Organizations are connecting more consumer data, but a new Zappi study suggests that greater data integration is not automatically translating into higher satisfaction with insights teams. Zappi's third annual Connected Insights Imperative 2026, based on a survey of more than 250 marketing and insights professionals, found that 48% of organizations now have connected consumer insights and data, compared with 38% in 2025. At the same time, satisfaction with the insights function declined from 60% to 48%.

The findings point to a shift in the priorities facing marketing and insights leaders. Connecting data is becoming increasingly common, while the next challenge is making consumer learning accessible and actionable across innovation, advertising and brand decisions.

Zappi's research identifies a strong relationship between organizational maturity and satisfaction. Satisfaction rises from 9% among disconnected organizations to 32% among fragmented organizations, 62% among connected organizations and 75% among organizations classified as AI-Accelerated.

The maturity gap also affects how organizations combine different types of consumer information. Nearly half, or 47%, of connected organizations balance behavioral and performance data with consumer insight and motivational data. Among disconnected organizations, only 14% achieve that combination.

AI adoption is widespread, but deeper AI integration remains limited. Zappi found that 93% of organizations use AI in some form, while only 8% have reached the AI-Accelerated stage. Current AI applications are concentrated on operational improvements, including data analysis and interpretation at 39%, productivity and efficiency at 36%, and generating new ideas and concepts at 33%.

AI-Accelerated organizations take a different approach by using AI to surface relevant consumer insights at decision points. This moves the role of AI from process optimization toward making consumer knowledge more accessible during strategic decisions.

The research also highlights caution around synthetic respondents and synthetic data. Only 7% of organizations currently use synthetic respondents within their insights function. Meanwhile, 47% of insights professionals are unwilling to use synthetic data for major decisions, compared with 18% of marketers.

Another gap appears between marketing and insights teams around consumer centricity. Zappi reports that 42% of insights teams are viewed as strategic partners and another 29% as proactive advisors. Yet perceptions differ over when consumers enter advertising development. Forty-six percent of Brand Management respondents say consumer feedback is gathered before creative development, compared with 15% of Insights & Consumer Research professionals.

Market Landscape

The findings reflect a broader evolution in customer data and marketing intelligence. Organizations are moving from isolated research and behavioral datasets toward connected consumer insight, but integration alone does not guarantee that teams can consistently use those insights in decision-making.

The growing use of AI adds another dimension. While adoption is already widespread, relatively few organizations have progressed toward models where AI actively surfaces consumer knowledge during important decisions.

Strategic Outlook

Zappi's Connected Insights Flywheel provides a framework for linking learning across innovation, advertising and brand. Innovation insights inform what organizations bring to market, advertising insights shape consumer communication, and brand insights provide feedback that can inform future decisions.

The strategic opportunity is therefore shifting from simply connecting data to creating a continuous learning system. AI may accelerate that process, but the research suggests that organizational maturity and the ability to apply consumer understanding remain critical factors.

Top Insights

• Connected consumer insights rose to 48% from 38% in 2025.
• Satisfaction with the insights function fell from 60% to 48%.
• AI is used by 93% of organizations, but only 8% are AI-Accelerated.
• Connected organizations are more likely to combine behavioral and consumer insight data.
• Only 7% currently use synthetic respondents.
• Consumer involvement in advertising development remains a perception gap between teams.

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SEOPulse.io has launched an AI Visibility & Intelligence Platform aimed at enterprise marketing teams seeking to understand how brands appear in generative AI search results. The platform focuses on Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), providing visibility into brand citations and recommendations generated by conversational AI systems.

The launch reflects a shift in how marketers are evaluating search visibility. Instead of relying exclusively on conventional keyword rankings, SEOPulse is positioning AI-generated answers and brand citations as another measurement layer for enterprise search strategies.

The company cites its benchmark research of 1,500 commercial prompts, which it says found that AI engines selected the same top vendor in fewer than 1.5% of queries. The research also found that more than 50% of AI answers mentioned brands, while only 10% of those answers both mentioned and cited a brand.

SEOPulse argues that these patterns create a visibility challenge for companies whose search strategies remain centered on traditional rankings. Its platform is designed to monitor how large language models process and cite brand entities, giving marketing teams a way to track visibility within AI-generated responses.

