Enlightening Results for Lenovo™ as an Early Adoptee of Samba TV’s Generative AI to Gain Insights from its Formula 1® Sponsorship

Samba TV, the leading provider of TV technology for audience data and omniscreen measurement, today unveiled a new capability from its game-changing artificial intelligence (AI) portfolio to enable brands to accurately and quickly measure the impact of exposure across linear and streaming sports, scripted and reality programs, video games, and more. Powered by Samba AI®, a suite of generative AI and machine learning (ML) technologies available worldwide, Lenovo is among the first brands to leverage this solution to understand its return on sponsorship investments with significant visibility.

Samba AI^® will automatically and instantly recognize when a company’s logo appears on screen for sports programs, that could be on the track, field, jersey, or car or when a brand is mentioned during a program, offering comprehensive viewership analysis that spans both traditional media and streaming TV. The product also analyzes the surrounding sentiment of brands, providing companies with a detailed understanding of their portrayal throughout the programming. The AI solution provides rapid analysis delivered to brands in-flight. It’s also interoperable within Samba TV’s outcome-based measurement suite, enabling brands to quickly activate targeting shifts based on the analysis.

“Samba TV has been investing in R&D for generative AI and machine language (ML)-based analysis of video for more than a decade,” said Samba TV Co-founder and CEO Ashwin Navin. “We’re now taking our years of AI innovation a step further by working with some of the world’s most recognizable brands like Lenovo to transform the way media investments are evaluated. We are using our powerful first-party data to train best-in-class AI models to inform the most important decisions made by advertisers.”

As an early adoptee of this new AI solution, Lenovo has already been able to collect useful insights on its Title Race at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin. On October 22, there were a total of 4,471 instances of the Lenovo brand throughout the race. This frequency translated to strong exposure of the brand for the average viewers and was, in fact, higher than any other brand being advertised at the race. Lenovo sponsorship proved particularly successful as it generated 34% more exposure frequency than a comparable race and its title sponsor.

“Measuring data and tracking analytics have always been critical in modern marketing to better gauge and understand the value of comprehensive brand appearances, including sponsorships and ad spend,” said Lenovo Global Media Center of Excellence Executive Director, Rick Corteville. “Working with Samba TV has been a step forward in taking our data and better retargeting key audiences to build frequency and drive awareness of Lenovo’s brand and tech innovations. Thanks to Samba TV’s insights, we have been able to more accurately measure the value of our F1 partnership across North America. We are looking forward to further testing this solution and linking it to our brand lift and demand generation KPIs.”

Samba AI^® goes beyond traditional monitoring and offers recommendations, tactics, and strategic insights into competitor’s activities and audience overlaps between events. These insights can then provide brands with massive opportunities to create incremental reach, eliminate waste, and create a competitive edge, allowing them to adapt their strategies based on the comprehensive market dynamics captured by the solution and help drive expanded monetization capabilities. Additionally, brands can leverage Samba TV’s comprehensive first-party viewership data to create new audience segments for targeted advertising. This feature helps brands to amplify their reach by connecting with the right audience, at the right time, in the right context.

New video player includes an intuitive, gesture-driven UX inspired by popular social media platforms

EX.CO - the world's leading publisher video technology platform empowering publishers to own their video content and monetization strategies, today launched its new vertical video player that is fully optimized for immersive mobile web viewing experiences, and also includes a version optimized for desktop consumption. Specifically engineered to play vertical video content with a 10:16 aspect ratio, EX.CO's player has a first-of-its-kind, interactive, and intuitive UX inspired by the video experience on social platforms. 

"Audiences today are consuming massive amounts of video content on social platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Twitch where they are accustomed to seeing vertical video everywhere," said Tom Pachys, co-founder and CEO at EX.CO. "Publishers now have the tools to form a true end-to-end video strategy–both horizontal and vertical–to interact with their audiences in the most engaging format using the most appropriate tools."

