AI-powered solution identifies emerging brands and their growth potential

Social Standards, the leader in transforming complex social data into actionable consumer insights, has launched an innovative new solution called Brand Maps. Developed in tandem with industry professionals from the consumer goods, private equity, and investment banking sectors, Brand Maps offers companies a unique value proposition for finding and evaluating consumer brands.

"The battle for retail sales begins on social platforms before it reaches the store or shelf," said Jordan Breslauer, head of Product for Social Standards. "Traditional data sources can't always capture the rapid emergence of brands, much less shed light on the audiences and trends that are fueling their growth. Brand Maps bridges this gap, providing timely insights into brand trajectory and consumer interest based on authentic consumer conversations at scale."

Powered by billions of consumer conversations across social platforms, Brand Maps surfaces fast-growing brands and provides comprehensive profiles of their audiences. With accurate and timely measures of consumer interest and market momentum, marketers can more readily identify market share threats and investment professionals can inform deal sourcing and due diligence. Brand Maps sets a new, data-driven standard for the evaluation, funding, and acquisition processes of consumer brands.

Brand Maps has already been adopted by leaders in consumer marketing and investing based on its unique features and capabilities:

• Global Brand Profiles: syndicated SaaS tool that covers more than 25,000 brands across eight market sectors. It adeptly translates complex social data into actionable metrics, akin to UPC codes and purchase panels.
   
• Data Structuring & Analysis: advanced AI and linguistic expertise ensure social data is structured, accurate and meaningful. The tool provides pivotal size and growth rate metrics, giving marketers a clear picture of consumer interest.
   
• Growth Potential Matrix: proprietary framework categorizing brands into four quadrants: Leaders, Challengers, Sideliners, and Decliners. Updated monthly, it offers dynamic insights into brand trajectories and sector movements.
   
• Integrated Audience Insights: includes demographic, geographic, and behavioral insights which prove invaluable when combined with strategic consultation.

"Social Standards delivers unparalleled insights about brands, products, trends, and influencers," said Alicia Sontag, Partner, Prelude Growth Partners. "At Prelude Growth, we consider our partnership with Social Standards to be invaluable as we evaluate the market. We believe that they are a true competitive advantage for the brands they work with."

New survey reveals nearly 70% of respondents are worried that global data regulations will make it difficult to gather and utilize data, but AI will help

Heap, the leading digital insights platform, today announced its 2023 “Data Decoded: The Heap Digital Insights Report” survey results. The survey reveals the two largest obstacles teams have with their data stacks – difficulty in consolidating and organizing data and needing too much time to extract meaningful insights from the data. However, 58% believe that AI can be useful in collecting the right data.

The report combined three data sources: a market survey of product teams, a survey of Heap customers, and aggregated, anonymized user data from the Heap platform.

The survey additionally revealed that nearly 70% of respondents worry that global data regulations will make it difficult to gather and utilize needed data. 86% of teams find themselves surrounded by data silos. Teams say their silos are created through cross-functional collaboration, the inability of tools to share data, and no culture or mandate for sharing data.

Additional findings from the survey include:

• 94% of respondents think teams could make more data-informed decisions.
• Last year 40% of teams added solutions and tools to their data stack.
• Over 60% of teams report having difficulty consolidating and organizing data across different tools.
• 37% share that it takes too much time to extract meaningful insights from data collected.
• 67% of respondents say it’s easier to understand what users are doing on their website compared to their mobile app or mobile web.

“The survey results show that successful organizations prioritize a data-driven culture to better understand their user’s cross-platform experience. It further reveals that teams want to make more data-informed decisions, and that many try to do a better job by adding various solutions to their data stack,” says Rachel Obstler, CPO at Heap. “However, despite the best intentions, they are now struggling to extract meaningful insights across various platforms and datasets. Looking ahead, 75% of respondents believe their daily work will be impacted by AI, and 31% think it will ‘somewhat’ change the way they analyze customer journeys.”

The obstacles and concerns outlined in the survey can be addressed with the proper data analytics platform. Heap provides users with real-time, accurate, and insightful digital insights to support improvements in digital experiences. Heap’s platform streamlines and organizes diverse datasets - including quantitative and qualitative data - into easily understandable and accessible insights with a holistic overview of users, journeys, experiences, and behaviors.

TikTok marketers can scale their TikTok ad campaigns on 800,000+ outdoor and indoor video-enabled digital screens in the real world

Adomni, the leading global platform to plan and buy programmatic digital out-of-home advertising, announced a new advertising sales partnership with TikTok, leveraging the platform’s newly announced ‘Out of Phone’ offering. This strategic collaboration enables brands on TikTok to amplify their content on unique real-world screen types, including large format LED screens, digital urban panels, shopping mall and gym screens, as well as dozens of other formats.