The platform monitors major AI tools across Western and Asian markets. The release specifically identifies ChatGPT and Gemini in Western markets and DeepSeek and ByteDance Doubao in East Asia. Multi-language and multi-region capabilities are designed for brands operating across multiple markets.

Another component is the platform's simulation of real user experiences on AI engines. SEOPulse says it avoids API environments when monitoring AI responses, with the objective of providing marketers with a view of how brands appear in actual conversational search experiences.

The company is targeting enterprise marketing teams, digital agencies and multi-market brands. The platform is available globally, with pricing starting at $1 per prompt per market.

Market Landscape

The emergence of generative AI is creating a new layer of search visibility for marketers. Traditional SEO measures page rankings and organic search performance, while AEO focuses on how brands are represented in direct AI-generated answers.

For enterprises, this introduces a measurement challenge because visibility may depend not only on whether a company ranks highly in conventional search, but also on whether AI systems identify, recommend and cite its brand. The growing number of AI engines across regions further complicates global monitoring.

Strategic Outlook

SEOPulse's launch illustrates how SEO technology vendors are expanding from keyword and ranking intelligence toward monitoring AI-generated responses. For enterprise marketers, the strategic question is increasingly how traditional search optimization and AEO can operate together rather than as separate disciplines.

The effectiveness of AI visibility platforms will ultimately depend on the consistency of AI-generated results and marketers' ability to translate visibility data into actionable changes across content, brand entities and digital presence.

Top Insights

• SEOPulse launched its AI Visibility & Intelligence Platform.
• The platform focuses on Answer Engine Optimization and brand citations.
• SEOPulse's research analyzed 1,500 commercial prompts.
• The platform monitors AI engines across Western and Asian markets.
• Multi-language and multi-region capabilities target global brands.
• Pricing starts at $1 per prompt per market.

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Quantum Heaps, a Singapore-headquartered AI-native revenue technology company, has appointed three enterprise software veterans to lead its global commercial expansion across North America and EMEA. The appointments come as the company moves from product development toward broader commercial scaling of its Unified Revenue Engine.

Mark Stevens has been named Chief Marketing Officer, Jeff Cosseboom President, North America, and Andrew Garner President, EMEA. All three will report to founder and CEO Harsh Panwar and will oversee global marketing and regional commercial operations.

The appointments are notable because Quantum Heaps is expanding internationally from Singapore rather than following the more common path of Western enterprise software companies establishing operations in Asia. The company is positioning its Singapore base as the starting point for expansion into major global technology markets.

The three executives bring extensive enterprise software experience and previously worked at Vlocity, the industry cloud company acquired by Salesforce in 2020 in a transaction valued at approximately $1.5 billion. Their backgrounds span companies including Salesforce, Oracle, SAP, C3 AI, Automation Anywhere, Amperity and Siebel.

Stevens will oversee global marketing, category development, positioning and go-to-market strategy. His remit places marketing at the center of Quantum Heaps' effort to establish its position in the revenue technology market.

Cosseboom will lead North American commercial operations, while Garner will manage expansion across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Garner's previous experience includes developing enterprise relationships across the UK, Nordics, Middle East and Africa.

At the technology level, Quantum Heaps is attempting to address fragmentation in B2B revenue operations. Its Unified Revenue Engine combines CRM, prospecting, conversation intelligence, forecasting, enablement, analytics and commissions within a single platform and common data model.

The platform is powered by Agent Q, which the company says applies AI across the revenue lifecycle. Rather than positioning AI as an additional capability layered onto separate revenue applications, Quantum Heaps is building its proposition around an AI-native architecture intended to connect revenue workflows and data.

Market Landscape

The revenue technology market has expanded through specialized applications covering CRM, sales intelligence, conversation analysis, forecasting, enablement and compensation. While these tools can address specific functions, their proliferation can also create additional integrations and fragmented data environments.

Quantum Heaps is entering that market with a consolidation-oriented proposition, combining multiple revenue workflows around a common data model. Its approach reflects a broader enterprise software debate over whether organizations should continue assembling specialized AI-enabled tools or move toward more unified platforms.

