genie was built with enterprise-grade compliance in mind, offering hybrid deployment options, built-in protection for personally identifiable information, and AES 256-bit encryption to meet global regulatory standards.

The best practice is straightforward: use AI to enhance consent-driven engagement, not work around it. When the value exchange is clear and the experience is personalized, customers are more likely to opt in. Transparency, minimal data collection, and respecting preferences are not just regulatory requirements, they’re essential to building long-term trust.

5. What are the key benefits of AI-powered customer journey optimization for brands? 

You can have the right content and channels in place, but if your customer journeys are fragmented, engagement breaks down. AI helps bring structure and clarity. With Genie, brands can track how customers move across channels, identify drop-off points, and adapt the journey in real time.

The impact goes beyond operational efficiency. It leads to better business outcomes, including faster conversions, higher engagement at key moments, and a greater ability to recover customers who might otherwise churn. Because Genie personalizes down to the individual, brands aren’t optimizing for the average, they’re optimizing for each person.

6. How does real-time AI engagement impact customer retention and lifetime value?  

Customer retention isn’t driven by volume, it’s driven by timing, relevance, and consistency. Real-time AI like Genie helps brands respond to customer behavior as it happens, creating a sense of continuity and care across every interaction.

When customers feel understood, they’re more likely to stick around. That’s where lifetime value grows. We’ve seen brands reduce campaign execution time by 40% and improve conversion rates by up to 35% using Genie. But the bigger win is consistency, because when engagement feels connected, customers keep coming back.

1. How can PR firms effectively communicate their new brand identity to stakeholders and clients?

There are numerous channels that PR firms can leverage to communicate a new identity. These include a revamped website, a news release, dedicated e-blasts, a series of videos and social media posts. Teams should also bundle news about their rebrand into communications with both existing and potential clients. At Violet PR, we issued an e-blast and linked back to our new website and blog post. We have a bold, new logo and tagline: ‘We Write the Future,’ which effectively encapsulates our unique ability to help clients shape their futures, economies and skylines. The rebrand has been an important step for us as leaders in the economic development public relations space, and we’ve already garnered some incredibly positive feedback.

2. What challenges do companies face when transitioning to a new brand identity, and how can they navigate them?

I can certainly speak to our experience: prior to this year, we didn’t emphasize the Violet PR brand in a big way. In fact, we’d been using the same logo since I started the company 15 years ago and didn’t have a tagline. I saw an opportunity to create a new brand that was bold and exciting, and what we landed on was exponentially “bigger” and more memorable. But, with these overhauls comes related challenges, including the complexities of fully relaunching a website. While it ended up only taking six months from start to finish, we still had to rework our site copy and visuals, shoot a new video, and migrate our blog – plus 30+ case studies – in a new format. It’s straightforward but can be extremely time-consuming. Now that we’re on the other side of our launch – with new features on our back-end – everything has become easier to manage. So, while the site migration was a heavy lift, it’s much more efficient and effective now.

3. How does a refined brand strategy enhance a company’s ability to drive innovation and thought leadership?

An effective brand will help a company look innovative and current, enabling it to more easily market itself and its services, and it can give the business more confidence as a market leader. For Violet PR specifically, the brand essentially followed our growth: In recent years, we’ve won several big industry awards – including 2024’s ‘Best Boutique Agency’ from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), our largest industry group. So, if you combine that with all the exciting clients we work with – nearly a dozen cities and regions, four U.S. states and the country of Switzerland – we suddenly had national name recognition as a top economic development public relations firm, and badly needed a bolder brand that could represent that strength.

4. What are the best practices for maintaining brand consistency across digital and traditional marketing channels?

First and foremost: use the brand everywhere. Make it “circular” – with related copy, logo and the new color scheme appearing in employee email signatures, press release boilerplates, employee handbooks, business cards, banners, office walls—everywhere. This also means across social media pages, on new merchandise, sweatshirts, notebooks, pens and event ‘swag.’ This helps to ensure immediate engagement with the new brand, which can drive new business activity and ultimately ROI.

5. How does rebranding help a company realign with evolving market demands and industry trends?

In a fast-moving world, and even faster news cycles, it’s vital to have a brand that is both accessible and current. For companies with dated visuals or logos that do not necessarily communicate your strengths, it may be time to consider a change. For my agency, when our old logo was displayed alongside others, especially on a more crowded backdrop, it was difficult to read because of its horizontal design. We can now use a simplified but recognizable ‘V’ version of the logo – marked by a distinct single quotation mark – in those instances, whether it’s at conferences, in pitches, or on business cards. A logo can truly speak volumes, and ours has already helped elevate us in the economic development and public relations worlds.

6. How can businesses leverage PR and marketing to amplify the success of their rebrand?

Teams should do several things: a news release to officially launch the brand, e-blasts and social media posts, and even print pieces and signage. I strongly believe in the power of earned media. For instance, after we launched our brand this year, we generated favorable stories in both New Jersey and industry publications, and these have generated buzz among our clients and several prospects.

