Firework co-founder and CEO Vincent Yang to speak on how authenticity, trust, and technology can help brands meaningfully drive loyalty in a new era of engagement

Firework, the world's leading video commerce and engagement platform built for brands and retailers, announced today that its co-founder and CEO, Vincent Yang, will be participating in a high-profile panel at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show. The panel, titled "Partnering to Win Lifetime Customers," will also feature distinguished speakers from Target, Microsoft, FCB Global, and Adobe.

The panel will delve into the future of e-commerce, focusing on the importance of authenticity, trust, and security in a world where these values are fleeting and increasingly sought after. The panel will unpack commerce's evolution from a single department to a pervasive aspect of business and explore how brands can foster customer relationships in an authentic, sustainable manner.

Yang, with extensive experience in the digital media landscape, will share insights on emerging media channels and the role of video in enhancing customer experience leading to conversions. He will also discuss the emotional dynamics involved in video commerce and its effectiveness compared to other channels.

"Video commerce is not just the future; it's the present, and it's transforming the way we engage with customers," said Vincent Yang. "At Firework, we've seen firsthand how interactive and immersive video experiences can create lasting connections and drive real business results. I'm looking forward to discussing the potential of this medium alongside such an esteemed group of industry leaders."

Sitting alongside Yang on the panel are Michele Fisher, Director of Business Strategy at Microsoft, Uday Kotla, Head of Product at Adobe Commerce, and Monique Perlmutter, Senior Director of the Partner Solutions Group at Roundel by Target. The panel will be moderated by Tina Allan, Global Chief Data & Intelligence Officer at FCB Global.

The CES panel will also explore the rapidly evolving retail landscape, the impact of retail media, and how emerging media channels are shaping B2B and B2C commerce.

The session is scheduled for Wednesday, January 10th from 3:00 to 3:40 p.m. PT, at ARIA (Level 1, Joshua 9). For more information about the panel, click here. To learn more about Firework, visit firework.com.

Mimecast Limited (Mimecast), an advanced email and collaboration security company, today announced its acquisition of Elevate Security, a provider of human risk management solutions. The acquisition strengthens Mimecast’s offerings by providing proactive insights and deeper visibility into human behaviors and risk, helping customers better protect the digital workplace. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“People, communications and data are core to every organization and artificial intelligence has accelerated cyber criminals’ ability to exploit these essential elements for their own gain,” said David Raissipour, Chief Technology and Product Officer at Mimecast. “People are historically the largest vulnerability in an organization but can also be the strongest line of defense if given the right tools and education. That’s our goal with this acquisition and core to our work  manage risk by understanding human behavior in the context of a complex environment and then acting on it.”

The Elevate Security^® security platform has the flexibility to ingest human behavior and context data from a range of sources. It then flags high-risk people using a precision risk scoring algorithm. Combined with tools such as Mimecast’s Awareness Training, these capabilities can help drive targeted intervention and training that reduces overall risk and exposure for companies.

The capabilities that Elevate Security’s technology powers combined with Mimecast’s portfolio of products, demonstrates Mimecast’s continued commitment to leading customers through the next generation of human risk management.

“Elevate Security prides itself on being one of the first human risk platforms to help organizations identify high-risk people and automate responses and safeguards, and we have long admired Mimecast’s commitment to changing user behavior to enhance protection,” said Robert Fly, CEO and Co-Founder Elevate Security. “We have no doubt that our combined strengths will help break new ground that changes the security conversation.”

Mimecast will continue to maintain and support the existing Elevate Security customer base. The integration process has begun and customers can expect to start seeing some of the new technology integrated into Mimecast products in upcoming quarters.

New Learning and Peer Collaboration Programs for Advertisers Will Teach and Certify Best Practices for Connected TV

tvScientific, the leading performance advertising platform for connected TV (CTV), today announced the launch of the Performance TV Academy, the first-ever online course for digital advertisers that want to learn the best strategies and tactics for driving performance on CTV campaigns. They also launched the tvRoom Community, a digital portal and Slack instance for networking and professional development that helps advertisers learn about the tools, tactics and best practices for driving performance in a CTV environment.

Traditionally, the top 500 brands drive 85% of TV spend. TvScientific has a vision to democratize TV buying for the majority of advertisers that aren’t currently spending on this growing performance channel. The tvRoom Community and Performance TV Academy solve the challenge of advertiser buy-in by providing CTV education for both novices and experienced marketers.

