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Brandon Dixon
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Natalia Vasilyeva marketing@anzu.io 

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Beth Sidhu, Chief Brand and Communications Officer, Stagwell
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Insights for the C-Suite

Enjoyed these insights? View more commentary from our global marketing, technology, and creative experts in Stagwell’s “C[x]O” series for the C-Suite. Click here to explore more.

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The Sky’s the Limit But Use Cases are the Target

At Google Next – and at several marketing and technology conference this year, including CES and SXSW – the clear challenge to attendees was the two-step from theoretical implementations of AI to hard use-cases that provide value to consumers (and reasons for investment). It’s no wonder companies in attendance debuted over 101 real-world use cases for generative AI, spanning applications to consumer experiences, back-end-operations, insights, and more.  

Some common themes emerged as to where AI is providing the most immediate value:  

• AI to accelerate the curation of essential business insights: AI21 Labs showcased how they use a BigQuery integration called Contextual Answers to allow users to query data across their businesses conversationally.  
• AI to put the power of storytelling in everyone’s fingertips. Google unveiled Google Vids, a new AI-powered video creation app in its Workspace suite that can do everything from generate a storyboard, piece together first drafts of videos from stock multimedia, and do voiceovers.  
• AI to bring real-time tracking to the customer experience: UPS is constructing a digital twin of its entire distribution network that will enable customers to see where their packages are at any time.

AI Will Mean a Rewriting of Every Customer Interface – Here’s Where to Begin

Artificial intelligence represents a quantum leap for creativity and productivity.  As a network on the beat of marketing, we know that AI’s rise will mean a rewriting of almost all customer interfaces as companies race to deliver consumers the personalized experiences they’ve desired since the dawn of the internet. At Google Next, Stagwell CTO Merrill Raman and Stagwell Marketing Cloud CTO Mansoor Basha emphasized that the first step brands should take to reap the benefits of AI should be assessing their organization’s data infrastructure to ensure it is primed for AI.  

Tactically, that may mean deep clean-up of existing first party data sources using data science best practices to get the information organized in a manner that AI can extract useful insights from. Or it may mean partnering with a third-party data provider who can supplement your view of existing and prospective consumers. 

AI Can Be the Bedrock for Trust, When Implemented Appropriately

As Left Field Labs CEO Sarah Mehler shared at Google Next: with growth in AI utilization, a critical question to consider is how do we build trust with audiences when considering AI implementation? Striking the right tone in AI-enabled communications is a primary step. And remember that communication that reflects cultural and demographic nuances is what ultimately resonates with audiences and builds trust in new systems. Well-practiced organizations will apply sentiment analysis to better understand the emotions of a user and provide appropriate responses (thus driving traction and building more successful outcomes).  

Attention to detail is also crucial for building trust in AI implementations. A “Chain of Verification” is one of several methods that can be employed to enhance the accuracy of information provided by AI systems. This process involves multiple steps to validate information before it is conveyed to the user. For instance, after our language model generates a response, we can employ a separate validation model to scrutinize the facts within that response. This secondary check helps to identify and correct any inaccuracies or ‘hallucinations’—instances where the model generates false or misleading information. By systematically verifying data through multiple layers, we can provide more reliable and trustworthy outputs. 

Wondering where to begin with AI implementation in your organization?

Email Beth Sidhu, Chief Brand and Communications Officer at Stagwell, to discuss how we can support your organization’s digital goals. 

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By

Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO, Stagwell

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In a move that will accelerate our product development capabilities in the Stagwell Marketing Cloud, we have entered a unique partnership with Google Cloud to develop generative AI marketing solutions for our clients. This collaboration will accelerate our ability to identify, build and scale AI products, getting market-shifting technology in the hands of our partners faster than ever. We are united with Google in our aim to democratize access to the value large language models and gen AI tools can bring to enterprise. We will begin development immediately on solutions spanning brand campaigns, data analytics and insights, and a proprietary Stagwell LLM purpose-built for our clients. Read more in this Digiday exclusive.

Bringing Research-as-a-Service and AI-Powered Influencer Management to Clients with SMC

We launched significant enhancements to SMC’s AI-driven marketing tools in Q3, beginning with the debut of Harris Quest, a suite of integrated AI-based marketing research products including self-service polling and other “instant information” SaaS solutions. AI is an enabler for more performative business intelligence, and through HarrisQuest, we’re arming modern leaders with on-demand “research-as-a-service,” helping them keep ahead of the breakneck pace of consumer opinion. Elsewhere in the Cloud, we bolstered PRophet, our AI tool for communicators, with new influencer discovery and campaign management capabilities, as well as machine-learning based news monitoring. With PRophet, we’re quickly building a viable competitor to the integrated comms tech suites in the market today.