Have a clear strategy to tell people about the brand. Don’t just update a logo and leave it; make sure you share the narrative behind it. As Adam Taylor, founder and CEO of Splendor – which partnered with us on the rebrand work – said: “This project became a strong step in the evolution of Violet PR. It helps the agency retain its boutique feel, but also puts its world-class results front and center.”

1. How is the transition to cloud-native workflows transforming the media and entertainment industry's approach to content production and post-production? 

I think we’re seeing a real shift in mindset. Cloud-native workflows are giving teams a way to break out of rigid, legacy systems and work faster, with fewer handoffs. Instead of being tied to a single location or hardware setup, everything from ingest to delivery can now happen in one virtual space. At CREE8, we’ve built our platform to take full advantage of that giving creators the flexibility to spin up workstations on demand, collaborate in real time, and keep moving without delays. It's not just remote work anymore, it's rethinking how production should work.

2. In what ways are cloud-based solutions facilitating real-time collaboration among geographically dispersed creative professionals? 

What’s exciting is that real-time collaboration is finally actually real-time even across continents. Teams can edit the same project from three different countries, with no waiting on file transfers or feedback. We’ve made it possible by virtualizing the entire post stack and syncing everything in the cloud. You can jump into a session with a colorist in London and a director in New York, and everyone’s seeing the same thing, instantly. It’s completely changed what’s possible for global teams.

3. How can media organizations balance the need for high-performance virtual workstations with the goal of reducing on-premises infrastructure costs? 

I think the key is giving teams the power to scale up only when they need it. With cloud-native tools, you don’t have to keep expensive machines running 24/7. You just spin up a high-performance workstation when you need one, then shut it down when you don’t. That kind of flexibility means you’re only paying for what you use, but still getting high performance. And if you’ve already invested in some on-prem infrastructure, we can integrate with that too it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

4. How is the accessibility of enterprise-grade cloud solutions impacting smaller studios and independent creators in the industry? 

This is one of the things I’m most excited about. Cloud used to be something only big studios could afford to figure out  but that’s not the case anymore. With tools like our Free Edition, even small teams can access enterprise-grade collaboration, storage, and security from day one. I’ve talked to solo creators who are now running full post pipelines from their laptops, working with teams across the world. It’s really leveled the playing field in a big way.

5. How can organizations effectively manage scalable cloud storage to accommodate varying project needs without compromising performance? 

Managing cloud storage well is all about being smart with tiers and access. We help teams organize their storage so that active files stay on fast, high-performance tiers, while less-used media gets archived automatically but is still easy to retrieve. You don’t want to be paying top dollar for stuff you’re not touching, but you also don’t want to be hunting for old assets. I think the balance comes from having storage that adapts to the creative process, not the other way around.

6. What emerging technologies are poised to further revolutionize cloud-based media workflows in the next few years?

AI is definitely top of mind not just for flashy use cases, but for making real, practical improvements in how we work. I’m seeing tools that can automatically find the best takes, tag footage, or even suggest edits, which frees up time for the creative decisions that really matter. And with advances in cloud rendering, 5G, and edge computing, live cloud production is getting more viable — even from places with limited connectivity. Long term, I think we’ll see more composability too letting teams build their own workflow stacks from the ground up, completely in the cloud.

1. What are the key misconceptions about PR that startups should rethink when building brand awareness?

That PR is about puff pieces and getting your name “out there” by hiring someone with media contacts to blast press releases. It’s not. That’s the old-school model—and it doesn’t work anymore, especially not for startups trying to cut through a saturated, attention-deficit marketplace. Startups tend to confuse visibility with credibility. But visibility without strategy is like shouting in a crowded room. Nobody listens.

PR—when done with the right strategy—is about building trust through earned media, not paid spin. With Anti-PR®, we help startups pinpoint what the industry isn’t saying, then position them as the truth-teller in that space. When you consistently bring real insight to the table — and stop parroting corporate-speak—you earn a level of credibility that no press blast or ad spend can buy. That’s when PR stops being a cost center and starts driving real business value.

2. How can startups compete with well-funded competitors using innovative brand positioning tactics?

You don’t beat Goliath by playing Goliath’s game. You win by being the voice of truth in an industry that’s starved for it. Anti-PR® arms startups with strategy—not just visibility. You identify what’s broken in your industry, then take a stand. If you're the only one saying what needs to be said, congratulations you own the narrative. You just became unignorable.

Startups can move faster, speak bolder, and take positions on things that their legacy competitors can’t touch. With Anti-PR®, we help startups uncover the uncomfortable truths in their industry—and then say what no one else is willing to say. That’s how you dominate a conversation without dominating ad spend. It’s not about being louder — it’s about being clearer. Own the uncomfortable. Be the company that calls out what’s broken and offers a better way. That’s how you stand out and get taken seriously, even without a Super Bowl budget.

3. What role does community-building play in amplifying a startup’s presence without mainstream media backing?

Media validation is important but it’s not the only game in town anymore. In a world where trust is decentralized, the most powerful form of credibility is community. And I’m not talking about “likes” or followers. I mean actual humans who care about your mission and are willing to evangelize it.

