Sharethrough, one of the top global independent omnichannel ad exchanges, announces a direct omnichannel integration with global DSP platform Adform. The integration benefits ad buyers that access Sharethrough's video, CTV, display and native ads through Adform with increased scale, buying power, better performance and improved sustainability.

The direct integration naturally increases scale while expanding media buying power by removing intermediaries previously required to access some of Sharethrough's inventory. Additionally, buyers will have direct access to Sharethrough's turnkey ad enhancements such as Dynamic Video Captions for video, CTV SportsTicker Overlay and Weather Overlay, and Display Countdown, all of which are proven to help improve advertiser performance.

Another main priority for this partnership is to enhance the sustainability of the advertising ecosystem, an important focus area for both companies. Sharethrough has pioneered sustainability in digital advertising with industry-first products like GreenPMPs and Low-Emissions PMPs, that help measure, reduce and compensate for advertisers' carbon emissions, and their new Net Zero Publisher Program that covers the first-year of cost for publishers to measure their company-wide carbon emissions to help them establish and achieve their net zero emissions goals. Earlier this year, Adform became the first global DSP to integrate with Scope3 to help advertisers measure and reduce their carbon emissions.

The direct integration goes a step further by providing all media buyers in Adform's public deal library access to Sharethrough's GreenPMPs.

"We are encouraged to see DSPs like Adform prioritizing enhanced sustainability internally and externally for their buyers," said JF Cote, CEO of Sharethrough. "Our direct integration is a net benefit to Adform buyers, who can now much more easily improve both the sustainability and performance of their ads."

Vicky Foster, VP Global Commercial Partnerships, Adform commented: "Advertisers eager to change the game in 2024 are looking directly at the omnichannel opportunity. Especially that available in fast-developing channels like CTV. We are excited to be partnering at this juncture with Sharethrough, a fellow pioneer of sustainable and uncompromising advertising, in providing this scale and performance for brands."

Steve Simpson joins as President, Data, Audiences and Technology; Shiva Vannavada appointed as President, Data and Technology Solutions

Dentsu (brand: dentsu; Head Office: Dentsu Group Inc.; Location: Tokyo; Representative: President and Global CEO Hiroshi Igarashi) today announced the appointment of Shirli Zelcer as Chief Data and Technology Officer (CDTO), sitting on dentsu’s Group Management Team. In this role, Zelcer will be responsible for all of dentsu’s client-facing data-driven, analytics and technology-enabled products and platforms, driving innovation and sustainable growth for clients.

Dentsu also announced today that Steve Simpson has been appointed as President, Data, Audiences and Technology, dentsu and Shiva Vannavada as President, Data and Technology Solutions, dentsu. Simpson will join the Global Media Practice leadership team to support the development of a winning Media Practice community that delivers continued excellence in its offering to clients, driving client growth and transformation. In his newly created role, Simpson will be responsible for the strategic planning and delivery of a globally-scaled, data-driven and technology-enabled audience platform that drives growth for clients, while Vannavada will focus on creating synergies across product and platforms, AI innovation, analytics and across Dentsu Global Services (DGS).  

Zelcer brings over 20 years of experience in analytics and insights, business advisory and organizational design, AI and data science, and cloud and marketing technologies. She was most recently the Global Head of Analytics and Technology at Merkle, where she led a global division of over 5,600 practitioners across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. In her new role at dentsu, Zelcer will be responsible to innovate the vision, roadmap, development and commercial impact of dentsu's data and tech strategy across our three core practice areas: Media, CXM and Creative, working closer with Practice leads and Jean Lin, Global President – Global Practices, dentsu. The role will lead a newly formed team brought together from these Practice areas to drive consistency, interoperability and ultimately to deliver growth to dentsu’s clients through more unified capabilities. 

Joining from Publicis, in his new role, Simpson will lead a global team of experts from across data management, identity, personalization, media activation and dynamic creative production, and partner with dentsu’s global products and platforms team to integrate and scale the platform across dentsu’s Global Practices.

