A new study by Quad/Graphics, Inc. and The Harris Poll sheds light on a significant consumer trend the desire for more in-real-life (IRL) brand experiences. The study, titled "The Return of Touch," surveyed over 2,000 respondents and reveals that modern consumers are shifting their preferences back towards physical and tangible connections with brands. This shift presents a unique opportunity for brands to create more meaningful, omnichannel marketing strategies that combine both online and in-person touchpoints.

The report suggests that consumers are rebalancing their values, craving tactile interactions and seeking authentic, multi-sensory brand experiences. By meeting consumers where they are—whether in stores, at home, or online brands can build deeper connections that drive engagement and loyalty.

Findings from "The Return of Touch" Study

The survey reveals several key insights about modern consumer preferences:

• 78% of Americans prefer an in-person social life over a digital-only one.

• 81% believe that digital detoxes should be a routine part of life.

• 84% of Gen Z and Millennials value brands that blend technology and physical experiences seamlessly.

• 78% of Gen Z and Millennials appreciate digital touchpoints that enhance, rather than replace, the physical shopping experience.

According to Libby Rodney, Chief Strategy Officer at The Harris Poll, this cultural shift isn't just a pandemic-driven return to in-store experiences. "Gen Z and Millennials are seeking serendipity and human connection that online experiences simply can’t replicate. They expect brands to blend convenience with meaningful in-person moments, creating a hybrid experience that feels authentic and human."

The Tactile Renaissance: Why Physical Experiences Matter

The study highlights the importance of tactile experiences in fostering stronger connections between consumers and brands. In fact, 76% of Americans say that physical retail experiences help them connect more deeply with brands. Many consumers appreciate the "magic" of discovering products in person that online shopping can’t deliver. As Josh Golden, Chief Marketing Officer at Quad, puts it:
"The sensory impact of physically being in a store, touching merchandise, is powerful—it’s why this research validates the importance of tactile experiences in a brand's marketing mix."

Other key insights from the study include:

• 79% of Americans find online shopping efficient but lack the in-person "magic."

• 86% of Gen Z and Millennials believe that touching and feeling products is crucial to their purchase decisions.

Brands that offer immersive in-store experiences can create deeper consumer connections, influencing purchase decisions and driving brand loyalty.

Omnichannel Marketing: Bridging the Digital-Physical Gap

The study shows that consumers want more than just an in-store experience—they crave multi-channel interactions that blend digital and physical touchpoints. Print marketing has shown to be especially impactful, with 65% of Americans looking forward to receiving catalogs from brands. 71% feel that print catalogs and magazines convey authenticity, and 72% of Gen Z and Millennials wish more brands would surprise them with direct mail.

In fact, 78% of Gen Z and Millennials report that physical mail has prompted them to visit a physical store, underscoring the importance of an integrated approach that connects in-store, online, and at-home interactions.

The Emergence of Retail Tourism: A New Opportunity

The study also reveals the growing trend of retail tourism, where consumers plan trips specifically to visit hyped retail stores or pop-up shops. With 63% of respondents having planned a trip around visiting a retail store, brands can leverage Instagrammable designs and unique in-store experiences to create buzz and attract consumers to their physical locations.

60% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers enjoy the experience of waiting in line for a popular retailer, further emphasizing the power of in-person interactions. After a memorable in-store experience, consumers are likely to:

• 51% make a return visit

• 47% talk about the brand with others

• 38% explore the brand's online store

The Power of "Return on Touch"

This study emphasizes the significant opportunity for brands to create meaningful, tactile experiences that resonate with today’s consumers. By embracing omnichannel marketing strategies and blending online and offline touchpoints, brands can enhance authenticity, foster brand loyalty, and improve customer engagement.

As Josh Golden notes, the "Return on Touch" is not just a catchy phrase—it represents a tangible opportunity for brands to drive stronger, more engaged customer relationships and reap the benefits of cross-channel marketing that connects with consumers on a deeper, more personal level.

Demandbase, a leader in account-based go-to-market (GTM) solutions for B2B enterprises, has unveiled Agentbase, a suite of innovative AI agents designed to streamline workflows and accelerate decision-making for revenue teams. Powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Agentbase combines cutting-edge AI technologies to turn complex data and workflows into actionable, conversational insights that drive smarter business decisions.

