Members of both loyalty programmes can now convert Nectar points to Marriott Bonvoy points and vice-versa as well as earn bonus points

Nectar360, which owns and operates Nectar, the UK’s largest coalition loyalty scheme, has announced a partnership with Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s award-winning travel programme, live from today. The new partnership means Nectar members who link their account with Marriott Bonvoy, can now convert, earn and redeem points on hotel stays across the globe.

Members who link their Nectar and Marriott Bonvoy accounts can earn 500 Nectar points at each of their next three hotel stays on top of their earned Marriott Bonvoy points. Marriott Bonvoy members in the UK will also be able to convert their Marriott Bonvoy points into Nectar points. In addition, new Marriott Bonvoy members signed up via Nectar will also receive a 500 Nectar points sign-on bonus.

Linking Nectar and Marriott Bonvoy accounts will give members access to participating hotels across over 30 hotel brands and 10,000 global destinations. Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of brands includes Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott Hotels, Le Méridien, Westin Hotels and Resorts and Moxy Hotels to name a few, offering a stay for every occasion.

​​​This new collaboration will offer Nectar members even more flexibility in how they earn and use their points for travel, allowing them to convert points to redeem on hotel stays, experiences and year-round promotions. As well as continuing to use Nectar points on booking planes and trains with existing Nectar partners, British Airways and Eurostar.

Also Read: Burger King® Germany delivers “bold, intuitive” storytelling in first test of GumGum Velocity format

Amir Rasekh, Managing Director of Nectar360, said: “Marriott Bonvoy is a brilliant addition to our Nectar partner coalition and another example of our commitment to continually finding new ways for Nectar customers to earn and redeem points. We know that customers want to be able to earn points when travelling and, by partnering with Marriott Bonvoy we’re opening up another opportunity to do this.”

Jitendra Jain, Vice President, Strategic Loyalty, Partnerships & Commercial Intelligence, EMEA at Marriott International, said: ““Welcoming Nectar as a Marriott Bonvoy partner is a move that clearly aligns with the vision of both brands as we strive to offer our members more choice and varied experiences. We look forward to leveraging the strength of our combined customer networks to deliver more opportunities to our UK members for their future travel plans, from check-out to check-in.”

The partnership will help drive acquisition, retention, loyalty and brand engagement for both Nectar and Marriott Bonvoy. The ability to convert points between the two loyalty programmes offers members ultimate flexibility in how they redeem their loyalty points. The summer launch of the

partnership has also been timed to enable Nectar members to exchange points to use towards summer holidays, flights, stays and experiences.

About Nectar360

Nectar360 is a loyalty, insights and retail media business. It transforms how brands understand and reach their customers through insight driven retail media, serving over 900 clients across the Sainsbury’s and Argos supplier base. It also operates the Nectar coalition – the UK’s largest coalition loyalty programme and the proud home of loyalty for brands including Sainsbury’s, Argos, British Airways, Esso and American Express®. With over 24 million Nectar members, Nectar360 has an unmatched understanding of consumers, giving brands a clear picture of who their customers are and what they buy.

About Marriott Bonvoy®

Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s award-winning travel platform, connects travelers to the people, places, and passions they love through an extraordinary collection of hotels and

experiences worldwide. The platform features over 30 hotel brands and 10,000 destinations, including the largest collection of luxury offerings, distinctive boutique properties, premium home rentals, and more, providing renowned hospitality across the globe. With unrivaled access to the best in entertainment, culinary, sports, outdoor adventure, arts, culture, and more, Marriott Bonvoy offers transformative travel experiences that leave a lasting impression.

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The fast-food chain achieves 119% uplift in attention in Beta campaign featuring GumGum’s new motion-led ad solution, Velocity

GumGum, the contextual-first technology leader transforming digital advertising, announced the results of a test campaign for Burger King® Germany that used a pioneering new motion-led ad format. Developed by GumGum and launching this week in Europe, the UK and North America, Velocity is a scroll-reactive display format that responds to user behaviour in real-time using collapsible, motion-led design. 