EX.CO's new vertical video player for web environments is modeled after the video experience on various social platforms that audiences know and love. The player–which is now available to  all publishers globally–is comparable to EX.CO's horizontal player from a monetization perspective and shows 17% more engagement than traditional horizontal players, on average. It allows users to consume a seamless feed of vertical video content without the need to rotate their phones for a better view. The player also includes familiar swiping gesture controls for maximum engagement so users can easily navigate between videos, bringing the user experience made popular by social apps.

With 78% of all web traffic across EX.CO's platform coming from mobile and the fact that nearly all mobile users hold their phones vertically, digital publishers have been eager to identify a vertical video solution that they can introduce on their owned and operated properties. EX.CO's new player will also allow advertisers to reach new audiences with the same high-quality video ads they are producing for social platforms.

"Thanks to mobile-first audiences and social media, vertical video for the open web has arrived–-and publishers are in a perfect position to capitalize on it," said Oren Regev, chief product officer at EX.CO. "Our new solution will allow publishers to create vertical video for the web and social simultaneously and then simply syndicate the content, thereby saving both time and money. This change has the potential to increase returns on both shoppable video and e-commerce ads."

Digital finance transformation leader expands leadership team, adding former Dell Technologies senior marketing leader to drive global marketing strategy

BlackLine, Inc. announced today that technology industry veteran Emily Campbell has joined the company as chief marketing officer (CMO), effective Jan. 2^nd. As CMO, Campbell is responsible for driving BlackLine's global marketing strategy as the digital finance transformation leader seeks to capitalize on the growing worldwide demand for solutions that drive greater automation, efficiency, financial governance, and risk management for the Office of the CFO. She will report to Co-CEO Owen Ryan.

"Emily has a strong track record building and growing technology brands globally, with a particular focus on demand generation for enterprise sales. The diversity and success of her past experiences speak to her ability to drive effective results across all facets of marketing," said Ryan. "Emily will be a critical part of our strategy as the premier accounting and finance platform for the Office of the CFO."

Campbell comes to BlackLine with more than 25 years of marketing leadership experience, most recently as CMO at Infinite Electronics where she oversaw global brand marketing strategy, e-commerce, customer experience, communications, inside sales, and technical support. Previously she was head of global marketing and digital innovation for Arrow Electronics, where she developed Arrow's e-commerce sales channel and oversaw demand generation efforts across channels. Campbell previously spent 14 years in senior marketing and product management positions at Dell Technologies.

"BlackLine represents a perfect blend of innovation and impact. I'm excited to help elevate awareness of the company's value proposition within the Office of the CFO, increase customer engagement, support growth initiatives, and strengthen our platform offering," said Campbell. "It's not just about marketing a product or solution; it's about being a mission-critical part of our customers' digital finance transformation journeys and changing how their businesses operate and thrive in the modern world."

Campbell holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and International Business from the University of Colorado.

ShowSeeker Expands Leadership with Seasoned Technical Operations Expert from OnMedia, Bringing Over 20 Years of Industry Experience

ShowSeeker, creator of the US advertising industry’s fastest-growing, cloud-based order management system, today announced the addition of Rose Schneider to its senior leadership team as Vice President of Technical Operations. As a seasoned expert with over two decades in technical operations and ad sales, she is poised to significantly enhance ShowSeeker’s technological capabilities and operational efficiency.

“Building excellent business software to streamline and simplify the sales process is what has brought me the most satisfaction during my career,” said Rose Schneider, Vice President of Technical Operations at ShowSeeker. “Pilot is revolutionizing the ad sales industry, and I am excited to join a team that has an excellent track record of staying ahead of the curve and a future roadmap that will continue to set new trends.”

Rose brings over two decades of diverse experience from OnMedia where she began her career developing a crucial ingest and processing system for Ampersand orders and quickly advanced to broader responsibilities. Her most recent position was as Senior Director of Ad Sales Operations, where she led the IT, client services, and traffic teams. Rose also spearheaded key technical projects and was instrumental in OnMedia’s initial integration with Pilot, demonstrating her versatile leadership and technical expertise.