The launch of Agentbase includes two key innovations: Filter Agent and Action Agent, which are being developed in collaboration with the AWS GenAI Innovation Center. These AI-driven agents are poised to transform how B2B companies engage with data, boosting productivity, improving campaign precision, and reducing the time it takes to turn insights into actionable results.

Agentbase: Driving Smarter Decisions and Accelerated Revenue Growth

Built on a foundation of proven AI technologies like intent analysis and account summaries, Agentbase is designed to streamline GTM workflows, enhance campaign effectiveness, and generate tangible business outcomes. Early results show that campaigns utilizing the platform's agents saw 40% higher click-through rates and 25% more page visits, showcasing its potential to significantly improve marketing performance.

Francessca Vasquez, Vice President of Professional Services and Generative AI Innovation Center at AWS, highlighted the impact of Agentbase on B2B companies:

"Demandbase has leveraged Amazon Bedrock to build Agentbase agents, transforming how B2B companies access and act on critical business intelligence. These innovations make complex data more accessible while delivering meaningful business outcomes."

The Power of AI-Driven Automation for B2B Sales Teams

The Agentbase platform is built to empower B2B companies by enhancing how sales and marketing teams interact with data. The suite includes multiple AI agents, each designed to improve specific aspects of the go-to-market (GTM) process:

1. Filter Agent: Helps users analyze data with natural language capabilities, simplifying the process of filtering through complex datasets.

2. Action Agent: Automates the decision-making process, helping teams quickly identify actionable insights and opportunities for engagement.

Together, these agents reduce friction in how teams access insights, enabling them to act faster, smarter, and more effectively across the sales lifecycle. The platform is already deployed across numerous companies, including beta testers from Demandbase’s AI Design Partner Program, such as Equifax, SAP Concur, SentinelOne, NetApp, and T-Mobile.

Accelerating the Future of GTM with AWS and Demandbase

The collaboration between Demandbase and AWS is setting the stage for the future of AI-powered GTM strategies. By leveraging Amazon Bedrock, a platform that helps businesses build and deploy AI solutions at scale, Demandbase is ensuring that its agents are not only secure and scalable but also capable of driving measurable business impact.

Gabe Rogol, CEO at Demandbase, emphasized the significance of this partnership:
"The next era of GTM is here: Assisted automation and insights powered by AI. Agentbase is enabling revenue teams to quickly uncover powerful information and make strategic decisions across the go-to-market lifecycle."

The future of GTM is rapidly evolving, and the collaboration between Demandbase and AWS is pivotal in this transformation. Together, they are empowering businesses to scale their efforts and make data-driven decisions with precision and speed.

Looking Ahead: Multi-Agent Collaboration and Expanded Capabilities

Demandbase is committed to further enhancing Agentbase's capabilities by enabling multi-agent collaboration, which will provide even more comprehensive B2B intelligence and automation. As the platform continues to evolve, businesses will have access to even more powerful tools to analyze buying group scores, pipeline opportunities, and other critical data points.

To learn more about Demandbase Agents and how they’re revolutionizing GTM, visit the Demandbase website.

Join Demandbase at SaaStr 2025

Gabe Rogol, CEO at Demandbase, and Arym Diamond, Head of North America Data & AI Sales at AWS, will be discussing how AI is redefining the future of GTM at SaaStr 2025. The session will be held on Wednesday, May 14 at 3:50 p.m. PT. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the cutting-edge innovations shaping the future of B2B sales and marketing.

Captiv8, the leading influencer marketing platform for enterprise brands, has announced a strategic partnership with Perplexity for Startups to enhance its platform with advanced AI capabilities. The collaboration integrates Perplexity's Sonar models into Captiv8's workflow, transforming influencer campaign planning, execution, and reporting for brands and agencies worldwide.

By embedding AI-powered features directly into the platform, Captiv8 now offers faster insights, smarter decision-making, and stronger campaign performance, all within the platform's secure environment. This innovation enables clients to unlock the full potential of influencer marketing, significantly improving campaign outcomes.

Reimagining Campaign Intelligence with AI

Managing influencer campaigns involves navigating countless variables—from creator discovery to mid-flight optimization. Captiv8 recognized a key challenge: clients were spending too much time analyzing data or relying on external tools. With 60% of marketers planning to use AI to improve campaign results, Captiv8 responded by integrating AI directly into its core workflow with Perplexity's technology.

