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NAVEX 2024 Global Incident Management Benchmark Study Reveals Significant Third-Party Reporting to Companies

NAVEX Global

NAVEX, the global leader in integrated risk and compliance management software, has released its 2024 Whistleblowing & Incident Management Benchmark Report. The annual benchmark report offers valuable insights into workplace culture, analyzing trends from 1.86 million global reports spanning thousands of organizations that together employ more than 50 million employees. Amid a record number of tips to the SEC and a burgeoning DOJ whistleblowing program, NAVEX’s comprehensive analysis sheds a critical light on the state of workplace environments worldwide, guiding organizations toward program improvement. "NAVEX remains the gold standard in risk and compliance data analytics, continually innovating our benchmarks to enhance corporate compliance programs and offer business leaders insights into the trending risk areas for their organizations," says NAVEX Chief Risk and Compliance Officer Carrie Penman. "This year's report introduces crucial third-party reporting insights, highlighting an organization’s need to adopt internal and external reporting avenues to bolster integrity, foster accountability and equip the organization to tackle emerging challenges effectively.” This year’s analysis of the data revealed several key themes and notable findings, including: Report volume and case substantiation reach milestones. Internal reporting programs saw a record level of use as measured by NAVEX’s Reports per 100 Employees metric. In addition, the Substantiation Rate metric reached an all-time high, meaning more reports were received and more were found to be true. Report volume, and the substantiation rates of the reports received, are two of the most highly watched metrics in the annual NAVEX publication. To see both reach the highest levels ever is good news. For those with trusted and effective internal reporting programs, this added up to greater visibility into the trends of risk, ethics and culture playing out in their organizations’ operations – real-time intelligence to inform business decision-making. In 2023, organizations received a median 1.57 Reports per 100 Employees across their internal reporting systems, exceeding the previous record of 1.47 set in 2022. More organizations (23%) received five or more Reports per 100 Employees, making this population the largest in the NAVEX data set. And while year-over-year values fluctuated, every size of organization – from the smallest companies to enterprises with over 100,000 employees – has seen report volumes rise comparing 2021 and 2023. At 45%, the overall median share of substantiated or founded reports in 2023 reached an 11-year high. Third parties more likely to report business integrity and financial misconduct issues. In a first for this report, NAVEX analyzed its database by both employees and third-party reporters. Its analysis shows these two groups are distinct across several metrics, highlighting the insight organizations see by promoting their reporting programs internally and externally. Third parties as a group delivered a far greater median share of reports related to Business Integrity matters than employees in 2023 (50% versus 17%). Encompassing topics like conflicts of interest, vendor issues, fraud, global trade and human rights, this category of issues can manifest in various elements of a supply chain. Third-party reporters also showed twice the median share of Accounting, Auditing & Financial Reporting reports as employees in 2023 (10% versus 4.5%). Story emerging on accounting-related reporting – internally and externally. Accounting-related reports -- while lower in overall percentage of reports received internally by organizations at a median of 4.3.