News
Alida Announces Efrem Ainsley as New CEO
marketing 10 Jan 2024
“I am honored to step into this position working with our very talented team to defend our leadership position as the best experience research provider on the market,” said Ainsley. Ainsley joined Alida in early 2020 as Chief Financial Officer and most recently served as its Chief Operating Officer. Having over 20 years of experience as a software executive, Ainsley was previously CEO of ScribbleLive, which was acquired by Rock Content in late 2019. Prior to that, Ainsley was CFO and COO for Exinda and PlateSpin., and Vice President of Finance with Open Text Corporation, one of Canada’s largest software companies. In 2024, Alida plans to continue its focus as the leading community-centered experience research provider, particularly scaling its strategies tied to helping its customers better their product innovation and user experience processes by infusing the voices of end users. Wainwright served as Chief Executive Officer for four years and played a pivotal role in leading the organization through its transformation into the customer experience market. During his tenure, Alida saw consistent year-over-year growth through tumultuous market conditions, focusing on an aggressive innovation agenda that would uplevel its presence as a major industry player. “I am thankful to our incredible team and all their hard work throughout the years and will look forward to supporting a smooth transition as Efrem takes the helm,” said Wainwright. “I will continue to be an evangelist, investor, shareholder and enduring supporter of Alida.” “We thank Ross for his leadership during an exciting era for the company and have tremendous confidence in Efrem as he takes the reins at this important time in Alida’s history,” said Phil Deck, Alida’s Chairman of the Board of Directors. “The Board is excited about the 2024 strategic plan with an emphasis on innovation, vertical-focused growth, and the continued delivery of exceptional value for its customers.”Ainsley, former Alida Chief Operating Officer, succeeds Ross Wainwright
Alida, the leader in community-centered experience research, today announced that Efrem Ainsley has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Ainsley succeeds Ross Wainwright who recently stepped down.
Digimarc Adds ServiceNow Chief Marketing Officer and Forbes Entrepreneurial CMO 50 Leader, Michael Park, to its Board of Directors
marketing 10 Jan 2024
Digimarc Corporation, the leader in product digitization and pioneer in digital watermarking, today announced that ServiceNow Chief Marketing Officer Michael Park has been elected to the company’s Board of Directors, effective January 9, 2024. He has been appointed to the Governance, Nominating, and Sustainability and Compensation and Talent Management Committees. Park brings an innovative and strategic mindset to business challenges with a strong track record of driving operational rigor and organizational change with a commitment to cross-company collaboration. Park has led business transformation and go-to-market strategies at critical junctures for some of the world’s leading technology companies, including Microsoft, SAP, HP, Siebel Systems and ServiceNow, where he serves as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). “Our growth is at an inflection point and the opportunities ahead of us are massive,” said Digimarc President and CEO Riley McCormack. “Adding Michael’s world-class go-to-market experience to our Board of Directors is perfectly timed. I’m excited to work with Michael and to leverage his expertise to go even further, faster.” “Michael’s depth of marketing expertise, ability to drive growth at scale, and impressive tenure at multiple, industry-leading technology companies will be an incredible asset to our Board. His insights on engaging customers through every stage of their journey specifically will be integral to helping the company execute on all the exciting opportunities ahead,” commented Alicia Syrett, Board Chair and Chair of the Governance, Nominating, and Sustainability Committee. “We are thrilled to welcome Michael as the newest member to our very engaged and dedicated team.” “Digimarc presents a tremendous opportunity for the markets it serves. Positioned at the intersection of customer needs, technology innovation, and business model transformation, Digimarc is the obvious solution for product digitization. I thrive in this intersection,” Park said. “I’m excited to join Digimarc’s Board to help guide the company as it leads the way to protect content creators and consumers in an era of generative AI, contributes to the fight to end plastic pollution, and so much more.” In 2023, Park was named to the Forbes Entrepreneurial CMO 50 list, and his insights into marketing leadership and the role of technology in business transformation have been featured in Business Insider and the Wall Street Journal. Park earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and finance from the University of Rochester and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Graduate School of Business.Park brings transformative go-to-market innovation and expertise to Digimarc as the company hits an inflection point