In the first Beta test of the format, Burger King® Germany used Velocity to craft a series of high-impact animated ads that would generate brand awareness and drive increased CTR across mobile and desktop platforms. Results were striking. With the help from Velocity’s expanded real estate – a space that’s 25% greater than non-collapsing competitors – Burger King® Germany generated an impressive 119% increase in Attention Time, with 0.80% CTR and over 93% viewability.

Paula-Isabelle Stahlhut, Teamlead Brand Marketing at Burger King® Germany, said: “GumGum’s Velocity unit feels intuitive and bold without being intrusive. We love how the scroll-reactive motion grabs attention instantly, boosting our presence on the page. The very native integration of the advertising material ensures an attractive product presentation without disrupting the recipient’s reading flow. For us, this is an optimal mix of integrating an ad into the viewer’s reading flow without being too promotional and without being too disruptive with our brand message. Instead, we want to attract attention where the target group is receptive to our brand topics and actively engages with the product.”

This insight is supported by consumer research by independent SaaS platform, UserTesting. In a survey of over 200 unaffiliated participants, 96% described GumGum’s new unit as “attention-grabbing” and 85% said that they enjoyed the Velocity experience. 

Also Read: Zen Media Acquires Sevans PR

A further 70% of those questioned found the design unobtrusive, with Velocity scoring 83% on a combined “noticeability and unobtrusiveness” rating – outperforming both previous GumGum units and similar competitor formats. As one user put it, “I freaking love it. I love how when you scroll it bounces. Like, normally [I find] ads kind of annoying.”

Pete Wallace, GM, EMEA, at GumGum, said: “Velocity is a format that’s inherently fun to use, for consumers and brands alike. Visually arresting, with sophisticated movement and animation potential, it commands attention and stands out on the page. Yet it’s also user-respectful, with a collapsible design that treads that line between intriguing and invasive. Its new availability in Europe and North America represents an important step forward for GumGum, as we continue to lead on high-impact creativity – equipping our media partners with a full suite of sophisticated ad tools.”

The evolution of Velocity follows extensive rounds of research at GumGum, including competitive analysis, user testing, roadshows and conversations with clients. In its development, the team aimed to create a product that would enable greater design freedom while driving responsive, attention-led behaviours. Beyond merely showing up, it’s made to show off in a premium setting and bring fresh energy to the display space, ramping up emotional impact in the moments that matter the most.

Velocity is designed to easily integrate across desktop and mobile in brand-suitable, top-tier publisher platforms – giving advertisers reach beyond third-party social feeds. The format is newly available in the UK, Europe, and North America markets, and is available in Australia. Further format enhancements will include the addition of GumGum’s pioneering attention-based measurement and optimisation tool, the Creative Attention Tracker (CAT).

About GumGum

GumGum is the contextual-first technology leader transforming digital advertising with AI-powered, non-invasive data and media solutions. 

We champion effective advertising that uplifts and respects consumers. Our proprietary Contextual, Attention, and Creative solutions create the perfect match between a brand and a consumer in the right moment and mindset.

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Klaviyo, the company enabling smarter digital relationships for over 167,000 businesses, has unveiled Klaviyo B2C CRM—the first customer relationship management (CRM) platform designed specifically for consumer brands. This strategic expansion moves Klaviyo beyond marketing and into customer service, offering a unified platform that enhances engagement, drives revenue, and fosters stronger customer loyalty.

The all-in-one Klaviyo B2C CRM includes:

• Klaviyo Marketing – Advanced tools for omnichannel campaigns, personalized outreach, and automated engagement.
• Klaviyo Analytics – AI-powered insights to help brands understand customer behavior and act swiftly.
• Klaviyo Service – A new customer support experience that integrates marketing and service seamlessly.

A CRM Built for B2C, Inspired by B2B

Traditional CRMs cater to B2B sales cycles, leaving consumer brands reliant on fragmented systems that hinder personalized customer experiences. Most B2C brands manage more than 16 disconnected tools, creating data silos that limit efficiency and growth.

Powered by Klaviyo Data Platform (KDP), Klaviyo B2C CRM redefines customer engagement by handling vast amounts of data, transactions, and personalized interactions at scale. With over 350 pre-built integrations and open APIs, brands can consolidate customer, purchase, and behavioral data without complexity—delivering seamless, data-driven experiences instantly.