Krishna Subramanian, Co-founder & CEO of Captiv8, said,
"With Perplexity, we've built an intelligent co-pilot into the Captiv8 experience. It's not just about saving time—it's about unlocking creative potential and achieving better results."

Smarter Tools, Embedded in Workflow

The partnership introduces a suite of AI-powered features that streamline every stage of campaign execution. By using Perplexity's Sonar models, Captiv8 has enhanced its platform with tools that simplify the influencer marketing process:

1. Creator Vetting & Justification: Perplexity's Sonar API analyzes creator data (demographics, engagement, tone) and instantly generates justifications for brand-fit, saving clients hours of manual work.

2. AI Assistant: Clients can ask natural language questions like, "Which creators over-index with Gen Z in France?" or "Why did engagement dip on Day 3?" and get immediate, actionable answers.

3. Brand Safety Scoring: Captiv8’s Media Safety tool flags unsafe content and assigns a risk score, helping clients make informed partnership decisions with Sonar's real-time web research.

4. Automated Wrap Reports: Sonar’s advanced reasoning model compiles post-campaign summaries, combining key metrics, insights, and takeaways into polished reports—delivered in minutes instead of days.

All these tools are seamlessly integrated into Captiv8's user interface, eliminating the need for external data exports or third-party tools. The integration with Perplexity ensures that all campaign data remains private and protected with secure, zero-day retention.

Impact: Speed, Precision, and Results

The integration of AI has already delivered measurable results for early adopters. Brands and agencies have reported faster planning cycles, more precise targeting, and higher ROI. Tasks that once took days—such as influencer discovery or report generation—now take just minutes. AI now enables teams to identify trends, address performance dips, and optimize content on the fly, driving real-time improvements and long-term success.

Subramanian added,
"Thanks to Perplexity and their Startup program, we're providing clients with capabilities they've never had before. AI is no longer a buzzword—it's become the engine behind how our customers work and win."

A New Standard for AI in Marketing Workflows

Taz Patel, Head of Advertising at Perplexity, stated,
"Captiv8 is setting a new standard for AI in marketing workflows. By embedding our technology directly into campaign execution, we're helping brands make smarter, faster decisions that translate into more dollars flowing to creators and measurable impact in social commerce. It's an exciting step forward for the ecosystem."

With this partnership, Captiv8 continues to cement its position as a leader in influencer marketing innovation. The integration of Perplexity's AI tools is helping brands and agencies navigate the rapidly evolving influencer landscape with ease, unlocking new opportunities for growth and engagement.

Akeneo, a leader in Product Information Management (PIM), conducted a U.S. consumer survey to explore how AI impacts online shopping experiences. The study reveals an optimistic, yet complex, relationship between consumers and AI-driven features like recommendations and chatbots. With nearly one-third of consumers making purchases based on AI suggestions, brands have a significant opportunity to enhance product experiences and build trust through transparent and personalized AI implementations.

1. AI's Growing Role in the eCommerce Product Experience

• 75% of respondents have encountered AI-driven recommendations or chatbots while shopping online.

• 44% of those consumers engaged with the technology.

• 32% completed a purchase based on an AI recommendation, and 84% of them were satisfied with their decision.

• AI is being used across multiple stages of the customer journey to enhance experiences.

2. Where Consumers See AI Adding Value

• 37% noticed improved product recommendations.

• 33% experienced faster customer support.

• 31% benefited from more accurate search results.

• 28% observed enhanced product information and descriptions.

• 27% noticed improved AI summaries of customer reviews.

These figures indicate that consumers are increasingly recognizing AI’s role in refining their overall product discovery and decision-making processes.

3. The Future Potential of AI in Retail

• 42% of consumers expect faster and more accurate customer support from AI in the future.

• 39% look forward to more precise recommendations.

• 37% expect deeper personalization aligned with their preferences.

• Businesses have the opportunity to boost customer satisfaction and reduce product returns by ensuring that eCommerce product data is accurate, real-time, and AI-enhanced.

4. Transparency, Trust, and Chatbot Adoption

• Trust remains a concern—only 45% of consumers somewhat trust AI-powered recommendations and chatbots.

