TapClicks, a leader in Smart Marketing solutions, announces the immediate release of AI Operator Agents no-code functions integrated within its marketing automation platform. These agents empower marketers, agencies, and media companies to transform their marketing data and metadata effortlessly using plain language commands.

• AI-Powered Data Transformation:

  • The Data Transformation Agent automates the creation of complex formulas and marketing KPIs like ROI, ROAS, and text operations.

  • Users can generate these calculations without technical or development skills by simply describing their needs.

• No-Code Simplicity:

  • Marketers can create advanced formulas with natural language prompts such as “calculate cost per action.”

  • Eliminates the need for programming syntax or manual coding, making data transformation accessible to all users.

• Efficient Data Cleanup:

  • The agent can fix formatting errors, de-duplicate fields, and standardize inconsistent naming quickly and accurately.

  • Saves significant time in preparing marketing data for analysis.

• Custom KPIs on Demand:

  • Enables building sophisticated performance metrics across campaigns and channels through simple descriptions.

  • Supports better measurement and optimization of marketing efforts.

• Immediate Availability:

  • Operator Agents are available out-of-the-box for TapInsights admins at no additional cost.

  • Part of TapClicks’ larger AI-driven strategy to accelerate insights and reduce manual work in marketing workflows.

TapClicks’ new AI Operator Agents make it easier than ever for marketers and analysts to turn raw data into actionable insights without coding knowledge. By integrating AI-powered tools for data transformation and KPI creation, TapClicks is driving smarter, faster marketing decisions across brands, agencies, and media companies.

In today’s fast-paced media landscape, getting your story in front of the right audience requires more than just a press release. Whether you're navigating a crisis or announcing major news, the key lies in establishing connections with journalists who are both relevant and receptive. This is where a reliable media contacts database becomes essential. It’s not just about quantity it’s about quality, precision, and relevance.

Why a Media Contacts Database is Essential

1. Targeted Media Outreach

• Allows you to identify journalists by beat, publication, region, or interest.

• Helps avoid mass emailing irrelevant reporters, ensuring better engagement.

• Reduces the risk of your story being ignored or marked as spam.

2. Time Efficiency

• Provides quick access to updated contact information.

• Enables faster distribution of press materials during breaking news or emergencies.

• Eliminates the need for manual search and verification.

3. Improved Relationship Building

• Includes journalist preferences and previous work, aiding personalized pitches.

• Strengthens long-term media relations through informed engagement.

• Helps track interaction history for future collaboration opportunities.

4. Accuracy and Credibility

• Verified databases reduce the risk of outdated or incorrect contact info.

• Maintains brand professionalism by ensuring you’re contacting the right individuals.

• Supports compliance with data privacy standards and media ethics.

5. Real-Time Updates and Insights

• Keeps your PR efforts aligned with current journalist roles and beats.

• Offers insights into media trends and preferred communication channels.

• Enables you to adapt your outreach based on journalist activity and feedback.

A well-structured media contacts database is more than just a list—it’s a strategic asset. It ensures your message reaches the right ears at the right time, helping build stronger journalist relationships, increasing media coverage, and enhancing your brand credibility. In the world of MarTech, where precision and personalization are key, such a database can be the difference between being heard and being overlooked.

Publicis Groupe has officially announced the acquisition of Captiv8, a globally leading end-to-end influencer marketing platform. With this acquisition, Publicis brings together the power of Captiv8’s advanced AI technology, creator network, and commerce-driven influencer tools with Influential’s scale and client services, all underpinned by Epsilon’s identity and activation solutions. This move positions Publicis at the forefront of the global influencer marketing space by creating an unmatched platform for brand engagement, influencer management, and measurable business impact.

Highlights of the Acquisition

1. Captiv8’s Unmatched Global Influence

• A network of 15 million creators, covering 95% of all influencers with 5K+ followers.

• Operational in 120 countries, with support for local languages and currencies.

• Processes over 2.5 billion social posts annually, ensuring real-time, global-scale insights.

2. A Top-Ranked, AI-Driven Influencer Platform

• Ranked #1 Enterprise Influencer Platform by G2.

• Offers a unified data foundation, AI automation, and social listening capabilities.

• Branded Storefronts solutions connect influencer, commerce, and affiliate strategies seamlessly.

3. Formation of the World’s Largest Creator Network

• Combined network reaches over 15 million creators, including 90% of influencers with 1M+ followers.

