In the digital age, a website isn’t just a storefront—it’s the brand experience. Tier One Partners, a women-owned integrated marketing agency, just rolled out three new websites that double down on that principle for clients 24M Technologies, CAP Index, and Sona Energy Solutions.

The projects, led by Tier One’s in-house Content Studio, blend sharp storytelling with UX-forward design to turn static digital brochures into performance-driven platforms. The agency’s team of writers, designers, and strategists aimed to craft brand touchpoints that inform, convert, and scale alongside each client’s growth.

Battery Tech, Crime Risk, and Clean Energy: A Trio of Brand Overhauls

Let’s break down the digital revamps:

• 24M Technologies – The battery manufacturing innovator tapped Tier One for a total web and brand refresh. The new site aligns with 24M’s revolutionary SemiSolid and Unit Cell technologies, streamlining user journeys and creating a more modern, tech-forward experience for both investors and partners.

• CAP Index – A market leader in crime risk analytics across North America and the UK, CAP Index needed a visual overhaul to match its data-driven reputation. Tier One not only reimagined the website’s structure for better engagement, but also introduced a new logo and visual identity—repositioning CAP as the intelligence layer behind smarter security decisions.

• Sona Energy Solutions – Specializing in clean energy infrastructure upgrades, Sona wanted more than a pretty homepage—it needed a conversion engine. Tier One delivered a sleek, navigation-friendly design that leads users directly to CTAs and offerings, all while reinforcing the company’s value proposition at every scroll.

“These websites are built not just to impress, but to perform,” said Ashley Tate, SVP of Content at Tier One. “Each one reflects a deep understanding of the client’s mission and growth goals—and turns that into a digital experience that moves business forward.”

What Sets Tier One Apart?

Plenty of agencies do web redesigns. But Tier One’s publisher-like approach to storytelling, combined with strategic digital marketing and a UX-first mindset, is what makes these projects stand out. They’re not just sites—they’re brand ecosystems designed for long-term engagement and lead generation.

The agency’s work often supports companies at inflection points—whether it’s bringing a disruptive energy product to market, repositioning a data company for enterprise sales, or helping a clean-tech firm scale across regions.

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David Hughes to Helm WFSB as Gray Media’s Newest General Manager

Gray Media has appointed seasoned broadcast executive David Hughes as the next General Manager of WFSB, its CBS affiliate in Hartford, Connecticut. Hughes, currently GM of WOIO (CBS) and WUAB (CW) in Cleveland, will take over the Hartford role on July 9, 2025, succeeding Dana Neves, who recently advanced to Senior Managing VP at Gray.

Hughes arrives with a proven track record of innovative leadership, particularly in live sports broadcasting. In Cleveland, he played a pivotal role in launching the Rock Entertainment Sports Network—a regional platform that has aired over 200 live sporting events since its debut in August 2024. Under his watch, the station secured broadcasting rights for marquee teams including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Columbus Crew, deepening Gray’s local sports footprint.

A Veteran in Local News Leadership

Hughes is no stranger to Gray's portfolio. Prior to his tenure in Cleveland, he served as GM at Gray’s stations in Charleston-Huntington, WV (WSAZ & WQCW) and Charlottesville, VA (WVIR). His journalism roots run deep as well, having led the newsroom as News Director at WDBJ in Roanoke, and held earlier editorial roles at WFLA (Tampa), WRAL (Raleigh), and WMAZ (Macon).

With his arrival at WFSB, Hughes is expected to strengthen the station’s news and community engagement efforts while exploring new opportunities for content innovation in the Northeast market.

Gray Media

Gray Media Group (NYSE: GTN) is the largest owner of top-rated local TV stations in the U.S., serving 113 markets and reaching 37% of U.S. television households. It operates the nation’s largest group of Telemundo affiliates, owns a full-service digital agency, and media production companies including Raycom Sports and Tupelo Media Group.

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Oktopost Acquires Milk Video to Help B2B Marketers Cut Through the Noise

B2B marketers, rejoice—your social video game might be about to get a whole lot easier. Oktopost, the B2B social media management and marketing intelligence platform, has announced the acquisition of Milk Video, a company known for turning long-form assets like webinars and interviews into slick, short-form video content.

The move positions Oktopost to better meet the growing demand for visual-first, snackable content on platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram—spaces where B2B brands are no longer just competing with each other, but with every influencer and meme account in the feed.