% in 2023 -- often receive an outsized share of attention due to potential for regulatory action and the well-publicized bounty program offered by the SEC and its Office of the Whistleblower. The SEC's program is witnessing unprecedented growth in tips and generously rewarding valuable information. Now, the U.S. Department of Justice is launching a similar initiative. Specifically, reports related to Accounting, Auditing, and Financial reporting: Showed the longest time between when an incident was observed and when it was reported to the organization By a large margin, were least likely to be reported anonymously Comprised an outsized share of cases for organizations that receive very few Reports per 100 Employees – meaning while these organizations received well below the benchmark number of reports, they had a much more significant percentage of accounting-related reports Experienced the longest time to investigate and close the case Had among the highest median Substantiation Rates, at 50% Were most likely to cause an employment separation event as a result of a substantiated case Accounted for twice as many of the reports submitted by third parties than those submitted by employees Small increase in report volume shows big payoff in healthy report mix. A diverse array of topics, inquiries, and allegations in internal reporting indicates a robust program. NAVEX’s findings reveal that even minor efforts to promote internal reporting significantly improve the mix of report types received. For instance, in organizations with the lowest report volume, only 8.7% of reports pertain to HR, Diversity, and Workplace Respect. However, in the next tier, this proportion jumps to 36.3%. This trend persists across different report volumes, emphasizing the importance of fostering a reporting culture. A varied mix of report types signifies trust in internal reporting to address a broad spectrum of issues. Even a slight increase from minimal reporting yields a more comprehensive and insightful flow of reports. "With NAVEX's integrated data platform, companies gain unparalleled risk signal data that empowers them to foster healthier workplace cultures, helping them achieve outcomes that matter most,” explains NAVEX Chief Product Officer A.G. Lambert. "Data isn't just numbers; it's the compass guiding organizations toward success and ensuring they stay ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of risk and compliance." Additional notable findings include: Workplace behaviors and discord were clearly visible in the data as more organizations return to office environments. As is always the case in these reports, workplace behaviors and other human resources related matters are by far the highest percentage of reports received by organizations. Workplace Civility matters continued to increase in prominence in 2023, representing a median of 18% of reports and the highest median reporting rate in 2023. This was followed by Discrimination, at a median 12%, Harassment, at a median 7.1%, then Retaliation at a median of 2.0%. The HR, Diversity and Workplace Respect category overall has seen a multi-year increase in its median share of all reports (from 50% in 2021 to 55% in 2023). These figures underscore the growing importance of fostering a respectful and inclusive work environment. Highlighting the seriousness with which organizations are taking reports received, more substantiated reports (18%) resulted in separation from employment in 2023, up significantly from 14% in 2022 and 12% in 2021. The share of reports resulting in no action – effectively the opposite end of the outcome spectrum – fell from 17% in 2022 to 14% in 2023. Nearly nine out of 10 reports of Imminent Threat to a Person, Animals or Property were substantiated in 2023 highlighting the importance that reporters possess the training, knowledge, tools and trust that promote rapid reporting of dangerous issues. This need is made even greater by a new California workplace violence prevention law expected to take effect this year that includes requirements for reporting, incident management and training around this issue. For more insights on the 2024 Whistleblowing & Incident Management Benchmark Report, join Jane Norberg, Arnold & Porter partner and former chief of the SEC Office of the Whistleblower, Keith Thomas, FedEx corporate integrity & compliance lead counsel, Carrie Penman, NAVEX chief risk & compliance officer, and Anders Olsen, NAVEX senior data scientist, for an informative webinar where they will discuss the results of this year’s analysis in detail. Watch the webinar here. NAVEX is trusted by thousands of customers worldwide to help them achieve the business outcomes that matter most. As the global leader in integrated risk and compliance management software and services, we deliver solutions through the NAVEX One platform, the industry’s most comprehensive governance, risk and compliance (GRC) information system. For more information, visit NAVEX.com and our blog. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Contact Details Navex Global scott.levesque@navex.com Company Website https://navex.com

