Company announces 20th and 21st patents, one of which includes audience search technology that powers new tool

Dstillery, the leader in AI ad targeting, today announced its latest technology developed on OpenAI to revolutionize audience discovery for programmatic campaigns. The Company's new Audience Brief Genius tool turns audience briefs into a precise list of audience recommendations, streamlining the selection process for brands and agencies.

Audience Brief Genius, a part of Audience Explorer, implements Dstillery's technology and allows advertisers to simply paste in their audience briefs, including descriptions of interests, demographics, affinities, and other relevant information. This input is transformed using OpenAI's technology into a format that can be quantitatively compared to similar representations of Dstillery's audience taxonomy. The result is an instant display of the audiences that best match the brand's audience briefs.

"With Audience Brief Genius powered by OpenAI, advertisers now have a way to use the latest in large language models to quantify the relationship between a persona and audience segments," said Taejin In, SVP of Product at Dstillery. "This approach saves time compared to manually selecting audiences. Additionally, it ensures advertisers use audiences best aligned with their briefs, leading to better-targeted, more effective campaigns."

Audience Brief Genius makes launching these audiences as simple as possible with clear paths to activation, whether via user-based segments, cookieless PMPs, or predictive bidding algorithms.

In addition to launching this new feature, Dstillery has been awarded its 20^th* and 21^st** patents. The Company's 21^st patent describes its proprietary method of searching for audiences, implemented in Audience Brief Genius.

With its recent patent achievements and audience discovery tool, Dstillery continues to lead the industry in leveraging data science and AI. The Company has been widely honored by industry publications and associations, including AdExchanger, Ad Age, Business Intelligence Group, Fast Company, and IAB Tech Lab.

Adding Microsoft Teams Certified Contact Center and Compliance Recorder, and Call Analytics Solutions to NUSO

NUSO, a leading multinational service provider of proprietary cloud communications, customer experience and CPaaS enablement solutions announced the acquisition of Italian-based Mida Solutions S.r.l (Mida), a software-as-a-service provider of contact center, compliance recorder and call analytics with customers in 39 countries.

This combination enriches NUSO’s core customer experience (CX) offer to its cloud communications applications. Mida’s applications, including Contact Center and Compliance Recorder solutions, integrate to enable services and applications for environments such as Microsoft Teams™.

“We are excited to add Mida’s core capabilities around Contact Center and Compliance Recorder solutions to the NUSO portfolio,” said Matt Siemens, NUSO CEO. “Mida’s products further our reach into Microsoft Teams and other collaboration marketplaces. In addition, this move anchors NUSO directly in the global service provider and critical infrastructure markets serving transportation and emergency services. Incredibly, this acquisition also nearly doubles our software development resources.”

“We are thrilled to be a part of the NUSO family of services,” said Attilio Licciardello, Mida General Manager and Owner. “Our current partners and customers will have access to new services through the NUSO portfolio in cloud communications, network, and enablement technologies. Additionally, customers and partners can expect the same level of top-quality service.”

Mida’s contact center and compliance recorders meet the most stringent security and regulatory requirements, including GDPR, MIFID 2, and HIPAA. These solutions can be seamlessly integrated with traditional UCaaS and PBX implementations as well as Microsoft Teams and other cloud communication systems.

“NUSO’s acquisition of Mida Solutions broadens the portfolio of solutions our partners can offer their customers,” said Ryan Henley, NUSO CRO. “The integration with and extension of NUSO’s full-stack capabilities address market needs at the network, service, and application layers, driving value creation as customers move to the cloud. We are excited to add these CX capabilities to our expanding partner network and geographic reach.”

This announcement marks NUSO’s second acquisition over the past 45 days. NUSO was advised by Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique.