“In B2B marketing, attention is currency, and short-form video is how you earn it,” said Oktopost CEO and Co-founder Daniel Kushner. “Teams need intuitive ways to turn long-form content into scroll-stopping videos. Our acquisition of Milk Video directly supports our mission to help marketers create smarter, more impactful content that drives real business results.”

Why This Matters

Let’s face it—most B2B content still reads like a PDF from 2009. But that’s changing fast. With short-form video now the default language of online engagement, even traditionally slow-moving industries are feeling the heat to modernize their content strategies.

Milk Video’s tools make it dead simple for marketers to clip, edit, and publish social-friendly videos without ever opening Premiere Pro. Oktopost bringing that functionality in-house suggests a shift toward a more integrated, agile approach to B2B content creation—where the same team managing campaigns can also produce creative without relying on external video editors.

For Milk Video, the acquisition is a validation of its product-market fit in a world where video creation can no longer be an afterthought. “We built Milk Video to help businesses harness the power of video without the traditional complexities of production,” said Milk Video CEO Ross Cranwell. “Oktopost is the perfect partner to scale that vision.”

Context: A Broader Play for Intelligence-Driven Content

This acquisition comes on the heels of Oktopost’s launch of Marketing Intelligence, an AI-powered tool that tracks competitor content across platforms and helps B2B teams optimize strategy in real time.

The combined offering paints a clear picture of Oktopost’s ambitions: owning the full B2B content lifecycle—from insight to creation to distribution and measurement. Think of it as the HubSpot for serious social marketers, only with a tighter focus on video, data, and scale.

What’s Next?

While financial terms weren’t disclosed, the strategic fit is clear. Social teams need speed. They need impact. They need tools that play nicely with the complex funnel math that defines B2B success. This deal gives Oktopost the firepower to deliver just that.

In a market where attention is fragmented and traditional lead-gen playbooks are losing steam, video is no longer optional—it’s the battleground. And with Milk Video in its toolkit, Oktopost is arming B2B marketers for the fight.

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Horizon Commerce: A New Chapter in AI-Driven, Outcome-Based Retail Media

Horizon Media Holdings is putting a sharper edge on its commerce ambitions. The media powerhouse today announced the rebrand of its commerce agency Night Market as Horizon Commerce, signaling a strategic evolution toward AI-powered, outcome-based retail marketing in a $6.4 trillion global commerce economy.

The rebrand is far more than cosmetic—it reflects a deeper transformation in how brands need to think about commerce in an always-on, data-rich world.

“Commerce today is omnipresent and deeply personal,” said Bob Lord, President of Horizon Media Holdings. “Consumers expect to shop anytime, anywhere—on any device. Horizon Commerce is designed for that compressed, connected reality.”

From Omnichannel to Omnipresent

Founded in 2020, Night Market quickly built a reputation for leveraging data to drive omnichannel commerce strategies. Under the Horizon Commerce banner, the agency is leveling up with expanded services—including advanced channel management, business outcomes dashboards, and tighter integration between retail media and digital experience—all powered by its proprietary platform, NEON.

Think of NEON as Horizon’s AI brain: a next-gen retail media platform that unifies messy, fragmented media data and turns it into actionable, predictive intelligence. With features like performance simulation, cross-platform optimization, and incrementality forecasting, NEON isn’t just making sense of media chaos—it’s turning it into money.

“This is about turning marketing from a cost center into a revenue driver,” said Randy Browning, President of Horizon Commerce. “We’re giving brands the connective tissue between media and results, creativity and conversion.”

Context: The Great Retail Media Land Grab

Retail media is booming. Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, and Instacart are rewriting the rules of shopper marketing. Agencies are scrambling to offer brands the data visibility and agility needed to compete. Horizon Commerce is aiming to differentiate with an AI-first, full-stack offering that doesn’t just plug into retail platforms—but builds value on top of them.

Take Revlon and Boiron USA, two clients already using NEON to drive measurable growth. According to Brian Gearhart, VP of Media at Revlon, NEON has helped the brand “enhance consumer engagement, influence behavior, and drive revenue growth.” Boiron’s VP of E-commerce, Sha Atakhanov, added that NEON offers “real-time clarity across digital investments”—a critical edge in today’s fast-moving retail environment.

Beyond Retail Media: A Full-Funnel, Cross-Channel Approach

Horizon Commerce isn’t just about ads—it’s a full-spectrum commerce engine. Its service stack now spans:

• Commerce consulting and customer strategy

• Product creative and performance design

• Sales channel management

• Owned media optimization

• Commerce media planning

These services converge on one goal: turning intent into transaction faster and more intelligently.

