Total Expert, a leader in customer engagement software for financial services, has announced the launch of Engage SMS, a new text messaging tool designed to help lenders engage in real-time, compliant, two-way conversations with customers. This solution enables lenders to use SMS to build loyalty, drive conversions, and meet consumer expectations through one of the most widely accepted communication channels.

1. Key Features of Engage SMS

   • Engage SMS allows lenders to communicate with borrowers via text using their mobile device, laptop, or desktop, enabling quick responses and real-time engagement.
   • Integrated into Total Expert’s platform, Engage SMS provides an additional touchpoint within automated customer journeys, making communication seamless and effective.

2. Enhanced Customer Experience

   • Lenders can automate outreach through personalized bulk messages and shift to one-on-one conversations when customers respond.
   • The tool offers an authentic, human-to-human interaction, boosting open rates up to 98% and response rates up to 45%.

3. Compliance Safeguards

   • Engage SMS is designed specifically for financial institutions, incorporating built-in compliance guardrails, including adherence to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
   • The platform also ensures organizations’ 10-digit phone numbers (10DLC) are registered with The Campaign Registry, optimizing deliverability and providing easy opt-out options for contacts.

4. Statements from Leadership

   • Joe Welu, CEO of Total Expert: “Engage SMS combines automation with human interaction to help financial institutions meet consumers with personalized conversations wherever they are. This leads to deeper relationships and ultimately drives long-term customer loyalty.”
   • Dan Rogers, SVP at Rate: “We’ve seen more immediate responses from borrowers using Engage SMS, enabling the one-to-one engagement we need.”

5. Seamless Integration for Dynamic Customer Journeys

   • Engage SMS is seamlessly integrated into the Total Expert platform, allowing lenders to include SMS as part of their automated customer journeys.
   • Conversations remain accessible within the platform or app, ensuring that no opportunity for engagement is missed or misplaced.

Total Expert’s Engage SMS provides a compliant, efficient solution for lenders looking to enhance customer communication through personalized, real-time text messaging. With its seamless integration and compliance safeguards, Engage SMS empowers financial institutions to improve customer experiences and foster long-term loyalty.

SymphonyAI, a leader in predictive and generative AI SaaS for enterprises, has announced the release of new AI-powered functionalities for its Revedia platform, designed to help media organizations enhance their understanding of content performance across FAST, AVOD, and TVOD channels. Revedia, which serves over 300 media clients, now features advanced AI tools aimed at optimizing revenue and streamlining decision-making.

1. Introduction of Media Copilot

   • SymphonyAI's Media Copilot, powered by their EurekaAI platform and integrated with Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, simplifies the process of analyzing content performance.
   • The copilot uses large language models (LLMs) to help users interact conversationally within the Revedia platform, allowing for quick access to performance data, insights, and contextual analysis.

2. Streamlined Content Visibility with Automated Title Matching

   • The AI-based automated title matching feature addresses a common industry issue—discrepancies in asset naming conventions.
   • By instantly detecting and resolving title inconsistencies, this tool ensures that revenue is accurately attributed to the correct content, significantly reducing the time teams spend on manual data matching.

3. Industry Impact and Expert Opinions

   • Colin Dixon, Chief Analyst at nScreenMedia: “AI-driven data normalization is becoming essential for media companies to optimize content engagement and monetization, and SymphonyAI’s new features on Revedia will greatly benefit its users.”
   • Mark Moeder, President of SymphonyAI’s Media Division: “The new AI capabilities ease the burden of data analysis, allowing media teams to focus on strategic decisions, especially in a complex environment where multiple revenue models are involved.”

4. Enhanced Decision-Making for Media Executives

   • Streaming executives using Revedia can now benefit from faster, more accurate content performance insights, leading to improved content monetization strategies across multiple distribution channels.
   • With tools like Media Copilot and automated title matching, the platform helps users navigate complex datasets to make better-informed decisions and drive growth.