“B2B CRMs transformed sales, but consumer brands need a system designed for them. This is a natural step forward for Klaviyo,” said Andrew Bialecki, co-founder and CEO of Klaviyo. “We started as a database, evolved into the leading marketing platform, and now we’re expanding into a complete CRM that connects the entire customer experience—from discovery to post-purchase. We believe this is the future of B2C and we’re excited to deliver it for our customers.”

Also Read: Pipedrive Unveils Next-Generation AI CRM with Agentic Experience

New Capabilities in Klaviyo B2C CRM

Klaviyo Service: Customer Hub

Klaviyo introduces Customer Hub, a self-service experience that turns customer support into a revenue driver by merging support, merchandising, and personalization.

• Enables shoppers to track orders, manage subscriptions, initiate returns, and discover new products.
• Reduces support tickets while increasing account sign-ups and order values.
• Public beta available for Shopify users, with expansion to additional platforms in progress.
• Early adopters report a 75% reduction in customer support tickets related to order tracking, along with increased repeat purchases.
• AI-powered shopping assistant (private beta): Provides instant answers to common customer queries on product pages, enhancing conversions without live support.

Klaviyo Analytics: Real-Time Marketing Insights

The newly launched Marketing Analytics provides brands with real-time, AI-powered insights into customer behavior, enabling immediate action.

• Identifies high-value customers and predicts churn risk.
• Automates outreach based on customer actions for timely engagement.
• Consolidates marketing performance metrics into a single view.
• Coming in Q2: Custom Objects, a feature that allows brands to personalize marketing based on customer-specific data like loyalty status, past purchases, and interests.

Klaviyo Marketing: Expanding Omnichannel Capabilities

Klaviyo continues to enhance its marketing tools with new features for more effective customer engagement.

• Available now: Automated SMS conversations for real-time customer insights and product recommendations.
• Q1: Channel Affinity, optimizing engagement by targeting customers on their preferred channels.
• Q2: Mobile in-app messaging, enabling personalized interactions within brand apps.
• Q2: Omnichannel Campaign Builder, streamlining email, SMS, push notifications, and more from a single dashboard.

“As a fast-growing subscription business with vast amounts of data and customizable options, delivering a unique customer experience is a challenge. Klaviyo has helped us overcome this by acting as our CRM,” said Bill Hudak, VP of DTC acquisition and retention at Dollar Shave Club. “By unifying our data, Klaviyo has allowed us to identify high-risk moments in the customer journey and change behavior with targeted merchandising, personalization, and product recommendations—all with one-click add-to-box functionality. These insights have been a game-changer. Because we better understand our customers—who they are, what they buy, how they behave—we can craft creative that more effectively engages specific segments and helps us drive long-term growth and build loyalty.”

The Future of Digital Commerce

“Consumer expectations for fast, seamless, and personalized experiences across every touchpoint have created a seismic shift in the applications required for digital commerce success,” said Roger Beharry Lall, research director at IDC. “For brands to meet these demands, they need to engage innovative companies that help unify fragmented tech stacks in order to deliver cohesive, end-to-end experiences that bridge the gap between marketing, commerce, and customer service. Connecting these dots will enable brands to forge deeper customer relationships, drive loyalty, and boost revenue growth.”

With Klaviyo B2C CRM, brands can break free from disjointed tools and harness a purpose-built system to deliver smarter, more seamless digital experiences—driving customer satisfaction, retention, and revenue growth.

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Typeform, the intuitive form builder and conversational data collection platform, announced new features that provide business-to-consumer (B2C) businesses with the context, clarity, and convenience needed to better engage and understand their customers. Now businesses can further enhance the respondent experience, all while gathering richer, actionable data.

Today, 70% of consumer decisions are based on emotion, including brand preference.¹ Buyers expect brands to tailor experiences to their personal preferences more than ever, but at the same time, they’re also becoming more cautious about sharing personal information. Typeform’s latest features help brands collect data directly from customers through interactive, personalized experiences they trust, then automatically enhance it with third-party insights to deepen their understanding. This empowers companies to deliver more targeted, data-driven marketing.

