COMPANY NEWS
Genesys Acquires SoundBite
What is it? Customer engagement solutions provider Genesys agrees to acquire SoundBite, a provider of outbound communications solutions, for approximately $100 million.
WIIFM? Genesys users can extend their platform to collections departments. Current SoundBite users have access to Genesys’ cross-enterprise engagement tools.
Who’s talking? “Cloud solutions that quickly solve business challenges are in high demand, and offering these solutions is core to our mission,” says Genesys President and CEO Paul Segre.
HumanDemand Seeks Scalability
What is it? Mobile demand-side platform (DSP) provider Human Demand partners with AdTruth to use its device recognition technology to improve the process of buying and re-targeting segmented audiences.
WIIFM? HumanDemand promises its clients will now be able to reach and re-target their customers and prospects across mobile channels at scale and at the needed velocity, while adhering to the concepts of privacy by design.
Who’s talking? “Our goal is to make mobile media buying highly effective, and part of that is making the process simple, understandable and transparent,” says HumanDemand CEO Howie Schwartz.
The Shopping Forecast From MARS
What is it? MARS Advertising , a shopper marketing company, partners with modeling software provider Concentric to give its new Compass product the ability to forecast consumer behavior.
WIIFM? MARS looks to help marketers analyze investments across the entire customer journey by simulating shopping environments and customer reactions.
Who’s talking? “Simulation is rapidly becoming a fundamental element of a marketing strategy. It allows marketers to test judgment and intuition about future trends without being constrained by the past,” says Concentric CEO Greg Silverman.
PRODUCTS
Responsys Interacts
What is it? Responsys introduced the Interact Marketing Cloud at its Interact 2013 user conference in San Francisco.
WIIFM? Marketers can use it to build a complete profiles of individual customers and create detailed personalized digital interactions across all digital channels, the company says.
Who’s talking? “Marketing is no longer about maximizing the number of people brands reach with a campaign, it’s about creating individualized interactions that engage customers and lead to long-term revenue growth and value,” says Scott Olrich, the company’s president of the marketing and platform unit.
The Tale of the Click
What is it? ClickTale announces a new SaaS solution called ClickTale Touch that allows marketers to view mobile customers’ every tap, scroll, tilt, and pinch on the touch interface.
WIIFM? Increased ROI from the mobile channel via the ability to identify what is and isn’t causing conversions.
Who’s talking? “Mobile customers are much less forgiving of poor usability than traditional e-customers,” says CEO Tal Schwartz.”
Behavior Monitor
What is it? Silverpop announces Universal Behaviors, a new feature of its Engage platform.
WIIFM? The tweak provides marketers with the ability to monitor a live stream of behavioral data that can instantly be integrated into individualized campaigns.
Who’s talking? “To deliver highly relevant campaigns that convert, marketers have to not only hear everything, but act on what they learn,” says director of product strategy Bryan Brown.
SapeintNitro’s In Store
What is it? SapientNitro introduces CommerceNow to its EngagedNow Suite.
WIIFM? Marketers can blend targeted merchandising strategies with an e-commerce platform fully managed by IBM Smarter Commerce.
Who’s talking? “The integration of IBM’s Smarter Commerce allows us to deliver customizable e-commerce technology in real-time, “says Chris Davey, global customer engagement platform lead.
EXECUTIVE MOVES
Who is it: Steve Woolway, named Chief Revenue Officer of Aerify Media, a mobile marketing company
What’s his role: Woolway will oversee sales, business development, account management, and operations.
Where was he prior: He was most recently VP, sales and business development, at Mediaocean. He was previously director of business development at Right Media.
Why he was appointed: “Steve knows the ad space,” says CEO Andreas Vagelatos. “He understands the huge potential of mobile.”
Who is it: Kim Stiefel, named Director of Business Development at social ad service 140 Proof.
What’s her role: She will lead efforts to expand partnerships with app developers and Tumblr bloggers.
Where was she prior: Prior to joining 140 Proof, Stiefel was a top five sales performer in EMC’s U.S. Commercial Division. She previously held account management positions at AppNexus and NetApp.
Why she was appointed: “As we grow our advertising network into new areas, Kim’s skills will ensure that we have the best ads and the best network available,” says CEO Jon Elvekrog.
Who is it: Jochen Toppe, appointed VP of product management at CoreMedia, a web content management (WCM)company,
What’s his role: To apply his extensive agency experience and roots as a software engineer to s strategic product strategy
Where was he prior: He was previously VP of technology and digital marketing at Razorfish.
Why he was appointed: ““His expertise in e-commerce solutions, digital experience management, and WCM will add great value to the company,” says CEO Gerrit Kolb.
