Get in touchZeta Global Hires AI Veteran Nate Yohannes to Lead New Data & AI Innovation Lab

Zeta Global is placing a major bet on the future of AI-powered marketing—and it just brought in a heavyweight to lead the charge.

The AI Marketing Cloud company has appointed Nate Yohannes as President of its newly formed Zeta Data & AI Lab and Global Head of R&D. With a résumé that includes key roles at Meta, Microsoft, and the White House, Yohannes steps into a pivotal position with a dual mandate: accelerate Zeta’s innovation engine and shape the next generation of marketing technology.

Yohannes, who most recently led GenAI product development in Ads Ranking at Meta, brings a rare blend of AI vision and product execution. At Meta, he was instrumental in developing Llama-based AI systems that now underpin its core advertising platform. Before that, he served in Microsoft’s Office of the CTO, where his work centered on scaling AI and inclusive innovation.

Now, he’s turning that expertise to Zeta, where expectations are high and the mission is ambitious: turning bold ideas into new revenue streams and marketing breakthroughs.

A New Lab for the AI Age

Yohannes will report to Christian Monberg, Zeta’s Chief Technology Officer, and lead the Zeta Data & AI Lab, an innovation unit tasked with identifying, testing, and scaling transformative technologies. Think of it as Zeta’s internal skunkworks—part R&D hub, part AI incubator, all focused on pushing marketing tech beyond today’s playbook.

The lab’s remit is broad but laser-focused: tap into Zeta’s deep proprietary data, leverage advanced AI, and move fast. Whether that means developing new ad ranking systems, predictive analytics, or novel customer experiences, Yohannes will be at the helm.

“With Nate’s leadership, we’re accelerating our innovation engine and turning today’s breakthroughs into tomorrow’s industry standards,” said David A. Steinberg, Zeta’s Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO. “He’s equal parts visionary and builder.”

Why This Matters: AI in Marketing Is Reaching a Tipping Point

Zeta’s move comes at a time when GenAI is rapidly reshaping the marketing landscape—from campaign automation and predictive modeling to customer personalization at scale. Companies are scrambling to adapt, but few have the data infrastructure or AI fluency to lead.

With Yohannes, Zeta gains both. The hire signals that Zeta isn’t just trying to keep up with AI innovation—it’s aiming to set the pace.

In his own words, Yohannes is “honored to join Zeta at such a pivotal moment,” citing the company’s proprietary platform, bold vision, and strong leadership as key differentiators. He plans to focus on building breakthrough products, attracting top talent, and delivering measurable impact for clients.

The Bigger Picture: Talent and Tech as Growth Drivers

This move aligns with a broader trend across enterprise tech: R&D is no longer a backroom function—it’s a strategic engine for growth. By launching a dedicated AI lab and putting a seasoned operator like Yohannes in charge, Zeta is positioning itself to lead in an era where AI will define who thrives and who gets left behind.

And if Zeta can turn even a fraction of its AI ambitions into client-ready solutions, it could very well define what the next wave of marketing looks like. with our MarTech Experts.

HubSpot Supercharges Claude with CRM Context for Smarter AI Insights

In the era of AI-first workflows, context is everything—and HubSpot just delivered a major upgrade that could reshape how go-to-market teams work.

The company has launched the first-ever CRM connector for Claude, Anthropic’s conversational AI, enabling HubSpot users to bring their real-time business data directly into Claude’s interface. With the connector, teams can now ask natural-language questions, generate instant visualizations like pie charts and graphs, and take immediate action on insights—without ever leaving the HubSpot ecosystem.

In short, it’s AI, but grounded in your actual data—not hallucinations.

Smarter Questions, Sharper Answers

Marketing, sales, support, and customer success teams can now tap into Claude with business context that’s specific, up-to-date, and actionable.

• Marketers can ask Claude to identify contacts who opened a recent email but didn’t click, then generate a pie chart for follow-up segmentation.

• Sales reps can request a summary of active deals by stage and close date to prioritize their pipeline.

• Support agents can pull a list of their open tickets, sorted by urgency.

• CS teams can compare support resolution strategies across channels to spot trends and optimize service quality.

By embedding HubSpot CRM data into Claude, the platform evolves from a generic chatbot to a business-savvy assistant that works with your team’s actual reality.