• Enables brands to engage highly targeted and engaged audiences at unprecedented scale.

• Competes with the reach of leading social media platforms.

4. Powerful AI-Powered Influencer Marketing Engine

• Captiv8 will power Publicis’ Connected Influencer offering, integrated with Epsilon’s CoreID.

• Allows for cohesive planning, activation, and control of influencer strategies across platforms and regions.

• Enhances visibility and efficiency of influencer campaigns.

5. Integrated Social Commerce Capabilities

• Creator Commerce tools allow monetization of influencer content across all key digital channels.

• Delivers closed-loop conversion with a seamless blend of content, commerce, and affiliate.

• Simplifies execution of end-to-end influencer-driven shopping experiences.

6. Transparent, Real-Time Measurement for ROI

• Aggregates identity, influencer, and transaction data into a single platform.

• Enables full-funnel, real-time performance tracking across all influencer efforts.

• Drives clarity and accountability, ensuring marketing investments deliver tangible business results.

Leadership Perspectives on the Acquisition

Arthur Sadoun, Global CEO, Publicis Groupe:

“This platform is a one-stop-shop for our clients’ influencer marketing initiatives... With the largest influencer community and the most advanced tech, we can ignite earned-first programs to supercharge campaigns with authentic virality and direct commerce connections.”

Krishna Subramanian, CEO, Captiv8:

“Captiv8 was built to unify the fragmented creator economy. Together with Publicis, we’re not just scaling influencer marketing, we’re transforming it into a measurable, global growth channel.”

Ryan Detert, CEO, Influential:

“We bring unrivaled innovation and expertise to our clients. Together with Captiv8, we’re co-authoring the future of global influencer marketing.”

With the integration of Captiv8 into Publicis Connected Media, Publicis Groupe is redefining influencer marketing at a global scale. This strategic acquisition fuses scale, AI-driven technology, commerce capabilities, and transparent measurement into a single cohesive ecosystem. The result is a Category of One influencer marketing platform that empowers brands to plan, activate, and measure influencer campaigns with a level of precision, scale, and authenticity previously unseen in the industry. The future of creator marketing is not only connected but commerce-enabled and measurable—Publicis is leading the charge.

In a world where financial titans are often recognized by their public personas, Derek Bryson Park stands out by doing the opposite leading from behind the scenes. A principal at Wilmington Capital, Derek’s legacy in public service and Wall Street spans over 30 years, touching nearly every corner of global finance, from housing policy to billion-dollar deals.

In an exclusive series, Enterprise Wired explores the life and work of this influential yet understated leader. The latest article in the series spotlights Derek’s impactful tenure in mortgage finance and structured transactions an era that reshaped Wall Street’s financial systems in the late 20th century.

Insights from Derek Bryson Park’s Financial Leadership

1. Leadership Beyond the Limelight

• Derek thrived without the need for public attention.

• His effectiveness as a leader came from execution and strategy, not showmanship.

• Proves that impact doesn’t require visibility—it requires action.

2. Foresight Over Reaction

• Derek consistently demonstrated an ability to anticipate market trends before they emerged.

• Rather than reacting to market fluctuations, he made proactive strategic decisions.

• This foresight gave him an edge in high-stakes environments and complex financial systems.

3. System-Building, Not Just Deal-Making

• As Managing Director at Lehman Brothers and President of Cohane Rafferty Capital Markets, he led groundbreaking deals.

• Notably, he spearheaded the $14 billion Ginnie Mae mortgage servicing portfolio sale.

• More than individual transactions, Derek was instrumental in shaping entire segments of the mortgage finance market.

• He focused on building long-term systems and structures, not just closing deals.

4. Domain Expertise as a Leadership Asset

• Derek's deep knowledge in mortgage finance and whole loan transactions made him a go-to expert on Wall Street.

• His career highlights the value of specialization and technical mastery in establishing credibility and authority.

• Expertise enabled him to solve complex problems, earning the trust of institutions and regulators alike.

Derek Bryson Park’s legacy challenges traditional notions of leadership. He didn’t chase headlines—he created frameworks that moved markets. Through his visionary foresight, systems thinking, and specialized expertise, he has quietly helped shape the modern landscape of global finance. For aspiring entrepreneurs and finance professionals, Derek's story serves as a reminder that the most influential leaders often operate in the shadows, letting their results lead the way.

The ongoing Enterprise Wired series continues to explore these hidden dimensions of leadership, offering readers both historical perspective and practical insights from one of Wall Street’s most influential behind-the-scenes figures.