March 26, 2024 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Spring Renewal

News Media Group, Inc.

Contact Details News Media Group Karl Wayne +1 334-440-6397 karl@newsmg.com Company Website https://newsmg.com/

March 25, 2024 01:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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An Inherited Condition Could be the Cause of Your Early Heart Disease or Stroke, But Your Doctor is Probably Not Testing for It

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/Y_mu9ZpIO88 Heart disease is still the single biggest threat to American health today. Family Heart Foundation research shows that less than 5% of Americans are being screened for the most common, life-threatening genetic condition that causes early strokes and heart attacks – elevated Lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a) for short. Elevated lipoprotein(a) is the most common genetic cause of early heart disease and stroke. One in 5 people worldwide have inherited high Lp(a), and most don’t know it. You inherit your Lp(a) level from your parents. Because elevated Lp(a) isn’t screened for, the first sign of this condition may be a stroke or a heart attack. Elevated levels of Lp(a) increases the risk of blood clotting and plaque buildup inside the blood vessels, which can block the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart and brain. Compared to the general population, people with elevated Lp(a) have 2-3 times the risk for a heart attack and stroke at a young age. The higher your Lp(a), the higher your risk. Lp(a) is not measured in the standard cholesterol panel. It’s important to understand if you have elevated Lp(a). Multiple therapies are in development but in the meantime, there are things you can do to manage your other cardiovascular risk factors, such as keeping your LDL cholesterol levels very low. The Family Heart Foundation can help you find a healthcare provider near you and connect you to others living with elevated Lp(a). The Family Heart Foundation is the only patient-centered, research and advocacy organization focused on addressing the lack of screening and care for people born and living with this common life-threatening condition. On March 20 th a nationwide media tour was conducted featuring Dr. Amit Khera, Professor and Director of Preventive Cardiology UT Southwestern Medical Center and Misty Votaw. Topics they discussed included: Who should have their Lp(a) measured and when. Misty’s story and how the Family Heart Foundation provided resources. If you have elevated Lp(a), what can you do to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. What the Family Heart Foundation is doing to address gaps in care for 60 million Americans at risk. For more information and to find out if you have elevated Lp(a), contact the Family Heart Foundation’s Care Navigation team at FindLpa.org. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

March 25, 2024 01:13 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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COMCAST PROMOTES FOUR NEW LEADERS IN MIDWEST REGION

Comcast Twin Cities

Comcast has announced the promotion of four new leaders in its Midwest Region: Karly Baraga Werner, Vice President of External Affairs, Rob Patterson, Vice President of Comcast Business, Robin Perman, Vice President of Customer Experience and Human Resources, and Megan Mason, Vice President of Finance and Business Operations. “I am excited to welcome these four talented executives into the Comcast Midwest leadership team,” said Kalyn Hove, Senior Vice President, Comcast Midwest Region. “Their combined experience within the company will be invaluable as we continue to expand our services across the Midwest Region and connect our customers to what matters most. These leaders represent the commitment and investment Comcast makes in the development and advancement of our people and women in leadership.” These leadership promotions bring together nearly 45 years of collective experience working with customers, businesses, community partners, and colleagues across the company to Comcast’s Midwest Region. Karly Baraga Werner moves into the role of Vice President of External Affairs from her previous position as the Midwest Region’s Senior Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs. Karly will be responsible for shaping and promoting the Comcast brand while fostering relationships in the communities the company serves. Karly joined Comcast and the Midwest Region in 2012. Prior to joining Comcast, Karly worked in private practice, serving as legal counsel to telecommunications companies for nearly a decade. Rob Patterson is a seasoned sales leader with experience leading Enterprise Sales teams in two large markets. In his new role as Vice President, Comcast Business, Rob will lead, manage and develop the Midwest’s Comcast Business team to achieve sales, revenue and P&L objectives. In addition, he will be responsible for creating and maintaining a best-in-class employee and customer experience. He was previously Senior Director, Comcast Business, in the Florida Region. He joined Comcast in 2014 in the Indianapolis market as an Enterprise Sales Manager. Vice President of Customer Experience and Human Resources, Robin Perman was promoted from Senior Director of Human Resources in Comcast’s West Division. In this new role, Robin will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of Human Resources, Environmental Health & Safety, Employee Engagement, Internal Communications, and Customer Experience. Robin has been with Comcast since 2017. Megan Mason joins the Midwest Region as Vice President of Finance and Business Operations. In this position, she will support financial planning and analysis, capital management, project management, supply chain operations, and risk assurance. Most recently, she was the Vice President of Finance supporting network expansion for the West Division and led Finance for the former Oregon/SW Washington Region. Previously, she held Director and Senior Director positions for the West Division, Midwest and Mountain West Regions. Megan has more than 15 years of experience in the telecom industry. About Comcast Corporation Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company. From the connectivity and platforms we provide, to the content and experiences we create, our businesses reach hundreds of millions of customers, viewers, and guests worldwide. We deliver world-class broadband, wireless, and video through Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky; produce, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through brands including NBC, Telemundo, Universal, Peacock, and Sky; and bring incredible theme parks and attractions to life through Universal Destinations & Experiences. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Comcast Corporation Jill Hornbacher +1 651-425-1695 Jill_Hornbacher@comcast.com Company Website https://midwest.comcast.com/