“This makes Claude more useful by grounding its responses in real context from their business,” said Karen Ng, EVP and Head of Product at HubSpot. “It’s a simple, powerful way to get insights you can trust, wherever you work.”

Built for Security, Designed for Usability

Crucially, the Claude connector respects HubSpot’s role-based permissions. Sales reps only see deals they’re authorized to access; no accidental oversharing or data breaches here.

And in line with Anthropic’s approach to privacy, HubSpot data isn’t used to train Claude’s models unless customers explicitly opt in via feedback or custom training.

“This integration lets Claude reason through complex questions using your CRM data,” said Scott White, Head of Product at Claude.ai. “It makes Claude more valuable to HubSpot-powered teams looking to gain insights and take action.”

AI That Doesn’t Just Predict—Performs

The Claude connector is part of a broader effort by HubSpot to embed AI into everyday workflows. It follows a wave of new AI tools and connectors aimed at bringing structured, permissioned business data into LLMs—bridging the gap between AI hype and operational value.

Available now across all HubSpot tiers for users with a Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise plan, the connector is another example of how HubSpot is democratizing access to AI without demanding a PhD or a team of prompt engineers.

And for teams juggling a half-dozen AI tools, this connector may finally be the missing link: a smarter assistant that knows your business—and your customers.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.

Marketers Still Support EDI—but Pushback and Hostility Are on the Rise, Says CMA Report

Despite growing polarization and budgetary backlash, most Canadian marketers continue to support equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives, according to new research from the Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) in partnership with strategy.

The report, EDI in Canadian Marketing: Positive Progress and Persistent Challenges, found that 66% of marketers actively support EDI programs, with 81% saying they’ve never felt personally disadvantaged by such policies. Even among the 5% who oppose inclusion efforts, two-thirds acknowledge at least one benefit of a diverse workplace.

But enthusiasm is being tested. Nearly 60% of respondents reported pushback on EDI efforts—manifesting as budget cuts, policy stagnation, or passive resistance to training. Those who witnessed resistance also noted a drop in team morale and increased preventable turnover.

“Pushback may be getting louder, but the data clearly show that most marketers still believe in inclusion,” said Barry Alexander, Chief Marketing and Diversity Officer at CMA.

Polarization Is Hurting Teams

Workplace polarization is also rising sharply. 76% of marketers say ideological tension is affecting collaboration, leading to self-censorship, broken trust, and communication barriers.

Worse, one-third of respondents reported witnessing identity-based hostility at work—including smear campaigns, vandalism, and even physical threats. These incidents hurt not only the direct victims but also overall team cohesion and organizational culture.

Microaggressions and discriminatory behavior remain widespread. Over half (55%) of marketers said they’ve seen inequity or exclusion in the last year. Racial or gender-based jokes jumped to 39% in 2025, with the rate especially high—73%—in organizations lacking diverse leadership.

Marginalized Marketers and Older Workers Face Steeper Challenges

The data shows a disproportionate burden on marginalized groups. Nearly 60% of racialized, LGBTQ2S+, or otherwise underrepresented marketers say they need to work harder to be treated equally, compared with just 31% of non-marginalized men.

Marginalized women are particularly vulnerable, with a seven-point drop in reported inclusion (to 57%)—the only group to see year-over-year decline.

Ageism is also intensifying: more than half of respondents say it’s tacitly accepted in marketing, and stigmas against professionals over 55 are on the rise—often voiced by Boomers themselves, according to the CMA.

Leadership Diversity = Better Outcomes

One factor consistently mitigates these problems: leadership diversity. Only 28% of surveyed organizations reported having well-diversified leadership teams—but those that did saw dramatic improvements.

• Disengagement linked to discrimination drops from 68% to 28%.

• Feelings of inclusion rise from 39% to 93%.

• Reports of hostility and microaggressions decline significantly.

The takeaway? Inclusion isn’t just an HR priority—it’s a business performance driver. Organizations with diverse leadership outperform their peers in collaboration, innovation, and resilience.

A Call to Action for Canadian Marketers

With public debate intensifying and workplace divisions growing, marketers are being urged to double down—not back down—on inclusion.

“Canada’s success story is written in many languages and lived in every community,” said Alexander. “When our boardrooms mirror that reality, marketers create products and campaigns that truly resonate.”

