COMPANIES
Cardlytics Granted Patent
What is it? Patent #8,438,061 will enable Cardlytics to deliver targeted marketing offers through a network of approximately 400 banks, including Bank of America, PNC, and Regions Bank.
WIIFM? Cardlytics’s newly patented methodology allows marketers to inject targeted marketing offers—based on purchase history data—within the transaction display of a bank’s online portal.
Who’s talking? “This patent cements our position as the true creator of this industry. We intend to use this patent, and all our intellectual property, to aggressively protect our leadership in the industry we created,” says Scott Grimes, Cardlytics’ CEO.
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Campbell Ewald Now AOR for WGU
What is it? Marketing communications Agency Campbell Ewald (CE) was named Agency of Record for Western Governors University, a non-profit, online university serving nearly 40,000 students across the United States.
Who’s talking? “CE is very excited to work with this innovative university to help them communicate their unique positioning in student-centered, affordable, competency-based learning,” says Angela Zepeda, managing director of Campbell Ewald.
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360i Takes the Lead
What is it? 360i has been named lead agency for Equifax, and enlisted to run the bulk of Equifax’s direct-to-consumer marketing efforts for the brand’s Credit and Identity Protection products.
Who’s talking? “We sought a key business partner in 360i to significantly advance our strategy for acquiring valuable, long-term customers and building our brand equity,” says Terry Griffin, senior marketing officer for Equifax Personal Solutions.
PRODUCTS
SeeWhy Customers Behave the Way They Do
What is it? SeeWhy Inc. announced the launch of SeeWhy Browse Manager, which triggers real-time personal marketing campaigns based on a shopper’s website browsing behavior.
WIIFM? According to SeeWhy, combining its shopping cart recovery solution, Conversion Manager, with its new Browse Manager raises the probability of closing a sale by 900% by leading prospects back to a site.
Who’s talking? “Before, we were sending out emails in batch, with limited targeting. Now with Browse Manager, we are triggering real-time personalized campaigns,” says Julia Gilfillan, director of consumer engagement at PetCareRX, a SeeWhy customer.
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Sitecore Gets Personal
What is it? Sitecore announced the availability of Sitecore 7, the latest addition to the company’s unified software suite.
WIIFM? Sitecore 7 is “insanely scalable,” able housing millions of pieces of content that is accessible “in every part of the solution” through an end-to-end search tool, says Darren Guarnaccia, SVP of product marketing at Sitecore.
Who’s talking? “With Sitecore 7, marketers have more power to control massive amounts of content; and more ability to serve up exactly the right item at the right time to the right person,” Guarnaccia says.
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ForeSee Talks It Up
What is it? ForeSee’s Word-of-Mouth Index (WoMI) builds on its predecessor The Next Generation Net Promoter Score (NPS). WoMI aims to improve on accuracy of customers’ likelihood to recommend scores.
WIIFM? The tool is designed to help marketers to create a more precise measurement of customer loyalty by not only asking the likelihood to recommend, but also by asking how likely customers are to discourage a friend or associate from doing business with a company.
Who’s talking? “WoMI is the evolution of NPS, offering a more precise analytic measure to address the sophistication of customers and provide today’s businesses with an accurate number that works within a system of metrics to improve bottom-line results,” says Larry Freed, ForeSee’s CEO.
EXECUTIVE MOVES
Who is it: Jamie Parker named President of Greenough.
What’s her role: Parker will be responsible for developing a new practice area, aiming to serve NGOs. She will also enhance the firm’s capabilities to provide better service to clients looking for fully integrated platforms.
Where was she prior: Prior to joining Greenough, Parker was the VP of marketing and communications at WGBH, where she was head of WGBH’s corporate communications division. Before WGBH, Parker served as SVP of brand communications at Arnold Worldwide.
Why was she appointed: “Jamie knows how to create compelling storylines that capture an audience’s attention and build affinity for brands…,” says Phil Greenough, founder and CEO, “With her rare combination of creativity and leadership, there’s no doubt Jamie will write a new chapter in our agency’s story.”
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Who is it: Alan F. Nugent, appointed as Medialets’ Chief Technology Officer
What’s his role: Nugent will oversee the development of Medialets’ third-party serving and rich media platform for mobile devices.
Where was he prior: Most recently, Nugent served as CEO and CTO at Mzinga Inc. He also held senior roles at CA Inc., Novell, American Reinsurance, and Xerox.
Why was he appointed: “As an enterprise software industry veteran, he brings a deep and actionable understanding of what it takes to succeed in large-scale technology development,” says Eric Litman, CEO and founder of Medialets. “His expertise will be integral as we continue to build out innovative technology and services for our customers and ultimately support the shift of media dollars to mobile.”
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Who is it: Following a restructuring at Wunderman, Gary Laben now holds the position of president, Data&Insights, Slavi Samardzija has been appointed chief analytics officer (CAO), and Caroline Worboys is head of the new Data&Insights division in the UK, Europe, Middle East, and Africa.
What are their roles: Laben now oversees Wunderman’s strategic initiatives related to data, data processing, and analytics—turning customer data into a strategic asset. As the leader of the agency’s analytics worldwide, Samardzija will launch new capabilities and manage the existing capabilities of Wunderman’s global network, which consists of approximately 500 analysts. Worboys will work with Wunderman’s global managers to coordinate KBM Group data projects, as well as coordinate centers of excellence in data management and strategy.
Where were they prior: Laben is currently CEO is KBM Group, and will retain that role, as well. Samardzija is currently EVP of Wunderman’s Marketing Intelligence Group, comprised of a core analytics team based in New York, and a Texas-based subsidiary, KBM Group. Worboys is currently managing director of KBM Group in the UK.