Strategic Outlook

The executive appointments strengthen Quantum Heaps' ability to commercialize its unified revenue technology proposition across established enterprise software markets. Stevens brings category and go-to-market experience, while Cosseboom and Garner add regional enterprise sales and market-expansion leadership.

The company's next challenge will be translating its integrated platform architecture into measurable value for enterprises managing complex revenue operations. Its expansion across North America and EMEA will also test demand for AI-native alternatives to fragmented revenue technology stacks.

Top Insights

• Quantum Heaps appointed three executives for global expansion.
• Mark Stevens becomes Chief Marketing Officer.
• Jeff Cosseboom leads North American operations.
• Andrew Garner heads EMEA expansion.
• The Unified Revenue Engine combines multiple B2B revenue workflows.
• Agent Q applies AI across the revenue lifecycle.

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CallRail has expanded its healthcare marketing capabilities with 15 new integrations designed to help practices and their marketing partners connect lead-generation activity with booked appointments and patient outcomes. The update shifts measurement beyond call volume by linking marketing interactions with downstream results recorded in electronic health record (EHR) and patient management systems.

The expansion centers on CallRail’s healthcare integration library, developed through its partnership with NexHealth. The library now connects with 15 healthcare systems, including athenahealth, Dentrix, Eaglesoft, eClinicalWorks, ModMed and Open Dental. By connecting marketing and scheduling data with systems already used by healthcare organizations, marketers can identify where leads originated and whether those leads progressed to appointments.

The change addresses a persistent measurement challenge in healthcare marketing: generating calls does not necessarily demonstrate that a campaign is producing business outcomes. Connecting lead information with appointment data gives practices and agencies another layer of attribution, allowing them to evaluate campaigns based on what happens after a prospective patient makes contact.

CallRail is also introducing suggested healthcare outcome tags based on outcomes that healthcare businesses commonly track. These tags are intended to help teams categorize conversation results without creating a tagging framework manually. The approach can also reduce the need for front-desk staff to label individual interactions themselves.

The capabilities apply across marketing activity including Google Ads, Performance Max and other advertising channels. This gives healthcare marketers additional data for assessing campaign investments and identifying which sources contribute to appointment generation rather than simply producing inquiries.

Market Landscape

Healthcare marketing measurement is increasingly moving toward outcome-based attribution as practices and their agencies seek clearer connections between advertising expenditure, lead engagement and patient acquisition. Traditional call tracking can establish which campaigns generate calls, but appointment-level information can provide a more actionable performance signal.

Integrating marketing platforms with EHR and patient management systems also reflects a broader marketing technology trend toward connecting acquisition data with operational and customer records. For healthcare organizations, the challenge is balancing this visibility with requirements around privacy and compliance.

Strategic Outlook

CallRail’s integration strategy places healthcare marketing measurement closer to the point where marketing activity translates into scheduled appointments. The use of suggested outcome tags further emphasizes automation, reducing manual classification work while providing marketers with structured information for campaign optimization.

The broader strategic value will depend on how consistently practices can connect marketing, intake and appointment data. For agencies managing healthcare accounts, more granular outcome information could also support campaign evaluation across multiple advertising channels.

CallRail states that the capabilities are available to eligible healthcare customers without rebuilding or migrating data. Its healthcare solutions are designed to support HIPAA compliance, while the company says it is certified to ISO 42001 for responsible AI management systems.

Top Insights

• CallRail expanded its healthcare integration library to 15 EHR and patient management systems.
• The integrations connect marketing activity with booked appointment outcomes.
• Suggested healthcare outcome tags reduce manual interaction categorization.
• Google Ads and Performance Max campaigns can be evaluated against downstream outcomes.
• The update moves healthcare marketing measurement beyond call volume.

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Webflow has unveiled Source, a new platform designed to let marketing teams and AI agents build, optimize and scale digital experiences within a governed, code-native environment. Announced at Webflow Conf 2026, Source is currently available as a limited research preview.