March 21, 2024 07:00 AM Central Daylight Time

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Comcast Continues Major Fiber Network Expansion in Texas

Comcast Texas

Comcast announced today it will continue to significantly expand its next-generation Xfinity network across several southeast Texas counties in 2024. The media and technology company will invest more than $265 million to install more than one thousand miles of new fiber-rich highways that will reach more than 100,000 homes and businesses by the end of this year. The planned expansions add to Comcast’s ongoing $3 billion investment in Texas over the last three years. Comcast’s fiber network expansion in 2024 will begin in the cities of Conroe, Montgomery, Hempstead, Porter, Navasota and Cleveland. Construction will also continue in other communities that have ongoing network infrastructure projects in the Houston area. Conroe, parts of which already have access to Xfinity and Comcast Business services, will be the largest expansion area of the year — reaching approximately 20,000 additional homes and businesses. These locations will have the foundational next-generation network in place to begin deploying DOCSIS 4.0, setting the stage for the introduction of new symmetrical multi-gigabit Internet options. “Reliable high-speed internet is essential in today’s digital economy, which is why Comcast continues its commitment to connect more southeast Texas families and businesses to the moments that matter most,” said Jose Espinel, Comcast Texas’ Regional Senior Vice President. “We are expanding our fiber highways in Montgomery, Waller, Grimes and Liberty counties, strategically investing in areas undergoing significant growth. By establishing the best broadband infrastructure today, we are securing the economic prosperity of these communities for tomorrow.” Comcast’s commitment to new communities goes beyond the build-- addressing digital opportunities in communities through Project UP, the company’s $1 billion dollar commitment to help tens of millions of people connect to the Internet and build futures of unlimited possibilities. Last year, Comcast Texas invested more than one million dollars to help local community organizations provide hands on digital skills training, offer workforce development/readiness workshops and other tech education to students, adults and people with disabilities. The funding also supports ongoing efforts to build awareness about affordable connectivity services like Internet Essentials, which offers eligible households high-speed internet for $9.95/month or Internet Essentials Plus for $29.95/month. Affordable computers are also available through Internet Essentials. For more construction details and updates, visit ComcastTexas.com/Expansion. Powered by Xfinity Comcast’s network and Internet experience are powering homes today and into the future. Ultimate Capacity: Xfinity customers connect more than 1 billion devices across the company’s network annually. With the next-generation Xfinity gateways we deliver the most advanced WiFi technology carrying three times more bandwidth to power streaming, gaming, videoconferencing, and more, simultaneously. Fastest Internet: More than a third of Xfinity Internet customers subscribe to gigabit speed products. Recently Comcast connected the first customers in the world to a DOCSIS 4.0 connection, delivering symmetrical gig speeds over existing connections in customers’ homes with plans to continue to rollout these speeds across the country over the coming years. Unprecedented Coverage: The latest Xfinity Gateway provides a more reliable connection throughout the home. Customers can get wall-to-wall WiFi coverage with a powerful WiFi Boost Pod that extends coverage to hard-to-reach areas of the home. Most Reliable Connection: Comcast is scaling the nation’s largest and most reliable network that passes 62 million homes and business and counting. The company launched Storm-Ready WiFi, a new device that comes powered with cellular and battery backup to help keep customers connected even when the power goes out. Ultra-Low Latency: The Xfinity network and the latest Xfinity Gateway are a powerful combination that deliver ultra-low latency for those moments when response times matter most like video games, a fast-growing category with Xfinity households averaging more than one gaming console per home. The Xfinity network is also self-monitoring and uses AI to detect potential problems before they arise, delivering a reliable connection that is up and running in customers’ homes 99% of the time. For local businesses, Comcast Business offers a suite of connectivity, communications, networking, cybersecurity, wireless, and managed solutions to help organizations of different sizes prepare for what’s next. Powered by the nation’s largest Gig-speed broadband network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast Business is the nation’s largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses and one of the leading service providers to the Enterprise market. Comcast Business has been consistently recognized by industry analysts and associations as a leader and innovator, and one of the fastest-growing providers of Ethernet services. Ookla’s Speedtest TM Market Index report shows that Xfinity delivered the fastest median download speeds to its Internet customers in the United States for the final quarter of 2022. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on connectivity, aggregation, and streaming with 57 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Taisha Walker +1 832-942-1131 Taisha_Walker@comcast.com Company Website https://houston.comcast.com/

