The company is launching this service to better connect buyers and sellers by infusing simplicity and improved access into the TV ad buying process.

FreeWheel, a global technology platform for the television advertising industry, today announced the launch of its Beeswax Inventory Desk. 

This new offering provides buyers, such as agencies and advertisers, using FreeWheel’s Beeswax technology with a simpler and more efficient way to access premium video ad inventory from the company’s publisher clients and other supply partners. The types of premium video ad inventory available namely span connected television and programmatic video streaming.

The Beeswax Inventory Desk, which functions as an inventory curation service, is designed to better match buyer demand with premium video ad inventory supply. Today’s TV ad ecosystem needs more effective and efficient ways to directly connect the buy and sell sides, and this solution aims to address three current industry needs: the need to remove unnecessary sources of friction, drive greater return on marketing dollars for marketers and improve the viewer experience.

The new Beeswax Inventory Desk unlocks several new opportunities for both sides of the TV ad buying ecosystem:

Buy Side (Advertisers and Agencies):

• Many buyers are unable to have direct, easy access to premium video ad inventory through current industry offerings. Many also do not have established, one-on-one relationships with leading premium video suppliers.
• With this new service, buyers now have a seamless, direct path to premium video supply. The Beeswax Inventory Desk delivers a curated package of premium video ad inventory to meet campaign objectives with automation and efficiency.
• Additionally, buyers reap the benefits of expedited activation and white glove service with fewer programmatic ad hops, resulting in a more optimized supply path to reach their audiences.

Sell Side (Publishers):

• Publishers are increasingly looking to diversify demand sources in today’s TV ad ecosystem
• The inventory curation service helps publishers easily match their supply with demand from buyers on the Beeswax platform and drive new revenue opportunities.
• It eliminates the need for unnecessary product, commercial or operational work. The Beeswax Inventory Desk handles all the heavy lifting on behalf of publishers. They simply need to opt-in to participate.

Currently, there are more than 40 Beeswax customers actively using this new offering. This number includes nearly 250 sourced deals from FreeWheel supply-side customers, including inventory from A+E Networks, AMC Networks and NBCUniversal. Furthermore, the company has seen a 670% increase in spend on deals sourced from the Beeswax Inventory Desk in Q4 2023 versus Q3 2023.

"We know that friction, complexity and fragmentation are key challenges that buyers and sellers across the TV advertising ecosystem face today,” said Matt Clark, VP, Strategic Partnerships, FreeWheel. “And so, one of the ah ha moments behind this service was, ‘How can we make the TV ad buying process simpler, better and with fewer headaches for all so that advertisers’ dollars can work harder and viewers can enjoy a more improved ad experience?’ It is our hope that this new offering will help create a win-win across the TV ad ecosystem.”

“In an era of fragmentation and complexity, FreeWheel’s Beeswax Inventory Desk helps bring some much-needed simplicity as well as direct connections across the TV ad ecosystem,” said David Pudjunis, VP, Digital Revenue Operations & Partnerships, AMC Networks. “Specifically, this exciting offering attracts a new set of advertisers to our content by allowing us to create custom packages that fit the needs of their clients’ campaigns – driving better business results across the board.”

Another current user, Jeromy Sonne, CEO and co-founder of Decibel Ads, said the solution has made the ad buying process simpler, easier, more transparency and efficient.

“This solution has made it faster and easier for our teams to pull in new premium ad inventory for customers. It removes much of the guesswork and greatly reduces the back and forth of wondering whether we’re getting the best – and most fair – price from publishers. In some instances, we’ve helped drive eight figures of incremental revenue for our customers, all while significantly increasing the addressability, relevance, target and reach of their ad campaigns,” he said.

Birdeye, the leading digital customer experience and online reputation management solution, today announced the release of its in-depth report, "State of Google Business Profiles 2024." This groundbreaking report offers an in-depth analysis of how businesses across various industries utilize Google Business Profiles (GBPs) to enhance their online presence, engage customers, and gain deeper insights into consumer behavior.

"In today's digital-first landscape, Google Business Profiles have become essential in shaping how businesses get found and attract customers on Google," said Anil Panguluri, SVP Product of Birdeye. "As the partner with the most integrations across Google, Birdeye is uniquely positioned to provide strategic insights for businesses to stand out in local search and unleash the full potential of GBP."

The report, drawing data from Birdeye's extensive customer base of over 150,000 local businesses, delves into the pivotal role of GBPs in digital marketing. It highlights the evolving trends, challenges, and opportunities in GBP utilization, offering valuable insights for businesses to thrive in the digital era.