By pairing its tech stack with creative chops and retail expertise, Horizon Commerce aims to help brands scale growth through predictive personalization, cross-functional insights, and seamless buyer experiences—whether DTC, on marketplaces, or in-store.

Why It Matters

Commerce marketing is evolving from gut-driven and channel-siloed to AI-driven and outcome-oriented. Brands are under pressure to show clear ROI across every digital touchpoint. Horizon Commerce’s rebrand reflects that reality—and throws down a gauntlet to traditional agencies still playing by yesterday’s rules.

With a name that matches its ambitions and a platform built for speed, Horizon Commerce is betting big on what it calls the “pervasive store”—anytime, anywhere, anyhow.

And if NEON’s 97.5% predictive accuracy and 18% incremental revenue lift hold up at scale, that bet just might pay off.

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BurstIQ Joins AWS Partner Network, Launches LifeGraph for Secure, AI-Driven Data Transformation

Another boost for enterprise AI adoption just dropped: BurstIQ, a rising star in AI-ready data management and privacy-enhancing technologies, has officially joined the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Network (APN). Even bigger: its flagship platform, LifeGraph®, is now available on the AWS Marketplace, giving enterprise customers a direct path to deploy secure, scalable data ecosystems without overhauling their existing architecture.

The move signals a deeper integration between BurstIQ’s privacy-first data stack and AWS’s massive cloud infrastructure, helping businesses of all sizes prepare their data for real-world AI applications—without compromising trust, compliance, or control.

Why It Matters

Enterprises are scrambling to turn massive volumes of data into usable insights for AI and automation. But messy, siloed, and non-compliant data is still a major roadblock.

Enter LifeGraph—a platform that fuses blockchain, Web3, and knowledge graph technology to create secure, interoperable, AI-ready data environments. From HIPAA to GDPR, LifeGraph bakes compliance and governance directly into the data layer, letting companies innovate without regulatory landmines.

“Organizations face increasing pressure to harness AI, but can’t do so with outdated data management,” said Amber Hartley, Chief Strategy Officer at BurstIQ. “By joining the APN, we’re giving AWS customers easier access to transformative data solutions that embed trust, security, and compliance from the start.”

What LifeGraph Brings to the AWS Table

Now available in AWS Marketplace, LifeGraph delivers several key advantages for businesses building data-driven infrastructure in the cloud:

• Privacy-Enhanced Data Management: Using cryptographic smart contracts and blockchain, LifeGraph ensures secure, auditable data ownership and usage tracking.

• AI-Ready Ecosystems: The platform enriches and unifies data to support machine learning, predictive analytics, and autonomous decision-making.

• Autonomous Governance: Consent management, audit trails, and policy enforcement are automated—reducing both manual effort and legal risk.

• Plug-and-Play with AWS: LifeGraph integrates natively with AWS environments, making deployment straightforward for DevOps and data teams.

For companies trying to balance the promise of AI with the complexity of data governance, this is a game-changing blend of flexibility, transparency, and speed.

Real-World Impact: Healthcare, Education, and Beyond

BurstIQ’s platform isn’t just theoretical. LifeGraph is already powering AI-ready data transformation across several industries:

• Healthcare: Enabling secure, compliant Medicaid modernization and patient data sharing across providers and state agencies.

• Academia: Supporting personalized AI learning experiences at Maryville University by unifying fragmented student data systems.

• Public Sector & Research: Collaborating with institutions like Texas A&M Health to drive secure, AI-based research without compromising data integrity.

• Workforce Platforms: Helping platforms like Litehouse Health (“Uber for Nurses”) streamline credentialing, scheduling, and trust-based staffing using verified, tamper-proof data.

In every use case, LifeGraph is positioned as the missing link between compliant data management and scalable AI execution.

A Step Forward for Privacy-Preserving AI

As the AI arms race accelerates, privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) are becoming a non-negotiable part of responsible innovation. BurstIQ’s architecture not only aligns with this trend—it helps define it.

By embedding LifeGraph within AWS’s ecosystem, the company extends its reach while positioning itself as a critical enabler of secure, AI-powered digital transformation across sectors.

The Takeaway

For AWS customers, this isn’t just another data platform. It’s a chance to deploy AI-ready, privacy-first infrastructure that keeps pace with both innovation cycles and regulatory frameworks.