Extreme Reach Unveils New Brand Identity and Welcomes Jo Kinsella as Group President at CES
technology 10 Jan 2024
XR is harnessing AI and data-driven insights to help Marketers make smarter decisions and drive return on investment. This new identity clearly exemplifies XR’s commitment to deliver the most tech-forward solutions and service to clients. “The XR brand launch follows a period of completing key integrations to provide clients with a single unified platform, transparency and control,” said Louisa Wong, Chief Executive Officer for XR. “As we transition to XR from Extreme Reach, XR is still the same company you trust to move your creative forward by delivering content to any screen, anywhere in the world, with valuable insights that help transform your business,” added Wong. Furthering XR’s platform is SpotlightXR. Led by Gaurav Agarwal, SpotlightXR is a complementary solution and is focused on modernizing and reimagining payroll, accounting, and residuals for the entertainment industry as well as commercial talent. As creative, media, and production continue to converge, XR believes the need for a unified solution is here. In addition, XR also announces the appointment of Jo Kinsella as Global President of SourceXR, the company's platform to power creative storytelling globally. XR will share the new platform and brand during CES 2024. The value of SourceXR is leveraged across brands and agency clients by delivering any creative asset to any screen, anywhere in the world. This year alone, SourceXR has delivered to 19,000 TV and digital platforms in 130 countries, providing unparalleled visibility so clients can benefit from cross platform advertising at scale. The appointment of Jo Kinsella demonstrates the commitment to drive value across the client base and she takes immediate responsibility for the company’s global growth strategy, revenue and execution with a strong near-term focus on offering data and insights that have never been previously available in support of creative performance. Said Kinsella, “The global impact and value of what we are driving at XR is exponentially greater than anything I’ve seen to date in terms of the advantage it will deliver to global brands and agencies. It’s exhilarating to be here at CES today as XR goes live and our clients and partners join us for this pivotal moment.” Kinsella is a 25-year software veteran with a proven track record of bringing to market innovative products and services across the adtech and fintech industries. Throughout her career, Kinsella has powered the success of brands worldwide, while helping the companies she’s led to achieve their full potential. Prior to her appointment, Kinsella most recently served as president of global ad delivery and measurement company Innovid, a role she took on after the acquisition of TVSquared, which Kinsella co-founded. “Jo’s appointment at rebrand was intentional as she is highly respected in our industry and was a trusted advisor throughout this process. We now need her where our team, clients, partners and investors will benefit from her leadership the most – in execution mode,” added Wong.New Brand Identity Reflects the Power of the Creative to Global Brands, Agencies and Studios Through its Global Unified Platform
Extreme Reach, the company behind a new global unified creative and delivery platform, today unveiled ‘XR’, their new company brand. XR reflects Extreme Reach’s position as a global technology company that offers end-to-end creative and production solutions and insights to the 1,000+ brands, agencies and studios it serves around the world.
Banzai Unveils 2024 Webinar Insights Guide: The Must-Have Resource for Marketers Seeking Successful Webinar Strategies
technology 10 Jan 2024
Equipping Marketers with Key Strategies for Boosting Attendance, Maximizing Focus, and Driving Engagement for Virtual Events
Banzai International, Inc., a leading marketing technology company that provides essential marketing and sales solutions, today released its 2024 Guide to Webinar Insights, aimed at providing key insights, trends, and strategies to enable marketers in navigating the unique challenges of virtual events.
In 2023, Banzai customers hosted over 800,000 webinars using Demio, the platform that helps businesses connect with audiences through webinars and virtual events, garnering valuable insights to guide marketers in optimizing attendance rates, maximizing the impact of email notifications and polls, and effectively addressing the common challenge of attendee drop-off rates. By leveraging the benchmarks provided across event types, focus rates, engagement tactics, company size, and company industry, marketers can confidently take action to improve their webinar programming.
“We're thrilled to offer marketers groundbreaking insights, in our most recent Webinar Insights Report, furthering Banzai's dedication to democratizing data and making data-centric strategy in webinar development accessible to all," said Ashley Levesque, VP of Marketing at Banzai. "Delving into these findings, our focus extends beyond enhancing webinar quality. We're committed to equipping marketers with innovative tools essential for navigating and excelling in the ever-evolving realm of digital marketing.”
