A Decade-Long Dedication to 33Across, Mollura Drives 33Across' Marketing and Communications Strategy

33Across, an addressable infrastructure designed for the open web, today announces Lisa Mollura's promotion from Vice President of Marketing to Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). With nearly a decade of commitment to the company, Mollura has played an integral role in the company's transformation, guiding the marketing and communications efforts for the company from a programmatic platform to a leading addressable infrastructure, propelled by the innovative identity solution, Lexicon.

Mollura played a pivotal role in crafting Lexicon's go-to-market strategy, to a solution enabling publishers to effortlessly monetize their inventory across major supply-side platforms. The company now enriches over 54 billion bids daily, establishing Lexicon as a universal identity resolution technology for all programmatic stakeholders.

"We are well into the final fourth quarter of the third-party cookie era and at a critical moment for the industry. To guide programmatic advertising's path forward, we need to ensure a transparent and secure transition to using alternative identifiers. 33Across has become a trusted resource, and I'm truly honored to become CMO," said Mollura. "I look forward to elevating 33Across' visibility as the go-to for addressable infrastructure."

In the last year, 33Across has achieved resounding success with the launch of the Cookie Alternative Report led by Mollura and her team. This report has emerged as a primary resource for understanding programmatic buying behavior for cookie alternative buy and sell-side trends versus third-party cookie transactions. This report has garnered attention from analysts, journalists, and industry experts, including recognition from various thought leaders like Insider Intelligence. Mollura's innovative approach includes the ability to simplify technical language into accessible themes and informative visuals.

"In the past ten years, Lisa has held and led every position in marketing at 33Across, excelling at every opportunity to improve our customer relations and corporate brand. Lisa's promotion to CMO is a recognition of her incredible talent, an unwavering dedication to our customers, and to our company. She continues to translate complex technical products into easy-to-understand solutions that drive business outcomes for our publisher and industry customers," said Eric Wheeler, CEO of 33Across.

Given 33Across' impressive growth, Mollura's proficiency in diverse marketing strategies plays an important role in the company's plan for further expansion.  Prior to 33Across, Mollura held noteworthy roles at Rakuten Advertising and Zurich North America.

Survey finds 69% of consumers across the US and UK believe cyberattack methods will become more sophisticated in the year ahead, while only 6% feel defenses will improve to protect against them

New research released today from ThreatX, the leading API and application protection platform, revealed that the vast majority of consumers are concerned that cyberattacks will increase or remain consistent over the coming year (97%) and become more sophisticated (69%), outpacing the ability of cyber defenses to protect against these threats. In fact, only 13% reported feeling that they are going to be completely protected from cyberattacks in the year ahead.

ThreatX’s survey of 2,000 consumers across the US and UK sheds light on consumers’ predictions for cybersecurity in 2024, including their biggest concerns, and their plans to adjust their own practices. Results found that the majority of consumers (94%) predict that cyberattack methods become more difficult to defend against in 2024; at the same time, only 6% believe new cybersecurity defenses will be able to defend against these new and rising threats to ensure data remains protected and secure.

The results show that consumers are paying attention to the rising threat of cyberattacks and how the companies they do business with respond to and defend against them. Of the consumers surveyed, the majority (64%) are most worried about the rising threat of ransomware, followed by 51% worried about the volume of nation state attacks increasing, and 46% stated they are most concerned about identity theft in 2024. Half (50%) of consumers said that financial services will be the most targeted industry by cyberthreats in the next year, followed by SaaS/tech (45%) and government (22%).

“Every year, analysts, security, and technology experts put out their predictions on where the cybersecurity industry is going, the biggest threats likely to arise, and up and coming themes and technologies to watch out for, but we hardly ever gauge consumer sentiment on this topic,” said Gene Fay, CEO at ThreatX. “What we’ve found is that consumers are keeping a pulse on cybersecurity trends and have serious concerns around how their sensitive information is protected. As they look at the companies that they do business with, it’s clear they’ll be expecting more robust cybersecurity measures be put in place to meet the evolving threats of tomorrow.”