The evolution of global advertising continues to accelerate as Vistar Media, a leading provider of technology solutions for out-of-home (OOH) media, experiences a surge in international campaign planning. Since launching its global demand-side platform (DSP), Vistar has seen an impressive 36% month-over-month increase in cross-border OOH activity.

Now, Vistar Media is taking a major step forward with a new global data partnership with Spotzi, a leader in geomarketing intelligence. This collaboration empowers advertisers to build smarter, more scalable audience strategies across borders using consistent, high-quality data—all through a unified, global platform.

Highlights of the Vistar Media and Spotzi Partnership

1. Streamlined Cross-Border Campaign Planning

• Vistar’s global DSP simplifies international OOH campaigns through a single, centralized solution.

• Marketers can execute campaigns in multiple regions without switching data providers.

• This results in faster speed-to-market and less operational complexity.

2. Unified, High-Quality Audience Data

• Spotzi provides standardized audience intelligence across the US, Canada, EMEA, and APAC.

• This eliminates the traditional reliance on multiple regional data vendors.

• The integration ensures audience consistency and data reliability across markets.

3. Enhanced Audience Targeting with Local Relevance

• Access to Spotzi’s regional insights means brands can maintain global scale while respecting local nuances.

• A unified taxonomy allows for seamless targeting across borders with region-specific precision.

4. Data-Driven Efficiency for OOH Campaigns

• Marketers can now leverage Spotzi’s data directly within Vistar’s DSP, creating an end-to-end campaign ecosystem.

• Automation and integrated workflows reduce the need for manual coordination.

• Campaigns become as intelligent, flexible, and measurable as digital advertising.

5. Driving Innovation in Out-of-Home Advertising

• The partnership aligns with Vistar’s mission to make OOH advertising as accessible and scalable as digital channels.

• By combining audience intelligence and programmatic technology, Vistar and Spotzi are helping brands move from fragmented strategies to truly global, data-powered execution.

The partnership between Vistar Media and Spotzi marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of global OOH advertising. With this integration, advertisers now have access to a streamlined, scalable, and intelligent platform that matches the agility and precision of digital media. As cross-border advertising becomes more critical for brands, solutions like these are essential in driving data-driven impact and campaign performance at scale.

By combining best-in-class OOH technology with robust audience intelligence, Vistar and Spotzi are setting a new global standard for how brands connect with consumers in the real world—anywhere, anytime.

ClickZ Media, formerly known as Contentive, has officially launched its new brand identity, unifying a powerful portfolio of B2B publications under one integrated media network. The rebrand aligns trusted editorial voices with advanced audience targeting capabilities, allowing advertisers and media buyers to access over 585,000 subscribers, 350,000 social followers, and 5 million annual readers across high-impact industries like finance, marketing, technology, HR, and the public sector.

With respected titles such as Accountancy Age, The CFO, The Global Treasurer, Search Engine Watch, HRD Connect, and ClickZ, the rebrand strengthens ClickZ Media’s position as a leading platform delivering performance-driven campaigns for today’s top decision-makers.

What ClickZ Media Offers Media Buyers and Brands

1. Audience Intelligence at Scale

• Gain access to first-party data from over 5 million readers annually.

• Understand user behavior, interests, and decision-making timelines.

• Power more relevant, personalized campaigns that drive higher engagement and ROI.

2. High-Value Targeted Reach

• Connect with verified, hard-to-reach decision-makers across 12 trusted editorial brands.

• Deliver your message to professionals who influence and make purchasing decisions.

• Reduce media waste and increase campaign efficiency.

3. Scalable Thought Leadership Opportunities

• Co-create branded content that positions your company as a trusted authority.

• Publish across respected verticals to maintain top-of-mind presence with senior professionals.

• Shape industry conversations and strengthen long-term brand perception.

4. Demand Acceleration Across the Funnel

• Run integrated campaigns that span awareness, consideration, and conversion stages.

• Translate visibility into qualified leads and measurable sales pipeline growth.

• Align campaign goals with business objectives to achieve real outcomes.

The rebranding of Contentive into ClickZ Media represents more than a cosmetic change—it signals a strategic evolution. With a focus on data-driven insights, unified audience targeting, and campaign performance, ClickZ Media provides media buyers and agencies a comprehensive, high-performance platform to reach key B2B audiences with precision.