2024 Webinar Insights Report Highlights
- Start-ups with less than $1 million in revenue have ½ the attendance rate of companies with $1 - $10 million in revenue
- Focus rates are lower (74.2%) during live webinars vs. on-demand webinars (86.3%)
- In on-demand webinars, focus rate increases significantly when attendees participate in a poll (88.3%) vs. when they do not (80.8%)
Cyware Appoints Alex Bender as Chief Marketing Officer
marketing 10 Jan 2024
With 22 years of cybersecurity marketing experience, Alex comes to Cyware after serving as the CMO of Invicti Security. Prior to Invicti, Alex served as the SVP of Global Marketing at Mimecast, contributing to its growth as the leading cloud email security provider and managing a team of 100+ marketing professionals globally. Alex has also held cybersecurity marketing leadership roles at Onapsis, RSA Security, Archer Technologies, McAfee, and Tripwire. "Alex’s arrival marks a significant milestone in our journey, and his leadership will be instrumental in guiding our strategic go-to-market initiatives, particularly with the momentum propelling our brand, revenue and organizational growth initiatives,” said Cyware CEO Anuj Goel. “As Cyware continues to modernize threat intelligence management, security automation and collaboration, Alex’s deep-domain expertise and vision make him an invaluable asset to our organization’s future.” Customers engage Cyware for its unified threat intelligence management and modular cyber fusion solutions, which enable security teams to operate faster and more effectively in today's complex threat environment. This is particularly vital as Security Operations Centers (SOCs) move beyond traditional roles to encompass broader responsibilities, including intelligence sharing, threat response, and security automation. “Cyber fusion is a strategic reality that organizations are now implementing, and Cyware is leading the industry in cyber fusion solutions,” said Alex Bender. “The convergence of threat intelligence and security orchestration and automated response (SOAR), alongside dissatisfaction with legacy providers and growing regulatory pressures, has led to significant market pressures for security teams. Cyware stands uniquely poised to address these challenges, and I am excited to be on board.” Alex Bender will be leading all marketing functions including brand, corporate communications, product marketing, demand creation, demand capture, business development, partner and alliance marketing as well as corporate and field events.Company welcomes cybersecurity marketing expert to accelerate growth trajectory as enterprises shift towards cyber fusion and evolve how they use orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) and threat intelligence management solutions.
Cyware, the leading provider of threat intelligence management, security collaboration, and cyber fusion solutions, is pleased to welcome security expert and marketing leader, Alex Bender, as its new Chief Marketing Officer. This strategic move comes with the increased scrutiny organizations are going through to reduce cyber risks and compliance mandates. Alex's extensive experience leading global cybersecurity marketing programs is set to play a pivotal role in Cyware's mission to help organizations adapt in this ever-changing environment.
Instacart Delivers Google Shopping Ads for Its CPG Partners, Powered by Its Retail Media Data
technology 10 Jan 2024
Instacart Ads Continues Off-Platform Expansion with Google Shopping Ads
Danone's Oikos, Kraft Heinz's Kraft, Lunchables, Oscar Mayer, and Philadelphia, and Publicis Media Among First to Pilot New Google Shopping Ads with Instacart's Retail Media Data
Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, and Google, today announced Google Shopping ads are now accessible to Instacart's advertising partners, leveraging the company's retail media data. With this expansion, CPG partners on Instacart, including Danone's Oikos, Kraft Heinz brands: Kraft, Lunchables, Oscar Mayer, and Philadelphia, as well as Publicis Media's CPG clients can activate Google Shopping ads, powered by Instacart's first-party retail media data and closed-loop insights, to reach high-intent consumers searching on Google and get their products into consumers' hands in as fast as an hour.
Instacart offers unique, rich insights on consumer shopping behavior from its massive catalog of more than 1.4 billion products across more than 1,400 retail banners. Google Shopping ads, featuring the CPG brands available on Instacart, can now scale to consumers who are shopping across Google more than a billion times a day. With Instacart-powered Google Shopping ads, those consumers will be able to see ads for participating brands' products as they search and click to complete their shopping journey on Instacart with the convenience of getting their products delivered with same-day delivery.
"Instacart's closed-loop platform and first-party retail media data are critical differentiators for CPG brands. Today, our team works with more than 5,500 brand partners to help them grow their businesses and drive incremental sales. With our collaboration with Google, we're now able to layer our valuable retail media data over Google Shopping ads' capabilities to enhance audience signals for our CPG partners' campaigns off of Instacart," said Laura Jones, Chief Marketing Officer of Instacart. "Over the last year, we've extended the power of Instacart Ads off-platform with a number of partners and now we're enabling our brand partners to reach the right audience while they search on Google and seamlessly drive them to purchase on Instacart. Every marketing dollar counts in today's macroeconomic environment and we're pleased with the early pilot results – from return on ad spend to 'new-to-brand' sales – that we're delivering for our partners."
"Danone is excited to participate in this pilot alongside Instacart to test new digital solutions with our partners, and continue to effectively utilize retail data to positively impact our health-driven brands," said MK Woltz, Director Media Connections at Danone. "We'll be interested to see the performance of this new ad solution that can hopefully enable a best-in-class consumer journey to purchase our brands directly from their search query."
"Retail media continues to be an important channel for our CPG clients and a core focus area for our business," said Jason Colon, EVP, Managing Director, Retail Media at Publicis Media. "Our agencies are constantly looking for innovative solutions that drive new levels of scale and client value. We look forward to testing these new Instacart-powered Google Shopping ads, which unlock a new way for our clients to engage with consumers, seamlessly drive them to purchase, and provide closed-loop measurement to demonstrate results."