The report also presents several notable findings:

• Consumers are upping their personal security in 2024: 70% plan to be more consistent with their remote work security practices to ensure they increase online security next year. Consumers plan to adopt security-related behaviors including: different passwords for different accounts (56%), two-factor authentication (55%), and avoiding connecting to insecure or public Wi-Fi (53%).
• Trust in organizations that consumers do business with is questionable: 87% of consumers are at least somewhat concerned about whether companies they do business with – from banks to retailers to healthcare providers – will keep their data safe in 2024, but 33% are most confident that security vendors will best be able to defend and protect sensitive information against cyberattacks, while 25% believe that it’s up to the government to ensure protection. When it comes to an individual company or brand, only 12% of consumers believe they are best able to protect consumer data from cyberattacks.
• There is a generational divide with Gen Z less concerned about security: One in four Baby Boomers feel that attack methods will become more sophisticated and harder to prevent next year, while only 5% of Gen Z consumers feel the same way. What’s more, despite the ongoing shifts to remote work environments for enterprises and consumers, 97% of Gen Z consumers don’t plan to take any measures to increase their personal and professional security.

“The findings from ThreatX’s survey highlight where cybersecurity experts’ and consumers’ minds intersect. Results showcase that consumers aren’t turning a blind eye to the potentially damaging effects cyberthreats pose to their personal data,” said Jeremy Ventura, Director, Security Strategy and Field CISO at ThreatX. “Vendors across all industries spanning retail, financial services, cybersecurity, healthcare, education and more, must ensure 2024 cybersecurity investments and strategies factor in consumer concerns, which includes making sure the tools adopted meet the challenges of looming cyberattacks threatening sensitive information.”

Clinch's Flight Control Now a Measurement Enablement Destination Available on LiveRamp

Clinch, the leader in dynamic ad serving and personalization and creator of Flight Control, the Omnichannel Campaign Activation Platform, announced today that its Flight Control platform is now a licensed measurement enablement destination on LiveRamp, the leading data collaboration platform. This collaboration is set to bridge the gap between online and offline conversions, empowering advertisers to make data-driven decisions that maximize the impact of their campaigns.

Flight Control has been instrumental in helping advertisers obtain a holistic understanding of campaign performance across all channels and campaigns. This expanded partnership with LiveRamp brings another layer of insight to campaigns that are tied to an offline action. LiveRamp's measurement enablement solution allows advertisers to gain a unified analytical view of granular actions performed by consumers in a privacy-conscious way. Via its durable, privacy-centric identifier, RampID™, LiveRamp maps offline event data to online profiles in place of third-party cookies and mobile device IDs. This data is seamlessly transmitted to Clinch's Flight Control platform, in a privacy-sensitive manner, enabling Clinch to attribute online impressions directly to in-store/on-site sales, and empowering advertisers with another layer of insights into the effectiveness of their cross-channel campaigns.

"The pairing of LiveRamp's measurement capabilities with Flight Control helps advertisers obtain a holistic understanding of campaign performance and bridge the gap between online advertising and offline action, all while maintaining a strong commitment to user privacy," said Charel MacIntosh, Head of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, Clinch.

In today's rapidly changing advertising landscape, consumers engage with brands across a multitude of touchpoints, from online ads to in-store visits. Recognizing this complex journey, Clinch and LiveRamp have joined forces to provide a solution that enables advertisers to close the loop on offline conversions, ensuring a seamless and unified customer experience.

"Our collaboration with Clinch gives advertisers access to the data and insights they need to make informed decisions," said Daniella Harkins, SVP of Product, Go-to-Market, LiveRamp. "By enhancing the ability to analyze performance accurately across channels, we are empowering advertisers to measure the full return on ad spend with precision and accuracy."

One early adopter of this innovative solution is Mattress Firm, the nation's largest omnichannel mattress specialty retailer. Exemplifying a deep commitment to cutting-edge technologies that accelerate business and consumer-centric growth objectives, the brand applied a nuanced approach to data-driven advertising spanning multiple channels and formats, with a laser focus on measurement and optimization. 

