social media 20 Aug 2025
Accenture is bolstering its social media muscle. The company announced the acquisition of Superdigital, a U.S.-based social and influencer agency, in a move designed to expand Accenture Song’s end-to-end social marketing offerings—from audience strategy and community building to content production, commerce, and performance measurement.
Founded in 2013, Superdigital has built a reputation for agile creative production and culturally attuned content, particularly across short-form video and platform-native campaigns. Its 40-person team of strategists, creators, and managers will now fold into Accenture Song, joining a roster of recent acquisitions including Unlimited, Work & Co, and SOKO.
“Marketing is evolving at an explosive pace, reshaped by AI and rising consumer expectations,” said Sean Lackey, Accenture Song’s Marketing practice lead for the Americas. “For many of our clients, social media is where their audiences see them first. Leading with social is essential to building connections and driving demand. Superdigital brings added strength at the intersection of creativity, data, and technology.”
Superdigital’s portfolio spans tech, consumer goods, gaming, and entertainment brands, where it has specialized in influencer partnerships, data-driven campaign optimization, and social-native storytelling. General Manager Biz Hennigan said joining Accenture Song will allow the team to “supercharge bold, original thinking with world-class technology and creativity at scale.”
The deal underscores a broader trend: social media’s central role in brand building, engagement, and commerce. For CMOs, it has become the frontline of customer relevance—blurring lines between performance marketing and community-driven storytelling.
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email marketing 20 Aug 2025
Ecommerce merchants on Shopify just got an easier way to keep their customers engaged—without burning hours on manual email design. Getsitecontrol has rolled out a major update to its GSC Email Marketing & Pop Ups app, bringing AI-powered email templates, dynamic product feeds, and unique discount codes designed to streamline ecommerce email campaigns.
The promise: branded, personalized emails ready to send in minutes.
Instead of fiddling with colors, logos, or discount codes, the app now pulls directly from a merchant’s Shopify store—inventory, purchase history, branding elements, and even social links. The result? Fully branded, prefilled templates that look like they were hand-crafted, only faster.
The AI engine even generates industry-specific copy. For example, an abandoned-cart email might automatically slot in the missing item, throw in a personalized discount, and suggest related products—all without the merchant lifting a finger.
This update also gives Shopify sellers the option to add dynamic product recommendations into their emails: think bestsellers, new arrivals, or personalized picks based on browsing and order history.
Order confirmation and checkout abandonment workflows can now nudge customers toward cross-sells and upsells, highlighting complementary items or alternatives. It’s the type of personalization usually reserved for enterprise-level platforms—now baked into an app small to mid-size merchants already use.
Anyone who’s run a coupon campaign knows the headache of seeing discounts leak onto deal sites. Getsitecontrol’s answer: unique, single-use discount codes. Every subscriber gets a one-off code, reducing coupon abuse and giving merchants clean tracking data on exactly which emails drive conversions.
Email marketing is still ecommerce’s highest-ROI channel, but execution often drags. Competitors like Klaviyo and Omnisend already lean heavily on AI-driven personalization, and Getsitecontrol clearly doesn’t want to be left behind. By turning Shopify store data into plug-and-play campaigns, i
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digital asset management 19 Aug 2025
Reborn Coffee is brewing more than just specialty lattes—it’s eyeing blockchain. The California-based coffee chain announced it has begun a strategic review to explore how regulated digital assets, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, might fit into its treasury management playbook.
The move signals that even a coffee-first company is considering what’s becoming a Silicon Valley–flavored corporate trend: parking cash in crypto. Tesla, Block, and MicroStrategy have already dabbled, with varying levels of market drama. Reborn Coffee, though, is framing its exploration as cautious and compliance-driven rather than speculative.
CEO Jay Kim emphasized that the company’s mission—delivering premium coffee experiences worldwide—hasn’t changed. What is changing is how Reborn thinks about its balance sheet. With capital efficiency in mind, management sees blockchain-based assets as one possible hedge or diversification tool for non-operating reserves.
But don’t expect a sudden Bitcoin-buying spree. The company underscored that this is strictly an exploratory process. Any actual investment would require board approval, SEC-compliant disclosures, and the kind of regulatory guardrails that have become table stakes in corporate treasury experimentation.
For investors, the review highlights how digital assets are creeping further into mainstream treasury conversations. Reborn is no tech giant, but its willingness to even entertain blockchain-based capital strategies underscores how normalized the idea has become in corporate finance.
