In a time when both consumer spending and business investment are on the rise, standing out in a crowded market has never been more challenging. However, according to a Nielsen report, ads that evoke strong emotions can result in a 23% increase in sales. In their latest e-book Step On It: SMB & Mid-Market Sales Acceleration, Extu, which oversees $60 million in marketing programs, explores the power of emotional marketing and how businesses can differentiate themselves to drive sales.

Key Takeaways from Extu’s Approach to Emotional Marketing:

• Transforming Practical Needs into Emotional Connections:
  In industries like HVAC or tire sales, where products may not seem inherently emotional, it's crucial to reframe the narrative. Extu’s CEO Steve Prebble emphasizes the importance of language to create a deeper emotional connection with consumers. For example, instead of describing an appliance as “discontinued” or “non-functional,” use terms like “end of life” or “requiring rehabilitation” to evoke a more emotional response. Similarly, instead of "deep traction tires," a phrase like "adventure-ready traction" creates an association with excitement and safety.

• Sharing Experiences and Co-Creation:
  One of the most effective ways to build an emotional connection with customers is by involving them in the brand journey. By making customers feel like co-creators, through participatory events or allowing them to influence product development, businesses can deepen customer loyalty. Prebble suggests, "It's about more than just feedback; it's about making them co-creators of the journey." This approach ensures that customers feel valued and invested, strengthening their bond with the brand.

Emotional marketing isn't just about evoking feelings—it's about creating deeper connections that drive consumer loyalty and sales. By transforming how products are presented and engaging customers in the process, SMBs and mid-market businesses can differentiate themselves in competitive markets. Extu’s e-book offers valuable insights into leveraging emotional connections to accelerate sales and build lasting customer relationships.

Blis, a leading location intelligence platform, has appointed Andrew Furman as Vice President of Midwest and West. This strategic hire strengthens Blis' expansion efforts in the U.S. and follows the recent addition of Alex Boras as President of Blis, U.S.

• Extensive Sales Leadership Experience

  • Over 20 years in sales leadership, bringing deep industry expertise.
  • Previously served 13 years at Outbrain, progressing from Senior Director to General Manager of North America.
  • Played a key role in Outbrain’s growth from a startup to a global organization with 1,000+ employees.
  • Contributed to Outbrain’s successful IPO in 2021.

• Background in Media & Advertising

  • Over a decade in sales management within the television industry.
  • Spent seven years at Fox TV, gaining extensive experience in media sales.

• Vision for Blis’ Growth

  • Furman sees Blis as a game-changer in connecting brands with audiences through location intelligence.
  • Believes in leveraging physical and digital behaviors to drive predictive insights and impactful results.

Leadership Perspective on the Appointment

• Andrew Furman’s Statement:

  • "Blis is transforming how agencies and brands engage with their audiences at key decision-making moments."
  • Excited to contribute to Blis’ U.S. expansion and drive client success through innovative location intelligence solutions.

• Alex Boras, President of Blis, U.S.:

  • "We’re excited to welcome Andrew to our leadership team at a crucial time of growth."
  • Recognizes Furman’s expertise in scaling businesses, building strong teams, and driving successful transformations.

Blis’ U.S. Expansion & Market Presence

• Founded in London in 2004, Blis operates with 300+ employees across 19 offices in 11 countries.
• U.S. operations began in 2016, with national expansion into key markets:
  • New York, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Boston.

Blis’ appointment of Andrew Furman as VP of Midwest and West underscores its commitment to scaling operations and strengthening its leadership team in the U.S. market. His extensive experience in media, advertising, and digital transformation will contribute to Blis' continued growth and innovation.

DuckDuckGoose, a Netherlands-based leader in AI-driven deepfake detection, has partnered with Banco Daycoval, one of Brazil’s most trusted financial institutions. This collaboration aims to combat the rising threat of deepfake-based identity fraud, which has surged by over 400% in Brazil over the past two years.

Tackling the Deepfake Fraud Epidemic

• Escalating Cybersecurity Threats in Brazil

  • Brazil is experiencing an unprecedented rise in digital identity fraud.
  • Deepfake technologies are increasingly used by cybercriminals to bypass security measures.

• Banco Daycoval’s Proactive Approach

  • Integrated DuckDuckGoose’s DeepDetector into its Know Your Customer (KYC) processes.
  • Strengthens verification procedures by detecting deepfakes in real time.
  • Enhances fraud prevention while improving operational efficiency in banking.

Why Deepfakes Pose a Critical Risk

• Deepfakes are AI-generated media that convincingly mimic real individuals.
• Fraudsters use them to deceive financial systems and commit identity theft.
• As a highly targeted region, Brazil is leading the fight against this growing cybercrime trend.