Lindsay Spletter, Mattress Firm's Senior Digital Media Manager shared, "Clinch's ability to link ad impressions to in-store visits using LiveRamp's measurement enablement solution has already proven to be invaluable for our business. It has provided us with actionable insights that are helping us refine our media planning and creative optimization strategies."

Mattress Firm leveraged Clinch's Flight Control platform to run a Labor Day ad campaign with 13 creative ads across display and online video. In one campaign, Clinch's optimization resulted in a 15% improvement in CTR; a second campaign saw a 21% increase in average daily offline sales. The Mattress Firm team was also able to show how creative optimizations have a tangible impact on business results via offline sales.

Bounteous, the digital innovation partner of the world's most ambitious brands, has set a new industry benchmark by securing its eighth specialization in Adobe's Solution Partner Program for Adobe Real-Time CDP. Bounteous received this recognition by completing the requirements of this specialization, demonstrating Bounteous' continued expertise and ability to build and activate unified customer profiles to deliver personalized experiences at scale.

Real-Time CDP, powered by Adobe Experience Platform, helps businesses make better use of their data, delivering a unified view of customer experiences and critical insights that power one-to-one personalization at scale.

Adobe’s Solution Partner Program awards specializations to partners demonstrating multi-faceted expertise, including technical proficiency, successful implementation, and proven customer satisfaction. These metrics are assessed through Adobe Certified Expert credentials, successful project implementations, and customer testimonials related to the specialized solution.

"This eighth specialization is a testament to our unwavering commitment to mastering emerging Adobe technologies," said Dave Mankowski, Chief Growth Officer at Bounteous. "It not only highlights our dedication to our clients but also reaffirms that Bounteous is a leader across the entire Adobe technology ecosystem."

Bounteous has helped over a dozen brands derive value from Adobe Real-Time CDP through both strategic and technical initiatives, including partnering closely with one client to stand up and activate within Adobe Real-Time CDP in only 6 months. Bounteous offers customizable solutions leveraging the Activate for Adobe Experience Platform framework to prove value quickly from clients’ investments in Adobe Real-Time CDP, Adobe Customer Journey Analytics, and/or Adobe Journey Optimizer.

“Bounteous continues to prove their dedication to their Adobe Partnership by embracing and innovating alongside our cutting edge technologies, reflected by their specialization in Adobe Real-Time CDP,” says Tony Sanders, Senior Director, Americas Partner Sales. “We’re looking forward to continuing to grow the adoption of Adobe Real-Time CDP with Bounteous as an influential partner in the space.”

As an Adobe Gold Partner and recognized industry thought leader, Bounteous’ global team of Adobe experts holds over 100 certifications across Adobe Experience Cloud. Bounteous has developed Adobe specialized practices in the Americas region in seven Adobe Experience Cloud applications, including Adobe Analytics, Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Experience Manager: Run and Operate, Adobe Campaign Standard, Adobe Campaign Classic, Adobe Commerce, Adobe Target, and now Adobe Real-Time CDP.

Businesses selling to consumers in Poland will benefit from offering one of the country's leading online payment methods through its integration with Nuvei

Nuvei Corporation, the Canadian fintech company, announces today that it has added direct connectivity to BLIK, the leading mobile payment method (APM) in Poland, into its suite of 669 APMs available for eCommerce businesses to offer through a single integration.

BLIK enables users to make instant payments directly through their mobile banking app. The APM is connected to 19 of the country's leading financial institutions and has enabled almost 2.8 billion transactions valued at 371.4 billion Polish zloty in just 8 years. Consumers with a bank account with any of these institutions can complete an online transfer by requesting a BLIK payment in the merchant's eCommerce checkout, and entering a six-digit code that is generated in their online banking app.

In addition to traditional BLIK payments, Nuvei also enables merchants to offer BLIK One Click. After the initial transaction, the consumers' financial details are stored, meaning subsequent transactions can be completed through a single-click user experience.