Key findings from the report include:

• Verification Rate: 64% of businesses have verified their GBPs, with sectors like Property Management, Hospitality, and Healthcare leading in verification rates.
• Google Messages Adoption: Google Messages is used by 33% of verified GBPs, with notable adoption in the Legal, Consumer Goods & Services, and Automotive industries.
• Search View Dominance: Verified businesses average 1,803 monthly views from Google searches, with Hospitality leading in search views.
• Engagement Metrics: On average, a verified GBP receives about 200 clicks/interactions per month, with 48% of these being website clicks.
• Traffic Drive Sectors: Local businesses average 105 monthly website visits from verified GBPs, with the Recreation, Hospitality, and Automotive sectors driving the most traffic.

Dynamic design consulting and technology veteran brings deep experience in supporting high-growth organizations  

Syniti, a global leader in enterprise data management, today announced that Craig Ayers has joined the company as its chief people officer. In this critical role, Ayers will lead Syniti's global HR function, including talent management, recruiting and employee engagement efforts. In addition, he will oversee the company's Employee Resource Groups, helping sustain and continuously develop the company's unique and inclusive culture.

Ayers comes to Syniti from Journey, a physical and immersive experience design consultancy he co-founded where he served as chief operating officer (COO), chief financial officer (CFO) and board member. While at Journey, he built out operational and financial processes and helped drive the acquisition and integration of businesses aligned with the Journey strategy. Before founding Journey, he served as global CFO/COO at renowned design consultancy, frog design, for nearly nine years until the company was acquired by Capgemini in 2021 as part of Capgemini Invent. Prior to frog design, he developed deep roots in finance, operations and HR at Accenture, including a stint as director and country lead in Mauritius. 

Melanie Payne, CFO & chief business officer, Syniti, said, "Craig brings the creativity and operational experience that make him a perfect fit to lead our culture and talent agenda. We have an engaged and high-performing workforce, which he will continue to build out as Syniti expands its team around the world. We feel fortunate to add him to the team."

Craig Ayers, chief people officer, Syniti, said: "It's the journey and stories that we make together that inspire me and I've been blown away by the talent that I've seen at Syniti already. The company is highly differentiated in a fast-growing market, solving real business data problems for clients in unique ways like its Data First strategy. I'm excited to be a part of this team and help continue to drive success with our people, customers and partners."

World-class executives will provide industry-leading insights and hone strategic direction 

Cordial, the only true marketing platform that empowers brands to fully automate their marketing strategies, today announces the launch of its strategic advisory board. This collection of industry leaders from PacSun, eBay, Gap, Solo, Minted, and more will advise Cordial executives on how best to capitalize on growth opportunities and tackle emerging challenges. These advisors will lend their unparalleled expertise to elevate Cordial as the market leader for delivering highly personalized and unified cross-channel campaigns, enabling brands to maximize customer engagement and drive measurable revenue growth.

With its focus on rapid innovation in marketing automation and robust first-party data collection and activation capabilities, Cordial is more impactful than ever for marketers seeking to engage and retain customers. 2023 was a massive growth year for the company, further cementing Cordial's position at the forefront of the martech landscape. To accelerate this momentum, Cordial has assembled a powerhouse strategic advisory board. Each member brings unique insights and experience from key industries such as news, retail and business consulting. The board will be instrumental in guiding Cordial's continued growth and industry leadership by advising product strategy, enabling growth and brand awareness and participating in market-facing events to drive demand for Cordial's platform.

Some of the current members include:

• Mike Relich, former board member and Co-CEO at PacSun.
• Rachel Frederick, GM at Sur La Table / former Head of Digital & Ops at Gap.
• Elaine Rubin, Board member Destination XL / founder & president of Digital Prophets Network.
• Jenna Flateman Posner, CDO at Solo Brands / former CDO at Snipes.
• Sarah Veit Wallis, COO at Minted / former SVP GM at Gap & Old Navy.

"Over the past year of growth, we've brought together brilliant strategic thinkers and business leaders to help us solidify our position as the undisputed market leader in the customer engagement category," said Jeremy Swift, CEO and co-founder of Cordial. "This group will be instrumental in guiding Cordial's technology vision and extensive services offering to be the best in delivering unmatched outcomes for our customers now, and in the future. I'm confident that their counsel will propel Cordial to new heights through our best-in-class service and AI-forward technology."

The Transit Advertising People have elevated the former Vice President of Sales to oversee all organizational operations, focusing on expansion and efficiency.