For startups, community-building is a superpower. When people feel like they’re part of something bigger — something that challenges the status quo — they don’t just buy your product. They share it. They defend it. They grow it.

4. How should startups balance controversial marketing stunts vs. sustainable brand trust?

There’s a fine line between being provocative and being performative and most stunts cross it. If you’re only trying to go viral, you’re playing a short-term game with a long-term reputation. And trust me, the court of public opinion has a very long memory.

That said, startups should be bold. They should take risks. But those risks need to be grounded in truth. When we work with clients through the Anti-PR lens, we help them take strategic stands—ones that reflect their mission and expose the real problems in their market. That’s how you get attention and build credibility.

If a marketing move doesn’t educate, provoke meaningful dialogue, or lead with value, it’s not disruptive — it’s just noise. When you disrupt with purpose, you build trust even while ruffling feathers. And that’s what keeps a brand top of mind and top of trust.

5. What role does thought leadership play in building credibility and market influence?

Everyone’s trying to be a “thought leader”, but they’re just recycling the same jargon, stats, and predictions. That’s not leadership — that’s regurgitation.

Real thought leadership is about insight. It’s about being the first to say what everyone else is still whispering or too afraid to admit. When startups tap into their founders’ unique lens and connect it to broader market truths, that’s when people start listening.

Through Anti-PR®, we coach startups to stop selling and start teaching. Every piece of content, every media appearance, every quote should do one of two things: challenge an assumption or solve a problem. That’s how you position your brand not just as relevant, but as essential.

6. How can a well-crafted data-driven Anti-PR® strategy improve a startup’s chances of overcoming funding challenges and scaling sustainably?

Investors aren’t just looking at your product or your deck anymore—they’re watching your traction, your message, and your influence. If you can’t tell a compelling story backed by third-party credibility, you’re just another risky bet.

This is where Anti-PR® shines. We use data — market data, competitor data, earned media performance — to craft narratives that aren’t just interesting, they’re investable. We show startups how to create momentum that’s visible to VCs, partners, and the public.

We’ve seen startups land funding because of the credibility our campaigns helped them earn. One media hit in the right outlet, supported by the right positioning and market timing, can do more for funding prospects than six months of cold outreach. When you’ve got third-party validation echoing your value proposition, the conversation shifts. You’re not just telling investors you’re ready to scale — you’re showing them that the market already agrees.

1. How is your organization adapting its marketing strategies to meet the increasing demand for personalized and interactive video content?

Our research shows that all demographics are expecting the brands they work with to use more video in general, and more next gen video (such as personalized and interactive video) specifically. Customers are 3x more likely to prefer receiving a next gen video over traditional video, and in the case of Gen Z a staggering 93% of them are interested in both interactive and personalized video content from brands.

Brands are listening but still have a long way to go. The “video gap” in this year’s market study — the percentage of consumers who want brands to send them more video content — dropped to 78%, which is still a very large gap.

In addition, some of our financial services clients have specifically targeted Gen Z customers with these next gen video services due to how much it resonates with them and how upset they get when the content sent to them isn’t personalized.

2. How do you balance automation with creative input to maintain authenticity in your video content?

We allow users to find the balance that works for them. Our Next Generation Video Platform can create ready-to-use videos from a simple prompt, but we allow human intervention at every step of the process: from uploading brand kits to editing the script, narration, voiceover, style and any and all media used. Typically, users will let our automation take a first crack at creating the video and then use our easy touch-up editor to add their own creative flair if desired.

3. What key performance indicators (KPIs) are used to assess the effectiveness of personalized video campaigns?

Our clients use a variety of KPIs to measure success. The primary but most sensitive ones are ROI uplifts, for example, this one that shows a 17x ROI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHvVIiagS-E

Other clients may use engagement metrics such as how many people click on the call to action at the end of the video, while others use NPS scores. Our next gen videos show significant uplifts in all those metrics.

4. What measures are in place to ensure data privacy and compliance when collecting and utilizing consumer data for personalized video content?

We don’t collect any user data. We work with companies who have a relationship with their customers and who use us for generating video content for those customers. We generally don’t receive any PII (all data is anonymized), and all data is handled with our enterprise-grade security that includes ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type 2 and HIPAA compliance. Our platform has cleared the most stringent security audits with the most regulated companies such as banks, hospitals and telcos.

5. What initiatives are in place to ensure your brand's video content remains engaging and relevant to digital-first audiences?

We are always innovating and adding to our platform. The primary focus is on further scaling our AI capabilities in order to remove friction and cost and allow our customers to make ready-to-use videos for any purpose in minutes and to deploy them to millions of customers.

We have recently added an AI Video Ads module to our Lucas AI Video Creator and plan on adding additional dedicated modules to provide tailor-made solutions that are optimized for key use cases.

6. What plans are in place to further innovate your video marketing strategies to stay ahead of emerging trends and consumer behaviors?

We believe in drinking our own champagne, and we are therefore using our own next gen video services to engage our customers. We used to be very limited in our ability to create our own video content as our production studio was busy working on client campaigns, but now with Lucas, we can create videos for our website, mailers, etc., in minutes, leading to huge time savings and uplifts in engagement.