The launch reflects a growing shift in marketing technology from AI-assisted content generation toward agentic systems that can participate directly in production workflows. Rather than positioning AI agents as tools that generate recommendations for developers to implement, Webflow is giving agents direct access to the code that powers digital experiences.

Source connects to an organization's existing codebase and martech stack, while bringing visual and agentic development into a shared operating environment. Webflow says marketers, designers and developers can work through tailored workspaces based on their responsibilities and business outcomes.

A central component is the use of code as the shared source of truth. Agents can work directly with production code, while marketers can make visual changes against the same underlying code. Brand standards, permissions and business rules provide governance over what can be changed and published.

The platform also introduces Views, customizable workspaces intended to give different team members access to the tools and information relevant to their roles. These can cover areas such as visual site building, campaigns, content and optimization. Webflow says teams can also establish permissions, approval paths and audit trails for both human and agent activity.

Source extends beyond initial website creation by emphasizing continuous optimization. Its agents can monitor site and campaign performance, identify opportunities and surface recommendations based on previous activity. Teams can then review proposed actions rather than beginning each optimization cycle from scratch.

For agencies, the platform represents another potential business model. Source allows agencies to connect with a client's existing technology stack, configure workspaces and agents, and transfer ownership to the client's marketing team. This could enable agencies to package repeatable agentic workflows as services rather than limiting AI engagements to one-off implementation projects.

Market Landscape

Marketing technology is moving toward agentic workflows that can execute multi-step tasks rather than simply generate text, designs or code. However, enterprise adoption introduces governance challenges around permissions, brand consistency, review processes and accountability.

Source's approach combines direct code access with visual controls and governance. That positions it between traditional visual website platforms and developer-oriented AI coding environments, targeting marketing teams that need greater autonomy without abandoning existing technology infrastructure.

Strategic Outlook

Source's strategic significance lies in its attempt to make AI agents part of the broader marketing operating environment rather than isolated productivity tools. Connecting agents to code, CMS, hosting, and martech systems could let marketing teams manage more of the digital experience lifecycle from one environment.

The challenge will be balancing agent autonomy with enterprise oversight. Source's limited research preview gives Webflow an opportunity to test how teams use these controls as agentic workflows move from experimentation toward production.

Top Insights

• Webflow launched Source as a limited research preview.
• Source connects marketing teams and AI agents around a shared code foundation.
• Agents can work directly with production code rather than only through visual abstractions.
• Customizable Views provide role-specific workspaces.
• Governance includes permissions, approval paths and audit trails.
• Agencies can build and transfer agentic workflows for client teams.

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OMNICOMMANDER has launched a redesigned website and new visual identity for Mohawk Valley Federal Credit Union, combining a brand refresh with a digital experience aimed at improving how members access banking, lending and financial education resources.

The project extends an existing relationship between the financial technology and digital marketing provider and Mohawk Valley FCU. Alongside the website, OMNICOMMANDER developed a new logo and refreshed visual system intended to modernize the credit union's presentation while maintaining its established member-focused positioning.

Founded in 1971, Mohawk Valley FCU serves members across Central New York. The organization's digital modernization reflects a broader challenge for financial institutions: updating customer-facing digital experiences while retaining the trust and familiarity associated with established financial brands.

The new website reorganizes navigation around common member needs, including auto loans, home equity, mortgages, personal lending, checking and savings products and current rates. Members can also access online banking and other account-related resources directly from the site.

Financial education and self-service capabilities have also been expanded. The website includes financial calculators, security information, membership resources, ATM information and digital banking guidance. Its responsive design is intended to provide a consistent experience across smartphones, tablets and desktop computers.

For OMNICOMMANDER, the engagement illustrates how financial institutions are increasingly treating websites as part of a broader digital member experience rather than simply an online information channel. Navigation, mobile usability, self-service tools and access to digital banking can influence how efficiently customers interact with financial providers.

The project also connects brand identity with digital experience. Rather than launching the new logo independently, OMNICOMMANDER incorporated the updated identity throughout the website to create greater consistency between the credit union's visual communications and its online services.

That approach comes as financial services organizations face rising expectations for digital convenience. Consumers increasingly interact with financial institutions through digital channels, making website usability and access to self-service information important components of customer experience strategies.