Leadership Insights on the Partnership

• Parya Lotfi, CEO of DuckDuckGoose:

  • “Banco Daycoval is demonstrating exceptional vigilance in addressing today’s most sophisticated fraud threats.”
  • Highlights the partnership as a milestone in securing digital financial ecosystems.

• Banco Daycoval’s Impact:

  • Sets a benchmark for other financial institutions in Latin America.
  • Encourages the adoption of AI-driven security solutions to combat cyber threats.

The Future of Digital Security in Banking

• DeepDetector’s Role in Financial Security

  • Real-time deepfake detection enhances fraud prevention.
  • Improves digital onboarding and overall customer experience.
  • Increases operational efficiency while strengthening cybersecurity.

• Inspiring a Broader Industry Movement

  • The partnership encourages financial institutions to adopt cutting-edge AI security solutions.
  • Marks a significant step towards a safer and more trustworthy digital environment.

DuckDuckGoose and Banco Daycoval’s collaboration is setting a new standard in financial cybersecurity. By integrating AI-powered deepfake detection into banking processes, they are not only preventing fraud but also paving the way for a more secure financial ecosystem in Brazil and beyond.

Anura Solutions LLC (Anura.io), a leader in ad fraud detection, is revolutionizing the industry with its Accuracy Guarantee a first-of-its-kind promise of 99.999% accuracy in identifying fraudulent visitors. By ensuring only invalid traffic is flagged, Anura eliminates false positives, providing businesses with unmatched protection and confidence in their digital campaigns.

Why Accuracy Matters in Ad Fraud Detection

• The High Cost of Ad Fraud

  • Advertisers lose billions annually due to fraudulent traffic.
  • Misidentifying real visitors as fraudsters can result in revenue loss and skewed marketing data.

• Eliminating False Positives

  • False positives mean real customers are mistakenly blocked, impacting sales, user experience, and brand trust.
  • Anura’s technology ensures businesses only block fraudulent traffic, maximizing conversions and engagement.

The Hidden Costs of False Positives

• Immediate Revenue Loss
  • Genuine customers being flagged as fraud leads to missed sales and lost referral traffic.
• Inefficient Marketing Spend
  • Misleading data from false positives skews ad performance, leading to wasted ad spend and inaccurate targeting.
• Long-Term Brand & Operational Damage
  • Blocking real users can erode customer trust and damage a brand’s reputation.
  • Operational costs rise as businesses struggle to validate traffic and fix errors.

Anura’s Commitment to Accuracy & Transparency

• CEO Rich Kahn on the Importance of Accuracy:

  • "The real cost of ad fraud isn’t just fraud itself—it’s the lost opportunities from blocking genuine traffic. Our Accuracy Guarantee ensures that not a single real visitor is turned away. This level of precision is unmatched in the industry."

• Client Protection Through Accountability

  • If a client provides verifiable data showing a discrepancy, Anura will:
    • Investigate and validate findings to resolve the issue.
    • Issue a service credit for the affected month if the claim is validated.

Anura’s Accuracy Guarantee sets a new benchmark in ad fraud prevention, ensuring businesses can confidently combat fraud without sacrificing real traffic. With an industry-leading 99.999% accuracy rate, Anura is redefining trust, transparency, and performance in ad fraud detection.

Brightcove, the world’s most trusted intelligent video engagement platform, has launched its AI Content Suite following a successful pilot program. This suite introduces AI-powered tools designed to enhance video content impact, improve productivity, and simplify content creation for businesses.

• AI-Powered Content Creation

  • Converts long-form videos into short-form clips, highlight reels, and chapters.
  • Adapts horizontal videos into vertical formats for mobile and social media engagement.

• Metadata Optimization for Discoverability

  • Auto-generates titles, tags, and descriptions to improve searchability and audience reach.

• Seamless Translation Capabilities (Coming Soon)

  • Enables multilingual video accessibility by supporting translations into multiple languages.

Driving Efficiency & Engagement

• Boosts Content Production Speed
  • Automates trailer and clip creation, reducing hours of work to minutes.
• Optimizes Audience Engagement
  • Enhances video discoverability and accessibility across multiple platforms.
• Strengthens Social Media Presence
  • Streamlines content adaptation for cross-channel distribution.

Customer Success with AI-Driven Video Creation

• “The AI Content Suite transformed our clip and trailer production process. We can now scale our content strategy while cutting costs and focusing on creativity,” said Remi Brunier, Director of Product and UX at STV.

Future Innovations & Ethical AI Standards

• Brightcove plans to expand its AI capabilities, including:
  • Text-to-video features
  • AI-powered interactivity, personalization, and recommendations
• Maintains strict security and ethical AI use through the Brightcove AI Pledge—ensuring customer content is never used for AI training without consent.

