A new research report from digital agency Organic reveals brand marketers’ views on personalisation in marketing, and the steps to follow to improve it. Fewer than 1 in 5 (18%) of businesses surveyed believe they successfully implement personalisation, yet only 13% think that’s because of strategy. This proves that actually implementing the strategy to improve personalisation is the problem, something which can be improved by introducing effective content, data and tech. The research involved surveying 250 senior marketers at small to large businesses from across the UK to discover their attitudes towards personalisation, its benefits and whether their organisation is achieving it. To find out more about the journey to personalization, download the full whitepaper here.
ClickUp has announced that the company has raised $400 million USD in Series C funding to reshape how teams work and give businesses a competitive advantage. This new round brings ClickUp’s total funding to $535 million USD and puts the company at a $4bn USD post-money valuation. The new investment will support the creation of 600 European jobs, a regional European headquarters and a new development centre. With forty percent of the company’s sales already generated outside of the US, this new investment will provide a more localised experience for the more than 275,000 European teams already using ClickUp. ClickUp will also be investing in localised versions of its platform for France, Germany and Spain to support the continued growth in these countries, with further localisations planned.
Instoried, the only AI-powered pre-publication sentiment analysis tool that enhances content performance in real-time has raised $8M in funding from Pritt Investment Partners and 9Unicorns with participation from Mumbai Angels, Venture Catalysts Angel Fund and SOSV.
Starcom and Channel4 announce Vinted’s sponsorship as the official broadcast sponsor of UK soap Hollyoaks. The fully integrated partnership includes brand new product placement innovation that will see the Vinted app used by Hollyoaks characters during relevant scenes. Behind the scenes, a new bespoke digital content series, hosted on Hollyoaks’ social channels will feature members of the Hollyoaks cast providing fans with exclusive access to their on-screen wardrobe to see how outfits can be chosen and sourced in a thrifty and more conscious way. Hollyoaks actors Jessica Fox (Nancy Osborne), Andrea Ali (Celeste Deveraux) and Jorgie Porter (Theresa McQueen) will lead the social content, which includes insights into dressing favourite characters for screen, with additional influencer support from other cast members. The Hollyoaks village will showcase OOH posters across key sites to further promote Vinted during the show, as well as print ads on the back of a magazine that one of the characters will be reading during a scene. The partnership will run until the end of November and is a result of collaboration between Starcom, 4Sales and Hollyoaks’ production company, Lime Pictures.
Appgate, the secure access company, has announced immediate availability of the latest release of its industry-leading Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution. The new version of Appgate SDP introduces an array of capability and usability enhancements designed to help enterprises expand and accelerate strategic Zero Trust initiatives. It is available to existing customers now and will be available in leading cloud marketplaces and app stores within the next few weeks.
The recently launched cricket-themed restaurant group, Sixes Cricket, has announced that it is one of the UK’s first restaurant operators to benefit from the industry landmark partnership between TheFork, the online restaurant reservations platform from Tripadvisor Media Group and SevenRooms, a guest experience and retention platform for the hospitality industry. Sixes Cricket’s integration of new technology resulting from the partnership will increase the operator’s online reservations at its three venues, while enabling seamless management of its front of house and guest experiences. As a result of the partnership, Sixes Cricket benefits from SevenRooms’ data-driven venue management and marketing automation platform while simultaneously tapping into TheFork’s extensive consumer reservation network of millions of diners. This assists the operator in filling seats and acquiring new customers at their Fitzrovia, Fulham and Manchester restaurants. Combined, these innovative tools help operators like Sixes develop stronger guest relationships and deliver the types of exceptional on-premise experiences that turn first time guests into repeat visitors.
Global production and marketing services company, Chimney Vigor Group (CVG), has announced its rebrand to Edisen, the unskippable content company. This strategic move allows the Oscar and Lion award-winning business, which boasts an enviable client list, to expand its capabilities to include enhanced creation and automation that offers clients genuine 360° services and strengthens the creative hallmark the company was built on by delivering high-quality, premium content. It also marks a shift in the company’s approach to market, creating a single global management and financial structure. As part of this strategic rebrand and shift towards a more holistic service offering for its international clients, Edisen is opening a new UK office in Soho, London led by Nick Price, Global VP of Platform Operations & MD (UK).
Monadd, the all-in-one admin hub that enables people to manage changes, cancellations and interactions with service providers when moving home, has announced that it will streamline the registration process by integrating Post Office EasyID and Yoti to verify its customers. The move will reduce admin time, costs and improve the security and validity of transactions for individuals and service providers. By combining customer account details with verified digital identities, Monadd is taking important steps to further secure client data and reduce the risk of fraud. Partner services are also assured that those moving, changing or cancelling services are genuine customers also, making paths smoother and solidifying connections.
University of Europe for Applied Sciences (UE) has announced a collaboration with leading business and tech companies to offer its students a suite of digital courses at no additional cost. These courses will prepare students to earn badges and/or industry certifications. UE will work with industry leaders – including IBM Enterprise Design Thinking, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Facebook, Tableau and HubSpot – to incorporate the latest technology and industry expertise into its degrees. The courses range from digital skills and marketing, social media, sales and cloud fluency. Starting from the winter 2021 intake, all new students enrolling with UE at any campus will be able to integrate their degree of choice with a selection of short courses, with no additional fees. Upon completion of the courses and successful completion of the required exams, the students will be awarded badges or certification, giving them the differentiators in a highly competitive technology market.
As the retail sector gears up for the Golden Quarter, Blue Yonder has partnered with audience insights company, GWI to launch new research to showcase the impact of changing customer confidence and potential supply chain strains during the holiday season. Interviewing 13,394 consumers aged 16-64 in the UK and US from ongoing surveys since Q2 2021, the research found that despite external unknowns, this year could outpace last year’s $9bn Black Friday as consumers look to make up for Christmas 2020. For more insights on this holiday season, please visit www.GWI.com or www.blueyonder.com.
Urbix Inc. (Urbix), an environmentally friendly U.S.-based processor of battery grade graphite, and Circulor, the sustainable supply chain traceability provider, have announced a strategic partnership that will set a new standard for transparency and accountability in sourcing and processing graphite that is used in advanced batteries. Urbix will utilize Circulor’s technology to track and trace its graphite as it changes state from extraction to inclusion in electric vehicles. The companies are in ongoing conversations with mining partners to expand the partnership. Circulor provides a comprehensive and reliable method for tracking critical minerals like graphite as they move through the battery supply chain. This partnership will provide transparency to the advanced battery supply chain, certifying that the graphite is being sourced humanely and processed in compliance with environmental, social, and governance standards.