The CMA recommends tying inclusion to business KPIs, maintaining open dialogue, and ensuring leadership reflects Canada’s diversity. In a time of rising resistance, these aren’t just ideals—they’re imperatives for long-term growth and workplace stability.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.

Audyence Unites with Top Intent Data Players to Streamline B2B Demand

In the ever-evolving world of B2B demand marketing, speed and precision are no longer luxuries—they’re table stakes. Audyence, the self-described system of record for paid B2B demand marketing, is pushing both levers with a new set of integrations that plug in buyer intelligence from 6sense, Bombora, Channel99, and Demandbase directly into its platform.

The move is designed to eliminate the friction that often plagues B2B lead generation: disconnected platforms, manual workflows, and siloed data. With this update, Audyence users can now plan, activate, and optimize campaigns using live intent signals and account-level insights—all in one place.

“Modern demand marketing requires precision, speed, and coordination across every touchpoint,” said Karl Van Buren, CEO of Audyence. “These integrations let marketers go from insight to execution in seconds, without jumping between tools.”

The Integration Stack: Who Brings What?

• 6sense brings its predictive audiences into play, allowing marketers to act on buying stage signals the moment they surface.

• Bombora contributes its well-regarded Company SurgeⓇ Intent data, giving real-time insight into which businesses are researching relevant topics.

• Channel99 offers transparency into performance signals, helping teams optimize spend with clarity.

• Demandbase delivers deep account intelligence, which, combined with Audyence’s orchestration tools, turns generic campaigns into laser-targeted outreach.

Taken together, these integrations are about more than efficiency—they’re about making modern B2B campaigns truly intelligent.

No More Frankenstack

Audyence’s vision is bold: one platform to plan, execute, and analyze demand generation—without the patchwork of plug-ins and spreadsheets. The new integrations aim to collapse the B2B martech stack into a streamlined, centralized hub.

“Marketing teams are tired of vendor sprawl,” said Dustin Piper, EVP of Partnerships and Alliances at 6sense. “This gives them a system that actually talks to itself—and responds in real time.”

Why It Matters

Intent data has long been a goldmine for B2B marketers—but too often, it's locked away in disparate platforms or arrives too late to act on. Audyence is betting that by centralizing this intelligence and tying it to real-time campaign activation, it can offer something competitors can’t: actionability at scale.

It's also a strategic move in the broader martech consolidation trend. As more marketers seek to reduce costs and complexity, platforms that can wear multiple hats—and wear them well—are in high demand.

“It's not just about speed,” said Chris Golec, Founder/CEO at Channel99. “It’s about having visibility and control in one place. That’s what makes this a win.”

With these integrations, Audyence is positioning itself not just as another martech player, but as the command center for demand—something B2B marketers have long needed, and competitors will likely scramble to emulate.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.

In a digital age where timing is everything, Wiland is bringing fresh momentum to a classic marketing channel—direct mail. The data-driven marketing firm has unveiled RapidPost, a turnkey solution that lets brands reach high-value customers and prospects with small-format, hyper-targeted mailings in as little as 7 to 10 days.

Think of it as real-time direct mail—powered by predictive modeling and behavioral data, RapidPost aims to help marketers strike while the iron’s hot.

Speed Meets Strategy

Marketers have long struggled with the lag between identifying buying signals and executing a direct mail campaign. With RapidPost, that delay is drastically reduced.

Built on Wiland’s proprietary first-party data and recency-based modeling, RapidPost identifies consumers who’ve recently made purchases or donations. That insight allows marketers to get in front of active buyers at the moment they’re most likely to engage—leading to better campaign performance and higher returns.

“RapidPost was developed in direct response to what our clients told us they need: speed, precision, and adaptability,” said Wiland CEO Mike Gingell. “This isn’t your grandmother’s direct mail—it’s real-time marketing, designed to cut through the noise.”

Targeted Use Cases for Maximum Impact

While email inboxes grow increasingly crowded and digital ad targeting faces privacy hurdles, direct mail—especially the kind that’s smart, fast, and personalized—is having a moment.

RapidPost is ideally suited for:

• Promoting top-selling or seasonal products

• Re-engaging lapsed customers with relevant offers

• Augmenting or replacing catalog campaigns

• Retaining customers during low-acquisition periods

• Supporting nonprofit donor appeals with real-time urgency

• Delivering timely, personalized promotions to DTC and omnichannel audiences

Integration Without Interruption

Whether brands need Wiland to run the full campaign or simply provide the data, RapidPost is built to plug into existing marketing systems. Wiland also offers a curated network of print and creative specialists, ensuring that execution matches the speed and precision of the targeting.