March 21, 2024 06:00 AM Central Daylight Time

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Aniview Partners with Blitz to Redefine Gaming Monetization

Aniview

Aniview, a global provider of video advertising technology and monetization solutions, is thrilled to announce its strategic partnership with Blitz, a leader in personal gaming activity tracking and coaching. The collaboration aims to transform the integration of video advertising and analytics in the gaming industry, offering an enhanced user experience to millions of gaming enthusiasts globally. Blitz, known for its comprehensive gaming analytics and improvement tools, is teaming up with Aniview to utilize their AI-powered, end-to-end video ad-serving ecosystem. This partnership is set to provide targeted and effective video advertising solutions tailored to the specific interests and behaviors of global gaming audiences. "Teaming up with Aniview marks a significant milestone for Blitz. Their cutting-edge video ad technology complements our gaming industry-leading analytics platform perfectly, allowing us to offer a more immersive and personalized experience to our users," said Eddie Lee, VP, Revenue Operations at Blitz. Alon Carmel, CEO of Aniview, expressed excitement about the collaboration, "Our partnership with Blitz represents a significant leap in how video advertising technology can be integrated with gaming analytics. This collaboration will enhance how advertisers reach their audiences and enrich the user experience for gamers worldwide." Aniview and Blitz are working together to bring three key advantages: Enhanced User Experience: The integration of Aniview's sophisticated ad-serving system with the Blitz platform promises a more tailored and immersive advertising experience for users. The aim is to improve user satisfaction by presenting video ads that are not only relevant but also resonate with the gaming audience. Improved Advertising Opportunities: By leveraging Blitz’s comprehensive analytics alongside Aniview's dynamic video ad delivery system, advertisers can now access highly impactful advertising opportunities. Optimized Marketing Metrics: Brands can now connect more effectively with gamers worldwide, leading to higher video completion rates and improved ad viewability, translating into superior ROI for advertisers. This partnership is set to redefine the standards of collaboration between gaming platforms and advertising technologies, aiming to deliver superior experiences to users and more effective advertising outcomes for gaming publishers as well as advertisers. About Aniview Aniview is a global adtech and media company whose platform is playing an increasingly central role in delivering efficient and effective video advertising across the open web. The company’s end-to-end solutions are highly flexible and transparent, and they operate on desktop, mobile, in-app, connected TV, and over-the-top formats. Aniview’s patented video player technology, high-performance ad server, and video marketplace provide flawless video delivery to 1000+ premium websites and apps, powering video advertising for prominent platforms like Outbrain and OpenWeb. Founded in 2013, Aniview now delivers, on average, 15 billion ad impressions per month. For more information, please visit www.aniview.com. About Blitz Blitz is a premier analytics platform offering real-time insights, stats, and improvement tools for gamers. With over 8 million active users, the Blitz App offers overlays, performance insights, and stats for League of Legends, Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, and Fortnite. Blitz is dedicated to enhancing the performance and gaming experience of players worldwide. It's not just a tool; it's a gaming companion that empowers players to understand their strengths, weaknesses, and progress over time. Ideal for both casual and professional gamers, Blitz is revolutionizing the way we play and improve in the digital arena. For more information, please visit https://blitz.gg/. Contact Details Vaibhav Pandey info@aniview.com