In her pivotal new role, Rose will be responsible for the technical orchestration of onboarding new clients, managing third-party integrations, and spearheading user training programs. Her contributions will be crucial in refining ShowSeeker’s onboarding process, optimizing technical workflows, and sustaining direct and transparent communication with client stakeholders.

“Bringing Rose Schneider on board as our Vice President of Technical Operations underscores our commitment to leading the way in technical innovation and operational excellence," said Dave Hardy, CEO at ShowSeeker. "I am confident that her background and track record will serve to enhance efficiencies across our entire technical and development organization. Rose has garnered the deep respect of her previous staff, industry peers, and companies throughout the ad tech community. We are fortunate and thrilled to have her join our team."

Seasoned marketing leader joins Glia to drive differentiation, support growth

Glia, the customer interaction leader unifying Digital Customer Service (DCS), call center and automation on a single platform, has expanded its executive leadership team, appointing Rebecca Martin as its first Chief Marketing Officer. Martin brings more than 20 years of experience building sophisticated marketing teams and driving revenue for SaaS and technology companies. In this role, she is responsible for Glia's revenue marketing, content and industry strategy, customer marketing and corporate communications.

"Glia is enabling hundreds of financial services companies across the globe to strengthen customer experiences by providing the right interaction at the right time. I was immediately impressed by the company's unique value proposition, deep vertical expertise, and multitude of happy customers," said Martin. "I am excited to dig in and advance the Glia team and mission, helping to scale the marketing organization and accelerate growth."

Martin joins Glia from Total Expert, a customer engagement platform for financial services, where she served as Chief Marketing Officer and delivered revenue growth through new logo acquisition and customer expansion. Prior to that, Martin was Chief Marketing Officer at Calabrio, a workforce engagement management company, where she built an account-based marketing motion that fueled a pipeline of large enterprise business. Martin has additionally held marketing leadership roles at Code42, Stellent, and Oracle, and serves on the board of directors for the Minnesota Technology Association.

"Rebecca's comprehensive go-to-market skillset, proven track record of success, and deep experience in financial services and customer engagement make her an ideal fit for the Glia leadership team," said Dan Michaeli, CEO and Co-Founder of Glia. "She has already proven to be a valuable asset to Glia, and we are confident in her ability to strategically lead and advance our marketing organization as we continue to execute on our ambitious growth goals."

This appointment is another example of how Glia is continuing to cultivate strong talent across the organization. In 2023, the company announced Jay Choi as its first Chief Product Officer and Lisa Paccione as EVP of Sales.

Converge Technology Solutions Corp. is pleased to announce Stone Group, A Converge Company, and REDNET, A Converge Company, have both achieved IBM Platinum Status.

As an existing Platinum Partner, Converge now welcomes Stone Group and REDNET to the highest level of IBM partnership, allowing the Company to better deliver IBM services and solutions across North America, Germany, and the UK. Stone Group and REDNET achieved the highest level of IBM partnership by demonstrating unparalleled expertise, exceptional customer service, and a dedicated record of success in implementing IBM offerings. This significant milestone is a testament to Stone Group and REDNET's commitment to delivering transformative services and solutions to clients.

At the IBM Platinum Partner level, Stone Group and REDNET now have access to expanded training resources and education opportunities to further their skills and knowledge base. Platinum status also includes all advantages of the IBM Partner Portal, including competitive incentives, insider access, and enhanced support and benefits.

"Achieving IBM Platinum Partner status is a tremendous accomplishment for Stone Group and REDNET, as it broadens Converge's IBM capabilities globally," stated Greg Berard, Global CEO and President of Converge. "Converge has been a long-standing IBM Platinum Partner, and we're proud to continue growing our relationship. We look forward to advancing our capabilities in helping clients deploy IBM solutions and services to achieve their organizational goals."