For regional credit unions, the challenge can be particularly pronounced. They must compete with larger banks and digital-first financial providers while maintaining the community relationships that differentiate their brands. A modern website can support that positioning by making products and services easier to discover without removing the local and member-oriented character of the institution.

The redesigned Mohawk Valley FCU website is now live, according to the announcement. The credit union operates locations in Marcy and Utica, New York, and provides personal banking, lending and digital banking services.

Market Landscape

Financial institutions are continuing to invest in digital experiences as consumers expect faster access to information, self-service capabilities and mobile-friendly interactions. For credit unions, website modernization can serve both marketing and service functions by connecting product discovery, education and member support within one digital environment.

The competitive opportunity extends beyond visual design. Clear navigation, accessible financial information and integration with digital banking can help institutions reduce friction throughout the member journey.

Strategic Outlook

The Mohawk Valley FCU project demonstrates a broader shift toward treating financial institution websites as integrated marketing and customer-experience platforms. Brand identity, content architecture and digital services increasingly need to work together rather than operate as separate initiatives.

For regional financial institutions, the strategic priority will be balancing modernization with brand authenticity. Digital transformation is most useful when it improves convenience while reinforcing the institution's existing relationship with its customer base.

Top Insights

• OMNICOMMANDER developed both a new logo and website for Mohawk Valley FCU.
• The redesigned site focuses on simpler access to banking and lending information.
• Financial calculators, security resources and digital banking information are included.
• Responsive design supports smartphone, tablet and desktop users.
• The project connects brand modernization with digital member experience.

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Smartly is bringing its ADVANCE industry event back to New York City on September 29, with music producer Timbaland set to join Smartly CEO Laura Desmond for a mainstage discussion on creativity, originality and artificial intelligence in advertising.

The event at Spring Studios is expected to bring together more than 750 senior leaders from brands, agencies and technology platforms, according to Smartly. The agenda spans creative AI, commerce AI, media, agency transformation and the convergence of performance and brand marketing.

Timbaland's participation puts the creative implications of generative AI at the center of the event. His discussion with Desmond is expected to examine how marketers can preserve distinctive creative perspectives as AI makes content production and experimentation more accessible.

The broader agenda reflects a significant shift underway across advertising technology. Smartly's platform combines creative production, media management and intelligence, positioning AI as an orchestration layer across campaign workflows rather than simply a tool for generating advertising assets.

Speakers listed for ADVANCE include executives from Accenture Song, DoorDash, Google, Horizon Media, Meta, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, TikTok, The New York Times, WPP, Wpromote and YouTube. Their participation highlights how AI-driven advertising is becoming a cross-platform issue involving creative development, media buying, commerce and consumer discovery.

The timing also aligns with broader industry investment in AI. The Interactive Advertising Bureau's 2026 outlook forecasts U.S. advertising spending to grow 9.5% year over year, while five of the six top buyer priorities identified in its research are centered on AI. Two-thirds of surveyed buyers are specifically focused on agentic AI for advertising buying and campaign execution.

That transition creates a more complicated challenge for marketers. Greater automation can accelerate production and optimization, but it also raises questions about creative differentiation, brand consistency, measurement and consumer trust.

IAB research published in January found that 82% of advertising executives believed Gen Z and millennial consumers feel positive about AI-generated advertising, compared with 45% of consumers who actually reported positive sentiment. The gap suggests that increasing AI adoption does not necessarily translate into greater consumer acceptance.

ADVANCE's emphasis on human creativity alongside AI therefore reflects a broader industry debate: whether advertising organizations should use AI primarily to increase production efficiency or as a way to redesign how creative, media and commerce decisions are made.

Market Landscape

AI is moving from experimentation toward operational infrastructure across advertising. IAB's 2026 research shows buyers increasingly prioritizing agentic AI, cross-platform measurement and performance optimization.

At the same time, the industry's growing dependence on automated creative systems introduces new challenges around quality and authenticity. IAB has developed an AI transparency and disclosure framework as marketers increasingly use generative AI in advertising production.

