artificial intelligence 7 Apr 2025
Caro Holdings Inc., a growth enablement company combining funding, AI tools, and operational support, has announced a strategic partnership with Kisqueya to transform its digital platform into a global AI-powered marketplace. The initiative aims to boost visibility and ecommerce scalability for Black-owned and independent brands worldwide.
Modeled after platforms like Etsy, Temu, and Alibaba, while also offering directory functionality akin to Yelp, the upcoming platform will connect sellers with international buyers and enhance discoverability for service-based businesses.
Caro Holdings will provide the core digital infrastructure, including:
Ecommerce framework
AI-powered tools for discovery, analytics, and communication
Automated vendor onboarding
“This partnership supports our goal to build inclusive, AI-driven platforms for underserved markets,” said Meriesha Rennalls, Director at Caro Holdings. “With Kisqueya, we’re creating a space where Black-owned businesses can grow with the tools and visibility they need.”
Led by Marie-Michelle Legrand, a Haitian entrepreneur with a background in social law, Kisqueya will spearhead vendor outreach and market development. Known for merging ethical commerce with community upliftment, Legrand’s mission includes creating opportunities for young women through charitable programs.
“This platform is about access and opportunity,” said Legrand. “We’re opening pathways for Black-owned businesses to grow and scale.”
AI Analytics: Real-time insights into customer behavior and vendor performance
Personalization Engines: Tailored product discovery and shopping journeys
AI Voice Communication: Streamlined engagement through automated interactions
With global e-commerce sales reaching $5.8 trillion in 2023 and expected to surpass $8 trillion by 2027, marketplaces now account for over 60% of those sales. Yet, many small and minority-owned businesses still face barriers to participating in this growth.
This platform aims to bridge that gap, offering inclusive access to digital tools, data insights, and global visibility.
The Caro-Kisqueya partnership signals a powerful shift toward inclusive commerce, empowering underrepresented entrepreneurs through scalable, AI-driven digital infrastructure. Launching in the U.S. first, the platform is set to evolve into a global ecommerce hub, championing equitable access and sustainable growth for diverse brands.
digital marketing 7 Apr 2025
Phantom Digital, a rapidly growing digital marketing agency headquartered in Liverpool, has been announced as a finalist for "Digital Agency of the Year – Small" at the 2025 Prolific North Champions Awards. The prestigious awards honour excellence across the creative and digital sectors in the North of England.
This recognition cements Phantom Digital’s rising reputation as a trusted partner for results-driven marketing, offering bespoke automation, creative design, and round-the-clock digital support. The agency stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the region’s most accomplished firms, a testament to its innovative strategies and client-first approach.
“Being named a finalist for Digital Agency of the Year is a testament to the hard work, creativity, and passion of our team,” said Justine McLaughlin, Founder and Managing Director of Phantom Digital. “As a female-led business, this recognition is especially meaningful, as it highlights the growing impact of women in the digital and creative industries.”
Phantom Digital’s meteoric rise has been fuelled by:
A strong presence in financial services, renewable energy, and payroll
A unique “on-call digital team” offering for 24/7 access to marketing support
An 80% client retention rate
Achieving £400,000 in turnover in just two years with a lean, four-person team
Phantom Digital goes beyond client success, with a strong focus on community impact. The agency offers pro bono marketing support to local charities and initiatives, aligning business growth with meaningful social contribution.
The 2025 Prolific North Champions Awards ceremony will bring together creative leaders from across the North to celebrate the region’s most impactful work. For Phantom Digital, the nomination represents both a celebration and a springboard for future innovation.
“This achievement reflects our mission to empower businesses with smart, flexible digital solutions,” added McLaughlin. “We’re proud to be part of this vibrant community and look forward to what’s next.”
Phantom Digital's nomination is more than recognition—it's a celebration of female leadership, small agency innovation, and community-driven digital transformation. As the awards ceremony approaches, all eyes are on this Liverpool-based agency poised to redefine what success looks like in the digital age.
video technology 4 Apr 2025
Haivision, a global leader in real-time video networking and visual collaboration, participated in Everest NL 2025, a key defense experiment hosted by L3Harris Technologies. Held at Experience Island, Loon op Zand, Netherlands, the event simulated a modern NATO maneuver-force communication environment. From March 24-27, the live setting tested technologies vital for today’s mission-critical operations—especially those enhancing tactical communications, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), and electronic warfare capabilities.
Haivision’s involvement in Everest NL highlights its ongoing commitment to providing secure, interoperable video solutions tailored for dynamic and demanding military applications.
Simulated real-world NATO operations with a live communication and tactical scenario.