Adding to AI Capabilities with Left Field Labs Acquisition

Stagwell’s network grew in Q3 with the acquisition of Left Field Labs, a digital agency with expertise in AI and cutting-edge consumer experiences. Left Field Labs has built a 15-year track record of developing digital experiences never imagined before for blue-chip clients across tech, telecoms and business services, including Google, Meta, Amazon, Uber and Cisco. The agency’s major projects include helping Verizon to define and commercialize its 5G services and game engine Unity to reimagine remote entertainment with EDM music. Left Field Labs will join the Constellation Network to develop a bench of solutions integrating AI, immersive experiences and enterprise transformation. Read more about the acquisition in Ad Age.

Leading on Out-of-Home with Goodstuff and Assembly’s OVO Energy Campaign 

Outside the realm of AI, our agencies are working with clients on unique technology integrations to major brand efforts. In the digital out of home space, our media firms Goodstuff and Assembly collaborated to help OVO Energy in the U.K. launch a series of digital billboards that only appear when the National Grid is running on renewable energy. So that the billboards update data in real time, Goodstuff and Assembly established a programmatic buying technology that auto-bids when the grid is greener. The project builds on OVO’s “Power Move” platform, which rewards customers for shifting energy use to off-peak times when the grid is powered by renewables. The high-tech campaign appeared across more than 2600 screens and garnered big attention across the U.K. marketing industry. Read more in Campaign UK. 

Winning Awards for Digital Transformation

Finally, our digital transformation network Code and Theory, which includes Kettle and Mediacurrent, is picking up recognition after recognition for its remarkable digital experiences. In the past quarter, Code and Theory won six coveted W3 awards, recognizing the best in digital experiences, content and creativity. The awards – 3 Gold and 3 Silver – reflect client work for YETI, Tipico, Departures and the Georgia Department of Agriculture. We’re especially proud of Code’s work for YETI, “Year in Preview,” which was a first-of-its-kind interactive experience that allowed users to personalize a calendar of over 135 events spanning hunting, surfing, rodeo and other active communities. In addition to its W3 wins, the work received recognition in Fast Company’s Innovation by Design awards this year.

By

Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO, Stagwell

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Our PRophet product delivering generative and predictive AI for PR professionals has now signed on Alpha IR, Jive PR + Digital, Radical Company and Impact Partners in the enterprise client category and has won another PR industry contest as the best new martech product out there. We expect, by the end of the year, to be fully competitive with larger systems from Cision and serve as a full replacement. We have already deployed generative AI in the product to produce new content, briefing books and pitches, and recently released a multi-pitch tool and executive bio generator, helping communications professionals save a tremendous number of hours.    

AI in Action: Assembly Drives Big Results for Ace Hardware

While generative AI has taken the limelight in recent years, our media agencies have long leveraged AI to drive better client results. And even Alphabet is taking notice. Long-time Assembly client Ace Hardware’s omnichannel strategy and results were highlighted on Alphabet’s Q2 earnings call this cycle. To quote Alphabet’s Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler about Assembly’s work: “Take Ace Hardware, who tapped into AI-powered search and omnibidding to capture increased seasonal demand leading up to Memorial Day. This drove increases across online sales, store visits, and in-store sales – resulting in 87% YoY growth in omni revenue from Google Ads and led to one of the largest revenue weeks ever for Ace store owners.” 

Helping Brands Get Smarter with SmartAssets

Our latest startup in the Stagwell Marketing Cloud is hitting the market fast and furiously. SmartAssets essentially uses AI to categorize content, bring it up to brand standards and point it to where it can be most effective. Or as we like to say at Stagwell: it’s a tool for getting the right message to the right person at precisely the right time. With AI-powered asset categorization, performance analytics and instant creative adjustments, SmartAssets helps brands better optimize production and overall media performance. And big brands are itching to put it to use; SmartAssets has already attracted the attention of a large European CPG client. Learn more about the product here.  