Strategic Outlook

Smartly's ADVANCE reflects the convergence of creative technology, advertising media and commerce infrastructure. The event's agenda suggests that the next phase of AI adoption will focus less on isolated content-generation tools and more on integrated systems capable of connecting creative decisions with media performance.

For agencies and brands, the strategic question will be how to scale AI-enabled production without making advertising less distinctive. Human judgment, brand voice and measurement are likely to remain important differentiators as automated campaign execution expands.

Top Insights

• Smartly's ADVANCE takes place September 29 at Spring Studios in New York City.
• Timbaland will discuss creativity and originality in the AI era with Smartly CEO Laura Desmond.
• More than 750 industry leaders are expected, according to Smartly.
• IAB forecasts 9.5% U.S. ad-spend growth in 2026.
• Two-thirds of surveyed buyers are focused on agentic AI for ad buying and campaign execution.
• Consumer attitudes toward AI-generated advertising remain less positive than advertiser expectations.

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Archive, an AI-native creator marketing platform, has closed a strategic funding round led by Anti Fund and Florida Funders as the company targets growing demand for software that can manage creator programs at enterprise scale.

The round includes Battery Ventures, Stripe, Tiger Global, Lux Capital and Human Capital, alongside more than 50 technology and consumer-sector founders and executives. Archive did not disclose the amount raised. The company said the financing will support its expansion as more brands treat creator activity as a core marketing channel rather than an extension of social media.

The timing reflects a rapidly expanding creator advertising market. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) projects U.S. creator economy advertising spend will reach $37 billion in 2025, up 26% year over year and growing about four times faster than the broader media industry. IAB also projects spending to reach $44 billion in 2026.

Archive combines two functions within its platform: social listening and creator campaign management. Its technology analyzes short-form video across platforms including TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, allowing brands to monitor tagged and untagged content and identify activity involving their brands and competitors.

On the campaign side, Archive supports workflows ranging from creator discovery and program management to converting creator posts into paid partnership advertisements. The company is positioning this combination as infrastructure for brands that increasingly need to manage large numbers of creator relationships.

Archive said more than 1,000 brands currently use its platform, including L'Oreal, DoorDash and Pinterest. It also recently closed two seven-figure enterprise agreements with global consumer brands, according to the company. Two of the largest AI labs are also reportedly using Archive for creator marketing, although the companies were not identified in the announcement.

The involvement of Anti Fund is particularly relevant to Archive's strategy. The investment firm, founded by Jake Paul, Logan Paul and Geoffrey Woo, has backed AI companies including OpenAI and Cognition. Archive co-founder Geoffrey Woo said his experience scaling consumer brands highlighted the operational burden involved in reviewing large volumes of creator content and managing short-lived social posts.

The broader market is moving in the same direction. IAB found that 48% of creator advertising buyers consider creators a “must buy,” while three in four brands are using or planning to use AI for creator-marketing tasks. Measurement, standards and operational tooling remain among the industry's major areas for improvement.

For Archive, the opportunity is therefore not simply to automate creator discovery. The larger proposition is to make creator marketing operationally comparable with paid media, where brands can continuously monitor performance, manage relationships and scale campaigns through dedicated technology.

Market Landscape

Creator marketing is evolving from campaign-specific influencer activity into a more structured advertising channel. IAB's spending forecasts show the scale of that transition, while the growing use of AI suggests marketers are looking for technology to handle increasingly complex creator workflows.

The competitive challenge for platforms such as Archive will be proving that AI can improve creator selection, measurement and campaign execution without reducing the authenticity that makes creator content valuable in the first place.

Strategic Outlook

Archive's funding signals investor confidence in creator marketing as a technology category rather than simply a social media service. Its combination of listening, creator management and paid amplification also reflects a broader convergence between influencer marketing and advertising operations.

As creator budgets increase, platforms that can connect discovery, content intelligence, creator relationships and measurable advertising outcomes could become increasingly important to enterprise marketing teams.

Top Insights

• Archive has closed a strategic funding round led by Anti Fund and Florida Funders.
• The funding amount was not disclosed.
• More than 1,000 brands reportedly use Archive.
• Two large AI labs are using the platform for creator marketing, according to Archive.
• IAB projects U.S. creator ad spending will reach $44 billion in 2026.

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