That said, coffee margins and crypto volatility don’t exactly pair like cappuccino and croissants. The review could end up as a signal to shareholders that Reborn is “forward-looking” without necessarily pulling the trigger. Still, it places the coffee retailer in a small but growing club of companies acknowledging crypto as more than just a passing fad.
Reborn Coffee is staying grounded in beans while dipping a cautious toe into Bitcoin. Whether it ultimately pours crypto into its treasury or keeps the pot empty, the signal is clear: innovation in corporate finance is no longer reserved for tech titans. Even coffee chains are paying attention.
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artificial intelligence 19 Aug 2025
Grammarly, the company synonymous with spell checks and polished prose, is rebranding itself for the AI era. The company announced it’s rolling out eight specialized AI agents designed to tackle the writing challenges that most generic chatbots gloss over—like sourcing credible citations, predicting how a professor or manager might react to your draft, and even grading work against a rubric before you hand it in.
These agents live inside docs, Grammarly’s new AI-native writing surface. It’s the company’s boldest bet yet: moving from being a background helper to a full-on AI partner embedded in the writing process.
For years, Grammarly has been a digital proofreader—polishing punctuation, suggesting better synonyms, and saving people from email embarrassment. But AI has upended the writing-assistant category. Tools like ChatGPT can spin up essays or reports on command, leaving Grammarly with a clear challenge: how to stay indispensable in a world where anyone can generate 1,000 words with a single prompt.
The answer, apparently, is agentic AI—a suite of agents that not only suggest improvements but also act in context. Instead of users wrestling with vague prompts, the new Grammarly agents handle specific, high-stakes tasks:
Reader Reactions: Anticipates what professors, managers, or clients might think, pointing out possible confusion or missed takeaways.
AI Grader: Gives feedback aligned with rubrics, coursework, or instructor details—essentially a “pre-grade” before the real grade.
Citation Finder: Surfaces relevant evidence for or against a claim and automatically formats citations.
Expert Review: Provides subject-matter feedback for academic or professional fields.
Proofreader: Offers in-line clarity and tone suggestions, tailored to audience and style.
AI Detector: Scores whether text was AI- or human-generated—a timely feature in classrooms and workplaces alike.
Plagiarism Checker: Scans work against papers, sites, and published materials for originality.
Paraphraser: Helps adjust tone and style, or even build a custom “voice.”
In other words, Grammarly is staking its future not just on fixing grammar but on redefining the writing process itself.
The launch isn’t just about students trying to dodge plagiarism checkers. Grammarly has bigger ambitions: becoming an essential partner in both education and the workplace.
For students, the agents promise more than just shortcuts. A business student writing a market analysis, for example, could use the Citation Finder to back up claims, the Proofreader to refine clarity, and the AI Grader to stress-test the paper against a professor’s rubric. Grammarly pitches this as AI literacy—teaching students to work with AI responsibly while still building genuine skills.
Professionals, meanwhile, get agents that act like intelligent writing consultants. Imagine a marketing director drafting a product launch email: the Reader Reactions agent can predict how the CEO might respond versus how the sales team might react, while Expert Review ensures the messaging aligns with industry norms.
That’s a far cry from underlining passive voice in a Google Doc.
This launch also signals Grammarly’s attempt to lead a new trend in AI software: agents that do more than answer prompts. Instead of dumping a wall of text, these agents integrate into workflows, anticipate needs, and execute tasks automatically.
It’s a pivot that mirrors moves from other productivity players. Microsoft has Copilot baked into Office, Google has Duet AI in Workspace, and Notion is layering AI into its notes. Grammarly’s differentiation? Its agents are hyper-specialized and laser-focused on communication.
Still, competition looms. OpenAI’s GPTs and Anthropic’s Claude Projects are also chasing “agentic AI” as the next frontier. The question is whether Grammarly can leverage its trusted brand in writing assistance to fend off those tech giants.
The implications are twofold. For students, Grammarly may become a de facto tutor—helping them master writing and AI literacy at the same time. For professionals, it positions Grammarly as a must-have layer for communication in an AI-cluttered workplace.
But it also raises questions. Will professors trust AI-graded drafts? Will managers see Grammarly as a productivity boost or as outsourcing critical thinking? The company insists its agents are designed to support, not replace genuine skills—a narrative it will need to keep reinforcing as debates over AI in education and work continue.
With eight AI agents and a new writing hub, Grammarly is moving beyond the red underlines that made it famous. The company is betting that the future of writing isn’t just about fixing errors—it’s about embedding intelligence directly into the process, whether you’re drafting a thesis or a product pitch.