96% of Agencies Say Clients Will Maintain or Increase Spend on YouTube Despite Economic Uncertainty

Pixability, a leader in AI-driven contextual targeting, brand suitability and performance on YouTube and CTV, today revealed the results of a major survey of U.S. Media Agency executives and buyers and planners. The study asked agency leaders about shifts in video advertising behaviors and how advertiser strategies are affected by the uncertain economic conditions.

According to the survey, 96% of all agencies predict that advertiser spending on YouTube will stay steady or increase in 2024, with 48% indicating budgets will be steady and 48% indicating they’ll increase. Only 4% said they predicted a decrease in budgets, which is down slightly from the 7% of respondents who indicated they would decrease their 2023 YouTube spend from 2022. Additionally, brand safety and performance were cited as the top priorities for brands advertising on YouTube. Agencies also indicated they are increasingly using YouTube for full-funnel and action-related purposes in addition to using it for awareness and consideration campaigns.

The study also asked for predictions on spending on CTV, TikTok, Facebook/Instagram and Linear TV. CTV should continue to enjoy the most aggressive growth in the industry, with 65% of agencies predicting an increase. Not surprisingly, only 10% of agencies predict an increase in Linear TV spend, with 36% predicting a decrease. Meanwhile 43% of agencies predict an increase in Tik Tok growth but just 28% foresee increases in spend on Facebook and Instagram, possibly representing continued backlash against Meta.

“This data reflects what we’re hearing from our big agency and brand partners,” said David George, CEO of Pixability. “YouTube and CTV spend will increase in 2024 for many brands. There will also be continued emphasis on driving measurable performance for YouTube campaigns specifically while also making sure they are brand suitable.”

Agencies also expressed their wide-ranging feelings about brand suitable content when advertising on YouTube. When asked which types of content a typical client would want to avoid, Made for Kids content and Political content ranked at the top of the list, while GVP (Google Video Partners) content and News content ranked much lower–with the contrast in “Political” v. “News” content revealing how nuanced it can be to get brand suitability right for brands.

Other findings of note from the study include:

• An unrelenting focus on balancing brand suitability and performance: 62% of agencies say balancing the two is more important than relying more heavily on one or the other
• The importance of brand suitability tactics: Agency execs say that YouTube campaigns would only be 70% suitable without them
• A migration to more holistic CTV planning: While just 39% of agencies have a team that plans CTV, TV, and YouTube advertising in one unified group, 46% of agencies predict they will have a group like this in the near future

Urges more open approach to AI tech

Inuvo, Inc., a leading provider of marketing technology, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that serves brands and agencies, today announced a comprehensive commitment to ethical innovation in AI, and is urging other tech leaders to do the same.

Inuvo has outlined its key pillars in an AI Transparency Statement, which details its responsible development and ethical use of artificial intelligence. As AI continues to become more sophisticated, transparency has become increasingly important.

Inuvo calls on other advertising companies who use AI, machine learning, and data science to publish their own transparency statements and join together in advocating for the ethical advancement of AI-based technologies.

As artificial intelligence begins to play a progressively pivotal role in decision making across industries, Inuvo recognizes the importance of being transparent about which data is being used, how that data is being used, and for what purpose it is being used.

The newly released Inuvo AI Transparency Statement provides open communication around the company’s artificial intelligence built specifically for advertising.

“Trust is essential between brands, platforms, and audiences within advertising technology,” said Rich Howe, Inuvo CEO. “By promoting AI transparency within our industry, we aim to increase understanding, alleviate ethical concerns, and uphold privacy around AI. We encourage other leaders to join us in this collective commitment to ethical innovation.”

Inuvo’s AI transparency statement aligns with the company’s strict identityless policies, which eliminate personal user data from targeting while still delivering relevant advertising. This non-identity based AI also minimizes the potential for biases.

As laws emerge regulating AI development and usage, Inuvo pledges not only to abide by regulations protecting user privacy and data, but also to lead the industry. The company will constantly reassess its AI advertising solutions against its core pillars of innovation, client service, and continuous improvement.