Nuvei Chair & CEO commented: "It is critical for eCommerce businesses to offer their customers a choice of all the payment methods they prefer, and BLIK is rapidly becoming one of the most relevant payment methods in Poland. Adding BLIK to our suite of over 600 APMs through a single integration enables our partners to efficiently reach their customers more completely."

BLIK is a common standard for mobile payments. Currently, virtually every customer of domestic payment institutions offering a mobile application has the option of using BLIK in mobile banking applications. Polish Payment Standard (Polski Standard Płatności, PSP) is responsible for the development of the system. PSP constantly develops BLIK's capabilities so that the system is as functional as possible. The shareholders of PSP are: Alior Bank, Bank Millennium, Santander Bank Polska, ING Bank Śląski, mBank, PKO Bank Polski, and Mastercard.

Enhance SMS Campaigns with Images and up to 1,600 Characters of Text

Brevo, a leading provider of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions, today announced the launch of Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) for its US customers. With Brevo’s new MMS capabilities, users can now add a single image up to 850 KB alongside 1,600 characters of text*.

As small businesses prepare for the competitive holiday shopping season, creating differentiated touchpoints with prospective buyers will be key to standing out amongst competitors. MMS messages accomplish this by garnering 300% more engagement than text-only SMS messages on average¹ and are proven to resonate with consumers, with half of buyers noting that they are more likely to visit a store upon receiving a text embedded with visual elements².

MMS messages have a 98% read rate and are often opened within 90 seconds of being received³, making them a strong channel for real-time customer engagement. Younger generations in particular have shown a preference for text messages, with two thirds of Gen Z preferring brand communications via SMS rather than email⁴.

“As with all communication, some messages are better suited for a quick text, while others may require an email or phone call. Today’s consumers welcome these less formal methods of communication for quick order updates, flash sales, and new product alerts,” said Michael Letschin, VP Product Marketing, Brevo. “With the freedom to choose from MMS, SMS, email, WhatsApp, phone and video meetings, Brevo customers can select the right channel for each interaction.”

WalkMe Inc. a leading provider of digital adoption solutions, today announced the appointment of Ofir Hatsor as Senior Vice President of EMEA Sales. The new regional sales leader will take on the increasing demand for WalkMe’s best in class Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) as businesses across industries seek to maximize the value from their software investments while boosting productivity and providing seamless user experiences, aligning with the 3.7% rise in IT spending across EMEA, as forecasted by Gartner for 2023.

“WalkMe continues to provide incredible value to organizations around the globe,” said Dan Adika, CEO & Co-founder of WalkMe. “We are proud to have top talent laser focused on providing the world’s best DAP to our valued customers and partners in EMEA. We are excited to welcome Ofir to our regional leadership bench and look forward to continuing to deliver business value in these key regions.”

Hatsor returns to WalkMe after serving as the CEO of DGTL Ventures, one of WalkMe’s strongest implementation partners in the EMEA region. His extensive learnings from the field combined with his deep product experience puts him in a unique position to lead WalkMe’s EMEA sales efforts. He previously held the role of Executive Vice President of International Sales for WalkMe and brings his learnings from his recent chief executive role back to WalkMe. With a passion for innovation and a keen strategic mindset, Hatsor will take on the burgeoning demand for digital adoption technology in EMEA, leading dedicated sales teams in London, Paris, and Munich.

“As a veteran in the digital adoption space, it’s an honor to rejoin the original DAP pioneer and market leader and take a front seat to the innovation being built every day at WalkMe,” said Hatsor. “The value WalkMe brings organizations has never been more clear with a recent study* reporting the business value WalkMe provides its customers, including a 3-year ROI of 494%, achieved through a 60% reduction in support tickets, 40% reduced business errors, and $41.5 in new annual revenue. I’m thrilled to be a part of bringing WalkMe's massive gains in cost savings, employee satisfaction, efficiency, and overall business value to EMEA organizations.”