This collaboration provides a range of advantages for brands on TikTok, making it easier than ever to share their unique stories on larger-than-life canvases, extend their video ads to various touchpoints along the consumer journey, and achieve greater reach and impact for their target audience. The esteemed brand CeraVe is one of the first to embrace the new offering, with more brands launching campaigns in the coming months.

This partnership also unlocks new distribution opportunities for creator content. Now, through brand advertising initiatives, creator campaigns can be showcased on hundreds of thousands of real-world screens beyond the TikTok mobile platform.

“TikTok has established itself as a key part of our daily life and it’s been remarkable to watch as the platform’s capabilities continue to grow for both consumers and advertisers. We are excited to establish this new advertising partnership to bring TikToks to more digital screens and more touch points in the real world”, said Jonathan Gudai, CEO of Adomni. “TikTok advertisers have an exciting new opportunity to enhance the reach and impact of their TikTok on-platform ad campaigns by extending the reach to Adomni’s network of connected, video-enabled screens. When you bring together real-world screens with TikTok’s authentic, highly engaging video content, we see a win-win outcome for advertisers, digital out-of-home media owners, and especially, on-the-go consumers.”

“TikTok drives off-platform results for businesses because of its reach, relevance, and diverse content & audiences,” said Dan Page, Global Head of Distribution, New Screens at TikTok. “This partnership with Adomni allows advertisers to supercharge that effectiveness, amplifying their ad campaigns across Adomni’s vast network of high-visibility screens.”

CeraVe from L'Oreal’s Dermatological Beauty Division was one of the first-to-market brands to extend its TikTok ads campaign to real-world screens through this partnership. The #CleanseLikeADerm campaign this summer illuminated the full-motion MiFi dual-screen display in the heart of Times Square, featuring the brand’s TikToks and creator content on the 10,500-square-foot digital canvas. CeraVe engaged both existing TikTok users and new audiences, effectively bridging the physical and online worlds.

“We thought the #CleanseLikeADerm campaign was the perfect opportunity to showcase our creators on the massive MiFi Times Square spectacular,” said Adam Kornblum, SVP, Global Head of Digital at CeraVe. “The fusion of digital and physical realms amplified our message of the importance of healthy cleansing habits, creating a true omnichannel experience for CeraVe’s existing and new audiences.”

Based on millions of data points from real software buyer behavior and feedback on G2, the inaugural report explores key trends across the B2B software landscape

G2 today released The State of Software, Q4 2023, a new report series which examines trends from its B2B software and services marketplace, based on proprietary data across 2 million+ trusted reviews, 150,000+ products and services, 2,000+ categories, and 80 million annual visitors.

According to the inaugural report, B2B software is growing at an average rate of 7%, based on the number of software listings on the G2 marketplace over the past five years. In exploring the trends within this growth, G2 observed the five fastest-growing software markets over the past year as:

• 1) Artificial Intelligence (39% year-over-year growth)
• 2) Design (17% year-over-year growth)
• 3) HR (14% year-over-year growth)
• 4) Marketing (14% year-over-year growth)
• 5) Security (14% year-over-year growth)

“The B2B software landscape is constantly evolving. As the world’s largest software marketplace, we have a direct lens into what’s happening in real-time – from real user reviews, website traffic, product and category insights, and more,” said Chris Voce, VP of Market Research at G2. “Based on our Market Research analysts’ expertise of G2 marketplace data and taxonomy, we’re proud to introduce the inaugural State of Software report and share these insights with vendors, investors, and buyers as a window into where innovation is happening and where key software markets are headed.”

Beyond identifying the fastest-growing software markets, The State of Software explores what’s driving that growth – outlining the fastest-growing categories and top visited new products within each of those markets. Key takeaways from these insights reveal:

• AI-powered features and capabilities are fueling growth across the B2B software landscape as more and more vendors add true AI capabilities to their products.
• The growing demand for high-quality and engaging content has increased the need for AI-enabled design tools.
• The dynamics of the human resources industry have shifted towards quality-driven job growth, which is enabled by AI-facilitated platforms for talent marketplace and intelligence.
• The marketing landscape has evolved, with a trend towards ‘one-stop shop’ solutions that allow marketers to efficiently focus on multiple segments and channels.
• Indiscriminately cutting security technology budgets carries risk, so businesses should look to optimize their resources and apply market insights to channel their resources effectively.

“The software industry has witnessed exponential growth in the past five years due to elevated digital reliance, wider adoption of cloud computing and SaaS, and significant advancements in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning,” Voce added. “While AI ranked as the fastest-growing software market over the past year, it’s disrupting the entire software landscape as AI functionality and features drive innovation and growth in other categories like Design and Sales software. It’s clear that AI is powering the rapid growth of software, with new categories and products emerging to meet buyers’ needs to remain competitive while driving efficiency and innovation.”