Focused on technologies supporting C5ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Combat Systems, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance).
Enabled demonstration of operational effectiveness in a joint-force setting.
Encouraged interoperability and integration between defense solution providers.
Demonstrated its mission-critical video ecosystem in a field setting.
Reinforced the company’s commitment to secure, real-time video sharing in defense operations.
Highlighted the importance of interoperability and open architecture in mission-critical environments.
Showcased collaborative innovation by working alongside key defense technology partners.
Makito video encoders: Delivered high-performance, low-latency ISR video feeds from the tactical edge.
Kraken video processing platform: Enabled efficient video encoding, transcoding, and streaming.
Command 360-powered expeditionary video wall: Provided a dynamic common operating picture for command centers.
Enabled real-time situational awareness to operational commanders via secure video streams.
Solutions were deployed to support a seamless operating environment with other vendor technologies.
Emphasized adaptability and resilience in complex battlefield scenarios.
Designed to meet NATO and partner nation cybersecurity and interoperability standards.
Tyler Stephens, VP of International Mission Systems at Haivision, stated:
“By working alongside industry leaders, we can showcase how open architecture and interoperability drive operational effectiveness.”
Reiterated Haivision’s focus on addressing real-world field challenges through innovative engineering.
Haivision’s active presence at Everest NL 2025 underscores its growing influence in the defense sector. Through the integration of field-proven technologies such as Makito encoders, Kraken, and Command 360, Haivision reinforces its capability to support defense forces with interoperable, secure, and real-time video solutions.
With deployments across military, aerospace, government, and public safety sectors, Haivision continues to enable faster, smarter decision-making through advanced video workflows. As defense operations grow more complex, Haivision’s robust technology stack is engineered to help organizations navigate these challenges with confidence and clarity.
marketing 4 Apr 2025
Skyword, a long-standing leader in content marketing innovation, has unveiled Accelerator360™ Individual subscriptions, a strategic move aimed at empowering solo marketers, founders, and small businesses. Designed to offer instant, affordable access to the same AI-powered capabilities enjoyed by enterprise clients, these new subscription plans eliminate the traditional barriers of cost, complexity, and sales involvement.
In a content-saturated digital landscape marked by budget constraints and rising content demands, Skyword delivers a robust platform that enables users to create content that not only scales—but performs. By fusing automation, live data, human storytelling, and generative AI, Accelerator360™ redefines how modern marketers create, plan, and optimize content at scale.
Originally developed for large and mid-market teams facing tight deadlines and limited resources.
Now accessible to individual users via flexible monthly, semi-annual, or annual plans.
Enables marketers to plan and execute with strategic precision—without the traditional setup process.
On-Brand Intelligence: AI tools trained on brand-specific variables to ensure content aligns with tone, messaging, and business goals.
Avoids generic outputs by integrating your brand’s identity into every asset.
Leverages real-time audience data, business objectives, and trending themes to generate campaign plans.
Automatically suggests story ideas based on competitive intelligence and user intent.
Analyzes live search trends and top-ranking competitor content to produce AI-enhanced briefs.
Enhances likelihood of outperforming existing content by aligning briefs with high-performance indicators.
Allows users to adapt a single content piece into blogs, emails, social media posts, sales collateral, and more.
Saves time and improves content ROI by streamlining multi-channel delivery.
Combines the power of AI with access to Skyword’s global network of freelance writers, designers, and subject matter experts.
Supports hybrid workflows for greater creative flexibility and scale.
Includes real-time content audits and performance-enhancing recommendations.
Helps users refine and improve content without rebuilding from scratch.
Unlike basic AI content generators, Accelerator360™ delivers an intelligent, end-to-end marketing engine. It uses over nine integrated language models, working in tandem with a brand-specific prompt engine, to ensure that every task produces customized, high-quality outputs. Here’s what sets it apart:
Smart Content Recommendations: Based on real-time performance benchmarks and audience analytics.
Competitive Brief Analysis: Assignments tailored to beat top-performing content in your niche.
Performance Optimization: Ensures continuous improvement of both new and existing content.
Content Atomization: Extracts more value from each asset across platforms and formats.
Skyword also commits to biweekly feature updates, ensuring users have ongoing access to the latest advancements. Upcoming enhancements include:
Automated opportunity discovery
Advanced analytics dashboards
Support for video and interactive content formats
Skyword’s launch of Accelerator360™ Individual Plans marks a transformative moment for small teams and solo professionals in the content marketing space. By removing the friction traditionally associated with enterprise-level platforms—sales calls, steep learning curves, and high costs—Skyword makes strategic, data-driven content marketing accessible to all.