March 20, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Basketball Forever Secures $4 Million in Series A Funding on Heels of North American Launch

Basketball Forever

Basketball Forever, one of the fastest growing and most engaged independent sports content brands in the world, announced a Series A funding totaling over $4 million USD. The round was led by Yolo Investments and also included Astralis Capital Management, Andover Ventures, Seth Young of FSG Digital and GMA Consulting, former Pinnacle Sports CEO and current betting and gaming advisor Paris Smith, David Sargeant of iGaming Ideas, Chris Grove of Acies Investments and Benjie Cherniak of Avenue H Capital. Having recently established a North American office, Basketball Forever plans to use the funds to accelerate growth by increasing its efforts to acquire a bigger audience in the region, expand into other verticals beyond basketball and deepen its roster of free and real money games. “This investment from so many leaders and well-respected voices in the sports betting and gaming space is illuminating,” said Alex Sumsky, CEO and co-founder of Forever Network. “It shows that not only is Basketball Network going down the path of profitability as a media company, but that expanding into sports betting and daily fantasy is the right move. Gamifying the sport media experience is the future. This capital will help us explore that vertical more, grow our North American staff and invest time in making our user experience the best on the market.” Since it operates each game, Basketball Forever can seamlessly weave marketing collateral and calls to action into content across its website and social media, offering an unappareled second screen offering. This creates a genuine experience for its users, helping establish a community that continuously comes back for more. This was proved during NBA All-Star Weekend when Basketball Forever launched its first North American focused game Hot Hands, a live action, free-to-play bingo-style game. The game saw more than 10,000 users claim more than 35,000 squares on the first offering of the game. Basketball Forever’s stable of games also includes free-to-play games V.O.A.T. and Streaker, with real-money versions of the games on the horizon. “It’s impossible to ignore what Basketball Forever has done to build a massively engaged audience,” said Tim Heath, Founder and General Partner at Yolo Investments. “Their ability to then create a bridge between its users and the games it creates is invaluable. We feel like Basketball Forever’s continued venture into sports betting in the North American market will establish them as not just leaders in the space, but as a model for other media companies to follow for years to come.” Founded in 2015, Basketball Forever is a digital media platform creating news and content on the global basketball market. For more than a decade, the company has built its brand organically from Australia, amassing a monthly global audience of more than 110 million unique visitors. According to Comscore’s Shareablee score, Basketball Forever is the most engaged sports publisher amongst millennials. Previously, all of its partners, sponsors and development efforts focused on the Australian market, even though the platform reaches 45 million unique visitors per month from the United States alone. In 2023, the company drew 4 billion impressions across all its social channels. ABOUT BASKETBALL FOREVER Basketball Forever was founded in 2015 with a mission to celebrate the game and embrace its ability to unite people from all over the world. The brand reaches millions globally as the best source of breaking news, commentary, rumors, and culture through a uniquely social-first approach, bringing the best content to the consumer and removing the barriers between the creative and the consumer. For more information and to subscribe, please visit: ForeverNetwork.com Contact Details Sterling Randle +1 801-319-6153 sterling.randle@gmail.com Company Website https://basketballforever.com/

March 20, 2024 08:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Kevel Announces Retail Media Cloud™ Ushering in the Age of Differentiation for Retail Media Networks