A New Chapter for Direct Mail?

With the reemergence of direct mail as a viable performance channel, Wiland is positioning itself at the forefront of the medium’s evolution—bridging the gap between intent signals and tactile delivery.

And in an era of diminishing cookies and fragmented digital journeys, RapidPost might just be what marketers didn’t know they were missing: fast, data-fueled, and surprisingly personal.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.

Teads is once again raising the bar in digital advertising. The omnichannel outcomes platform has announced the beta launch of Connected Ads, a new format designed to boost brand visibility and engagement across premium publisher pages—without compromising user experience.

Launched in six global markets, Connected Ads reflects Teads’ commitment to blending creative innovation with performance-driven results, giving marketers new storytelling tools in a cluttered digital landscape.

Features of Connected Ads:

• Dual Placement, Unified Experience:
  Connected Ads features two sequential ad units—one embedded mid-article and another appearing at the end—within the same content session. This dual exposure allows brands to reinforce messaging, guide users through a narrative, or encourage immediate action.

• Built for Engagement, Not Disruption:
  The placements are engineered to maintain user-first design principles, ensuring ads are high-impact without being intrusive. It’s an ad experience that complements content instead of interrupting it.

• Creative Exclusivity on Teads:
  The format is available only on the Teads platform, emphasizing its uniqueness in the marketplace. Brands using Connected Ads can stand out with interactive or rich media storytelling sequences optimized for high attention.

• Brand-to-Performance in One Format:
  By combining branding and direct-response elements in a single experience, Connected Ads embodies Teads’ core “brandformance” value proposition—helping advertisers move seamlessly from awareness to action.

Market Launch & Early Adoption:

The beta rollout is currently live across major publishers in Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US, with enterprise brands already testing the format. Early results are expected to inform broader availability and optimization strategies as Teads continues to expand its creative ecosystem.

Executive Commentary:

“With this unique ad experience, we're giving brands the ability to cut through the noise and tell new impactful stories,” said Remi Cackel, EVP of Global Demand Product at Teads. “It’s the first step in achieving brandformance goals in one seamless experience, powered by high-quality environments and user-first design.”

Teads' Connected Ads are not just a new format—they represent a strategic evolution in how advertisers engage across the open web. By offering sequential storytelling, exclusive creative control, and scalable performance, Teads is equipping brands to navigate a more fragmented digital world with clarity and cohesion.

As the lines blur between brand awareness and performance marketing, innovations like this could redefine what effective digital advertising looks like in the years ahead.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.

">

Agentic AI Is Here—and It’s Making Decisions Faster Than You Can Blink

If 2024 was the year of AI chatter, 2025 might be the year marketers stop talking and start letting the machines do. Netcore Cloud, the global MarTech powerhouse, just dropped its State of MarTech 2025 report, and the headline isn’t subtle: Agentic AI is delivering 2X conversions for early adopters.

The 1000-campaign study doesn’t just ride the AI wave—it captures the shape of the future as it unfolds in real time.

What’s Agentic AI, and Why Should Marketers Care?

Think of Agentic AI as AI’s more evolved cousin—less about rule-based automation and more about adaptive intelligence. It observes, decides, acts, and iterates. That means it doesn’t just automate workflows; it runs entire campaigns, adapts to consumer behavior on the fly, and sharpens personalization without constant human intervention.

Netcore’s findings show that brands using Agentic AI for predictive segmentation, affinity modeling, and AI-generated content are seeing 23% gains in campaign performance, with projections climbing to 30–35% by year-end.

In a world drowning in dashboards and manual tweaks, Agentic AI offers a bold alternative: let the system think for you—at scale.

Beyond Hype: The C.R.A.V.E. and A.D.A.P.T. Frameworks

The report introduces two acronyms aimed at decoding today’s consumer mindset and prescribing how brands should evolve:

• C.R.A.V.E. = Convenience, Rewards, AI, Videos, Eco-consciousness
  Consumers want one-tap ease, loyalty that feels like a game, snackable video, smart assistance, and sustainable choices.

• A.D.A.P.T. = Activate, Decode, Autonomize, Predict, Target
  For brands, this means moving from passive insights to autonomous execution—faster testing, sharper targeting, and real-time adaptability.