Whether you're a freelancer, startup founder, or a small business marketer, Accelerator360™ offers a unified, AI-infused solution that goes beyond basic content creation. It’s a platform designed not just to generate content—but to elevate performance, optimize strategy, and maximize impact at scale.
artificial intelligence 4 Apr 2025
GrowthLoop has launched its transformative Compound Marketing Engine, a next-generation enterprise platform powered by agentic AI, designed to radically accelerate the marketing lifecycle. Built natively on customers’ data clouds, such as BigQuery and Snowflake, the platform empowers marketers to launch, iterate, and scale personalized campaigns faster than ever before.
By automating traditionally manual and slow marketing processes, the Compound Marketing Engine shifts organizations from incremental growth to compound growth—unlocking exponential results across revenue, ROI, and customer lifetime value (LTV). The launch marks a pivotal milestone in the evolution of data-driven marketing and signals a new category in AI-powered martech innovation.
AI agents dynamically recommend audience segments and campaign journeys.
Real-time feedback loops enable marketers to optimize campaigns in days instead of months.
Performance data is continuously analyzed to enhance future results.
A centralized canvas to orchestrate omnichannel campaigns.
Infuses intelligence into every connected martech tool.
Marketers can build and launch campaigns without leaving the platform.
Hosts all AI agents and enables full control over campaign planning.
Allows for data organization, journey construction, performance analysis, and ideation.
Supports collaboration between AI agents and marketers for smarter execution.
Data Agent: Interprets and contextualizes company data to power segmentation.
Audience Agent: Builds audience groups based on behavioral traits and campaign history.
Journey Agent: Crafts personalized journeys, selecting optimal channels and timing.
Insights Agent: Uses live and historical data to provide actionable recommendations.
Research Agent: Provides campaign decision insights by sourcing external information.
Supervisor Agent: Manages and activates other agents to maintain strategic cohesion.
Replaces outdated, siloed workflows with fully integrated, AI-assisted processes.
Empowers marketers to continuously experiment and improve campaign outcomes.
Reduces time to launch and iterate on campaigns, maximizing performance and efficiency.
Natively integrates with major data cloud platforms like Snowflake and BigQuery.
Delivers a complete view of first-party data, enhancing personalization and targeting.
Ensures scalability and security without compromising speed or insights.
Retail marketers can trigger smart campaigns based on repeat purchase patterns in days instead of months.
Albertsons has significantly improved its ability to drive LTV through faster, smarter iteration.
Allegro saw:
2x ROAS increase in ad campaigns
60%+ rise in GMV across platforms like DV360, TikTok, and YouTube
Nearly 4x improvement in CTR on Meta with 70% drop in CPC
4x increase in enterprise clients in the past year.
Trusted by brands like Google, Express, Priceline, and Allegro.
CEO Chris O’Neill, formerly of Google and Gap, spearheads the platform’s strategic direction.
LA Dodgers star Mookie Betts joins the board, reflecting the brand’s growing visibility and influence.
Recognized by industry leaders like Scott Brinker for its category-defining impact.
Deep integration with Google Cloud and Snowflake Cortex AI.
Supports seamless, real-time campaign iteration and data activation across marketing stacks.
Endorsed by Google Cloud and Snowflake for its role in reshaping enterprise marketing through AI.
The launch of GrowthLoop’s Compound Marketing Engine represents a paradigm shift in how enterprise marketing is conducted. Moving beyond fragmented tools and sluggish workflows, the platform enables compound growth by combining agentic AI, data cloud integration, and real-time decisioning.
With capabilities that allow for continuous optimization, intelligent automation, and unprecedented speed, GrowthLoop empowers marketers to move from strategy to execution—and iteration—in a matter of days. This evolution isn't just about making marketing faster; it's about making it smarter, scalable, and more impactful at every touchpoint.
For enterprises looking to outpace competitors and fully harness their first-party data, GrowthLoop provides the AI-fueled engine to lead in the new era of marketing.
artificial intelligence 4 Apr 2025
Global contextual advertising leader Seedtag has announced the launch of its AI Intention Models, a major innovation in privacy-compliant, performance-driven advertising. By analyzing real-time intent signals and behavioral patterns through its proprietary Contextual AI, Liz, Seedtag enables brands to distinguish between casual browsing and high-purchase intent—without relying on personal data.
This advancement represents a significant leap forward in contextual targeting, shifting the focus from broad content categories and static keywords to dynamic, real-time user intent, ultimately bridging the gap between attention and action on the open web.