“Businesses can’t thrive on surface-level insights,” said Aleks Bass, Chief Product Officer, Typeform. “Our latest innovations give you the ability to dig deeper into truly knowing your customers by providing dynamic data collection experiences that encourage quality responses. Whether boosting conversions with a personalized product recommendation quiz or gathering feedback through video surveys, the common denominator is that your customers enjoy the experience.”

Also Read: Introducing Experian’s Offline Graph

The offerings were unveiled at Typeforum 2024, Typeform’s first-ever virtual product spotlight event, designed to showcase the latest innovations from the company. Newly released features include:

• Enhanced Video Capabilities: Typeform now allows customers to respond with video, providing businesses deeper insights through voice and expressions, not just text. This builds on Typeform’s existing feature that enables creators to record, edit, and embed personalized videos into forms, boosting engagement and conversions. Typeform research found that 65% of marketers believe video is an effective tool for engaging and interacting with customers in ways that feel more human and create connection and loyalty.²
• Clarify with AI: Typeform’s Clarify with AI acts as a virtual interviewer, prompting follow-up questions based on customer responses. When a customer is asked about their experience and answers vaguely, like “good,” the AI encourages more detailed feedback, asking, “Good, how? What stood out?” For customers, it feels like a personalized conversation. For brands, it delivers more insights.
• Automated B2C Data Enrichment: Earlier this year, Typeform introduced automated B2B data enrichment, making it easier than ever to understand customers at a deeper level without needing to ask additional questions. Now, consumer-level enrichment is available in the Typeform platform. With just a personal email address, companies can pull in key data points from trusted third-party sources, providing a more complete picture of who’s on the other side of the screen.
• AI-powered Qualitative Analysis: With this feature, businesses can instantly analyze large volumes of text and video responses to surface key themes and insights, saving hours of manual work.
• Data Quality Tools: Invisible reCAPTCHA ensures data integrity by blocking bots and automated submissions, allowing only genuine responses to be collected. This safeguard enhances data reliability, helping teams make accurate, data-driven decisions.
• Klaviyo Integration: Typeform will soon be launching a new integration with Klaviyo, designed for B2C and direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketers. It will ensure that every insight gathered flows seamlessly into Klaviyo. Manual data transfers are eliminated as segments automatically update with Typeform data, enabling hyper-targeted campaigns customized to each customer’s unique profile. This integration combines Typeform’s interactive data collection with Klaviyo’s automation, facilitating more natural, personalized customer connections while driving business growth.

“We built a powerful product recommendation quiz not just to help our customers, but to generate invaluable data that allows us to better segment and engage them with relevant marketing,” said Addison Wennar, Digital Communications Manager, OGEE. “With the holiday shopping season approaching, these insights will be key. Typeform already delivers the highest response rates for us, and I’m excited to see how the new features will amplify that impact.”

SOURCE: PRNewswire

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Promoted.ai is excited to announce the integration of its powerful unified search and native ads engine with Upwork, the world’s work marketplace that connects businesses with independent talent. This collaboration has led to the launch of Upwork’s unified search and native ads optimization. This initiative has been a collaborative effort between Promoted.ai and Upwork’s strong search, ads, and AI engineering teams.

Upwork’s Talent Marketplace, which generates approximately 86% of the company’s revenue, drove overall revenue growth of 19% year-over-year to $193.1 million in Q2 2024. The implementation of Promoted’s marketplace search and ads engine is aimed at enhancing Upwork’s freelancer search and ads capabilities, with the goal of increasing overall hires, contract starts, and ads revenue.

“We have already observed positive improvements in contract starts from search optimization after launch,” said Sree Kamireddy, Senior Director of Product, Next Gen Search at Upwork, in a video testimonial about the Promoted.ai collaboration. “And, our recent A/B tests on delivering ads on newer surfaces have shown promising results, executed swiftly thanks to Promoted’s robust platform.”

Also Read: Andy Champion joins 6sense as senior vice president of GTM International

Collaborative Effort

“Promoted’s technology seamlessly integrates ads and organic search results, enabling us to deliver a more refined user experience. This synergy underscores the complex and high-scale nature of our collaboration,” Kamireddy added.