Kevel

Kevel, the API-led ad serving company, is announcing its new solution: the Kevel Retail Media Cloud™ to deepen its retail media focus and drive advanced product innovation for retailers and marketplaces with on-site and in-store retail media ad products. The new Retail Media Cloud solution unifies Kevel’s ad serving, forecasting, audience building and self-serve capabilities, helping retail media publishers and networks differentiate themselves in the increasingly crowded retail media market. One of the greatest challenges across the retail media space is the inability for multi-channel retailers to utilize their own sophisticated data models, algorithms, and machine learning capabilities within ad serving environments. The Retail Media Cloud changes that, allowing retailers to integrate their own relevancy scoring and machine learning capabilities to target their ads and provide relevant customer experiences. The introduction of the Retail Media Cloud solution comes at a pivotal time for the billion-dollar retail media industry as advertisers are demanding inventory, flexibility and ROI from retail media platforms. The Retail Media Cloud was created to help retail media and marketplace clients capture this demand by enabling them to offer the best mix of data targeting, ad formats and measurement while preserving their brand, data assets and shopper experience. “Retailers feel stuck turning to commodity solutions and offering the same old ad formats through limited black-box third party providers or their own in-house solution. This may grow their bottom line to 3% GMV in the short term, but won’t last in competition with innovative players like Amazon and Walmart, who are seeing 8% GMV,” says James Avery, Founder and CEO of Kevel. “Retailers are either frustrated with the slow development, high costs, and limited scale of in-house solutions, or they’re sick of the latency and lack of control they have with third-party providers against a backdrop of data privacy chaos due to third-party cookie practices.” Kevel’s Retail Media Cloud allows retailers to de-risk building a unique ad platform with flexible tools to create a RMN, with key features like campaign management automation, decisioning and the flexibility to run any ad format or selection method they can dream of, all while keeping their data safe and secure at scale. Innovative retailers and marketplaces like Edmunds, Slickdeals and Farfetch are driving the next wave of innovation and simultaneously bringing their points of differentiation within their control including ad formats, site experience, use of unique data and the ability to provide measurement to their valuable advertising partners. Building on Kevel’s Retail Media Cloud allows them to retain the benefits of world class adtech that they own without the heavy build costs and risks associated with partners. "Kevel's APIs helped us build the fastest, most innovative ad product in our industry." - Director of Ad Engineering, Edmunds. "Our homegrown solution served us well, but lacked some functionality around reporting, targeting, and budget pacing. Kevel allowed us to easily add these features and opened up opportunities we didn't have before." - Eugene Faynberg, VP of Ad Operations, Slickdeals. Through unique on-site ad units, improved data control, and enhanced shopper experience and margin management, retailers can now capture more media spend through their own in-house ad platform while reducing their build costs. Kevel’s flexible API-based ad infrastructure is designed to help its customers differentiate their ad platforms in an overcrowded market. With this unique position in the market, Kevel is dedicated to Innovation and focusing on the current and future needs of the evolving retail media industry as it enters this new age of differentiation. For more information about Kevel Retail Media Cloud™, please visit www.kevel.com. About Kevel Kevel powers innovative, flexible ad tech infrastructure APIs that fuel its ad serving solutions. It’s unique offering empowers multi-brand retailers to launch differentiated retail media networks that improve the shopper experience while maintaining total control of their first-party data. Kevel believes that every digital retailer should have the capability to scale their own distinct ad platform, just like big tech players like Amazon. Customers like Edmunds, Klarna, Delivery Hero, Leroy Merlin, Slickdeals, and other leading retailers and marketplaces all launched their own retail media network with Kevel. The company has garnered numerous accolades, most recently earning recognition as one of the leading 100 innovative tech start-ups driving the future of brand-to-consumer in 2023 and awarded the MarTech Breakthrough Award for best overall ad tech company in 2022. Learn more at www.kevel.com Contact Details Kevel Jennifer Choo Director of Marketing +1 973-343-8819 jchoo@kevel.com

