Semarchy, a master data management (MDM) and data integration leader, today announced the launch of its Acceleration Toolkit. This toolkit helps organizations build the business case for MDM, increases adoption and confidence, and accelerates time-to-value.

Semarchy is committed to going above and beyond to ensure customer success, and the Acceleration Toolkit underscores Semarchy's commitment to making MDM implementation straightforward for organizations of all sizes. A key example is the company's ability to implement a pilot MDM project in just 30 days.

Leveraging their unparalleled expertise in MDM implementation, the Semarchy team works closely with customers to rapidly build a tailored proof of concept featuring the client's own data and use cases. In just one month, clients can experience the capabilities of Semarchy's solution firsthand and see the value it will bring to their organization. This dedication to delivering quick time-to-value is just one of the many ways Semarchy goes the extra mile to serve its customers.

The toolkit includes:

• Rapid MDM Business Case: Helps clients build an ROI assessment to justify MDM investment. Provides research-backed models to showcase 3-year costs and benefits.
• Accelerator Models: Out-of-the-box data models and use cases to demonstrate MDM capabilities for specific industries and use cases to accelerate application development.
• Accelerate MDM: Delivers a minimally viable MDM application built on client data and requirements in just two weeks to prove capabilities and value.
• Accelerate AI: Educational assets allow clients to explore Semarchy's AI/ML roadmap and integrate capabilities like GPT-3.
• Rapid Delivery Blueprint: Step-by-step guide to quickly deploy MDM based on Semarchy's proven best practices and methodology.

"With this toolkit, we are providing organizations everything they need to successfully build the case for MDM, see use cases tailored to their industry, prove out capabilities with their own data and rapidly deploy MDM," said Brett Hansen, CGO at Semarchy. "We want to simplify MDM adoption and ensure customers see value quickly."

In a market where technology parity is common, Semarchy's customer-focused approach gives the company a clear competitive advantage. Semarchy's dedicated customer success organization has over 20 seasoned experts, providing support throughout the implementation and ongoing optimization of customer data initiatives. Implementation support includes the  Expert Service Review program, which scopes projects and, in 2023 achieved a 100% on-time implementation rate. Semarchy also provides continual MDM optimization through customized Success Plans with detailed goals and project roadmaps, completing 184 expansion projects in 2023.

Months after announcing expanded access to TCL FFALCON’s premium TV inventory, the companies solidify plans to help brands reach audiences across screens

Nexxen, a global, unified advertising technology platform with deep expertise in video and Connected TV (“CTV”), today announced the expansion of its strategic partnership with TCL FFALCON (“TCL”), a global leading Internet and AI×IoT service platform. This expansion not only designates Nexxen’s supply-side platform (“Nexxen SSP”) as TCL’s preferred supply platform partner, but also grants Nexxen SSP the opportunity to exclusively sell TCL’s native display inventory, solidifying both companies’ commitment to providing advertisers with opportunities to reach highly engaged audiences across screens globally.

Last spring, Nexxen SSP (then known as Unruly) and TCL announced their initial partnership to expand premium TV inventory access globally. The partnership granted advertisers direct access to impactful streaming supply in the TCL Channel, which includes popular entertainment, movies on-demand and live channels. Now, Nexxen will serve as the exclusive conduit for advertisers looking to tap into TCL's premium native display inventory as well as its CTV and OTT inventory, delivering unprecedented access to TCL's extensive and diverse user base to today’s brands and advertisers.

“We are thrilled to deepen our partnership with TCL FFALCON,” said Kenneth Suh, Chief Strategy Officer at Nexxen. “This enhanced relationship not only positions Nexxen SSP as TCL's preferred supply partner, but also opens up exciting avenues for advertisers seeking to harness the potential of TCL's native display inventory. Together, we are dedicated to driving unique value and engagement for them globally.”

“We are excited to further strengthen our strategic partnership with Nexxen,” said Rebecca Wan, Business Department Leader at TCL FFALCON. “This expanded collaboration solidifies our commitment to providing advertisers with exceptional opportunities to reach highly engaged audiences globally. By entrusting Nexxen and leveraging their expertise in video and CTV, FFALCON aims to deliver exceptional value and engagement for brands and advertisers in the evolving over-the-top (“OTT”) landscape.”