With the Brightcove AI Content Suite, businesses can maximize video engagement, streamline workflows, and expand global reach—all while maintaining security and efficiency.

Dash Social has launched its Creator Management platform, a powerful tool designed to provide verified data, streamlined workflows, and unified reporting for brands managing influencer and social media campaigns.

The Need for Verified Data in the Creator Economy

• The creator economy has surpassed $100 billion globally, making influencers essential partners for brands.
• Brands need accurate insights to measure creator impact and optimize campaign strategies.
• Dash Social’s platform combines API-backed data with comprehensive reporting, enabling brands to track performance, optimize budgets, and maximize ROI.

Key Features of Dash Social’s Creator Management Platform

• Reliable, Verified Data
  • Access API-backed insights to eliminate guesswork and ensure high-quality decision-making.
• Scalable Influencer Campaigns
  • Evaluate Earned Media Value (EMV) and other key metrics for measurable ROI.
• Time-Saving Automation
  • Streamlined workflows simplify campaign measurement and influencer discovery.
• Unified Influencer Management
  • Manage paid, earned, and owned campaigns from a single, integrated platform.

Industry Impact & Market Leadership

• “Our Creator Management platform is a game-changer,” said Thomas Rankin, CEO of Dash Social.
• The platform not only replaces existing influencer tools but also empowers marketers with verified insights to make intelligent budget allocations.
• Dash Social continues to lead the evolution of social entertainment, providing brands with tools to turn influencer partnerships into measurable success.

With Dash Social’s Creator Management platform, brands can confidently manage influencer marketing campaigns, optimize budgets, and drive meaningful audience engagement, solidifying their position in the evolving digital landscape.

Calsoft has partnered with Segmind to revolutionize AI-driven visual media creation for e-commerce companies. This collaboration aims to streamline the creation of high-quality visual assets and lifestyle images using Generative AI, enabling businesses to reduce costs and accelerate time to market.

Addressing the Challenges of Visual Content Creation

• E-commerce businesses struggle with producing high-quality visuals quickly and cost-effectively.
• Calsoft’s expertise in AI/ML and digital transformation will integrate with Segmind’s Generative AI models and Pixelflow, a no-code workflow builder.
• The partnership will enable businesses to create compelling visuals with minimal effort and time.

Leadership Perspectives

Anshul Bhide, Practice Head – AI, Calsoft Inc.
"E-commerce companies need fast and scalable visual asset creation. This partnership delivers high availability, accessibility, usability, and replicability—meeting industry expectations in a dynamic marketplace."

Rohit Rao, CEO, Segmind
"We are excited to collaborate with Calsoft to enhance AI-powered workflows on Pixelflow. AI-led visual asset creation will empower e-commerce brands to deliver engaging consumer experiences efficiently."

The Future of AI-Powered E-Commerce Solutions

This partnership underscores the growing importance of Generative AI in transforming e-commerce marketing strategies. By combining Calsoft’s AI expertise with Segmind’s advanced AI models, businesses can create visually engaging, cost-effective content at scale.

Unwrap, an AI-driven customer intelligence platform, has raised $12 million in Series A funding to help businesses gain deeper customer insights. The round was led by Scale Venture Partners, with participation from Atlassian Ventures, Cercano, ScOp VC, AI2 Incubator, and industry leaders. The funding will support sales expansion, product development, and company growth.

The Growing Demand for Automated Customer Intelligence

Customer understanding is a continuous challenge for businesses. Companies receive feedback from multiple channels—social media, surveys, phone calls, and forums—but aggregating and analyzing this data manually is inefficient.

Unwrap’s AI-powered platform automates this process by:

• Automatically tagging and prioritizing customer feedback without manual input.
• Identifying hidden insights ("zero-shot" insights) that businesses may not even be aware of.
• Routing critical insights to the right decision-makers for timely action.

Industry Leaders on the Power of Unwrap

Rory O’Driscoll, Partner, Scale Venture Partners
"Unwrap takes the manual effort out of customer feedback analysis. Their AI-powered approach identifies what truly matters, helping companies enhance their products and customer relationships."

Ryan Millner, Co-Founder & CEO, Unwrap
"If companies can better understand what customers love—or what’s driving them to competitors—they can build better products and grow faster. Our AI platform listens at scale, enabling businesses to engage every customer as if they were the only one."

Unwrap’s Vision for AI-Powered Customer Insights

Founded by Ryan Millner and Ashwin Singhania, former Amazon Alexa engineers, Unwrap is set to redefine how companies leverage customer intelligence. With this new funding, the company aims to unlock the full value of customer feedback, enabling businesses to make data-driven decisions faster than ever before.