Early features of the tvRoom Community include networking, career resources and educational content for members, with plans to introduce additional programming, certifications and case studies in 2024 as the community expands. It will also provide member resources including a job board, industry reports and research, and AMAs with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).

Lessons in tvScientific’s Performance TV Academy will include:

• Why Performance TV & Everything You Need to Know to Get Started
• Building a Performance TV Strategy
• Budgeting for Performance TV Advertising - Doesn’t need to be $100k to get started
• Non-Intimidating Guide to Building Performance TV Ad Creative
• Launching & Managing Your Performance TV Campaign
• Measuring Campaign Performance and Proving Effectiveness

“With tvRoom and Performance TV Academy, we’re building a community of skilled practitioners and giving them everything they need to succeed with their CTV campaigns,” said Jason Fairchild, CEO of tvScientific. “Like any new technology, it takes time and effort to become fluent and effective with CTV, and we want these tools available to the widest possible audience of advertisers.”

CTV has emerged as a powerful channel that combines the brand-building effects of traditional television commercials with the targeting, measurement, and attribution capabilities of digital channels. In addition, CTV ads consistently drive a higher conversion rate at a lower cost than those on Facebook and Google.

"Having access to a community of vetted CTV experts and marketers has proven to be invaluable for someone like myself, who is just beginning to explore TV for my brand - I get responses quicker than I would on Reddit, and it's more trustworthy than the rest of the internet,” said Chris Pastorias, Head of Growth at Brightside. “A great collaborative group, free resources and access to webinars just further round out my knowledge and accelerate my understanding of and success with CTV as an acquisition marketing channel."

“TV is the most powerful advertising medium, and it’s now available as a performance channel for advertisers of all sizes and descriptions,” said Jason Fairchild, CEO of tvScientific. “There are endless opportunities for up-and-coming brands to get in front of hyper-engaged audiences, and we’re giving advertisers everything they need to create approachable, affordable, and measurable campaigns.”

Intellicheck, Inc., an industry-leading identity company delivering on-demand digital and physical identification validation solutions, today announced advancements for digital users of the Intellicheck Identity Platform.

Clients integrating the new Capture process can be up and running with no more than two simple web hooks. The new digital authentication experience does not require any significant development or programming time and is simply and rapidly implemented.

New users as well as current clients, including banks, credit card issuers, fintechs, BNPLs, retailers, and social media companies, will benefit from the enriched features. The responsive, easy-to-use technology allows clients to utilize the wide array of features available on the Identity Platform including bar code validation, OCR, and facial recognition as well as phone number verification, phone number reputation, address verification, sanctions, PEP, and criminal background checks.

Key features of the enhanced digital user experience include:

• Advanced Data Capture Tools: The introduction of auto snap/focus for image capture with edge detection ensures seamless and efficient data capture. Additionally, a new barcode scanner has been implemented to instantly capture barcodes without any user assistance.
• Guided ID Capture Process: Users are now prompted to capture the front of their ID first, followed by the back, with real-time guidance provided throughout the capture process. This strategic sequence eliminates any potential confusion during the ID verification process.
• Streamlined Workflow: The new image capture and barcode scanner flows significantly speed up the overall process, reducing the number of screens for end users to navigate through. This enhancement ensures a smoother and faster experience for users.
• Full White Labeling Capability: Intellicheck now offers the option to white label the entire user experience with logos, colors, and language customization. This allows for a fully branded and tailored session, providing a cohesive and professional look and feel.

Intellicheck CEO Bryan Lewis said the latest dynamic innovations build on the company’s industry-leading technology. "We are excited to bring these enhancements to our users, making the identity verification process faster, easier and more customizable than ever before. Our commitment to innovation drives us to continually improve our solutions and exceed the expectations of our clients. These updates reinforce Intellicheck's position as a leader in identity verification technology, providing clients with state-of-the-art solutions to meet evolving industry needs.”

Intellicheck provides both digital and physical identity verification solutions to industries where speed and certainty is crucial. These include financial services, social media, automotive, insurance, law enforcement and identity access management. Intellicheck’s services are used by many of the top 12 banks and credit card issuers, at more than 30,000 retail locations, two of the major social media companies, and more than half of the state-level law enforcement agencies in the U.S.