Adsposure is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Klare as the company's President. Klare, who has served as the Vice President of Sales for Adsposure since May 2018, brings with him a wealth of experience in the transit advertising industry into this new role. 

Throughout his career, Klare has been dedicated to building high-performance teams and driving strategic growth. His vision and leadership played an instrumental role in Adsposure's success, actively growing the company's portfolio during his tenure, and his appointment as President reflects the company's commitment to continued innovation and expansion in the public transit advertising industry.

"We are thrilled to have Jason Klare step into the role of President at Adsposure," said Ken Black, CEO of parent company EST03. "His deep understanding of the transit advertising landscape, coupled with his relentless focus on delivering results, makes him the ideal leader to guide Adsposure into its next phase of growth."

As President, Klare will oversee all aspects of Adsposure's operations. Klare's passion for public transportation and advertising, coupled with the company's positive momentum, signals a bright future for Adsposure. Adsposure is committed to partnering with transit authorities across the United States, working to enhance their advertising programs and generate additional revenue that contributes to the improvement of public transit systems.

"I am honored to lead Adsposure as President and excited about the opportunities that lie ahead," said Klare. "I look forward to building on our strong foundation, fostering innovation, and continuing to deliver impactful advertising solutions that bring in impactful revenue for our transit authority partners and the communities they serve."

Klare's appointment as President underscores Adsposure's commitment to leadership excellence and its dedication to providing unparalleled advertising solutions to transit authorities nationwide.

Advertisers Can Seamlessly Transform Pre-Produced Audio Assets into Hyper-Relevant Audio Creatives, Wherever and Whenever Their Customers Listen 

Clinch, the leader in dynamic ad serving and personalization, announced today the ability to extend its award-winning workflow automation and omnichannel creative personalization capabilities to audio channels. This development empowers advertisers to seamlessly serve campaigns across multiple audio publishers and platforms through a single campaign setup and ad tag designed to auto-render assets that match each publisher's requirements.

Capturing the Digital Audio Landscape

With Insider Intelligence reporting that digital audio is set to claim 2 hours and 20 minutes per day from US listeners – surpassing time spent on platforms like Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube video – advertisers leveraging Clinch's Flight Control can now connect with audiences across streaming services, podcasts, and smart speakers with the utmost efficiency. The platform offers diverse creative conditioning options, including weather, dayparting, location, sports/events, and audience segmentation, ensuring the delivery of highly relevant audio content to consumers wherever and whenever they tune in.

Oz Etzioni, CEO of Clinch, emphasized the significance of incorporating audio activation into Flight Control, stating, "Creative is a massive contributor to campaign performance, and as trends start to shift to audio-based consumption, advertisers need to modify their approach to effectively speak to their audience across these channels. Integrating audio capabilities into Flight Control simplifies the process for advertisers to achieve their goals across all channels, enhancing campaign performance and reach."

Certified Partnerships and Creative Flexibility

Clinch's audio tags are certified for serving direct and programmatic campaigns, with media partners and platforms including iHeartMedia, The Trade Desk, DV360, Yahoo, Xandr, Adswizz, nglmitú, Videoamp, and more. The platform offers users two flexible options: bringing their audio assets or utilizing Generative AI voice production for diverse audio variations aligned with their creative strategy. An integrated audio player and intelligent preview functionality within the platform allow users to preview audio campaign features seamlessly.

Success Story: Leveraging Audio Channels to Extend Targeted Reach

The recent campaign success of a leading automotive tires and accessories retailer, managed by the agency Tombras using Flight Control, underscores the platform's enhanced audio capabilities. The campaign achieved a remarkable 93% listen-through rate, reaching over eight million engaged listeners across English and Spanish speaking audiences, accumulating a total of 15 million impressions.

Tombras utilized Flight Control's capabilities to deploy 25 creative variations in English and Spanish across 330+ regionalized campaigns supporting more than 35+ designated market areas (DMA) in North America. The campaign's adaptability and reach were on full display, seamlessly integrating audio ads into the overall marketing mix and ensuring optimal performance across desktop, mobile (Android/iOS), and CTV platforms.

"This successful campaign is an example of why we chose Clinch as our primary ad serving and dynamic creative optimization (DCO) partner last year," said Caitlin Walsh, Director, Digital Investments, Tombras. "With Clinch, we're consistently able to provide a competitive advantage for our clients thanks to Flight Control's operational efficiency and cross-channel performance."

Flight Control's Cross-channel Reporting Excellence

Flight Control's robust reporting dashboard empowers users with real-time insights into audio campaign performance. Users can holistically view their entire campaign's footprint and conduct in-depth analyses, including extending attribution.