Hivebrite, a leading community and engagement platform, has raised a $37 million Series B funding round. This latest funding highlights the growing demand for Hivebrite's product and its leadership in the community-building industry. Quadrille Capital led the round, alongside existing investor Insight Partners, and angel investor Edward Filippi. The new capital will fuel Hivebrite's continued platform innovation and expand its global team to further support its customers.

Convinced of the transformative power of online communities to share knowledge and opportunities, unite around a cause, or build a deeper relationship with stakeholders, Founder and CEO Jean Hamon launched Hivebrite in 2015. With Hivebrite's all-in-one community engagement platform, organizations across industries can build private, fully-branded communities to achieve their strategic objectives. The SaaS platform offers world-class features and modern APIs to strengthen community engagement.

Fast forward to 2023, over 900 organizations in more than 50 countries trust Hivebrite to power their communities. Hivebrite clients include Boeing, Roche, the Obama Foundation, the National Academy of Sciences, the Aspen Institute, the University of Notre Dame, the U.S. Naval Academy, and U.C. Davis.

Jean Hamon, Hivebrite Founder and CEO, says:
"At Hivebrite, we believe in the transformative power of online communities to drive growth, accelerate change, and generate operational efficiencies. This funding reflects our continued momentum, rapid customer base growth, and the success customers experience using our platform. Our new capital will help us further strengthen our platform, especially in relation to deeper customization possibilities, smart connections between community members, and user experience. We will also expand our global team to bring even more innovation and business value to our customers worldwide."

Peter Sobiloff, Managing Director at Insight Partners, says:
"Hivebrite's remarkable growth and impact has enabled deeper customization and automation in community management while further enhancing user experience. The impact Hivebrite has had on global organizations is a testament to the company's vision and the dedicated team around it. We look forward to our continued partnership with Hivebrite as they grow and scale up."

Brice Delome, Partner at Quadrille Capital, says:
"Hivebrite is a perfect example of the companies we seek out with Quadrille's Growth Equity program. An ambitious team, building a leading product and looking to partner with global investors to address global opportunities. We are thrilled to support Hivebrite as they empower communities to thrive and maximize their social impact."

In response to the ever-increasing demand for targeted deals in the face of mounting inflation concerns, ShopLiftr is empowering retailers to capitalize on the enduring strength of retail promotions via an innovative digital ad tech solution. Accompanied by impressive results, ShopLiftr's unique dynamic creative platform is reshaping the future of circulars and digital promotions, providing a more efficient and effective way to drive hyperlocal sales, increase foot traffic, and deliver significant value to shoppers.

Retail flyers and promotions are not fading away; however, they are undergoing a pivotal shift from print to digital. Considering that more than 8 in 10 shoppers frequently check circulars for weekly grocery deals, and a staggering 81% of shoppers conduct online price checking before buying, the relevance and influence of digital in-store promotion amplification becomes evermore apparent.

Despite some signs of stabilizing inflation, 94% of American consumers expect the higher cost of groceries to persist. As a result, price continues to be a significant factor for shoppers, with 67% stating that it influences their choice of a go-to large retailer. In response, deal hunting has become mainstream, with nearly half of consumers shifting to merchants offering greater discounts and deals in the past year. This presents a significant opportunity for retailers to provide tailored value and cost-savings to consumers to attract them to add products from their stores to their shopping lists.

ShopLiftr understands that the key to success lies in effectively leveraging the digital ad space. By harnessing the largest proprietary database of active trade promotions in North America, ShopLiftr enables retailers and brands to deliver targeted deals and flexible messaging directly to consumers via dynamic display and video ads. Through hyperlocal trade promotion amplification, ShopLiftr ensures that consumers receive the most relevant and enticing deals based on their location and preferences – in real-time. This approach enhances the shopping experience, drives increased foot traffic and boosts in-store sales.

The results speak for themselves. ShopLiftr's dynamic ad solutions have proven to be highly effective, with a retail grocery partner experiencing a remarkable 19% increase in foot traffic. Likewise, a leading consumer goods brand witnessed an impressive 28% upswing in foot traffic, thanks to the tailored and impactful digital display and video ads provided by ShopLiftr.

"Digital flyer amplification and dynamic ads are more than just buzzwords at ShopLiftr. They're revolutionizing the retail ad industry," said Ian Clark, VP of Sales at ShopLiftr. "By integrating cutting-edge technology and data insights, we help retailers and brands engage their customers in a more effectual way, with superior results."

ShopLiftr remains at the forefront of this transformative shift in retail advertising, pioneering digital flyer solutions that drive engagement and deliver measurable results. With a focus on driving hyperlocal sales, ShopLiftr offers a high-impact solution for retailers and brands in various product categories to successfully respond to the surge of deal-seeking consumers and generate proven results.