“How AI gets used matters. Within advertising, we are leading by example by building AI that respects user privacy. Artificial intelligence has, for some time, been used to stitch together data for the sole purpose of identifying consumers. It is our responsibility to be more transparent in the ways AI is implemented,” concluded Mr. Howe.

New Research Report Explores the Disconnect between C-Suite and Consumers when it comes to Data, Customer Experience and Relevance

Treasure Data, a leading enterprise customer data platform (CDP), today published new research exploring the dynamics of C-suite decision-making and consumer preferences in Data Driven Insights: Navigating the Consumer Landscape in 2024. The global survey polled 1,500 B2C C-level executives and 6,000 consumers, revealing a large divide between C-suite confidence and consumer expectations.

Seventy-six percent (76%) of business leaders express confidence in having a comprehensive customer 360-view to deliver personalized experiences. However, a mere 25% of consumers share this sentiment regarding their favorite brands, revealing a significant perception gap. Beyond the perception gap, the research highlights another notable finding – a staggering 88% of consumers believe that less than half of the content they receive from brands is relevant.

“As 2023 comes to a close, it’s worth reflecting on consumer expectations and taking an honest assessment of how to best meet their ever-evolving needs,” says Mark Tack, Chief Marketing Officer at Treasure Data. “This research paints a clear and concerning picture: Despite brands’ best efforts, they struggle with messy, complex customer data challenges that limit their ability to understand and engage consumers effectively. As brands seek to level up their customer experiences in 2024 and beyond, it’s critical to invest in people, processes, and technologies to chart a better path forward.”

Other key findings include:

• Customer Loyalty Woes: Almost half (44%) of consumers don't see any value from being a long-standing customer, and 64% believe only new customers receive the best deals and customer experience. This shows a majority of consumers feel undervalued for their loyalty, impacting their perception of brand value and increasing their likelihood to churn.
• Consumer Trust and Anonymity: While over half of consumers welcome marketing, forty-nine percent (49%) of consumers express a preference for remaining anonymous to brands. Concurrently, 48% deliberately withhold their personal data from businesses. This underscores the urgent need for brands to bolster trust in how they collect and use data from the general public.
• Data Competence Doubt: A third (33%) of senior executives express doubts about the data competence of most of their C-suite colleagues, while another 32% believe their organization collects good quality data but lacks the skills to interpret and use it effectively. This indicates a potential risk of major brands falling behind in the rapidly evolving landscape of data-driven customer insights.
• CX & AI Investment Surge: Sixty-two percent of execs plan on investing more in customer experience over the next two years and more than half (57%) of organizations plan to invest more in AI, with large businesses leading at 70%, emphasizing a rapid surge in AI investment across industries. The substantial commitment to AI recognizes its potential impact on customer experience, data analytics, and overall economic viability.

As companies navigate 2024, this report bridge gaps in understanding, and strategically embracing the technological and customer-centric shifts that define success in an ever-evolving business landscape. To review the full report and findings, please download Data-Driven Insights: Navigating the Consumer Landscape in 2024. Key findings were first showcased during the keynote at the inaugural CDP World 2023.

Methodology

Treasure Data’s research was based on two surveys, conducted by Opinium. The first surveyed representative samples of 2,000 adults from France, the US and UK – 6,000 respondents in total – with the data collected between 25 September – 4 October 2023. The second polled 500 C-suite decision makers in B2C companies from France, the US and UK – 1,500 respondents in total – with the fieldwork conducted between 25 September–4 October 2023.

Savant's Cloud-native AI-powered Analytics Automation Platform Has Proven to Accelerate Analytics by 5x-10x

Savant Labs, pioneer of a generative AI-powered analytics automation platform, announces a partnership with Data Prep U, a Colorado-based consulting and analytics solutions provider that serves clients across North America. Data Prep U has delivered analytics automation solutions to hundreds of customers and now has an increased focus on cloud-native analytics platforms that excel at automating analytics from modern data sources. With Savant's generative AI-powered analytics automation platform, Data Prep U will enable analysts in any business function to achieve 5x-10x faster outcomes.