Commitment to Quality

Kamireddy emphasized Upwork’s commitment to using top-tier solutions to perfect its match engine for clients and talent. “We rely on clearly defined success metrics, ranging from contract starts to hiring manager retention rates. These metrics ensure that both immediate and long-term impacts are measured effectively.”

Measuring Unified Ad Impact

Kamireddy explained the multi-faceted approach to measuring ad performance: “We ensure ad revenue growth does not compromise user experience or organic rankings. A comprehensive set of metrics helps us maintain this balance.”

Promoted’s Role

“Promoted excels in multi-objective optimization, allowing us to tweak and refine our strategies continuously. Their infrastructure supports rapid iteration, which is crucial for innovation,” Kamireddy noted.

Continuous Improvement

Kamireddy highlighted the value of continuous monitoring and A/B testing. “The constant updates and new model deployments through Promoted’s platform allow us to see tangible improvements daily. This ongoing experimentation is vital for validating our strategies.”

Kamireddy highly recommends Promoted, citing the team’s passion and expertise, and the platform’s fast-paced, innovative environment. “Promoted’s combination of passion, skills, and ability to innovate makes them an exceptional partner for top engineering and AI companies.”

SOURCE: Accesswire

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The Wiland, Inc. Board of Directors announced that Mike Gingell has been named the new CEO of Wiland, Inc. This appointment, effective April 29, helps fulfill the Board’s commitment to building a strategic leadership team whose competencies and experiences are aligned to anticipate and swiftly execute on potential future opportunities.

The Board unanimously endorsed Gingell as being ideally suited to help build upon the solid foundation that has been established over the past 19 years and carry out a successful vision of the future. More specifically, Gingell’s and the Board’s vision is to build stronger client relationships, expand services, attract new clients, embrace new technologies, and build on Wiland, Inc.’s core data products.

“Wiland is the industry leader in providing insights and solutions that help clients engage consumers and achieve more profitable marketing results,” said CEO Mike Gingell. “We are going to build on that success, incorporating AI and new technologies to provide data solutions to our clients across many industries, channels, and markets.”

Gingell brings an established track record of leadership and growth. He has over 30 years of experience in the marketing technology and information industry and has led organizations that have focused on delivering data and technology solutions for direct-to-consumer organizations, automotive OEMs and retailers, the automotive aftermarket and commercial truck industries, and the finance and insurance markets.

Also Read: Klaviyo Launches Klaviyo Portfolio to Solve Complex Needs for Global and Multi-Account Customers

Most recently, Gingell was the Chief Operating Officer at FordDirect, responsible for the development of corporate strategy and for the day-to-day operational execution of the business. He held various global leadership roles at IHS Markit, R.L. Polk & Co., Donnelly Marketing/InfoUSA, and Ultimate Data, a division of Wiland Inc. He serves on the Board of Directors for HDA Truck Pride and is also a veteran public official, serving as an elected Oakland County, Michigan Commissioner for the last 17 years. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Oakland University and a master’s degree in business administration from Wayne State University.

Wiland, Inc. is the marketing data and audiences company that leading brands and nonprofit organizations trust to help them develop and maintain more customer and donor relationships that produce higher revenue, less advertising waste, and more profit. Wiland’s data and audience products are informed by the largest set of detailed, individual-level spending signals ever assembled. Wiland’s AI-enabled response prediction platform analyzes this vast information to deliver powerful insights and solutions that benefit clients by enabling more profitable marketing at scale across all addressable channels.

SOURCE: Businesswire

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SixSpeed, an independent creative marketing agency, announced that it has acquired KC Truth, a longstanding Minneapolis media and creative agency.  The addition of KC Truth brings expanded integrated services, including robust media strategy and global placement capabilities.

SixSpeed specializes in turning insights into calculated risks that make brands impossible to imitate.  Their campaigns, creative, content and experiential expertise have pushed brands including Polaris, Red Bull, Titleist, Target, Knipex, Club Car, Dan-O’s Seasoning to defy the conventions of their categories.

