The news: More than half (51%) of customer service journeys start on search engines and third-party platforms like Google, YouTube, Reddit, and ChatGPT—rather than company websites—prompting businesses to meet customers where they are, per a recent Gartner survey. Our take: Brands need to research and identify the platforms their customers rely on and establish fast, responsive service on those channels. The goal isn’t to pull users back to official websites—it’s to meet them where they already are, with the answers they need, when they need them. Using generative engine optimization (GEO) best practices to boost customer service answers in genAI outputs could help younger consumers get digestible, fast answers in their preferred channel.

31% of workers are sabotaging AI efforts, revealing the deep disconnect between C-suite vision and frontline reality. Support, training, and alignment are needed.

A majority of US companies see strong returns from genAI, but AI mistakes, trust issues, and limited workforce access could stall broader adoption.

The B2B social media landscape is rapidly evolving thanks to younger buyers and AI. To adapt, marketers need to lean into influencer marketing, have a multichannel approach, and embrace generative AI.

Business-to-consumer executive marketers plan to increase partnership channel investment by 65% this year, as marketers increasingly understand the power and value of partnerships within a broader ecommerce strategy.

Here’s how publishers are developing and expanding their ecommerce monetization strategies, and how brands and retailers can partner with them to drive purchases in the affiliate channel.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is creating a major drag on the global economy, it’s helping to accelerate the development and commercialization of several emerging technologies that have, until now, received lukewarm public and/or government support.

As facial recognition systems become increasingly accurate, more governments and law enforcement organizations are tapping them to verify people’s identities, nab criminals and keep transactions secure.

Eighty-eight-percent of online shoppers said it’s important for brands and retailers to offer personalized experiences, according to a March 2019 survey from Episerver. In addition to personalization, learn what other three functions are recommended in a web content management system to truly engage your customers.

Retail is undergoing a technological transformation that is driving retailers to automate redundant tasks and revamp their mobile strategies.

Blockchain’s distributed ledger could potentially revolutionize digital advertising. But advertisers are cautious about whether the emerging technology will improve things.

Although it receives constant buzz, there are a few reasons why blockchain isn't widely adopted yet.