Savant provides a leading-edge cloud-native, no-code, low-code analytics automation platform that enables analysts to access, prepare, blend, and analyze data from over 200 modern data sources and deliver insights directly to 100+ modern applications and dashboards. Analysts can choose between conversational GPT AI or drag-and-drop automation widgets to access, prep, and transform data, create analytics logic, and automate publishing insights. End-to-end analytics workflows can be created in minutes, and even complex data tasks can be achieved with AI prompts that leverage public or private LLMs. Savant's cloud-native architecture is purpose-built for today's modern data sources with an intuitive user experience that makes it simple for any analyst to drive outcomes. The platform scales to unlimited users, unlimited data processing, and unlimited analytic workflows at 50% lower TCO than traditional analytics automation solutions.

"Savant provides a multitude of advantages for our clients including a cost-efficient cloud-optimized solution, a low learning curve for users, and powerful drag-and-drop automation combined with generative AI capabilities," said Chad Martin, CEO & founder Data Prep U. "With our consulting and implementation expertise we are thrilled to partner with Savant to provide customers analytics automation solutions in finance, sales and marketing, logistics and any business function that is looking for fast, easy, and cost-effective analytics."

"We are excited to partner with Data Prep U and help organizations realize the power of cloud-native modern analytics automation and generative AI," said Chitrang Shah, CEO and founder of Savant Labs. "Combining our platform innovation with Data Prep U's expertise in delivering business solutions, we look forward to empowering data and business analysts in any organization to deliver analytics outcomes faster."

Traditional analytics solutions are still challenging for organizations to use and leave teams straddled with manual tasks, difficulties accessing data from modern data platforms and business applications, and high costs to scale. Most of these solutions were built for data scientists, expert data stewards, and IT teams while also being architected in the early days of understanding cloud economics.  Savant's innovation considers every aspect of easing analytics, from simplifying access to data from modern data sources, SaaS applications, and Excel to efficient cloud-native scaling, to no-code drag-and-drop manipulation of data, to using conversational GPT for any step of analytics. As a result, with Savant, organizations are saving hundreds of hours by eliminating manual work and automating outcomes while lowering costs by over 50%.

"Savant has been transformative for our supply-chain analytics, and we now receive daily out-of-stock alerts directly in Slack, allowing us to take fast action," said Julia Bedanova, Chief Operations Officer at Million Dollar Baby, a global manufacturer of children's furniture. "With Savant's drag-and-drop automation and generative AI capabilities, we automated analytics in just days, leveraging data from Databricks Lakehouse and partner systems. This otherwise would have taken our team weeks to months to achieve."

Transaction allows Perion to be at the forefront of the fast-growing DOOH channel, further diversifying its offering and expanding its global footprint

Perion Network Ltd., connecting advertisers with consumers through technology across all major digital channels, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Hivestack Inc., a global innovative full-stack programmatic digital out of home (DOOH) company. The terms of the transaction include US $100 million in cash paid upon closing and a 3-year employee retention and performance-based payment plan of up to US $25 million.

DOOH advertising transforms ordinary public spaces into dynamic experiences, engaging audiences with eye-catching, personalized content in real-time. It harnesses cutting-edge technologies to target, deliver and measure unforgettable, immersive ads that connect brands with people on the go. With the acquisition of Hivestack, a programmatic DOOH technology innovator since 2017, Perion is entering an exciting market at its nascent stage, positioning the company to capitalize on its anticipated growth.

Hivestack’s platform is used by many of the world's largest brands, agencies, media owners, and partners including Uber, Colgate, Lego, InterContinental Hotel Group, Doordash, GroupM, dentsu, The Trade Desk, Xandr, Clear Channel, Lamar, Stroër, and many more.