CTV Composer One of Many Solutions Innovid Offers to Empower Advertisers to Connect & Engage with Audiences as TV Moves to 100% Digital

Innovid, an independent platform for the creation, delivery, measurement, and optimization of advertising across connected TV (CTV), linear TV, and digital, today announced industry-wide availability of the latest self-service feature within its CTV Composer authoring tool. For the first time ever, brands and publishers can create interactive CTV experiences in-house, at scale, for live streaming events. 

With live events increasingly migrating to streaming, advertisers can take creative experiences to the next level with engaging, personalized ads – from brand-building and retention ads to shoppable formats that drive direct engagement and conversions.

Innovid’s CTV Composer offers a catalog of plug-and-play formats, features, and dynamic creative strategies that can run across any streamed content on more than 25 CTV device types reaching nearly every household in the U.S. Advertisers can easily create interactive and dynamic ads that engage the viewer with elements like QR codes for a direct path to purchase, as well as showcase relevant messages based on data signals like game start times or lineups. While CTV Composer has historically been used for live streamed events with support from the Innovid team, advertisers can now build these types of campaigns in-house and at scale via the self-service functionality on Innovid’s platform. In Q4 2023 alone, CTV Composer created ads for nearly 700 campaigns, accounting for more than 202 million impressions.

Digitally delivering high volumes of impressions simultaneously is complex, which has challenged advertisers' ability to run advanced creatives at scale during live streaming events. Innovid’s advanced creative technology is built on the Innovid platform, which delivers over 1.3 billion ads per day and is designed to handle high-quality video at scale for the best possible creative experiences across streamed content, including live events.

“High-value live content, like sports and awards, have historically been pillars of linear – but that’s changing,” said Dan Mouradian, SVP, Global Client Solutions at Innovid. “As live events move to CTV, and TV becomes 100% digital, advertisers have a unique opportunity to engage audiences at scale with personalized, interactive formats. They now have the technology to accomplish it on their own. Innovid is solving for the challenges that arise with the concurrence of every viewer seeing ads and we have paved the way for mass personalization and interactive advertising during live events.”

Report highlights significant shifts in TV consumption habits and their implications for advertisers

Samba TV, the leading provider of TV technology for audience data and omniscreen measurement, today released its latest State of Viewership report, analyzing approximately 46 billion hours of linear and streaming in the second half of 2023. The report offers an in-depth macro analysis of the state of linear, streaming, and advertising with some compelling takeaways for brands, agencies, publishers, and platforms. Among the standout findings, linear continued its decline in reach while streaming viewership swelled. Also notable was the early glimpse of how the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes impacted viewership and how major streaming platforms like Netflix are likely to weather the content drought.

“Our industry was presented with unique opportunities and challenges in 2023, such as the rise of live streaming sports, the impact of the strikes, and the proliferation of new measurement to understand ad performance,” said Samba TV Co-founder and CEO Ashwin Navin. “The traditional TV advertising playbook no longer applies. As the audience shifts to streaming across live and scripted programming, smart advertisers are optimizing frequency, impact, and efficiency together in one comprehensive strategy.”

Samba TV’s State of Viewership Report provides a comprehensive overview of linear and Connected TV (CTV) viewership, including consumption of both shows and movies. Samba TV’s report sheds further light on television viewership changes, including:

Year-over-year, linear TV reach experienced a slight decrease and remained steady compared to the first half of 2023.

• Linear TV reach in 2023 followed its usual pattern of dropping during the first half of the year but, in a divergence from previous years, it did not spike in the second half. The average daily reach of linear TV in the second half of the year was on par with the first half, and down 4% from the previous year.
• Over-the-top (OTT) hours viewed experienced increases during Q3 and Q4 of 2023, with 23% and 18% spikes respectively, compared to the previous year. This rise in viewership occurred despite a decrease in programming releases by services like Netflix. However, linear hours viewed decreased during both quarters, as the balance between time spent with connected and traditional TV closes in the coming years.

