The Lowdown

Lockr’s Alternative Identity Manager (AIM) is a unified container for identity and data management.

Back-Of-The-Box Details

AIM helps publishers seamlessly integrate and activate alternative IDs such as authenticated traffic solution, unified ID 2.0, ID5 and more.

Who It’s For

Publishers are already suffering from resource constraints, given their dwindling teams, re-directed engineering teams and development cycles based on guesses where the most demand will be.

What It Solves

AIM offers a complimentary, comprehensive and self-service solution for publishers to test and deploy several identity solutions, clean rooms and CDPs simultaneously to maximize revenue in the evolving digital advertising landscape.

What Makes It Special

AIM seeks to prioritize publishers’ control and secure ownership of the data. Offering unparalleled flexibility and control over their first-party data, the records can be conveniently pushed to publishers’ platforms of choice, such as cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform or CDPs. AIM works seamlessly with industry-standard platforms, including Google Ad Manager, Prebid, Amazon Publisher Services and more, to ensure compatibility and ease for publishers.

Contact

Lockr

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But marketers haven’t jumped in with both feet yet, as a staggering 67% question whether their company’s data setup is equal to the task. While large datasets offer massive opportunities for marketers, they also present huge data privacy risks, and not every company has the vendor partnerships and technology they need to keep customer data safe.

Think of generative AI as a brand-new Lamborghini Huracán. Do you have the license and driving skills to handle such a powerful machine safely? Do you have a destination mapped out? Because if you don’t, you could spin out of your lane and end up facing oncoming traffic.

It’s a dilemma because there’s a sense of urgency. Revenue officers are expecting huge results, customer expectations are high and it’s imperative to take customer data privacy seriously. But there’s also no time to lose because 2024 is the year gen AI will finally make it possible to create omnichannel journeys and personalized experiences in the moment. So, as you buckle up and get ready for the ride of your life, keep the following tips in mind.

1. Define The Perfect Customer Journey

You wouldn’t take a long road trip without a destination in mind, and the customer journey is no different. The old rules of the road don’t apply in the age of generative AI because there are so many functions you couldn’t perform just a couple of years ago that are now possible, such as:

• Real-time creation of highly personalized outreach like product offers; and
• Recommendations delivered via text messaging and email marketing.

According to research cited by Forbes Advisor, personalized experiences like these encourage 46% of customers to buy more. So, it’s time to create an omnichannel journey for your customer that perfectly matches your product set and the brand values you believe in. Now that gen AI is here, it’s ready to help you deliver the perfect customer journey.

2. Get Your Data & Tech Stack Right

Are you confident about the origin of all your customer data? Did the customer share it, did it flow into your company via APIs or did you buy it? Are you sure you have customers’ permission to use it? Has the chain of custody been secure? Are you sure your cybersecurity policy covers martech data mishaps?

A terrifyingly high number of data exchanges still happen via email, and processes are only as safe as the personal workarounds people create, such as spreadsheet downloads. Cross-reference your customer journey against your existing vendors and tech stack to make sure you have the expertise and platform you need, including secure and compliant data management that answers all these questions.

3. Start Your Engine & Drive

Marketing technology is moving so fast that you don’t have the luxury of waiting until everything is perfect to rev up campaigns and customer outreach with generative AI. Get on the road as safely (and quickly) as you can and start anticipating customer needs and personalizing messages at scale as only generative AI can. You can start now and build your capabilities at the same time, perfecting your tech stack, vendor relationships and datasets while you’re underway.

Remember how data was going to change everything? To be fair, it did. But until the advent of generative AI, marketing technology was merely scratching the surface of what’s possible with data.

Now the moment marketers have been waiting for is here, so it’s time to start executing on your biggest and boldest brand vision — safely and imperfectly. With generative AI and the right vendors and technology to handle your data, you can make it happen.

Welcome to 2024 — it should be a fun ride.

Tara Kelly is the Founder, President and CEO of SPLICE Software, a customer engagement company that specializes in using big data, small data and AI to create messages that drive customer engagement and the desired call to action.      

The post 3 Ways To Rev Up 2024 Marketing With AI While Avoiding Data Privacy Pitfalls appeared first on Demand Gen Report.

The Lowdown

Powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, Glassbox Insights Assistant (GIA) is an enterprise-ready AI assistant that helps users discover in-depth digital insights without the need for technical expertise or reliance on data and analytics teams.

Back-Of-The-Box Details

Designed for the average business user, GIA replaces queries, dashboards and manual reports with a simple, chat-based interface. The AI assistant can identify sources of friction by business impact to help teams prioritize improvements that actually matter. Users can engage with GIA using everyday language and leverage single-click suggested prompts for a quicker start.