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customer experience management 19 Aug 2025
Customer experience has long been one of those boardroom buzzwords—every company talks about it, but few manage to deliver it consistently. Servion Global Solutions thinks it has an answer. The CX and contact center solutions provider today unveiled JourneyWorCX™, a next-generation customer experience execution framework that blends AI orchestration with hands-on consulting to make CX strategies actually stick.
The pitch is clear: stop obsessing over Net Promoter Scores (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction surveys (CSAT) that arrive too late to fix anything. Instead, use AI plus human expertise to catch broken touchpoints in real time, smooth them out, and turn frustrating customer journeys into measurable wins.
Most CX programs are built around metrics that show up after the fact. By the time a negative survey rolls in, the customer is already gone. Servion argues that the “journey gap” between strategy and execution is what kills CX initiatives. JourneyWorCX is designed to close that gap by focusing on proactive fixes rather than lagging indicators.
The framework is anchored in two offerings:
Discovery + LaunchPad: A rapid diagnostic tool paired with AI-powered voice experiences. Think of it as a “CX triage team” that identifies broken processes and deploys fixes within weeks, delivering immediate improvements like shorter call handling times or higher task completion rates.
Engage360: An ongoing optimization service that runs regular audits, monitors performance, and provides customized recommendations. The idea is to keep journeys evolving, not just fix them once.
Bryce Gibson, Servion’s CEO, put it bluntly: “NPS ratings and CSAT surveys provide insights after the customer is already lost. JourneyWorCX lets clients save a customer in real time.”
The timing isn’t accidental. Industries like finance, healthcare, and telecom are under pressure to modernize experiences without losing regulatory compliance or the human touch. The pandemic accelerated digital adoption, but it also magnified customer frustrations with bots that don’t resolve issues and “personalized” journeys that feel anything but personal.
Servion is betting that AI-driven orchestration, done through a human lens, can strike the balance between efficiency and empathy.
The framework is already drawing support from big CX players. Genesys, NICE, Verint, Parloa, and inQuba have all voiced their alignment with Servion’s approach. That backing matters—because in the CX tech landscape, partnerships often determine whether a framework like this scales or stalls.
Amy Slater of Genesys framed it as part of a broader movement toward experience orchestration rather than one-off fixes. NICE highlighted outcomes-driven delivery, while Verint emphasized aligning AI with human engagement. Parloa and inQuba added that combining Servion’s orchestration with their analytics and emotionally intelligent agents creates a more complete CX toolkit.
Servion isn’t alone here. Rival CX platforms like Salesforce, Adobe Experience Cloud, and SAP Emarsys are also investing heavily in AI-driven journey orchestration. What differentiates Servion’s pitch is its consultative, outcomes-first model—less about selling a platform license, more about embedding expertise alongside technology.
That approach may appeal to enterprises wary of “buying yet another tool” without a clear path to ROI. But it also raises the stakes: if Servion positions itself as a partner, clients will expect results fast.
JourneyWorCX also represents more than just a new product launch—it’s part of Servion’s broader transformation under new leadership. The company recently refreshed its executive team and redesigned its website, signaling a push to reposition itself as a trusted CX innovation partner rather than just a solutions vendor.
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artificial intelligence 19 Aug 2025
TikTok trends can flare up and fizzle out in a matter of days. For brands trying to stay relevant, that’s a nightmare. Enter Trend Chef, a new AI-powered web app from digital marketing agency New Engen, designed to turn TikTok’s cultural flashpoints into brand-ready creative concepts—fast.
The tool, announced today, scans trending TikTok formats and transforms them into custom short-form content ideas aligned to a brand’s voice. Instead of marketers scrambling to figure out how to participate in the latest dance, skit, or sound, Trend Chef does the heavy lifting by blending platform-native language, creator strategy best practices, and Gen Z cultural cues.
“TikTok trends move fast, and for brands, timing is everything,” said Justin Hayashi, CEO of New Engen. “With Trend Chef, we’re giving brands and creators a way to move at the speed of culture while staying true to their voice.”
Trend Chef isn’t just a trend-spotting tool; it’s an execution shortcut. By surfacing brand-relevant content formats, the app helps marketers jump into viral conversations without feeling inauthentic. That matters at a time when audiences can sniff out “forced” trend participation from a mile away.