March 19, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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New Consumer Edge Study Reveals Mortgage Rate Cuts, Aging Population and Late Winter Storms as Top Three Tailwinds Driving Home & Garden Spend

Consumer Edge

Consumer Edge (CE), the leading provider of global consumer data-driven insights, today reveals the top three biggest macro trends influencing the home & garden industry right now. CE’s latest white paper, “ Three Tailwinds Driving Home & Garden Spend, ” identifies three key macro trends that are expected to positively impact the home and garden industry in the coming year. An aging population, potential interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, and late winter snow storms present opportunities for home & garden companies to ramp up to the season and benefit from consumer spending patterns. "Our report on the home & garden sector explores three important factors driving spending trends this season: mortgage rates, an aging population, and weather. Lower mortgage rates are encouraging homeowners to make home repairs to get their homes ready for a more active home buying season. The growing influence of boomers is driving demand for home and garden products. Weather conditions are increasing the need among homeowners in certain regions to do things like waterproof, insulate and heat their homes,” said Michael Gunther, VP, Head of Insights at Consumer Edge. “By understanding these key trends and monitoring their impact as the spring season unfolds, home & garden brands can make informed decisions about their product offerings, marketing strategies, and customer service. Companies that are able to capitalize on these insights will be well-positioned to succeed this year." Top Three Tailwinds Driving Home & Garden Spend Mortgage Rate Impact on Home Improvement Spend: Mortgage rates keep falling from their October 2023 peak, and each rate cut brings an acceleration in home & garden spend as affordability drives housing purchases. Share of Wallet by Age: Boomers are getting older, and homeowners over the age of 65 spend twice as much on home & garden as those buying their first homes at 18-24. Spend Growth by Geography: Regions such as downstate New York saw their first snow in two years in January 2024, and it drove shoppers out to protect and repair their homes. The week of the first winter storm for New York, home & garden spend growth in the state outpaced national growth by 7.4%. With record snow hitting the region again in mid-February, later snowfall could extend this windfall into early Spring. Which brands will this affect? Companies that can cash in on lower mortgage rates offer a range of services to homeowners, such as Homeserve insurance, TruGreen lawn care, and Aptive Environmental pest control. Homeserve and TruGreen also are among the top brands shopped among those aged 65+, benefitting from a double tailwind. Other top beneficiaries of the aging population who should plan for increased spend include home décor provider, Collections Inc and bedding/bath towel purveyor, MyPillow. During New York’s January snowstorm, trends for increased spend at energy/heat providers and warm blanket sellers, Brooklinen occurred. CE’s Three Tailwinds Driving Home & Garden Spend white paper provides a detailed analysis of each trend and its potential impact on the home and garden industry. It also includes recommendations for companies on how to capitalize on these trends. To download Three Tailwinds Driving Home & Garden Spend, click here. Insights Methodology Consumer Edge highlights observed panel sales for its Home & Garden Spend aggregates and top individual brands across the US. The Consumer Edge panel consists of US ~40M debit and credit cards. Supporting Image: Note: 364 days ending 1/28/24, % of homeowners shopping at brand vs. % of overall population; brands with at least 2,500 customers in dataset About Consumer Edge Consumer Edge (CE) provides data-driven insights focused on the global consumer. Founded in 2009 by CEO Bill Pecoriello, CE is a data and insights as a service (IaaS) company delivering unparalleled views into global consumer spending behavior coupled with deep industry knowledge and analytical expertise. CE solutions provide key stakeholders across the corporate and investment landscapes with best-in-class tools to enable enhanced strategic decision-making. CE’s unique capabilities allow for actionable insights driven by near real-time market intelligence and benchmarking at the brand, sub-industry and industry levels. For more information visit consumer-edge.com. Contact Details Kite Hill PR for Consumer Edge +1 724-787-1565 ConsumerEdge@kitehillpr.com Company Website https://consumer-edge.com/

March 19, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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