Built using Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service to support enterprise-grade security measures, GIA comes with enhanced data privacy that helps ensure all information is safe and secure.

Who It’s For

GIA is immediately available within the Glassbox digital experience intelligence platform for all customers seeking enhanced, secure, Gen AI-driven data analysis. GIA makes digital experience data more actionable, therein helping Glassbox users drive business bottom-line and deliver an optimal customer experience.

What It Solves

GIA streamlines and simplifies an organization’s customer analysis capabilities through examining behavioral trends and identifying customer struggles, as well as simplifying data analysis so teams can make informed customer decisions and eliminate departmental silos.

What Makes It Special

GIA democratizes data analysis by enabling any Glassbox user, no matter their platform acumen, to make informed decisions about customer behavior using digestible formats. Leaning on automation to accelerate critical customer insights, GIA automatically identifies sources of customer friction and analyzes complex data dashboards, then communicates critical insights to Glassbox users through single-click suggested prompts and video content.

Contact

Glassbox

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“Historically, brands have relied on third-party data like cookies to track website visitors, improve user experience and collect data for personalization techniques in their marketing efforts,” said Manu Mathew, CEO and Co-founder of brand customer network and engagement platform Cohora. “For better or worse, this is simply how it’s been done for years. Stringent legislation promoted by privacy concerns have left major browsers to phase out support, leaving publishers to face potential losses of more than $10 billion, as reported by the Interactive Advertising Bureau.”

As Chrome plans to extend those restrictions to 100% of users by Q3, only 8% of marketers feel fully prepared to adapt to the changes, while 22% indicated they are mostly prepared. For the 70% who haven’t prepped their alternate strategies, the clock is quickly ticking.

“Marketers may feel unprepared for the phase-out of third-party cookies for various reasons,” explained Carol Howley, CMO of email signature management platform Exclaimer. “The heavy reliance on these cookies for tracking user behavior, targeted ads and campaign measurement is a huge challenge. A lack of familiarity with alternatives adds to the sense of unpreparedness, as some marketers struggle to understand and implement new technologies or strategies.”

The Impact Of The Phase-Out On Marketers & Buyers

With about five months until the privacy hourglass runs out of sand, just 17% of marketers no longer rely on third-party cookies — meaning that the 83% still leveraging that data source are in for a rude awakening.

“The phase-out will have significant implications for marketers, especially those still heavily reliant on tracking user behavior for advertising and analytics purposes,” said Howley. “This will have potential impacts on advertising, analytics, personalization and privacy efforts. It will become more difficult for advertisers to track users across different websites, limiting the precision of targeted ads. Additionally, tracking and attributing conversions will become more complex.”

Despite the complexities associated with third-party alternatives, the shift toward opt-in collection processes will ultimately benefit both sides of the buying journey. Mathew explained that third-party data often restricts brands from interacting with customers meaningfully, because that data is often given to marketers in segments instead of at the individual level. On the flipside, prospects and customers benefit from more control and ownership over their purchasing process.

“By and large, when a consumer allows third-party data gathering through cookies, they don’t know what they’re consenting to or how their data might be used,” said Mathew. “Eighty-six percent of consumers care about data privacy, demanding transparency and control over how businesses use their data, and 47% of the respondents have switched companies due to poor data policies and practices. Because of this, brands are now pushed to find ways to access zero- and first-party data sources that foster a transparent relationship between brands and consumers.”

Analyzing The Alternative Data Sources

As first- and zero-party data bubble up to take the wheel, marketers need to increase the incentives and benefits of information sharing for prospects. Because of this move toward alternative data sources, marketers will be forced to become more creative and in-touch with their customers.

“Marketers need to look for alternatives and create a plan that will move the needle for their business,” said Howley. “This is an incredible opportunity to shake up marketing and do better by your customers and prospects.”

She continued that marketers can explore the possibilities around AI and machine-learning as effective third-party stand-ins. She continued that predictive analytics and customer behavior models built from on-site interactions can replicate the personalized experiences that once hinged on cookies. However, leveraging these tools requires tight internal alignment.

“Collaboration will become an indispensable tool for marketers,” explained Howley. “Strategic partnerships will create paths for shared benefits and strengthened brand identity while preserving user privacy. Marketers will see that the best way to foster trust will be 1:1 communication.”