• Satisfaction with chatbots is low—only 38% of users reported satisfaction, and a mere 14% were very satisfied.

• 43% of respondents believe brands are not transparent about data usage, and 30% are uncertain about transparency levels.

• Despite trust issues, 49% of consumers are open to continuing purchases with brands using AI to enhance the experience.

The survey underscores a growing yet cautious optimism among consumers regarding AI in eCommerce. While AI significantly enhances product discovery and personalization, retailers must prioritize transparency and trust to maintain consumer confidence. Businesses investing in AI must align innovation with clear communication to build stronger, long-lasting relationships with their customers. The path forward lies in integrating AI with ethical, customer-centric strategies that respect privacy while elevating the product experience.

Influencer marketing is evolving beyond basic brand awareness. To address today’s challenges of capacity, cost, and complexity, Endlss has launched Endlss Copilot the first AI-powered influencer workflow and management platform. Built for growing brands, this all-in-one solution helps lean teams run high-performing influencer campaigns by automating execution, increasing personalization, and driving real revenue without the enterprise overhead.

1. Solving the Modern Influencer Marketing Challenge

• Influencer marketing today demands ROI, not just reach.

• Marketers are constrained by time-consuming tasks and fragmented tools.

• Endlss aims to empower brands to operate like large enterprises with fewer resources.

2. Features of Endlss Copilot

• AI-Powered Personalization at Scale
  Generates tailored outreach messages in the brand's voice, customized per creator based on performance, audience, and interests.

• Unified Workflow Platform
  Manages the full campaign lifecycle: influencer discovery, outreach, content coordination, gifting, payments, and tracking—all in one place.

• Smarter Attribution Tools
  Replaces coupon codes and vague tracking with “Smarter Links” for precise data on every click, conversion, and commission.

• Human-Centric AI Support
  Automates the busywork but keeps creative and strategic control in human hands, helping teams stay focused on big-picture growth.

3. Real-World Impact and Testimonials

• No Rivals, a fast-growing DTC brand, streamlined its influencer process using Endlss.

• With automated gifting, real-time analytics, and personalized AI engagement, the platform saved the brand hours of manual work each week.

• Endlss has helped them manage high-volume interest without sacrificing quality or oversight.

4. The Broader Significance in MarTech

• Creators are now seen as ROI-driving partners, not just brand ambassadors.

• Tools like Endlss align influencer programs directly with sales outcomes.

• The platform’s clean UX, AI-driven features, and competitive pricing position it as a powerful alternative to bloated legacy tools.

5. Experienced Team Behind the Product

• Developed by the creators of Penny AI, a sales enablement platform used in 70+ countries and supporting global brands like Rodan + Fields and Nu Skin.

• The team brings over a decade of experience building for digital marketers, creators, and commerce professionals.

Endlss Copilot is more than just another influencer tool—it’s a reset for the industry. By automating admin work, personalizing outreach at scale, and tying campaigns directly to revenue, Endlss empowers modern brands to build authentic creator relationships and scale without friction. As influencer marketing shifts towards measurable growth, Endlss is purpose-built to meet the moment.

Experiential marketing is a fast-growing segment of the advertising landscape, expected to hit $57 billion by 2027. Yet despite soaring budgets and strong consumer interest, the industry suffers from a critical flaw: a lack of standardized, data-driven measurement for success. Recognizing this void, CrowdAxis officially enters the market with a breakthrough solution its Experiential Power Index (EPI)™. This proprietary metric aims to redefine how brands measure, compare, and optimize their experiential investments.

1. The Measurement Gap in Experiential Marketing

• Brands invest heavily in experiential campaigns—pop-ups, festivals, in-person events—but face challenges in quantifying their real-world impact.

• Traditional measurement methods fail to link brand alignment or emotional response to tangible ROI.

• Without a standard framework, marketers rely on disjointed data points, making campaign comparisons difficult and optimization nearly impossible.

2. What is CrowdAxis and the EPI Score?

• CrowdAxis is the first intelligence firm focused exclusively on experiential marketing analytics.

• The EPI Score (Experiential Power Index™) provides a unified, data-backed metric for evaluating engagement, sentiment, recall, and conversion.

• Built on proprietary algorithms and multidimensional data collection, the EPI offers a single number to summarize event effectiveness.