Subscription cycling and platform churn has only increased over the past year, presenting streamers with new challenges in retaining audiences.

• As viewers look to limit the number of services they subscribe to in order to control costs, platforms are experiencing increased churn, with over two-thirds of Gen Z and millennial consumers planning to cycle in the next six months. Nearly half (46%) of U.S. households watched two or fewer services throughout the second half of 2023.
• Streaming platforms made a big push via ad campaigns to convert linear and OTT viewers to subscribers in the second half of 2024, with Paramount+ and Warner Bros. Discovery's Max ranked as the top streaming platforms to serve up ad impressions for their platforms in the second half of 2024. Paramount+ ads dominated with a quarter of the share of voice, particularly during CBS primetime airings. Meanwhile, Netflix experienced the most significant year-over-year growth, serving more than double the number of impressions in the second half of 2023 compared to 2022.
• When it comes to attracting viewers to a streaming platform, original programming is a draw, but it doesn't guarantee loyalty. Many top platforms see over half of their viewers watching only one of the top 50 programs. Netflix stands out, with almost 70% of viewers engaging with multiple top shows, highlighting the importance of an engaging content library and convincing users of the platform's value and worth.

Adaptations, docuseries, and blockbuster movies on streaming platforms are successful, while live sports remain dominant on linear TV.

• Eighty-nine of the top 100 most watched linear programs of the half were sports, and NFL games accounted for 76% of those programs, led by Monday Night Football on ABC and Sunday Night Football on NBC. 60 Minutes was the top non-sports program, with episodes on Ukraine and the Israel and Gaza conflict ranking high, boosted by accompanying NFL games.
• Netflix dominated streaming originals in the second half of 2023. Netflix's strategy to overcome the actors' and writers’ strikes involved focusing on programs based on novels, real events, or docuseries, with 70% of the top 10 streaming shows falling into these categories. This trend is expected to continue into the first half of 2024 as the impact of the strikes lingers.

Navin continued: “On the horizon for 2024, we believe SVOD services will face increased competition from FAST and the reduction in available new content due to the strikes. Streamers need to explore alternatives to the bundling strategy, such as targeting audiences with specific interests on social media where return on ad spend can be attractive relative to traditional media.”

Advertisers are grappling with the challenge of optimizing reach and frequency in order to drive real-life outcomes, especially ahead of the 2024 election season.

• During the busiest shopping season, quick-service restaurants (QSR) and retailers took the lead in advertising, with pizza chain Domino's reigning as the top advertiser by impressions. While retailers faced supply chain and inflation challenges, big box retailers such as Amazon, Target, and Walmart increased their ad spend, outpacing department stores like Macy's and Kohl's during the second half of 2023.
• 92% of ads reached just 50% of U.S. households, with the most engaged half of households bombarded by an average of 150 ads per day. Meanwhile, the other half only saw 8% of ad impressions, averaging about 13 ads per day.
• Multi-tasking TV viewers are providing new opportunities for advertisers. Most viewers opt for a second screen while watching TV, providing advertisers with a captive audience primed to make purchases based on the ads they see.
• Political advertisers need to adjust how they’re reaching younger voters. In fact, 46% of Gen Z and millennials are seeing “a lot” or “some” political ads in the past three months, demonstrating how a nuanced strategy is essential to reaching these elusive viewers. This is particularly essential as linear viewership continues to decline, as evidenced by the 2020 battleground senate race alone where 90% of linear ads hit just 55% of households in that state​.

“In what will be a record-setting year of political campaign spending, these advertisers are facing the challenge of reaching a voter base that is more fragmented and disenfranchised than ever before. This election will be determined by streaming. To reach key voters in a meaningful way, it is crucial for these advertisers to lean into a data-driven, holistic, and real-time approach to addressing both traditional TV viewers and streamers alike,” said Navin.

Enhanced offering will deliver deeper, real-time, public Reddit insights to customers

Sprout Social, an industry-leading provider of cloud-based social media management software, today announced it entered into an enhanced partnership with Reddit, where Sprout users will gain access to deeper and more valuable real-time Reddit data for insights into public conversations and customer activity along with brand and industry trends.