How To Leverage Alternative Resources For Increased Personalization

With opt-in information becoming the new currency for marketers, zero- and first-party data will be the cashflow that supports practitioners’ initiatives. Although these data sources might be more difficult to collect — as they require more cooperation from the buyers themselves — it’s ultimately more valuable.

“Direct ownership of zero- and first-party data allows a company to have a much more personalized and intimate relationship with their customers, since they have insight into an individual customer’s interests and preferences,” said Mathew. “In turn, this enhances the overall customer experience by personalizing every step of the journey, not just the initial offer.”

Additionally, Howley explained that content-driven strategies will be marketers’ biggest support in their strategy for collecting first-party data. In fact, 62% of marketers plan to increase their database investments in the new year. When it comes to the top reasons for investing in data collection and enrichment practices, 73% of practitioners want to generate better insights to personalize content and messaging.

“We’re now in the era of focusing on creating a strong human-centric brand and the personalization of content at scale,” Howley. “We need to craft every message, every campaign with the individual in mind. The future belongs to brands who adapt and venture down new paths in data management and customer engagement. Marketers have an opportunity to not just adapt, but to thrive and redefine the marketing playbook in a post-third-party cookie era.”

The post Analyzing The Impact Of Google Chrome’s Third-Party Cookie Phase-Out appeared first on Demand Gen Report.

Specifically, the companies are requiring senders who send significant volumes to:

• Strongly authenticate their emails following these best practices;
• Provide a one-click unsubscribe option and processes those requests within two days; and
• Stay under a .3% spam complaint rate threshold.

“These changes are like a tune-up for the email world, and by fixing a few things under the hood, we can keep email running smoothly,” wrote Neil Kumaran, Group Product Manager, Gmail Security & Trust, in a blog post. “But just like a tune-up, this is not a one-time exercise. Keeping email more secure, user friendly and spam-free requires constant collaboration and vigilance from the entire email community, and we’ll keep working together to make sure your inbox stays safe.”

In the same blog post, Marcel Becker, Yahoo’s Sr. Director of Product, shared a statement that noted, “Yahoo looks forward to working with Google and the rest of the email community to make these common sense, high-impact changes the new industry standard.”

The post Google & Yahoo Implement New Bulk Sending Rules appeared first on Demand Gen Report.

GIA seeks to allow Glassbox users to uncover deep digital insights quickly and without technical knowledge or reliance on data and analytics teams. To create the generative AI assistant, Glassbox turned to Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, which hosts OpenAI models fully within the Azure environment, to elevate the security and privacy standards of its AI assistant. 

“We developed the AI assistant earlier based on OpenAI’s GPT model,” said Yaron Gueta, Glassbox’s Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, in a statement. “However, our commitment to responsible AI and our exacting security, data privacy and compliance standards compelled us to turn to the Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service for its additional protections for potentially sensitive data shared or accessed through the new generative AI interface. GIA sets a new bar for what organizations should expect of GenAI solutions from their software providers.”

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Mine plans to use the capital to scale its B2B enterprise-grade product MineOS, which features an intuitive, no-code experience that seamlessly integrates with advanced AI technology.

“In the ever-evolving landscape of regulations and groundbreaking initiatives like AI, organizations now demand comprehensive visibility for effective data governance, and our solutions have never been more essential for enterprises of all sizes,” said Gal Ringel, Co-founder and CEO of Mine, in a statement. “We’ve engineered a completely differentiated customer experience that has proven itself in the marketplace. Our pragmatic approach, coupled with an unwavering emphasis on ease of use, has deeply resonated with our users. This funding positions us to deliver an even more seamless and differentiated experience, ushering in a more efficient and streamlined approach to addressing data privacy concerns in the B2B market. This further solidifies our commitment to making the digital world safer and more transparent.”

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The view-through and verification technology is designed to connect account engagement with digital assets to provide a 360-degree view of an account before, during and after a deal closes. The platform and technology enabling these connections to the website, CRM systems and spreadsheets was introduced in September and includes an “account identity network,” which integrates data sources from across the industry to identify accounts and bots.   

“The most common question I hear is why hasn’t this been done before,” said Chris Golec, Founder and CEO of Channel99, in a statement. “The answer is that it has been done in B2C. However, the underlying technology needed to satisfy B2B’s needs is quite different, and there has not been a third party that can execute this need until today.”

The post Channel99 Launches View-Through Analytics Technology appeared first on Demand Gen Report.

Through the partnership with LeadScale, Lead2Pipeline will extend its capability to execute GDPR-compliant marketing campaigns on a global basis with clients being assured their target buyers have complete privacy protection and the ability to opt out at any stage of the campaign. 