Simpson will also be accountable for evolving dentsu’s global media delivery platform. Enabled by programmatic media delivery, enriched with 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd party data, it will leverage dentsu’s leading Merkury products suite to drive client competitiveness. 

Having previously served as Global Chief Product and Technology Officer, dentsu Solutions, Vannavada’s expanded responsibilities as President, Data and Technology Solutions will include driving cross-practice and product collaboration, nurturing dentsu’s AI Connective community and leading his team to contribute to tech-enabled solutions and strategy. 

“Innovation across data and technology are two of dentsu’s most critical points of differentiation, having led the market for many years in the development, adoption and application of proprietary platforms which give our clients the edge,” said Hiroshi Igarashi, President and Global CEO, dentsu. “We are very proud to appoint Shirli, Steve and Shiva into these new strategic roles which bring together our efforts across the organization, honing our capabilities and ensuring that dentsu and our clients remain at the forefront of innovation.”

The leadership of the broader Data and Tech organization at dentsu includes: Head of Product, Matt Seeley, and Sunil Rao leading Analytics, and Peter Rogers leading Data Platforms. DGS will also now report into Zelcer’s Data and Technology structure and in turn, Zelcer will report into Michael Komasinski, CEO, dentsu Americas & Global President - Data & Technology, dentsu. 

Business continuity service offering introduced due to strong demand

NICE today announced that it has launched a second CXone Cloud Region in Japan. This presents a unique and critical functionality tailored specifically for the Japanese market. NICE will provide a business continuity (BCP) service for CXone in Osaka, enhancing the overall resilience of CXone cloud infrastructure for Japanese customers. Osaka’s robust infrastructure and connectivity made it a strategic choice for hosting BCP cloud services, providing reliable and high-performance solutions for NICE customer business needs. 

There is increased demand in Japan for reliable and secure cloud services. Many organizations in Japan have strict requirements to ensure business stability during unexpected outages. The new Osaka business continuity offering is designed to enable CXone customers in Japan to be able to operate contact center services within Japan observing regulatory requirements, in the event of a natural disaster. With this new BCP service, NICE customers in the region can deliver exceptional Enlighten-powered CX without interruption and while keeping their data protected.

Darren Rushworth, President, NICE International, said, “This investment demonstrates NICE’s commitment to better serve its Japanese customers. NICE understands the unique challenges in the region when it comes to natural disasters. This enhances the overall resilience of the CXone cloud infrastructure, ensuring business continuity for customers in the face of unforeseen events like earthquakes and typhoons. NICE intends to continue to invest in Japan to optimize service in the market.”

Mary Wardley, VP Customer Service and Contact Center Applications, IDC, said, “The challenge of delivering global solutions is providing for the requirements of each geography. NICE’s continued investment in Japan represents the company’s focus on delivering consistent and secure CX AI technology to its customers in the region.”

Bridgeline Digital, Inc., a provider of marketing software, announced the release date of its HawkSearch "Smart Search" technology, set for March 15, 2024. Smart Search introduces two new ways to search, Concept and Visual Search, changing how customers interact with search and leading to increased engagement and revenue for businesses.

HawkSearch will introduce its “Zeus” update for Smart Search and GenAI capabilities on March 15, 2024. This update introduces AI-powered Concept and Visual Search to help HawkSearch customers generate more revenue. Smart Search uses AI models, vector databases, and large language models to process customer queries, whether typed or through images. For instance, Visual Search allows a customer to upload an image of a product, and HawkSearch will show similar items for purchase. Concept Search lets users describe their needs in natural language, and the system finds relevant products or information.

John Murcott, EVP of Product & Strategy, stated, “Integrating our features into existing interfaces ensures a smooth transition for users, maintaining our commitment to providing accessible solutions for eCommerce site users to find and purchase what they need.”