SymphonyAI’s latest enhancements to the Revedia platform empower media organizations to streamline content performance analysis, optimize revenues, and focus on growth. These AI-driven tools improve decision-making while reducing manual workload, making Revedia a valuable asset for media companies navigating the complexities of multiple revenue models.

Contentful, a leading composable content platform, recently announced the appointment of Elizabeth Maxson as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). As the company shifts the industry from traditional monolithic platforms to fully composable solutions, Maxson’s expertise in marketing technology will be pivotal in driving innovation. This move comes at a time when marketers face increased pressure to create differentiated, personalized content experiences for their audiences.

• Strategic Leadership
  Elizabeth Maxson, who previously served as CMO for Tableau, brings nearly two decades of integrated marketing leadership to Contentful. Her background in global go-to-market strategies and deep understanding of marketing technologies will guide Contentful's brand evolution.

• AI-Powered Personalization
  Contentful’s platform integrates AI capabilities to provide personalized content solutions, helping brands deliver scalable and impactful digital experiences. Maxson’s appointment is set to help customers navigate the dynamic marketing landscape driven by AI innovations.

• Supporting the Shift to Composable Platforms
  Maxson’s role will help Contentful continue its mission to replace outdated, rigid platforms with flexible, composable solutions that cater to both technical and non-technical teams, streamlining content creation and management.

• Customer-Centric Approach
  Maxson emphasizes the importance of truly understanding customer needs in the era of AI-driven marketing. She aims to leverage her experience to help brands deliver exceptional value through personalized digital experiences.

• Momentum for Growth
  This appointment builds on Contentful’s recent developments, including the introduction of Contentful Studio, a user-friendly, drag-and-drop platform, and the acquisition of Ninetailed, an AI-driven personalization platform. The company is well-positioned as a leader in the martech space, serving nearly 30% of Fortune 500 companies.

Elizabeth Maxson’s appointment as CMO is a significant step forward for Contentful as it continues to innovate in the content platform space. Her expertise will drive the company’s efforts to offer cutting-edge, AI-powered personalization solutions, positioning Contentful to lead the market in creating engaging, customer-centric digital experiences.

PadSquad, a leader in high-impact digital ad experiences, has formed a groundbreaking partnership with Resonate, a top provider of AI-driven consumer intelligence. This collaboration blends PadSquad’s creative expertise with Resonate’s privacy-safe, AI-powered consumer insights, enabling advertisers to deliver personalized ad experiences with improved audience targeting.

• Creative Meets Data
  PadSquad will harness Resonate’s AI-driven consumer intelligence, powered by the largest independent U.S. consumer research study. This data includes over 250 million American consumers and 15,000 attributes, allowing PadSquad to craft more personal and emotionally resonant creative strategies for its clients.

• Enhanced Audience Targeting
  Resonate’s rAI engine and Ignite platform offer advertisers a deep understanding of consumer behaviors and preferences, helping them bridge the gap between 1:1 targeting and scalable reach. This is essential as the industry shifts away from third-party cookies.

• Privacy and Compliance
  Resonate’s opt-in, privacy-safe consumer data ensures that PadSquad’s creative process not only remains compliant with evolving regulations but also delivers powerful, personalized brand stories that connect emotionally with audiences.

• Future-Proofing Digital Campaigns
  As 20-30% of web traffic already operates in cookieless environments, this partnership helps advertisers future-proof their identity and activate campaigns with precision, maintaining the effectiveness of their targeting strategies even as data standards change.

• Strategic Benefits for Advertisers
  PadSquad clients will benefit from enhanced data onboarding and first-party data optimization, ensuring campaigns stay relevant and impactful while adhering to data privacy standards. This combination of creative and consumer insights allows for innovative, scalable ad experiences.

The partnership between PadSquad and Resonate offers advertisers the ability to combine high-quality creative content with cutting-edge consumer data. By leveraging AI-driven insights, advertisers can maintain effective audience targeting and deliver personalized, engaging ad experiences, all while complying with data privacy standards.