"We are excited about the acquisition of Hivestack, which both complements and advances our long-term growth strategy. Hivestack’s DOOH technology platform stands out by offering brands and advertisers what they crave the most: high-visibility creative, precise targeting, immediate impact, wide reach and measurement," said Tal Jacobson, CEO of Perion. "In addition to advancing our diversification strategy, this transaction aligns with our objective to expand our technological capabilities and product offerings, and we will continue to pursue additional inorganic growth opportunities."

More Regions. More Reach. More Technology

• Hivestack’s state-of-the-art platform is deployed in 32 countries, spanning North America, EMEA, LATAM and APAC. This global footprint will enable Perion to capitalize on economic trends impacting advertising budgets globally, and offer a variety of solutions in these additional markets.
• This transaction significantly contributes to Perion’s diversification strategy, enabling it to establish a considerable footprint in the fast-growing DOOH channel, which according to a PQ Media research report, is predicted to increase from US$21.5 billion in 2023 to US$30.7 billion in 2026, reflecting a 15.3% CAGR.
• Hivestack offers media owners an array of purpose-built software like the DOOH Ad Server, SSP, and Header Bidder, designed to manage, deliver, and optimize targeted advertising on digital screens, enhancing yield and sourcing demand efficiently.
• For media buyers, Hivestack's DOOH DSP, along with tools for audience planning and campaign measurement, provides robust capabilities for sourcing optimal inventory and maximizing the effectiveness and ROI of DOOH advertising campaigns.
• This acquisition is expected to create synergistic opportunities with Perion’s existing advertising offering and business and fits nicely with the company’s retail network strategy.

Mr. Jacobson concluded, “We welcome Hivestack and its impressive team of professionals to Perion. We look forward to capitalizing on the synergies between Hivestack’s technology and Perion’s existing solutions, to provide clients an even more comprehensive, end-to-end offering.”

Andreas Soupliotis, Founder and CEO of Hivestack, said, "Joining Perion marks a significant milestone in our journey. The strength of our technology, coupled with Perion’s market expertise and compelling advertiser solutions, will result in new synergetic solutions that resonate with customers on a worldwide scale. We are thrilled about the endless possibilities that this unlocks."

WEX, the global commerce platform that simplifies the business of running a business, today announced that Sachin Dhawan has been appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO). In this position, Mr. Dhawan will lead WEX’s global Technology Organization, including product and platform technology, architecture, cybersecurity, infrastructure and cloud engineering, technical operations, enterprise applications and Corporate IT, and technology-risk management.

“Sachin is a career technologist with decades of global experience articulating and implementing product and technology visions for both consumer and B2B businesses,” said Melissa Smith, WEX’s Chair, Chief Executive Officer, and President. “Sachin’s background and experience in payments technology, AI, and machine learning align with our commitment to stay at the forefront of technology and harness its power to propel our business into the future. I’m confident he will be an ideal leader for our Technology Organization and a strong fit for our culture and business. I’m thrilled to welcome Sachin to the WEX team.”

Previously, Mr. Dhawan worked at Stitch Fix, an online personal styling service where he served as CTO, leading product and technology development. Prior to joining Stitch Fix, he was Visa’s Senior Vice President of Infrastructure and Operations, responsible for building and scaling global technology infrastructure. Additionally, he spent more than 16 years at PayPal and Microsoft where he grew PayPal’s consumer products on a global scale and helped shape Microsoft’s Advertising business. He started his career in software design engineering and holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology.

"I am honored and thrilled to be joining the remarkable team at WEX, especially at such an exciting time,” said Sachin Dhawan, WEX’s new CTO. “I am excited to shape our technology strategy and to accelerate our pace of innovation in service of our global customers and partners. With a robust technological foundation spanning employee benefits, corporate payments, and mobility, WEX is positioned to contribute to the ongoing AI technological transformation in the global fintech market."