For creators, the tool offers a constant stream of fresh inspiration—helping them grow audiences and maintain cultural relevance without burning out. For brands, it provides a way to act quickly without sacrificing authenticity, potentially boosting engagement and lead generation.
New Engen is pitching Trend Chef as more than a novelty—it’s a statement about how marketing agencies need to evolve. While traditional agencies often deliver campaigns at quarterly or seasonal rhythms, Trend Chef embodies a “real-time” approach to culture.
It also positions New Engen in the growing creator economy, where agencies are expected to be partners in fast-moving content ecosystems, not just vendors of ad campaigns. By fusing AI with cultural intelligence, New Engen is hoping to differentiate itself in a crowded market that includes both legacy shops and creator-first startups.
The launch of Trend Chef comes as short-form video dominates digital marketing strategies. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels are now central to brand engagement, especially with younger audiences. Meanwhile, AI-driven personalization tools are pushing marketers to adapt faster, tailoring not just ad targeting but also creative execution to shifting cultural trends.
In this environment, Trend Chef’s promise—AI-fueled trend participation at the speed of TikTok—could be a competitive edge. Whether it becomes a must-have tool for creators and marketers or just another “viral trend” remains to be seen.
New Engen’s Trend Chef blends AI with cultural intelligence to help brands and creators catch trends before they disappear. For marketers struggling to keep pace with TikTok’s breakneck culture cycles, it might just be the secret ingredient they’ve been missing.
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customer experience management 19 Aug 2025
LivePerson (Nasdaq: LPSN), best known for powering enterprise-grade conversational AI, has landed on the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Conversational AI Platforms for the first time. Gartner recognized the company as a Niche Player, a designation that marks LivePerson’s debut in the highly competitive analyst report.
“In a rapidly evolving market, enterprise decision-makers rely on Gartner to help guide them toward trusted, innovative partners,” said John Sabino, CEO of LivePerson. “Being named in the Magic Quadrant reinforces that LivePerson is among the key players shaping this important category.”
Gartner’s Magic Quadrant is one of the most closely watched reports in enterprise tech. Vendors are evaluated on two axes: Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision. Being included—even as a Niche Player—signals to enterprise buyers that LivePerson has met strict criteria around platform capabilities, scalability, and innovation.
For LivePerson, which has long positioned itself as a trusted provider of conversational AI for digital-first brands, this recognition boosts credibility at a time when CIOs and CX leaders are aggressively evaluating AI solutions for contact centers, customer support, and digital commerce.
LivePerson’s Connected Experience Platform lets enterprises manage AI-powered conversations across digital and voice channels. The company emphasizes a responsible AI approach—important for heavily regulated industries—and serves more than 1,000 enterprise brands in over 100 countries.
The platform isn’t just about reducing call volumes; LivePerson argues that well-orchestrated, AI-driven conversations can become a growth engine, improving both customer experience and digital sales.
The Conversational AI market is crowded with players ranging from cloud hyperscalers to niche startups. Leaders like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI partners tend to dominate the “Leaders” quadrant, while specialist vendors often carve out positions as “Visionaries” or “Niche Players.”
LivePerson’s inclusion shows that despite being in business for years, it continues to evolve and prove relevance in the modern AI stack. The recognition also follows a string of accolades—Fast Company recently named LivePerson the #1 Most Innovative AI Company in the world.
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automation 19 Aug 2025
The Johns Hopkins Health System is upgrading its contact center operations with Talkdesk’s Healthcare Experience Cloud, part of a broader push to streamline patient communications and service delivery.
The cloud platform, powered by Talkdesk’s Customer Experience Automation (CXA), will bring AI-driven self-service, intelligent call routing, and omnichannel engagement to the health system’s contact centers. Crucially, it integrates directly with Epic, Johns Hopkins’ electronic health record (EHR) system, embedding agent tools within clinical workflows for greater efficiency. Talkdesk is part of Epic’s Workshop co-development program, which ensures alignment between the two systems.
“Talkdesk Healthcare Experience Cloud is purpose-built for healthcare and designed to help organizations improve operational efficiency and service quality,” said Tiago Paiva, CEO and founder of Talkdesk.
At the heart of the platform is the Talkdesk Data Cloud, which converts call transcripts, recordings, and case notes into actionable insights for AI agents. This allows for more automated, context-aware service, reducing costs while improving patient experience.
Talkdesk has positioned its CXA as a cross-industry automation platform, but healthcare remains a key vertical. With Johns Hopkins on board, the company is underscoring its role in bringing AI-driven, scalable automation to one of the most demanding service environments.
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