KC Truth complements SixSpeed’s deep experience and natural desire to push the creative envelope with integrated services, seamlessly blending strategy, creative, and media. Founded by Sue Kruskopf, one of the first—and one of the longest-tenured female owners in the Twin Cities, the agency has a 35+ year legacy of award-winning work for brands like 3M, Cargill, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Minnesota Public Radio, and University of St. Thomas. The acquisition timing coincided with Kruskopf’s desire to begin moving away from the day-to-day operations to focus on other areas of business.

Also Read: 6sense Launches Comprehensive Framework to Maximize Customer Value and Unlock Transformational…

“I’m so proud of the culture we’ve created at KC Truth and the remarkable work we’ve done for our clients over these many years,” expressed Kruskopf. “Helping ambitious brands challenge the status quo to stand out is a core belief we share with SixSpeed. Harnessing our combined strengths in media and creative made sense. This is only the beginning.”

With the acquisition, SixSpeed will be able to provide a new level of integrated media and creative services to current clients and prospective partners. SixSpeed CEO Kevin Reilly was bullish on the agency’s future,

“Since regaining our independent agency status last year, we have been aggressively looking for opportunities to expand our capabilities in service of our clients. Adding the combined creative and media services of KC Truth to SixSpeed is a huge win for us and our clients,” shared Reilly. “The culture Sue has built over the last 35 years was a seamless match for our group, so this just made a lot of sense. We are beyond excited to see what we can do going forward together.”

SixSpeed’s relentless innovation exceeds current and potential client expectations with the additional boundary-pushing strategies and creative minds that come with this next iteration of integrated service. To be what others can’t, you have to do what they won’t.

SOURCE: PRNewswire

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Productsup, the leading Product-to-Consumer (P2C) software company, has announced the appointment of Alwin Schauer as its new Chief Revenue Officer. With a rich background in driving revenue growth and transformative change globally, Alwin Schauer will lead Productsup’s go-to-market efforts, including overseeing marketing strategy, global sales, and industry partnerships to support the company’s long-term growth objectives.

“We are thrilled to welcome Alwin to Productsup, as he brings extensive experience in aligning teams to surpass growth targets,” said Vincent Peters, CEO at Productsup. “His leadership style is centered on people, trust, and empowerment, which is reflected perfectly in our company values.”

Also Read: commercetools Wins 2024 Google Cloud Global Industry Solution – Technology Partner of the Year…

Alwin Schauer joins Productsup with a proven track record in enterprise sales, honed through leadership positions at prominent companies, such as Salesforce, Software AG, and, most recently, Basware. During his tenure as global CRO at Basware, Schauer spearheaded strategic initiatives that fueled global growth with a focus on North America. His previous roles at Software AG and Salesforce focused on the EMEA region, showcasing his deep understanding of regional nuances and cultural dynamics. With nearly 25 years of experience in helping companies drive revenue, his expertise spans every facet of go-to-market strategy, including sales, marketing, partnerships, and customer success.

“What entices me most about joining Productsup is that we are doing something different from all of our competitors. Productsup built an enterprise-ready platform that is equipped to handle large-scale, global operations and is building a new software category: ‘P2C – Product-to-Consumer,'” Schauer said. “I look forward to driving Productsup’s continued success in powering commerce for the biggest retailers, brands, marketplaces, and industrial manufacturers worldwide.”

Productsup also recently appointed Ulrich Leweren as Chief Financial Officer and Bianca Alves as Chief People and Culture Officer.

Productsup enables global companies to create perfect product content journeys for every channel and target consumer worldwide. Processing over two trillion products a month, the highly scalable Product-to-Consumer (P2C) platform is equipped for the most sophisticated enterprise customers, helping them overcome commerce complexity to create consistent product, brand, and service experiences.

SOURCE: PRWeb

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Zingtree, a leading AI-enabled customer experience (CX) automation platform, reached significant milestones in its journey to empower enterprises with the tools to leverage AI for CX automation. With a strong focus on simplifying complex service environments and providing essential guardrails for AI-driven CX automation, Zingtree has processed over 162 million customer interactions, enhancing both agent and customer experiences for B2C companies.