As marketing leaders seek to break through noise and deliver results, ClickZ Media stands out by combining editorial credibility with scalable commercial capabilities, enabling brands to drive impact at every stage of the buyer journey.

At the recent Gartner CSO & Sales Leader Conference, new insights revealed the growing misalignment and strategic challenges facing Chief Sales Officers (CSOs) in 2024. According to Gartner, only 45% of CSOs reported their organizations met several strategic goals, signaling a need for urgent recalibration of sales strategies, technological integration, and interdepartmental collaboration—especially as AI transforms buyer behavior and expectations.

As market conditions shift rapidly, CSOs are being urged to align their revenue organizations, reskill sales teams, and rethink AI implementation strategies to remain competitive and future-ready.

Insights from Gartner’s Survey of CSOs

1. Strategic Goal Achievement Remains Elusive

• Only 45% of CSOs say their organizations met multiple strategic objectives in 2024.

• Sudden shifts in market priorities and budget constraints are major contributing factors.

2. Sales and Marketing Misalignment Persists

• 49% of CSOs report significant differences between sales and marketing definitions of a "qualified lead".

• This disconnect hinders pipeline growth, lead conversion, and cross-functional synergy.

3. AI-Driven Future Demands Seller Reskilling

• 74% of CSOs believe that seller skills need to change significantly to meet future revenue goals.

• On average, 58% of sellers will require reskilling or upskilling by 2026 due to the impact of AI and generative technologies.

4. AI Integration Is a Necessity, But Control Is Limited

• Only 23% of CSOs are directly accountable for AI selection and integration in their organizations.

• 68% are either consulted or informed but lack decision-making authority, limiting effective tech adoption.

5. Technology Must Be Purposefully Aligned

• Successful AI adoption must go beyond implementation—it requires strategic integration into sales workflows.

• AI should enhance productivity, enable intelligent engagement, and support evolving buyer behavior patterns.

The Gartner report makes one thing clear: CSOs can no longer afford to operate with outdated strategies and siloed functions. Achieving strategic sales goals in the AI era will require better alignment between sales and marketing, intentional investment in seller skill development, and more influence over the AI tools shaping engagement workflows.

As AI transforms both buyers and sellers, sales leaders who proactively adapt will unlock competitive advantage and revenue growth, while others risk falling behind in an increasingly data-driven marketplace.

Rio SEO, a Press Ganey Forsta company, has released its 2025 Local Search Consumer Behavior Study, offering key insights into the evolving dynamics of local search behavior in the U.S. The study highlights how AI, accuracy, and real-time engagement are shaping customer decisions—and reveals that 84% of consumers search daily for local businesses. As local experience (LX) becomes a central part of the customer journey, businesses are under pressure to provide seamless, fast, and accurate digital interactions across all touchpoints.

In today’s competitive environment, being found in search isn’t enough—brands must also be trusted, accurate, and responsive to earn and retain consumer preference.

Insights from the 2025 Rio SEO Local Search Consumer Study

1. Local Search is a Daily Ritual for Consumers

• 84% of consumers search online for local businesses every day.

• While Google remains dominant, Apple Maps is growing, with 31% of users relying on it frequently.

2. AI is Redefining Local Search Discovery

• 60% of users are engaging with AI-generated overviews on Google.

• 32% say AI-driven features—like personalized recommendations—play a major role in decision-making.

3. Online Reviews and Reputation Drive Conversion

• 75% of consumers read at least four reviews before making a decision.

• Star ratings continue to be the top trust signal, but direct brand engagement with reviews is becoming increasingly influential.

4. Speed and Accuracy Are Make-Or-Break Factors

• 53% will avoid businesses with inaccurate or outdated listings.

• 59% expect a brand response within 24 hours of reaching out—emphasizing the importance of responsive customer service.

5. Leading Brands Are Local Experience-Ready

• Top-performing brands are leveraging local experience management tools to:

  • Ensure listing accuracy across Google and Apple Maps.

  • Monitor and respond to reviews in real time.

  • Prepare for AI-powered search features.

  • Streamline discovery-to-decision journeys for modern customers.

The Rio SEO study underscores a pivotal reality: local search is no longer a passive discovery channel—it’s a critical component of customer experience strategy. With AI transforming how consumers find and choose businesses, brands must double down on local data accuracy, reputation management, and speed of engagement.

For brands competing in today’s hyper-local, AI-driven landscape, winning in local search means managing every moment of the digital journey—accurately, intelligently, and instantly.