With more than 100,000+ active communities and 70+ million daily active users, Reddit is full of rich communities and public conversations that, when tapped, can provide organizations with the consumer insights and knowledge they need to gauge brand health, implement more proactive care strategies and build better products.

“Reddit has always been a central community for a wide and diverse range of conversations and we’ve seen it have an increased impact on brand outcomes in recent years,” said Justyn Howard, CEO of Sprout Social. “As social insights become essential to remaining competitive and driving innovation across an organization, this expanded offering will provide increased value to our users and their understanding of their businesses and customers.”

The more in-depth offering will be available to all Sprout customers by this summer.

Growth planned in event technology, including platforms and AI

Bishop-McCann, a worldwide leader in the meetings, incentives, and events industry, is doubling down on its commitment to staying at the forefront of event technology by adding industry veteran Todd Moritz to its newly created role of Vice President of Event Technology. With more than 20 years of experience in the event industry that spans event technology, multichannel marketing, and program management, Moritz will be essential in bringing forth new solutions from a rapidly changing technology landscape that addresses evolving client and company needs. 

Moritz was previously Vice President, Event Technology and Strategy at Opus Agency where he was instrumental in developing and implementing innovative technology strategies for some of the world’s largest brands. Moritz received the 2021 Trade Show News Network Outstanding Show Pro Award and was named a 2022 BizBash Industry Innovator.

“Technology is changing events, making it a more seamless, engaging, and meaningful experience. Technology also has the power to enable teams to do more with less and rapidly improve the bottom line. I’m thrilled to bring a sharpened focus on technology solutions at Bishop-McCann, so we can better serve our clients and our team,” said Moritz.

“Technology, especially in the events industry, is evolving exponentially,” said Rob Adams, Bishop-McCann CEO and Co-Owner. “We view technology as a catalyst to creating impact for our clients, company, and our industry. Having Todd as part of the Bishop-McCann leadership team will be a key differentiator to ensure that we remain at the forefront of the event technology landscape.”

Bishop-McCann has received various accolades for its work in the meetings, events and incentives industry. For the past 16 years, MeetingsNet has named Bishop-McCann to its CMI 25 list, which highlights the largest and most influential corporate, full-service meeting and incentive travel management companies in North America. Northstar Meetings Group has awarded Bishop-McCann with its Motivation Masters award, which showcases the impact of its incentive programs. In 2023, Cvent recognized Bishop-McCann with top honors at its event technology industry conference, Cvent CONNECT, naming it Partner of the Year for its technology-forward approach.

Update Empowers Users to See, Secure, and Shield Their Data

Annual report summarizes email marketing metrics from 2 billion emails sent by associations in 2022 and 2023

Higher Logic, the industry-leading, human-focused engagement platform, announces the release of its 2023 Higher Logic Thrive Association Email Benchmark Report. The annual report summarizes email marketing metrics from approximately 1,500 organizations and nearly 2 billion emails sent in 2022 and 2023, specifically by associations located in the United States, Australia and Canada. 

“With new email requirements and data privacy regulations, the email marketing landscape continues to shift. By publishing this report, our goal is to provide association marketers with a valuable resource that allows them to evaluate their current email marketing program, so they can improve their email communication effectiveness moving forward,” states Rob Wenger, co-founder and CEO of Higher Logic.

Key insights from the 2023 Association Email Benchmark Report include:

• Higher Logic customers continue to see an above industry standard deliverability rate with an average of 98.6%.
• Average open rates increased from 34.4% in 2022 to 38.18% in 2023 – a metric likely due to residual effects of Apple Mail Privacy Protection features.
• The day of the week with the highest average click rate in 2023 was Wednesday.
• Messages sent as part of automated marketing campaigns had higher open and click rates than individual email sends.
• Messages sent with dynamic content (I.e., content targeted to the recipient’s interest) had higher open and click rates.
• Messages sent to segmented lists have lower unsubscribe rates.

In addition to exploring average email metrics and influencing factors, the 2023 Association Email Benchmark Report explores current trends such as new email requirements from Google (Gmail) and Yahoo (Yahoo Mail), data privacy regulations passing across the US and AI.