To help continue scaling Lead2Pipeline’s operations and growth, Graf joins the company with decades of experience running marketing campaigns for enterprise technology clients across more than 100 countries.

“The ability to target buyers demonstrating intent and in-market buying behavior is critical for the performance of global marketing campaigns,” Graf said in a statement. “The best technology marketers are connecting with buyers on an almost 1:1 basis; that’s the new level of brand experience technology buyers expect. If you’re not optimizing for your buyer’s unique pain points and purchasing timeline, you’re leaving money on the table with perfectly good leads.”

The post Lead2Pipeline Reveals Global Partnership, New VP Of Strategic Accounts appeared first on Demand Gen Report.

At the same time, B2B marketers are increasing their reliance on data to create more relevant marketing and engage their customers more effectively. A recent study from Gartner found that while B2B customers expect that companies will use data to keep track of their movements during the marketing process, they want their data to be safe and kept private. This creates added pressure to get data privacy right. 

One way that B2B marketers can stay above the fray is to work with partners that take data privacy seriously. Whether it’s during the proposal and evaluation process, a contract renewal or before a new project kickoff, it’s never a bad time for companies to reach out to their data partners to get a better understanding of their data practices.

Here are five tough questions brands should ask every partner:

1. What security protocols and certifications do you have in place? 

An organization’s technology department can put together a risk assessment document that covers all applicable questions. At a minimum, any company that handles large amounts of data should be certified for SOC 2 and ISO. Marketers should ask companies to share certificates and recent penetration test results.

The tech department will likely want to know if the vendor of choice uses multifactor authentications, and the team will want more info on their file transfer protocol, where their servers are located and if they transfer data overseas. Once practitioners get the answers, the tech team can evaluate and determine any risks or gaps that need to be addressed. 

2. Have you ever had a data breach?

Hopefully the answer is “no,” but as we’ve seen on the news, many companies with good data integrity have experienced a breach. If the answer is “yes,” it’s important to understand what happened and what they’ve done to create better protections. Ask the provider questions such as:

• What additional layers of data security have you added?
• Was the data breach due to negligence?
• Have you had any other data issues?

Knowing if a data provider was reported to a regulatory agency due to an infringement of rights or if they were fined will help marketers understand if a company had bad data practices in the past. 

3. What is your privacy policy?

Of course, marketers should be able to access the policy on the company’s website, but it’s important to dig in and ask more questions. For example, a brand should see if they process sensitive personal information and if they are being transparent about their use of data and what they collect, store and transfer. All data companies should use GDPR, CCPA and other regulatory best practices when it comes to collecting, storing and sharing data. Marketers should see if the provider has sufficient opt-out and “do not sell my personal information” links. 

Transparency is key: Companies that take their privacy policy seriously will update it frequently, discuss their adherence to regulations clearly and conduct regular audits and third-party oversight to keep them on track. What’s more, upstanding companies should train their entire staff on the data best practices and have plans in place should an issue occur, such as a breach notification policy, and a “whistleblower” policy to allow people to report security beaches and concerns safely. 

4. Who else do you work with?

Ask potential data providers for testimonials, look at their case studies and search their website to see if any of your competitors or peers use them (which is a good thing, in this case.) Look for other accreditations and awards that they may have received with attest to security, competency and compliance, e.g., if they are an “approved” vendor for very large companies with stringent vetting processes. 

5. Can you safely deliver and scale to meet the needs of my company?

The aftermath of Covid-19 and the shift to remote work heightened the need for seamless technology. As B2B marketers increase their use of digital channels, data is becoming a bigger part of their business. Partners need to practice good data management and assure B2B marketers that they can do so at scale and grow with the company as needed without any future issues. Data companies should be able to offer features like API deliveries, direct platform access and 24/7 support across necessary regions and languages.

Finding good partners is tough enough for B2B marketers looking for campaign performance. It can seem like an added burden to also require top notch data privacy, too. But good data management is good performance: More B2B marketers will be held to high standards, which means their partners need to meet or exceed those standards. Better to ask the tough questions before investing than having to deal with issues down the road. 

Karie Burt is the Chief Data and Privacy Officer at Anteriad, a full funnel B2B marketing solutions provider. Since joining the company in 2013, the organization has relied on Burt’s expertise in B2B data-driven solutions, including ABM strategies with a specialty in global brands. In 2021, she took on the role of Chief Data and Privacy Officer and now oversees Anteriad’s privacy matters and advises clients on best practice and compliance. Burt’s two passions are international travel and her large, badly behaved rescue dogs — and she’s still trying to figure out how to combine the two!

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