Moves beyond traditional keyword or category-based targeting.
Analyzes content sentiment, depth, and nuance to assess transactional readiness.
Identifies whether a user is gathering general information or is ready to make a decision.
Proprietary AI engine continuously refines intent signals during content analysis.
Recognizes content distinction—e.g., between an article comparing leasing vs. buying a car (low intent) and an in-depth review targeting buyers (high intent).
Ensures advertising efforts are targeted toward action-ready audiences.
Models are trained on intent-labeled datasets tailored to each brand's funnel objectives.
Dynamic scoring adapts to the specific conversion goals of each campaign.
Enables flexibility and customization at scale without sacrificing performance.
Reduces waste in the mid-funnel by aligning ad placements with users showing strong decision-making signals.
Optimizes for both reach and profitability, enhancing return on ad spend (ROAS).
AI Intention Models adjust placements on the fly, targeting peak engagement moments.
Continually improves campaign performance using live contextual feedback.
Operates independently of third-party cookies or personal identifiers.
Aligns with global data privacy standards while maximizing effectiveness through context alone.
Objective: Boost awareness and consideration for the Nissan Qashqai in the C-SUV segment in Spain.
Strategy: Engage users during the active evaluation phase using intent-based segmentation.
Cost per Quality Visit (CPQV): Reduced by 68% below the target.
Cost per Lead (CPL): Decreased by 35%, enhancing profitability.
Qualified Visits: Tripled versus original KPIs, reflecting high-quality engagement.
“With Seedtag’s intent-based segmentation, we improved performance across all stages of the funnel while reducing costs significantly. Contextual AI has become essential to our brand performance strategy.”
- José Manuel Muries, Cluster Director, Nissan United
The release of Seedtag's AI Intention Models signals a new era in contextual intelligence—one where the line between awareness and conversion is not only measurable but actionable. By integrating advanced intent analysis with dynamic campaign optimization, Seedtag helps brands go beyond visibility and drive real business outcomes.
For marketers navigating a privacy-first world, this innovation delivers a high-performance, data-agnostic alternative to traditional audience targeting—proving that context alone can power precision and profitability at every stage of the funnel.
digital marketing 4 Apr 2025
Emplifi, a leading unified customer engagement platform, has released its 2025 edition of “The Social Pulse: State of Consumer-Brand Engagement on Social Media”, revealing sharp insights into consumer expectations and behaviors in today’s dynamic digital landscape. The findings are clear: consumers demand authentic, responsive, and value-driven interactions, and they’re quick to walk away when expectations are not met.
The report—based on a survey of nearly 1,000 U.S. consumers across generations, conducted in partnership with Alchemer—shows that 70% of consumers will abandon a brand after two negative experiences, with nearly a quarter departing after just one. In an increasingly competitive landscape, B2C brands must rethink how they approach customer experience and engagement on social platforms.
According to Emplifi, value is the primary driver behind consumers following brands. Today’s audiences are discerning and expect more than just promotional content.
Deals and Discounts (64%) – Consumers seek financial value.
Entertainment (58%) – Light, engaging content matters.
Product Updates (57%) – Users want to stay informed.
Customer Stories (42%) – Authentic experiences build trust.
Usage Tips (40%) – Practical content that adds value.
Lifestyle and Identity Content (37%) – Cultural alignment with the brand.
Brand Communities (34%) – A sense of belonging with like-minded people.
“Consumers want to feel like part of something larger,” said Susan Ganeshan, CMO at Emplifi. “They’re not just passive followers—they’re looking to connect with brands that reflect their values, interests, and everyday needs.”
The report highlights a growing trend: social media is not just for brand awareness—it’s a transaction channel. About half of frequent users made a purchase via social media in the past three months.
Discounts and Promotions (60%) – Cost-saving incentives drive action.
Shopping Intent (51%) – Purchases driven by pre-existing interest.
Visual Appeal (35%), Relatability (28%), and Humor (25%) – These emotional triggers still play a role, but rank lower in decision-making.
“The data underscores that practical incentives convert followers into buyers, especially when delivered through seamless social commerce experiences,” Ganeshan added.
Social platforms have become default customer service touchpoints, and responsiveness is critical.
60% of consumers expect brands to respond to issues via social media.
Top platforms for support: Facebook (55%) and Instagram (47%).
Expected response time via DM:
32% expect a reply within 1 hour
23% within 6 hours
17% within 12 hours
17% within 24 hours
“Social media operates in real time. Brands must adapt their service models accordingly,” Ganeshan emphasized. “AI-driven support tools are vital, but must be balanced with the human touch to ensure meaningful connections.”