Ari Kahn, CEO, said, “Smart Search's introduction has shown its value, with customers like Max Warehouse, Nail Gun Depot, and Rainbow Resource Center adopting the technology. The Zeus release makes this technology generally available (GA), including the entire HawkSearch customer base, providing AI capabilities to help customers grow revenue on their sites."

GOCare, a SaaS provider of digital experience software, is excited to announce its strategic partnership with Fastwyre Broadband. Fastwyre is focused on enhancing the customer experience as they accelerate adding subscribers to their growing fiber broadband network. GOCare's Messenger and Reach solutions were selected by Fastwyre Broadband to empower customers with real-time, two-way SMS notifications, self-help options and ensure more convenient digital customer engagement.  GOCare solutions will integrate with other key Fastwyre solution partners including, Calix and CHR Solutions (Omnia360 B/OSS).

Fastwyre Broadband's partnership / collaboration with GOCare aligns with their commitment to providing clear communication and dynamic customer service to the communities they serve. GOCare facilitates proactive and interactive communications with subscribers via their mobile devices in advance of customer inquiries, such as appointments, billing/payment updates and even network outages. This solution has a track record of reducing inbound subscriber calls and enhancing the subscriber experience.

"We selected GOCare based on their experience with our eco-system solutions, including Calix and CHR Solutions, their reputation for rapid deployment, and the positive feedback from customers who love the solution," stated Keith Soldan, CFO of Fastwyre Broadband. "Fastwyre strives to deliver a truly differentiated subscriber experience and an advanced network", concluded Keith.

"GOCare is proud to add Fastwyre to our growing list of clients. It is imperative that broadband providers adopt a focus on elevating the customer experience. Many providers focus on speed and industry jargon. Subscribers overwhelmingly prefer a friendly experience, digital communication channels, and value for their dollar." stated Mike Roddy, CEO of GOCare. Today's customers are more technically savvy and have higher expectations. GOCare's clients experience better operating metrics by delivering a customer experience that goes beyond words. We look forward to engaging with the Fastwyre team to deliver the best customer experience in the broadband industry," assured Roddy.

Reach targets qualified contacts, drives event registration and generates leads for event marketers

Banzai International, Inc., a leading marketing technology company that provides essential marketing and sales solutions, today announced an expansion of Reach, its event marketing solution.

This expansion includes the creation of an operating business unit, investment in new technology systems to support customers more efficiently, and an expanded strategic focus within Banzai to serve additional customers. This expansion is in response to an increase in pipeline for the Reach audience acquisition solution that Banzai has seen in Q1 2024.

Events have become a critical component of effective marketing strategies, providing a unique opportunity to engage with target audiences in a face-to-face setting. However, it's often a challenge for marketers to attract the right individuals to their events, with many resorting to broad, untargeted promotional tactics like large email campaigns or organic social media blasts. This “spray and pray” approach often fails to reach the most relevant and interested prospects.

Despite a temporary hiatus post-pandemic, the field marketing industry is now experiencing significant growth. Projections indicate a $1 trillion market value increase from 2019 to 2032, growing at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2023 to 2032. Heightened expectations for successful events reflect the industry's recovery and increasing value placed on face-to-face interactions. According to the 2023 Gartner Tech Marketing Benchmarks Survey, “technology marketers increased investments [in events] by close to 5 percentage points between 2022 and 2023.”

Reach helps marketers drive event registration by inviting a company's ideal audience through personalized multi-channel campaigns. Leveraging Banzai’s Audience AI feature, Reach targets potential attendees from a database of over 379 million professionals by geographic region, industry, job title and more to fill rooms and sales pipelines. ThoughtSpot, an AI analytics company, saw a 75% increase in registration rates and generated approximately $1 million in new sales pipeline after utilizing Reach.