3. Why the EPI Score Is a Game-Changer

• Standardization Across Experiences
  Enables marketers to compare diverse event formats—concerts, sports events, pop-ups—using a unified scoring model.

• Comprehensive Insights
  Measures attendee engagement, emotional response, brand recall, and conversion potential with advanced analytics.

• Optimized Investments
  Helps brands identify high-performing activations and cut back on underperformers, driving smarter budget allocation.

• Business-Outcome Alignment
  Provides actionable intelligence that links marketing experience quality directly to business KPIs.

4. Founders’ Vision and Industry Need

• Alicia Richardson, Co-Founder, highlights the core issue: millions spent on brand experiences often rely on incomplete or anecdotal data.

• The EPI score changes this by delivering reliable, data-driven insights.

• Keri D. Richardson, Co-Founder, emphasizes that the EPI enables apples-to-apples comparisons across event types—a first for the industry.

5. Implications for Brands and Agencies

• Brings clarity to an industry long operating in a measurement vacuum.

• Agencies can now prove impact with standardized metrics, improving client reporting and retention.

• Enables strategic planning by forecasting potential outcomes based on historical EPI data from similar activations.

As experiential marketing matures, the need for precise, comparative, and actionable performance metrics becomes critical. CrowdAxis, with its pioneering EPI score, offers a long-overdue solution that transforms experiential activations into measurable, scalable business drivers. For brands seeking to validate their marketing spend and optimize their event strategies, the EPI is poised to become the gold standard.

As digital marketing and public relations become increasingly interlinked, partnerships between top-tier agencies can amplify impact in powerful ways. Reshift Media, a leading digital marketing firm specializing in franchise growth, has officially named Ripley PR its public relations agency of record. With a proven track record in B2B and franchising, Ripley PR is poised to boost Reshift’s visibility in the competitive U.S. market.

This strategic partnership reflects a growing trend: the alignment of niche expertise across digital and communications channels to support brand expansion and deepen industry authority.

1. Why This Partnership Matters Now

• The U.S. is a key market for franchise growth and brand awareness, especially for Canadian-based companies like Reshift Media.

• Reshift’s existing clients and future prospects will benefit from greater brand recognition, trust, and media exposure in the American franchising landscape.

• With public relations playing an increasingly essential role in multi-channel digital strategies, this partnership strengthens Reshift’s full-service offering.

2. A Perfect Match of Philosophy and Expertise

• Shared Franchise Focus: Both companies specialize in the franchising space—a unique and complex business model requiring tailored communications and marketing strategies.

• Aligned Business Models: Both agencies value independent operation, strategic customization, and deep domain knowledge, creating a natural synergy.

• Mutual Respect for Reputation: Reshift CEO Steve Buors noted Ripley PR's industry reputation as unmatched, positioning them as the ideal PR partner.

3. Reshift Media’s Role in the Franchise Marketing Ecosystem

• Offers a full suite of digital services: social media marketing, website development, SEO, and proprietary software tailored to franchisors.

• Recognized globally with accolades such as:

  • Best Marketing Franchise Firm – Global Franchise Awards (3 consecutive years)

  • Entrepreneur Top Franchise Supplier – Repeatedly recognized, #1 in 2024

• Serves over 200 brands across 22 countries, with solutions that scale across geographies and franchise structures.

4. Ripley PR’s Award-Winning Approach to Franchise Communications

• Founded in 2013 with a focus on B2B, franchising, home services, and manufacturing.

• Known for crafting targeted PR campaigns that resonate with franchise buyers, corporate leadership, and business media.

• Earned distinctions such as:

  • Newsweek’s America’s Best PR Agencies (2024)

  • Entrepreneur Top Franchise Supplier

  • 2025 Merit Awards – Best Communications/PR Agency

5. Strategic Advantages for Franchise Brands

• Cross-Functional Excellence: By combining digital execution with media relations, franchise brands receive comprehensive, high-impact support.

• U.S. Market Penetration: With Ripley PR’s deep media connections and storytelling acumen, Reshift’s value proposition will resonate more strongly in the U.S.

• Integrated Growth Strategies: PR efforts now work in tandem with digital campaigns to support lead generation, brand equity, and client retention.