In today’s complex customer service environments, agents are often overwhelmed by the number of apps and data they must navigate, leading to friction points in the customer experience. Zingtree’s CX Automation platform tackles this challenge by unifying all back-end systems, data, and knowledge into a no-code environment to power context, decisions, policies, and automation for customer experience.

This innovative approach guides customers and agents through interactive workflows, providing efficient automation and guidance on specific inquiries. The impact is the elimination of lengthy hold times and efficient resolutions. Zingtree’s platform improves both agent and customer experiences, ultimately fostering stronger customer loyalty.

“We collaborate with CX leaders to build a solution that solves real-world challenges at enterprise scale. Zingtree’s growth is a testament to the value our platform is delivering,” said Juan Jaysingh, CEO of Zingtree. “As we continue to scale, Zingtree is poised to revolutionize the way businesses leverage AI to deliver exceptional customer experiences.”

Also Read: Bespoke Partners Initiates Coverage of AdTech and MarTech Sector, Providing Premier Executive Talent…

Zingtree CX Automation platform has seen remarkable growth, with 66,000 authors contributing to over 200,000 workflows. The company has also grown its enterprise customer base with the addition of prominent brands such as Groupon, Corpay (previously FLEETCOR), Pearson, Optum and Allianz.

“What made us begin working with Zingtree was trying to solve complexity,” said Todd Sale, Senior VP of Customer Experience at Corpay. “We are a company that has many products and systems. We knew we needed to simplify our complex service environment for our associates and offer a better customer experience. We started a small pilot with Zingree, and it was wildly successful. We’re about a year into deployment and roughly half of our interactions are fully supported by Zingtree. The implementation reduced agent errors which has greatly improved our customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.”

Zingtree’s vision extends beyond the traditional ticketing system, which lacks automation and connectivity. The company believes in a ticketless approach to customer service, where consumers receive resolutions rather than conversations. With Zingtree’s CX Automation platform, enterprises have the potential to automate up to 95% of interactions, driving efficiency and improving customer satisfaction.

Zingtree is preparing to release several key products and enhancements this year, further solidifying the company’s position as a leader in AI-powered enterprise CX.

SOURCE: PRNewswire

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Your brand gets just seven seconds to impress someone new – that’s why having a solid brand strategy is crucial.

Branding is all about crafting your brand identity, making you stand out from the competition. To nail an excellent strategy, you need to know your target audience, carefully position your brand, execute your plan well, and keep up with the latest trends in communication.

In this guide, we’ll dive into why branding strategy in marketing matters, what key elements make a brand successful, and how you can create a killer strategy for your business in 2024.

What is Brand Strategy?

A brand strategy is a comprehensive plan that guides how a brand establishes and enhances its recognition and appeal among both existing and potential customers. It involves creating a unified identity for your company that resonates with your target audience across various channels. This helps to establish trust, loyalty, and recognition.

The first step in crafting a good branding strategy is researching the needs and preferences of your target customers. This research is essential for identifying your potential customer base. Trust is a significant factor for over 81% of consumers when considering a purchase, so understanding your audience is crucial.

A branding strategy includes defining key elements such as visuals, brand personas, positioning statements, and messaging. These components work together to convey a consistent brand image and build a loyal customer base.

Why is Brand Strategy Important?

Developing a branding strategy is crucial for several reasons:

• Prevents Weakness: Brands without effective strategies risk losing their distinctiveness and relevance, making them easily forgettable or overshadowed by competitors.
• Boosts Customer Loyalty: A strong strategy fosters deeper connections with customers, encouraging repeat purchases and long-term loyalty.
• Increases Brand Awareness: A well-executed strategy enhances brand visibility and recognition in the market, making it easier for customers to identify and choose your brand.
• Attracts Target Customers: Targeted branding efforts help attract the right audience, ensuring that your messaging resonates with those most likely to engage with your brand.
• Aligns Teams: It provides a shared direction for your team, guiding their efforts towards common goals and objectives.
• Encourages Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Satisfied customers are more likely to spread the word about your brand, generating valuable referrals and organic growth.
• Ensures Brand Consistency: A defined strategy helps maintain consistency in brand messaging, visual identity, and customer experience across all touchpoints.
• Guidelines for Hiring and Training: Brand strategies provide guidelines for recruiting and training employees who embody your brand values and deliver on brand promises.
• Aligns Contractors and Agencies: For businesses working with external partners, branding strategy ensures everyone involved is on the same page, maintaining brand integrity.
• Builds Brand Equity: Over time, effective branding strategies can increase the value and reputation of your brand, giving you a competitive edge and enhancing long-term success.