“We have observed an increase in demand for audience acquisition solutions for both webinars and field marketing. This represents a reversal in market trend from what we saw in 2020-2023 when marketing teams had a sharp decline in field marketing demand due to COVID-19 restrictions,” said Joe Davy, CEO and chairman of Banzai. “We are choosing to continue investing in our Reach business to meet market demand for our customers. Event attendance is a major challenge for marketers utilizing field marketing or webinars as a strategy. Reach enables customers to focus on event and webinar execution while supplementing their event audiences to increase their overall ROI.”

Leading organizations like ServiceNow, RingCentral, and Tanium use Reach as part of their event marketing strategy.

 Couchbase, Inc., the cloud database platform company, today announced the expansion of its executive leadership team with the appointment of Julie Irish as senior vice president and chief information officer. In this role, Irish will drive Couchbase's global IT strategy in alignment with the company's key business objectives.

Irish brings nearly 20 years of experience leading business operations, information technology, system implementation, migrations and strategic planning. She was most recently vice president of business applications and IT at New Relic where she scaled the function, led the delivery of complex IT projects and supported the company's migration to a consumption-based business model. Before that, Irish held leadership positions at Harvard Business Publishing and startup RichRelevance.

"Julie's appointment marks a key milestone in the next phase of Couchbase's expansion, and we're very pleased to welcome her as our first CIO," said Matt Cain, chair, president and CEO of Couchbase. "With an excellent track record and deep expertise in technology innovation, Julie's leadership will further enable our world-class team as we scale beyond inflection and unlock the next phase of our growth with our database-as-a-service Couchbase Capella."

Irish will lead the global IT and security team and will set the strategy for systems and IT to position Couchbase's internal infrastructure for future growth and effectiveness. Her extensive experience leading organizations through complexity and building strong business partnering teams will be essential in accelerating Couchbase's business expansion while equipping the global team with improved systems, tools and processes.

"The strategic use of technology is critical to scaling across all functions to drive growth. It's an exciting time to join Couchbase as more customers transition to the Couchbase Capella offering and consumption models. Couchbase has built a strong technology foundation, and I am honored to join the company contributing my insights, setting strategic priorities and collaborating with the world-class team," added Irish.

Virtualized Environments Deliver Flexible, Scalable, and Cost-Efficient Cloud-Based PoC Demonstrations

TD SYNNEX, a leading global distributor and solutions aggregator for the IT ecosystem, has launched TD SYNNEX Cloud Labs, a solution designed to accelerate the go-to-market process for vendors by providing a virtualized environment for Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstrations at cloud scale. 

TD SYNNEX Cloud Labs offers a virtualized environment that supports Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to address the growing challenges faced by the industry in delivering flexible, scalable, and cost-efficient PoC environments. The visibility into product performance is specifically instrumental in validating purchasing decisions.

"As cloud adoption continues to reshape business operations, the need for robust cloud-native infrastructure has become increasingly critical. Cloud Labs represents a significant leap forward in addressing the challenges vendors face in this landscape,” said Peter Zonneveld, Vice President, Global Solutions Aggregation and Innovation, TD SYNNEX. “According to CSO Insights, 92% of buyers want to know how the product can add value early in the sales cycle. By providing a solution that meets the vendors’ needs where they are in their product lifecycle, we empower vendors to bring their solutions to market faster and more effectively."

Leveraging TD SYNNEX's global solutions aggregation and automation expertise, Cloud Labs serves as a simulated production environment, enabling vendors and partners within the IT channel to bring products to market faster and at scale through showcasing product features and services seamlessly to end users. Vendors are empowered with the flexibility to stand up the environment through any of the leading cloud providers.

Additional Cloud Labs features and benefits include:

• Cost Efficiency: Eliminates the need for costly lab environments and infrastructure management, reducing resources needed for support and maintenance.
• Cloud Scalability: Provides flexibility and adaptability to virtual PoC and product demonstration processes.
• Time Savings: Shortens sales cycles, saving hours of time, and increasing ROI.
• Ease of Use: Enables vendors to create even the most complicated PoC environments with just a few clicks.
• Pay-per-Use Model: Vendors pay only for the resources used, optimizing cost-effectiveness.