And for BurstIQ, joining the AWS Partner Network isn’t just about distribution. It’s a strategic play to make compliant, intelligent, interoperable data ecosystems the new norm.

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B2B Marketing Under Pressure: New Survey Shows AI and Gen Z Are Shaping the Future

In an increasingly volatile economic climate, B2B marketers are doing more than tightening budgets—they’re radically rethinking how they engage, convert, and grow. A new survey released by Madison Logic, the digital ABM platform, reveals that 96% of B2B marketing leaders are shifting strategy—with AI, experiential events, and next-gen leadership at the heart of the transformation.

Conducted by The Harris Poll and based on responses from over 300 U.S.-based marketing decision-makers, the survey paints a clear picture of an industry in flux—and hungry for innovation.

AI Investment Soars, Especially in B2B

Forget the “wait and see” approach. 57% of marketers say they’re actively investing more in AI tools—specifically for lead generation, content creation, and analytics. And nearly all respondents (97%) say they’re excited about the tech’s potential.

Among the top AI use cases:

• 50% use AI to predict future market trends with more accuracy

• 50% use it to improve data management and measurement

• 49% cite better personalization in video content creation

Perhaps most telling: 76% of marketing leaders see more value in AI for B2B than B2C—with 45% strongly agreeing. That’s a clear signal that enterprise marketers view AI not as a gimmick, but as an essential advantage in a high-stakes environment.

“Marketers are under more pressure than ever,” said Keith Turco, CEO of Madison Logic. “They’re searching for any and all ways to gain a competitive advantage.”

From Thought Leadership to Event-Led Strategy

It’s not all about automation. The human side of B2B marketing is also making a comeback. About 61% of respondents say they’re attending and hosting more events—a reminder that real-world connection still matters in a digital-first world.

And the content game is evolving, too. A staggering 90% of marketers say their companies now encourage all team members—not just execs—to build thought leadership through LinkedIn posts, conference speaking, and authored op-eds.

In other words: brand-building is now a team sport.

Generational Power Shift: Millennials and Gen Z Redefine the B2B Playbook

The survey also reveals that generational dynamics are reshaping B2B marketing. 93% of respondents say that Millennial and Gen Z professionals are changing the game, both in how campaigns are run and how purchasing decisions are made.

Why the shift? For Millennials:

• 55% cite their status as digital natives unafraid to test trends

• 52% point to their global perspective, shaped by a connected world

For Gen Z, it’s about intuition and tech fluency:

• 62% cite comfort with emerging technologies

• 51% highlight their constant pulse on cultural and digital trends

“Millennials and Gen Zers are changing the B2B buying game,” added Turco. “Marketers who know how to connect with them are redefining what success looks like in this industry.”

The Takeaway: Adapt or Fall Behind

The Madison Logic survey makes one thing clear: the B2B marketing rulebook is being rewritten in real time. With budget pressures rising and buyer expectations evolving, marketers are betting on AI, human-centered experiences, and next-gen leadership to maintain momentum.

And if the data is any indication, those who embrace both technology and cultural change are the ones poised to lead.

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Step Into the Studio: OPIC Technologies Redefines Livestreaming with Immersive 3D Experiences

Livestreaming just went three-dimensional. Orlando-based OPIC Technologies is making waves with its spatial livestreaming platform, allowing creators—from painters and dancers to DIY pros—to bring their audiences into the heart of their process in a way flat video never could.

With this tech, fans don’t just watch from the sidelines—they step into the studio, hover over the canvas, or move with the dancer onstage. It’s livestreaming reimagined for the spatial web, and it’s opening new frontiers for creative expression and fan engagement.

Creation, Captured in Motion and Depth

“For artists, creation is a process—it’s movement, it’s space, it’s emotion,” said Dr. Bob Douglas, CEO of OPIC Technologies. “Spatial livestreaming lets audiences witness that process in a way that flat video can’t. It brings them into the moment, into the room, and into the work.”

This isn’t just 360° video or a gimmicky VR effect. OPIC’s platform captures real spatial depth—allowing viewers to understand brush techniques, sculpture forms, and the layout of a creative space from a first-person, fully immersive perspective.

• Visual artists can host live drawing or painting sessions where followers can appreciate nuance—like the curvature of a brushstroke or the layers of a palette.

• Sculptors and ceramicists can showcase evolving forms from every angle, giving viewers the sense of walking around the piece as it takes shape.

• Dancers and performance artists can broadcast from center stage, offering fans a never-before-seen angle from inside the formation.