• Lantronix Inc. is collaborating with P3 Digital Services to co-create a pre-integrated hardware and software turnkey In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) platform

• Lantronix’s Automotive Infotainment Computer (AIC), built around the Qualcomm SA8155P automotive processor, complements P3’s flagship SPARQ OS software, creating a powerful Android Automotive Infotainment system

• This collaborative joint solution provides OEMs with a highly capable, secure and future-ready infotainment platform that accelerates time to market while saving costs

Lantronix Inc., a global provider of secure turnkey solutions for the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) and the Intelligent IT market, and P3 Digital Services, a technology leader in In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI), together announced their partnership and game-changing technology pre-integration.

Lantronix’s proven and popular embedded in-vehicle infotainment platform is now pre-integrated with SPARQ OS, the flagship IVI software platform created by P3 Digital Services. The joint Lantronix-P3 platform affords automakers a multiplicity of benefits. Pre-integration between software and hardware accelerates time to market and minimizes technology risk. At the same time, with proven and trusted technology interoperation, the OEM can significantly save engineering and management time. The automotive manufacturer therefore can reap economies of resource and extend this lower-cost benefit to customers.

Moreover, the automotive manufacturer can bring innovative new products to market sooner and start earning revenues through the IVI platform while the OEM's customers can be confident in a reliable, highly functional IVI platform with SPARQ OS as its foundation.

“Our partnership with P3 leverages the respective and complementary expertise of both parties,” said Jacques Issa, VP of Marketing at Lantronix. “P3’s extensive experience in delivering reliable technology to drive its In-Vehicle Infotainment OS is the perfect match for Lantronix’s proven hardware with Qualcomm at the core.”

“Our collaborative Lantronix-P3 solution is a powerful example of a best-in-class turnkey system,” said Marius Mailat, CTO of P3 Digital Services. “This is a very exciting pre-integrated platform, and we very much look forward to enabling vehicle manufacturers and their customers to benefit from this solution.”

Lantronix’s AIC Platform

Lantronix’s pre-integrated AIC is built on the Qualcomm SA8155P processor to enable a next-level automotive infotainment system. The Qualcomm SA8155P processor provides automakers with one of the industry's highest-performance SoCs that comes equipped for the high-quality user experiences of the next-generation cockpit.

The AIC deploys a bare-metal Type-1 hypervisor to enable multiple operating systems, including QNX as host OS, Android™ Automotive as guest OS and AutoSAR OS that runs on the VIP, enabling ASIL-rated safety-critical applications. SPARQ OS is the dynamic and rapidly developing IVI solution developed by P3 and is based on Android Automotive OS, the fastest-growing in-vehicle operating system in the world today.

SPARQ OS’s cockpit platform includes a diverse and growing app store with currently more than 200 apps and services. SPARQ OS also features smart navigation, digital and personal voice assistant, charging, media and a broad array of engaging entertainment. It features fully automated over-the-air software and firmware updates, ensuring always-up-to-date functionality while promoting sustainability.

Omnicom today announced it has closed the previously announced acquisition of Flywheel Digital, the digital commerce business of Ascential Terms of the acquisition were first announced on October 30, 2023.

"We are thrilled to cross the finish line and officially welcome everyone at Flywheel to Omnicom," said John Wren, Chairman and CEO, Omnicom. "Flywheel's best-in-class solutions are a game changer for our clients whose demand for digital commerce and retail media solutions continues to grow. When combined with our well-established offerings in commerce, media and precision marketing, we now have end-to-end services that outpace the competition."

The addition of Flywheel uniquely positions Omnicom to seamlessly integrate offerings across retail and brand media, digital and in-store commerce, as well as precision marketing. Omnicom will connect the audience and behavioral data in its open operating system Omni to the product and transaction data in Flywheel Commerce Cloud to provide its clients unmatched insights and analytics.

Flywheel will operate as a Practice Area within Omnicom and will be led by Duncan Painter, previously the CEO of Ascential.

"Joining the Omnicom network takes our organization to the next level. We can scale faster, leverage relationships, and combine data and technology efforts," said Duncan Painter, CEO of Flywheel. "We look forward to the unique offering created as we connect complementary data from Flywheel Commerce Cloud and Omni. The combination gives our clients an unmatched view of complex digital marketplaces and offers them new ways to automate, optimize, and measure their digital commerce and media spend."