Taligence, a specialist in marketing leadership recruitment, and Aspen Technology Labs, a global leader in labor market intelligence, have unveiled the U.S. Marketing Jobs Report for Q3 2024. The report highlights key trends in the marketing job landscape, showing strong demand for talent and emerging shifts such as salary transparency, dual marketing roles, and remote work opportunities.

• 7.7% Growth in Marketing Jobs
  Despite economic uncertainty, the marketing sector has shown resilience with a 7.7% year-over-year growth in job vacancies, driven by an increasing focus on customer engagement and brand strategy.

• Blue States Lead in Marketing Vacancies
  States like New York and California report the highest number of marketing job postings, reflecting the strength of economic centers in Democratic-leaning states.

• Salary Transparency on the Rise
  Over 30% of job postings now include salary information, a trend growing even in states without formal salary transparency regulations. This shift is influenced by legislation in key markets like California and New York.

• Remote Work Becomes Permanent
  While remote work has decreased from pandemic levels, it remains a significant part of the marketing job market, with 20% of roles expected to be remote by 2025.

• Increase in Dual Marketing Roles
  There has been a 14% rise in dual-function marketing roles, a trend indicating a desire to break down silos and foster cohesive marketing strategies within organizations.

Insights from Industry Leaders:
Michael Wright, CEO of Taligence, emphasizes the resilience of the marketing industry, stating, "Businesses are doubling down on customer engagement and brand strategy amidst economic uncertainty."
Mike Woodrow, President of Aspen Technology Labs, notes that over 230,000 marketing job openings were posted in the past 12 months, underscoring the sector's strength. Woodrow highlights the increasing importance of salary transparency and remote work in attracting top talent.

What’s Next for Marketing Hiring?
Looking ahead to 2025, the report predicts continued growth in compensation, especially for roles focused on AI and digital transformation. The demand for entry-level and mid-level marketing roles remains strong, with a 10% increase, demonstrating the sustained need for creative and data-driven professionals.

Taligence and Aspen Technology Labs' report underscores the robust nature of the marketing job market, highlighting critical trends like salary transparency, remote work, and the rise of dual marketing roles. As businesses look to adapt, they will need to stay informed and responsive to these changes in order to attract and retain top marketing talent.

Everspring, a leader in education technology and services, has announced its acceptance into the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Network (APN). This partnership enhances Everspring’s enrollment marketing platform, VIA, by leveraging AWS's enterprise-grade cloud capabilities. VIA provides universities with seamless data integration, real-time benchmarking, and predictive modeling, enabling them to drive enrollment growth and make data-driven marketing decisions.

• Enterprise-Grade Cloud Capabilities
  With Everspring joining the AWS Partner Network, VIA customers gain access to the premier, scalable, and secure cloud environment AWS offers. This move ensures robust data integration and predictive analytics for higher education institutions.

• End-to-End Student Journey Tracking
  VIA bridges the gap between marketing activities and final enrollment by allowing universities to track prospective students throughout their entire journey. This enables institutions to optimize their marketing ROI by identifying which campaigns truly drive enrollment.

• Advanced Analytics and Benchmarking
  Powered by AWS, VIA now offers advanced analytics for accurate enrollment forecasting, automated data transformation, and comprehensive reporting. Universities can also take advantage of real-time ad campaign ROI tracking and programmatic benchmarking to optimize their budget and marketing efforts.

• Everspring’s Proven Track Record
  Everspring has already generated tens of thousands of enrollments, and this partnership with AWS strengthens its ability to deliver even more sophisticated, scalable solutions to its higher education partners.

Key Features of VIA, Powered by AWS:

• Seamless data integration across multiple systems like CRMs (e.g., Slate)
• Real-time campaign ROI tracking and budget optimization
• Programmatic benchmarking of enrollment and marketing performance
• Advanced forecasting tools for enrollment growth
• Automated data transformation and normalization for accurate reporting

As part of the AWS Partner Network, Everspring is well-positioned to continue leading the charge in higher education marketing and enrollment strategies. VIA, enhanced by AWS’s powerful cloud capabilities, provides universities with the tools they need to optimize their marketing strategies and maximize their return on investment in a competitive landscape.