Turning Viewers Into Participants

What sets OPIC’s approach apart is how it transforms passive viewership into something more collaborative and intimate. The platform lets audiences feel like they’re standing over an artist’s shoulder or watching a DIY project unfold in real-time, from inches away.

“Whether it’s woodworking, embroidery, or makeup artistry, spatial depth helps viewers follow every hand movement and detail,” said Douglas. “It turns tutorials into interactive, immersive learning experiences.”

Think of it as Twitch meets Tilt Brush—with real-world utility and mainstream accessibility.

A Simpler Way to Stream in 3D

While spatial video might sound like something out of a Hollywood studio or Meta’s metaverse dreams, OPIC is building for real-world creators, making the tech simple and scalable for anyone with a vision.

By offering intuitive tools and creator-first features, OPIC enables a broad range of users—from independent artists to educators and influencers—to share content that feels real, personal, and present.

It’s not about flashy effects. It’s about storytelling with dimension.

The Future of Livestreaming Is Spatial

As immersive content gains momentum across platforms, spatial livestreaming is quickly moving from novelty to necessity—especially for creators looking to deepen engagement, teach with clarity, or showcase their work in new ways.

With OPIC Technologies at the forefront, the line between audience and artist is blurring. And in that space, something truly creative is happening.

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Talkdesk CXA Breaks New Ground with AI-Driven Automation for the Entire Customer Journey

The contact center as we know it may finally be getting a long-overdue reboot. Talkdesk® just introduced Customer Experience Automation (CXA)—a new platform and software category that reimagines how businesses engage with their customers. Built around autonomous, AI-powered agents, CXA promises to replace siloed systems and brittle bots with intelligent orchestration that spans the full customer lifecycle.

Think of it as CX on autopilot—without losing the human touch.

“In the past, companies had to choose between scale and personalization,” said Tiago Paiva, CEO and founder of Talkdesk. “With CXA, that tradeoff disappears. Businesses can now automate complex, cross-functional workflows without sacrificing customer empathy or efficiency.”

From Fragmented to Fully Orchestrated

Traditional automation tools often look great on paper but stumble in practice—offering disconnected bots, one-size-fits-all integrations, and data stuck in silos. CXA is engineered to fix what legacy systems and CCaaS solutions couldn’t.

At the heart of CXA is a multi-agent orchestration engine, powered by the Talkdesk Data Cloud, which transforms every transcript, message, or CRM entry into usable context. This enables a dynamic system of specialized AI agents to collaborate in real time—handling everything from fraud alerts and pharmacy callbacks to high-volume outbound campaigns.

Each AI agent plays a specific role, and together, they autonomously solve real business problems—without needing handholding from humans or duct-taped integrations.

Automation That Actually Works

CXA isn’t just smart; it’s practical. The platform ships with:

• Preconfigured industry use cases

• Low- and no-code tools for rapid deployment

• Specialized AI agents tailored for verticals like healthcare, banking, retail, and government

Companies like Memorial Healthcare System, BankUnited, and United Rentals are already tapping into CXA’s potential to improve workflows, increase ROI, and deliver hyper-personalized service at scale.

“This is a monumental leap,” said Jeffrey Sturman, SVP and Chief Digital Information Officer at Memorial Healthcare. “The platform’s autonomous, multi-agent approach and industry specificity are changing the way we think about patient interaction and operational efficiency.”

AI Agents With Guardrails

One concern with AI? Trust. Talkdesk builds governance directly into CXA—with AI guardrails that reduce hallucinations, maintain policy compliance, and keep human-in-the-loop supervision where it matters.

The result? AI agents that act with the precision and accountability of seasoned customer support pros.

And for companies already locked into other CCaaS systems, CXA doesn’t require a rip-and-replace. The new AI Gateway lets CXA sit on top of any contact center—on-prem or cloud—bringing Talkdesk's AI capabilities to wherever your customer data lives.

A New CX Standard?

Industry analyst Zeus Kerravala sums it up best: “Talkdesk isn’t just layering AI on old infrastructure. They’ve built an entirely new platform centered on autonomous, multi-agent orchestration—a domain where most traditional solutions still fall short.”

With CXA now part of the broader Talkdesk CX Cloud, the company is doubling down on its reputation as a modern, cloud-native contact center—but this time, with AI doing the heavy lifting across every interaction.

For CX leaders tired of cobbling together patchwork systems that never quite deliver, CXA might just be the unified, AI-first platform that finally lives up to the promise of automation.

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