The popularity of retail media is on the rise, with US digital retail media ad spend expected to double from $46 billion in 2023 to an estimated $109 billion in 2027 – anticipated to be larger than connected TV, digital audio, and linear TV combined (Insider Intelligence). The growth is fueled by the strength of first-party commerce data, which allows for more effective optimization and closed-loop results.
Today's news marks Instacart Ads' continued expansion and momentum to drive growth for its CPG brand partners' campaigns both on- and off-platform. Whether brands are utilizing search, social, programmatic, CTV, or linear TV, Instacart is committed to driving more performant and measurable outcomes through the power of its retail media data. Over the last 18 months, Instacart has built out its full-funnel tool kit of advertising solutions with new ad formats and features such as: pop-ups, shoppable video, promotions, and impulse, as well as new measurement capabilities, helping brand partners grow and prove the value of Instacart Ads. On average, Instacart Ads deliver more than 15% incremental sales lift, and in some cases twice that, for brand partners.
Salesforce Industry Leader Bill Donlan Joins Astound Commerce as Global CEO
technology 10 Jan 2024
Global Salesforce C360 platform specialist Astound Commerce announced today that it has named industry leader Bill Donlan as its new Global CEO. For 23 years, Astound has created end-to-end digital experiences across technology, data, design, and marketing to drive revenue growth for global B2B and B2C brands. Bill's initiatives will include propelling Astound's growth, reaching into new verticals and capabilities (with an increasing focus on artificial intelligence and data), and setting and executing the vision and strategy for Astound's future.
Viewed as a thought leader across the Salesforce ecosystem, and with 30+ years experience helping clients address their digital transformation and business strategy needs, Bill will help Astound further accelerate its transition to a full range of multi-cloud capabilities within the Salesforce service offering. Prior to joining Astound, Bill led the Salesforce Practice at Capgemini, overseeing a group of 1200+ employees, and, most recently, led the Global Salesforce Markets Practice at KPMG.
Rob Rodin, CEO and Managing Director of RLH Equity Partners and Astound board member, said, "Bill has an impressive track record in driving top-line growth, with particular focus in helping large global brands best implement and leverage the Salesforce ecosystem. We feel strongly that his leadership and experience will help guide Astound and its clients to new heights into a future of innovation and excellence."
Ilya Vinogradsky, Astound co-founder and board member commented, "Bill is highly respected in the digital technology services space, and brings with him a wealth of experience. His entrepreneurial spirit fits perfectly at Astound and our teams are excited for him to join us, as are our clients and partners."
Bill added, "I'm excited and honored by the opportunity to be part of Astound, a dynamic and forward-thinking organization. People are the most important element of a services firm and I pride myself on being a people-focused leader. I look forward to leveraging our strong history in commerce to continue our evolution across the Customer 360, leveraging data and responsible AI to deliver transformational solutions for our clients competitively."
LG Ad Solutions Appoints Mike Brooks to Global Head of Business Development and Partnerships
advertising 10 Jan 2024
Brooks will help fuel continued business momentum and growth in the U.S. and abroad
LG Ad Solutions, a global leader in connected TV (CTV) and cross-screen advertising, today announced the appointment of Mike Brooks as Global Head of Business Development and Partnerships.
Prior to joining LG Ad Solutions, Brooks was Chief Operating Officer for Verve Group, where he managed the global teams for the company’s leading SSPs, Smaato and Pubnative. He also previously ran marketing and revenue as SVP of Revenue at leading U.S. weather app WeatherBug.
Brooks also served as Global Director of App Advertising at Oath, where he managed and commercialized Verizon, AOL, and Microsoft assets for the app install ecosystem. Before that, he developed the mobile performance business of Advertising.com within the AOL Networks Umbrella.
“Mike has an impressive track record of growing publishing, mobile, and advertising technology businesses,” said Serge Matta, President of Global Ad Sales, LG Ad Solutions. “With his experience across channels–both on the supply and demand sides, Mike brings a holistic perspective and expansive expertise to the company that will be invaluable as we look to build upon our momentum in 2024 and beyond.”
“As CTV continues to take off, the growth opportunities for LG Ad Solutions are endless,” said Brooks. “Working with an OEM like LG which has 200 million connected televisions worldwide, brands can streamline the ad-buying process, reaching target audiences regardless of how they consume content on their TV – allowing for cross-platform audience insights and actionable campaign measurement. LG Ad Solutions is well positioned for the future and I look forward to helping the company continue to scale.”
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