Also Read: The Ultimate Guide to Salesforce Marketing Automation: Boost Your Sales Efforts

How to Create Brand Strategy?

To craft a branding strategy, it’s essential to follow these steps:

Understand Your Target Audience: Dive deep into understanding your target market’s needs, preferences, and behaviors. This insight forms the foundation for tailoring your branding strategy to effectively connect with your audience.

Define Your Brand Identity: Develop a captivating brand narrative that distinguishes you from competitors. Consider your brand’s ethos, values, and standout features. This differentiation fosters trust, loyalty, and recognition among customers.

Develop Brand Messaging: Articulate your brand’s personality, voice, tone, and messaging pillars. Create a cohesive brand essence that resonates with your audience, effectively communicating your value proposition and brand promise.

Design Your Visual Identity: Shape a visually appealing and consistent brand identity. This entails crafting a logo, selecting typography, choosing colors, and curating imagery that reflects your brand’s personality and resonates with your audience.

Craft Brand Guidelines: Establish clear brand guidelines dictating how your brand should be portrayed across all channels. These guidelines ensure uniformity in messaging, visual elements, and brand voice, bolstering a strong and recognizable brand identity.

Align with Business Objectives: Ensure your brand strategy aligns seamlessly with your overarching business objectives. Consider how your brand can bolster and complement your business growth strategies. Your strategy should mirror your business goals and values.

By adhering to these steps, you can develop a robust brand strategy that effectively communicates your brand’s distinct identity, resonates with your target audience, and supports your business objectives. Remember, a well-defined branding strategy acts as a guiding compass, steering your decisions and elevating your presence in the market.

5 Component of Effective Brand Strategy

The elements of a brand strategy are crucial for shaping a strong and cohesive brand identity. Here’s a breakdown of these essential components:

1. Purpose: Reflect on how your brand’s fundamental mission resonates with the needs and aspirations of your customers. Tailor your messaging to communicate your brand’s purpose effectively. Consider who your brand serves and the problem it aims to solve. Your messaging should answer the question: why does your brand exist?
2. Brand Values: Explore ways in which your brand aligns with the values of your customers. Identify what matters most to them and how these values guide your brand’s behavior. Refer to your value proposition and consider crafting a brand positioning statement to reinforce your brand values. Consistently uphold and communicate these values in your brand messaging.
3. Voice and Tone: Define your brand’s voice, which embodies its personality, style, and character. Maintain consistency in your brand’s voice across all communications. Tone refers to the subtle variations in messaging based on context, such as adjusting for different audiences or content types. Regularly update guidelines on brand voice and tone to ensure consistency across marketing channels.
4. Design and Visual Identity: Maintain consistency in design elements across all brand visuals to create a cohesive brand identity. Your visual identity, like your brand’s voice, infuses personality into your content. Utilize brand colors, typography, and graphics that reflect your purpose, and values, and resonate with your audience. Ensure your brand name is easily recognizable and legible.
5. Brand Story: Craft a compelling brand story that sets your brand apart from others. Consider your brand’s unique experience and brand equity—how customers perceive your brand. Engage your audience through storytelling to establish an emotional connection and differentiate your brand. Establishing a captivating narrative is a powerful way to capture your audience’s attention and ensure they remember your brand.

The Bottom Line

A well-crafted brand strategy is essential for businesses looking to differentiate themselves, connect with their target audience, and drive growth. By understanding your audience, defining your brand identity, developing compelling messaging, creating a visually appealing identity, and aligning with business objectives, you can establish a strong and recognizable brand. A strategic and cohesive brand strategy sets the foundation for building trust, loyalty, and recognition among customers, ultimately leading to long-term success in the market.

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