In today’s increasingly complex marketing landscape, the most successful franchise brands are those supported by specialized, synergistic agency partnerships. With Reshift Media and Ripley PR joining forces, franchise systems in North America and beyond stand to benefit from a best-in-class blend of digital marketing, strategic storytelling, and industry know-how. This collaboration not only amplifies Reshift’s authority in the U.S. but also signals a broader evolution in how franchise marketing and PR are executed—more aligned, more strategic, and more impactful than ever.

As the global e-commerce ecosystem continues to expand, platforms face a growing challenge in managing the risk associated with high-violation product categories. Recognizing this need, LegitScript, a leader in merchant and product monitoring, has unveiled a comprehensive benchmarking program for e-commerce marketplaces. This initiative aims to equip platforms with comparative insights on policy enforcement and risk mitigation, helping them grow securely in a highly regulated digital commerce environment.

Through a combination of automated data analysis, risk scoring, and human verification, LegitScript delivers a unique view into the compliance performance of over 20 global e-commerce platforms, offering a first-of-its-kind industry benchmark.

1. The Purpose Behind Benchmarking

• Assess Risk in High-Violation Categories: LegitScript focuses on product verticals most likely to involve regulatory or policy infractions.

• Compare Against Peers: Clients can evaluate how their marketplace performance stacks up against industry leaders and laggards.

• Make Data-Backed Policy Decisions: With clear performance indicators, platforms are better equipped to evolve internal policy and compliance strategies.

• Enhance Confidence for Growth: Strong risk governance becomes a competitive advantage in scaling e-commerce operations safely.

2. Methodology and Risk Coverage

• The benchmark includes analysis across categories that typically draw regulatory attention:

  • Controlled substances

  • Prescription-only medications

  • Cosmetics and supplements

  • Tobacco, vape products, psychoactives

  • Weapons and firearms

• Risk levels are analyzed globally, allowing for regional comparisons and trend recognition.

• Proprietary scoring models and human verification ensure accurate classification and contextual understanding.

3. Findings from Initial Benchmarking

• 80% Lower Violation Rates on Monitored Platforms: Platforms using LegitScript's monitoring reported dramatically fewer infractions.

• Millions of Products Assessed: The scale and depth of the analysis cover both niche and large-scale e-commerce players.

• Highlights where risk control makes a measurable difference, especially in categories prone to abuse or evasion.

4. Most Frequently Violative Product Types

LegitScript uncovered a pattern of problematic products that dominate risk profiles across marketplaces:

• Weight loss drugs: Acxion, Terfamex, Redotex

• Anabolic steroids: Testosterone, Oxandrolone

• Sexual enhancement drugs: Tadalafil, Sildenafil

• Skin whitening creams: Goree Beauty Cream, Arche Pearl Cream

• Tainted supplements: Royal Honey VIP, Detoxi Slim, Ligandrol

These products are often linked to regulatory violations due to mislabeling, undisclosed ingredients, or illegal distribution.

5. Seller Evasion Tactics Identified

Sellers frequently employ creative methods to evade detection. LegitScript’s benchmarking identified the top strategies used across platforms:

• Deliberate misspellings: e.g., T4dalaf1l instead of tadalafil

• Blurring product images to evade visual detection algorithms

• Misleading categorization: Listing meds under “home goods” or “cosmetics”

• Bundling violative items with legal ones to confuse detection systems

• Coded language usage: Terms like “Candyland” for pill molds or paraphernalia

Understanding these tactics allows platforms to proactively tighten enforcement and detection protocols.

6. Why It Matters for the Industry

• Protects consumers from harmful, mislabeled, or counterfeit goods

• Reduces liability for e-commerce marketplaces

• Establishes industry standards for risk scoring and evaluation

• Provides a competitive edge to platforms that prioritize safety and compliance

LegitScript’s benchmarking program also complements its broader Platform Risk Solutions, helping clients develop a long-term risk management framework with actionable metrics.

In a time when e-commerce platforms face increased scrutiny and complex compliance challenges, LegitScript’s benchmarking program provides clarity and confidence. By evaluating millions of products across high-risk categories, the program empowers marketplaces to strengthen their risk posture, enhance trust with users, and accelerate compliant growth. As platforms vie for global reach and brand integrity, this new benchmarking capability becomes an indispensable tool for sustainable success.