Cerio, a pioneer in software-defined composable infrastructure, has introduced its breakthrough Cerio M&E Package, designed to revolutionize media production. The package simplifies the use of GPUs and other accelerators, delivering 4x GPU productivity and reducing infrastructure by up to 50%. This innovative solution is built for creators to enhance and deliver premium content faster and more cost-effectively across various workflows, including volume walls, VFX editing, and AI augmentation.

• One System for All Workflows
  The Cerio M&E Package enables the use of a single infrastructure across multiple creative workflows. From rendering workstations to real-time VFX and AI augmentation, this system allows creators to fully utilize GPUs and other accelerators without needing BIOS, OS, or driver changes, cutting deployment time from months to minutes.

• Future-Proof, PCIe-Compliant Architecture
  Built on the Cerio Platform, this solution disaggregates accelerators, using standard PCIe chassis, devices, and servers. It supports backward and forward compatibility, allowing users to mix PCIe devices like RTX 5000/6000 and A100s, as well as future accelerators, to create custom systems in real-time.

• Scalability and Flexibility
  Whether for a small editing studio, virtual set, mobile stage, or a fully equipped data center, the Cerio M&E Package offers unmatched flexibility. Studios can now provision equipment as needed, avoiding expensive, underutilized fixed configurations, and maintaining independence at any scale.

Industry Impact:
According to Phil Harris, President and CEO of Cerio, “Cerio is reimagining infrastructure with one model for all content creation use cases.” The ability to seamlessly compose and reuse GPUs across workflows provides a scalable and cost-effective solution that empowers studios to remain competitive in fast-paced production environments.

Cerio’s M&E Package delivers a future-proof, flexible, and scalable infrastructure solution that transforms content creation workflows. By maximizing GPU utilization and offering a customizable system architecture, Cerio enables studios to accelerate productivity, reduce costs, and adapt to evolving technology needs.

At Sitecore Symposium, Sitecore®, a global leader in digital experience software, introduced Sitecore Stream, a groundbreaking innovation in digital experience platforms (DXPs). Sitecore Stream leverages AI to help marketers deliver hyper-personalized digital experiences faster, at scale, and across channels. Built on Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, Sitecore Stream enhances productivity, simplifies workflows, and ensures brand compliance while meeting the demands of modern marketing.

• AI-Powered Personalization at Scale
  Sitecore Stream enables marketers to deliver personalized digital content across channels, quickly and efficiently, with AI-driven orchestration. It integrates seamlessly with Sitecore’s composable DXP solutions, including XM Cloud, Content Hub, and Experience Platform (XP).

• Brand-Aware AI
  The platform’s AI capabilities align marketing actions with an organization’s brand identity and guidelines, ensuring content stays true to the brand’s vision while being tailored to individual customer experiences. Importantly, Sitecore Stream does not use customer content to train AI models, safeguarding brand-specific data.

• Streamlined Marketing Workflows
  Sitecore Stream automates routine tasks such as content creation, website development, and A/B testing, enabling marketers to focus on strategy and execution. With the help of AI-enhanced workflows and generative copilots, marketers can stay in a productive flow while maintaining brand integrity.

• Collaborative Innovation
  Partnering with leading brands like Nestlé and Microsoft, Sitecore has built a solution that combines AI with deep marketing expertise. The Sitecore Brand Assistant, developed with Nestlé, showcases how generative AI can enhance brand knowledge and facilitate content creation at scale.

• Security and Compliance
  Sitecore Stream is designed with AI guardrails that prioritize data privacy and brand compliance, ensuring that brands remain secure as they deploy AI across their marketing strategies.

Sitecore Stream represents the future of digital experience platforms by combining the power of AI with a deep understanding of marketing needs. With its brand-aware AI, streamlined workflows, and full interoperability across martech stacks, Sitecore Stream is positioned to redefine how marketers create and deliver digital experiences.