Strategic investments in AI and automation in the LM Envision platform are driving revenue and customer growth

LogicMonitor, the leading SaaS-based hybrid observability platform powered by AI for enterprises, announces continued business momentum in 2023, amidst a dynamic market landscape. Business performance was driven by Enterprise customer acquisition and geographic expansion, evident in the following results:

• Compound Annual Growth Rate: Sustained an organic CAGR of 36% in the last five years
• Multi-product momentum: Number of customers spending greater than $100k+ growing at 50% CAGR over last five years, of which more than two-thirds use more than one product
• Growing and diversifying customer base: Serviced ~2,400 customers total, with over 30% of new customers representing regions outside of the United States

"Most organizations operate in complex, fractured environments. Our growth is because we are the leading technology that can combine a single resource view for hybrid infrastructure, both on-prem and cloud," said Christina Kosmowski, CEO, LogicMonitor. "We partner with the largest global organizations to accelerate their digital transformation strategy in scaled, hybrid environments."

New frontiers in hybrid observability powered by AI
The company has continued to transform IT and AI operations with hybrid coverage, layered intelligence, and a unified experience by releasing:

• Log Analysis: Log Analysis transforms the unstructured information in logs to rich insights and context, empowering operations teams at any level to perform troubleshooting
• Co-Pilot Admin: LogicMonitor's new generative AI-based tool assists users in their day-to-day operations through an interactive, chat-like experience, reducing administrative burden on IT and Cloud Operations teams, and allowing them to focus on innovation and customer satisfaction
• Dexda: Now generally available, Dexda puts AI to work and supercharges productivity by customizing and automating alert correlation, contextualization, prioritization and incident management, personalized to each business's unique needs
• UIv4: LM Envision's new user interface offers a multitude of features designed to enhance user experience and productivity in complex and hybrid environments, including Resource Explorer and Data Point Analysis

Bloomreach, the platform fueling limitless e-commerce personalization, today announced support and guidance for marketers adapting to new changes in email sender requirements from Google and Yahoo. Bloomreach has launched a new one-click unsubscribe email feature for Bloomreach Engagement customers, ensuring users can comply with the new Google and Yahoo sender requirements, and has also released additional expert guidance for all marketers navigating these new changes.

With the launch of one-click unsubscribe, known as RFC 8058 or GET/POST protocol, Bloomreach Engagement customers can now place an unsubscribe link at the header of their emails. In compliance with the new Google and Yahoo requirements, this ensures email recipients can unsubscribe from mailing lists with a single click. This feature adds to the already established mailto: protocol available in Bloomreach Engagement, also known as RFC 2369, which sends an email with an opt-out request to Bloomreach’s dedicated inbox.

“Bloomreach has always prioritized emailing best practices among their customers, and these new requirements from Google and Yahoo are no different. They reflect the standards that we always advised our customers to have,” said Michael Mann, Email Deliverability Consultant, at Bloomreach. “We’re confident that integrating one-click unsubscribe into our email capabilities will allow our customers to build an even stronger email strategy, leading to increased customer engagement and improved deliverability while following best practices.”

To further prepare marketers for success, Bloomreach has also gathered expert insights and outlined best practices for email deliverability in light of these new requirements. These insights were detailed in full during a recent Bloomreach Best Practices webinar, now available on demand.

Key Takeaways for Marketers Navigating Google and Yahoo's New Sender Requirements:

• Unsubscribing Made Easy: All emails must now include a one-click unsubscribe button both in the body of the email and in the header – note that opting out via consent pages or preference centers does not fulfill this requirement.
• Quality Over Quantity: It’s important that brands clean their email list periodically. Only focus on engaged users who have given consent to receive communications, while still making it easy for them to unsubscribe.
• Personalization is Key: Creating relevant, tailored content for customers is no longer a nice-to-have, but a necessity. With an accessible unsubscribe button and the risk of customers marking emails as spam, brands will need to prioritize personalization and send emails that encourage immediate engagement.
• Curbing Spam: Gmail and Yahoo have announced that they will enforce a spam complaint threshold of 0.3%. Bloomreach has always advised its customers to stay below 0.1% to ensure the best return on investment, reputation, and deliverability. It’s also important for businesses to set up Google Postmaster reporting to keep monitoring spam complaints and optimize their email strategy.
• Mastering Authentication: Brands should follow authentication protocols, which confirm the legitimate sender from a certain domain, such as SFP, DKIM, and DMARC. Businesses also need to use a dedicated sending domain and IP address while ensuring domain alignment.