The stakes for delivering a great customer experience are incredibly high. The report reveals how a single poor interaction can unravel hard-earned brand loyalty.
70% of consumers will leave a brand after two bad experiences.
24% won’t return after just one bad interaction.
40% of customers will resort to direct phone calls when other support channels fail—driving up operational costs for brands.
“Every interaction matters,” Ganeshan said. “Brands must be fast, responsive, and personalized. That’s where AI-enhanced CX platforms shine—by offering immediacy without losing the human connection.”
Emplifi’s 2025 findings make one thing clear: consumer expectations have evolved, and brands that don’t evolve with them risk being left behind. Social media is no longer just a place for storytelling—it’s where brand relationships are built, tested, and often broken.
Deliver Value: Use promotions, education, and authenticity to keep followers engaged.
Be Present: Respond promptly across channels and provide accessible customer care.
Use Data Intelligently: Leverage insights to tailor content, timing, and tone.
Scale with AI: Implement intelligent automation without losing empathy.
In an environment where consumers demand speed and sincerity, and where a single misstep can lead to long-term losses, investing in real-time, value-driven engagement strategies is not optional—it’s essential.
artificial intelligence 4 Apr 2025
Snappy Kraken, the martech platform simplifying advisor marketing, has announced a powerful new integration with Catchlight, an AI-driven growth platform that surfaces in-depth prospect intelligence. This partnership brings together two innovative tools designed to fuel personalized, scalable marketing for financial advisors and enterprise firms.
Beyond the integration, both companies also confirmed completion of SOC 2 Type 2 certification, underscoring their shared commitment to data security, compliance, and operational excellence.
Catchlight uses AI to analyze up to 2,000 data points per prospect—giving advisors a detailed financial snapshot of potential clients, including their estimated investible assets, income, age range, home value, and a Catchlight Score, which predicts conversion potential.
Through the new integration:
Snappy Kraken users with Catchlight accounts can view Catchlight data—like estimated income and projected client revenue—directly within Snappy Kraken’s interface.
Additional, deeper insights are accessible within the Catchlight app, giving advisors a 360-degree view of each lead.
Advisors can now focus on high-intent prospects, deploying more personalized, timely, and relevant campaigns.
The result: higher marketing efficiency, reduced acquisition costs, and improved lead-to-client conversion rates.
“By combining Catchlight’s intent insights with Snappy Kraken’s automation and content tools, we’re helping advisors do more with less—driving growth at scale,” said Wilbur Swan, CEO of Catchlight.
The integration enables advisors to deploy marketing that’s as intelligent as the data behind it. Key capabilities include:
Enriched Prospect Profiles – Catchlight’s AI-generated data enriches each lead with contextual financial intelligence.
Campaign Segmentation – Advisors can tailor campaigns for individuals, groups, or full audiences based on shared characteristics or financial readiness.
Personalized Content Deployment – Campaigns can be automatically customized and launched within Snappy Kraken’s interface, allowing for real-time personalization at scale.
This synergy is especially valuable in today’s competitive wealth management space, where prospects expect hyper-relevant content and seamless engagement from day one.
Snappy Kraken and Catchlight have both achieved SOC 2 Type 2 certification, a major milestone for fintech companies serving regulated industries. Issued by the AICPA, this certification affirms that their systems meet stringent standards for data privacy, availability, processing integrity, and security.
Stronger compliance posture for advisors working with regulated data.
Reduced vendor due diligence burden for enterprise clients.
Ongoing monitoring and security auditing to protect sensitive client information.
“The SOC 2 Type 2 certification is not just a box to check—it’s proof of our ongoing investment in protecting advisor data and client trust,” said Robert Sofia, CEO of Snappy Kraken.
These announcements follow the recent release of Snappy Kraken’s Enterprise Hub, a centralized marketing control center for large financial services organizations. The platform offers:
Custom campaign management across distributed advisor teams
AI-powered analytics and performance tracking
Enhanced oversight and brand compliance tools
As Snappy Kraken continues to expand its integration ecosystem—including CRM platforms, lead gen services, and data enrichment tools—the SOC 2 Type 2 certification reinforces the company's commitment to enterprise-grade reliability and security.
The Snappy Kraken–Catchlight integration, combined with SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, represents a significant step forward in data-driven, compliant, and scalable advisor marketing. With enriched insights and secure workflows now at their fingertips, advisors can engage more effectively, prioritize high-value leads, and streamline their path to growth.
For mid-market and enterprise firms, this evolution means a faster, more secure route to measurable marketing ROI—and a competitive edge in a complex digital landscape.
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