Translation? Campaigns that once took weeks to analyze and adjust can now self-correct in real time, thanks to AI agents that know when to pivot—no manual lift required.

"The Era of Guesswork Marketing Is Over"

That’s the blunt assessment from Nishant Arora, SVP of Marketing at Netcore Cloud, who argues that marketers don’t need another analytics dashboard—they need action. And Agentic AI doesn’t just suggest decisions. It makes them.

Kalpit Jain, Group CEO at Netcore Cloud, echoes the sentiment: “Agentic AI bridges the gap between customer expectation and brand execution… It brings intelligence, agility, and precision to every touchpoint.”

Implications for the Industry

For MarTech observers, this isn't just another AI buzzword. It's a paradigm shift that echoes broader trends: from real-time personalization arms races to the collapsing divide between marketing and product.

If rivals like Adobe, Salesforce, and HubSpot aren’t already baking Agentic capabilities into their platforms, they will soon. The competitive advantage is no longer who has the best data—it’s who can act on it, instantly.

What CMOs Should Do Next

If you’re a growth leader trying to cut through the noise, Netcore’s report makes a strong case:

1. Unify your data—Agentic AI needs signals, not silos.

2. Embrace real-time decisioning—move beyond lagging indicators.

3. Design for autonomy—build systems that don’t just inform, but perform.

As AI matures from assistant to agent, marketing itself is becoming more autonomous, more intelligent—and significantly more effective.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.

Squaretalk Just Made WhatsApp a Weapon for B2B Sales Teams

In the ongoing battle for customer attention, Squaretalk is handing its users a new tool: WhatsApp. The cloud-native contact center platform has officially added the messaging giant to its omnichannel lineup, giving high-performing sales and outreach teams a secure, compliant, and familiar way to connect with customers—especially those who don't pick up unknown calls anymore.

With WhatsApp now embedded directly into Squaretalk’s interface, businesses can streamline communications, boost engagement, and meet today’s expectations for safety and speed—all without switching tabs.

Why WhatsApp? Because No One Answers Cold Calls Anymore

Squaretalk’s CEO, Elie Rubin, cuts to the chase: “Customers are far less inclined to answer calls or engage with messages from unfamiliar numbers.”

The move to WhatsApp isn’t just about reach—it’s about recognition and trust. WhatsApp’s stringent verification processes and massive global user base offer legitimacy from the first ping. For B2C and B2B organizations alike, that’s a competitive advantage.

And Squaretalk didn’t just bolt it on. The integration means businesses can now run phone calls, SMS, and WhatsApp chats in one unified workspace—complete with compliance, audit trails, and security baked in.

From Spam to Secure: Built-In Protection from the First Touch

What sets Squaretalk’s WhatsApp feature apart isn’t just convenience—it’s security intelligence.

• End-to-end encryption via WhatsApp

• AI-powered sentiment analysis to catch risky interactions

• Brute-force login protection and IP-based access control

• Meta-verified profiles using pre-approved templates

• SOC 2-certified data handling with full GDPR and PCI DSS compliance

In short: This isn’t just another channel—it’s a trust framework that elevates conversations while minimizing fraud, phishing, and impersonation.

Especially in high-risk, high-regulation industries like finance, healthcare, or ecommerce, Squaretalk’s approach means outreach teams can finally scale without stepping into compliance gray zones.

For Support Teams and SDRs, It’s a Productivity Booster Too

By letting users fire off pre-approved WhatsApp templates and auto-suggested replies from within a single dashboard, Squaretalk reduces friction for outreach and support teams. Add full audit logs, and you’ve got structured communication that’s scalable, secure, and ready for quality control reviews.

“Our goal is to provide features that answer the real-life needs of support teams and outreach specialists,” Rubin says. “With WhatsApp now integrated directly into Squaretalk, every conversation is protected, fully auditable, and structured to meet internal quality standards.”

The Bigger Picture: Real-Time, Real Secure, Real Results

Squaretalk's WhatsApp integration isn’t just about adding another messaging app. It's about redefining how companies handle outreach in a world that's growing more skeptical, cautious, and privacy-conscious.

For any business that relies on trust, verified identity, and seamless engagement, the message is clear: Omnichannel isn't optional anymore—and neither is security.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.