• Generative AI Labs to accelerate development of industry AI solutions with Infosys Topaz and Google Cloud generative AI technologies

• Infosys will train 20,000 practitioners on Google Cloud's generative AI technologies and launch Generative AI Labs to develop industry solutions and accelerate business transformation

Infosys, a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, today announced that it is expanding its alliance with Google Cloud to help enterprises build AI-powered experiences leveraging Infosys Topaz offerings and Google Cloud's generative AI solutions.

As part of the expansion, Infosys will create the new global Generative AI Labs to develop industry-specific AI solutions and platforms, which will help enterprises infuse generative AI into their business processes. Infosys will also train 20,000 practitioners on Google Cloud's gen AI solutions, including Vertex AI and Duet AI in Google Workspace, to ensure organizations have the professional services expertise and resources to successfully develop, implement, and manage any type of generative AI project.

This alliance between Infosys and Google Cloud builds on Infosys' existing data, analytics & AI expertise on Google Cloud. Infosys is actively working with Google Cloud to develop a suite of transformative AI platforms and industry solutions for a range of business scenarios, including Consumer AI, autonomous supply chain, autonomous marketing, anti-money laundering and customer services transformation. A wide range of its existing platforms and solutions are being enhanced with Infosys Topaz and Google Cloud generative AI capabilities. These include Infosys Live Enterprise Application Management Platform, Infosys Applied AI Platform, Infosys Customer Intelligence Platform, Infosys Data Streams, and Infosys Supply Chain AI Platform among others.

The joint capabilities will help create a strong foundation for enterprises towards AI-enabled transformation. For example, Infosys Topaz and Google Cloud generative AI recently helped a leading consumer goods company in successfully launching an AI Twin to assist in real time planning of marketing spend, promotion, and product supply across markets. In another case, for a major telecommunications company, Infosys built a new data and AI capability on Google Cloud to drive growth through digital channels and support the end-to-end customer journey from prospecting to servicing. Infosys AI-powered solutions use insights to improve customer experience, drive sales, and redefine client's digital business strategy for long term success.

Salil Parekh, CEO, Infosys, said, "Infosys has been long making investments in the AI space. We are leveraging generative AI to deliver transformative business solutions as well as integrating it in many of our offerings to accelerate productivity. The combined strength of Google Cloud's generative AI capabilities, Infosys Cobalt, and Infosys Topaz will help enterprises transform and future-proof their business, built on strong digital, cloud, and next-generation AI capabilities."

Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud, said, "Generative AI is fundamentally changing how businesses operate, from enabling supply chain managers to operate more sustainably to helping marketers more efficiently create campaigns. Through our expanded partnership with Infosys, we will give our mutual customers the resources and skills needed to use generative AI today to create real-world value for their organizations."

Bringing generative AI to Infosys platforms

Infosys has a long history of helping customers transform with Google Cloud's data analytics and AI. Now, Infosys will work with Google Cloud to develop a suite of gen AI platforms, leveraging the strength and expertise of Infosys Topaz and Infosys Cobalt in enabling business transformation for enterprises. Together, Infosys and Google Cloud's generative AI capabilities will solve large and complex problems with emerging technology solutions across both business and technology domains.

Arity IQ^SM, one of the largest driving behavior databases tied to claims is now widely available to Google Cloud auto insurance customers to price more accurately at time of quote

Arity, a leading mobility and data analytics company, today announces that the Arity IQ^SM network and attributes dataset are now available in Google Cloud’s data exchange, Analytics Hub.

Google Cloud’s auto insurance customers can now more accurately price insurance policies at time of quote by using driving behavior history. By having access to this data, insurers are able to increase pricing sophistication, improve profitability, and grow their book of business.

With access to the Arity IQ^SM network in Google Cloud’s Analytics Hub, insurance carriers can:

• Enhance owned datasets with comprehensive driving behavior data through Arity’s Drivesight® Score or specific driving attributes within Google Cloud’s privacy-safe environment.
• Analyze and segment customers at time of quote to increase pricing sophistication.
• Deliver personalized experiences with more accurate quotes to customers at new and renewed business.

“We’re excited to bring the Arity IQ^SM network to Google Cloud’s insurance customers,” said Gary Hallgren, Arity’s president. “We’re not only expanding the reach of one of the world’s largest driving behavior databases tied to claims, but we’re helping insurers price more competitively at time of quote.”

Arity uses privacy forward methods for secure and safe data storage, including encrypting data at rest and in transit and by making the data available within Google Cloud’s Analytics Hub, carriers can access the data in a privacy-safe environment.

“Google Cloud Analytics Hub provides Arity’s customers with an efficient, secure platform to exchange data and combine their business data with third-party insights,” said Yolande Piazza, Vice President of Financial Services at Google Cloud. “With the addition of the Arity IQ^SM network, our insurance customers can increase value for their business while providing more accurate prices based on how their customers behave behind the wheel.”