AI in Action: Code and Theory Taps ChatGPT for Challenger Betting Site 

AI transformation is a tangible opportunity to improve efficiency, harvest data insights for monetization and expand our offerings with new capabilities. For example, Tipico, a European sportsbook, came to Stagwell’s Code and Theory network to create and launch a campaign that would help them break into the mainstream U.S. sports betting industry. Right away, Code tapped into ChatGPT for persona development, a process that used to often take weeks but now took the team less than 48 hours. Code created a living persona using first-party app data, its own tools, desk research and audience interviews and trained ChatGPT on four personas that we can now have conversations with. The speed and accuracy of this AI strategy paid massive dividends, with the campaign’s Ohio-focused launch reaching 57% of its 2023 acquisition target and soaring to claim 32% share of voice in the Ohio market. Through the work, Tipico instantly became a top-five betting site in the state. 

How Will AI Transform Marketing?

AI will transform marketing yet again, but humans will continue to reign supreme as advertising becomes smarter and more effective. Read my thoughts on the 10 mini-revolutions in marketing that AI will bring on Forbes.com.

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Beyond the Stage

Stagwell talked to C-suite marketers, sports luminaries, and other innovators at SPORT BEACH and the Palais. You’ll find fresh, insightful videos on our YouTube page from every day of Cannes LIONS. 

On the sand at SPORT BEACH, Anton Vincent, President, Mars Wrigley, North America, talked to the NFL’s Mack Hollins and Damaune Journey, Global Chief Growth Officer, 72andSunny, about treating business like sports, sustainable growth, and the importance of the Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA).

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1. THE AI REVOLUTION IS REAL OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap said AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL·E would lead to an “explosion of creativity” in the marketing industry. His key points: Creatives will use it to generate and enhance ideas more quickly, e.g. easy-to-create storyboards that let agencies explore lots of possibilities. Meanwhile, on the rooftop of the Carlton, Code and Theory’s co-founder and executive chairman Dan Gardner stressed that companies need to embed AI across their entire ecosystems – not just in one-off use cases. DIVE DEEPER: Mark Penn sees AR and AI as the industry’s biggest disruptors
2. YOU HAVE THE POW(AR) What’s holding back brands on AR? The perception that it’s difficult to create and activate at meaningful scale, said CPB president, North America, Maggie Malek at Hôtel Martinez. But Snap’s AR tools and companies like Stagwell’s ARound are making it easier to target passionate new customers in unique ways.
   Speaking of Snap, it teamed up with Disney to build an immersive AR exhibit at Cannes LIONS. And AR developer Niantic announced Rewarded AR, an ad platform that will allow for branded content in mixed-reality games like Pokémon GO. THE APPLE EFFECT: What Apple’s new $3,499 Vision Pro headset means for brands
3. DON’T SLEEP ON THE METAVERSE With all the attention on AI, brands may have neglected opportunities in the metaverse. At the Palais, Roblox’s Christina Wootton said that’s a huge mistake: brands (especially fashion labels) have a great opportunity to connect with Gen Z in the metaverse. Plus, she doesn’t see AI and the metaverse as in conflict, noting that brands could use generative AI to populate the metaverse with a ton of enticing content. NEW RESEARCH: NRG’s Fandex says innovation creates fans, and fans are 3.5x more likely to advocate for brands.

Beyond the Stage

Stagwell talked to C-suite marketers, sports luminaries, and other innovators at SPORT BEACH and the Palais. You’ll find fresh, insightful videos on our YouTube page from every day of Cannes LIONS. 

At SPORT BEACH, Olympian Allyson Felix talked to Evin Shutt, Global Chief Executive Officer and Partner, 72andSunny, about founding her footwear company Saysh and women’s sports.

By

Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO, Stagwell

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ARound is partnering with its first NBA team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, on a shared AR experience called “Cavs ARcade,” which kicked off during the 2023 playoffs in the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. ARound’s customized shared AR experiences for each team allow fans to digitally interact with the court or field, witness real-time effects, and take their fan experience to the next level. This partnership officially brings ARound to three American professional sports leagues: the MLB (via partnerships with Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins), the NFL (via partnership with the Los Angeles Rams), and the NBA. 

The media is taking notice. Read Fast Company’s new profile of ARound, which dives into how the world’s first stadium-scale shared AR platform promises to change how fans engage with sports events and, eventually, all live events.  

Unlocking the Power of AI with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and LexisNexis

Stagwell companies announced several exciting technology partnerships across AI this quarter.

As brands look to embed artificial intelligence across their entire business over the next five years, Code and Theory announced it is building new AI capabilities with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. This collaboration combines OCI’s computing power and secure infrastructure with Code and Theory’s award winning digital-first creative thinking to unlock AI-powered innovation at scale. Ultimately, this will enable Code and Theory to implement custom AI interfaces in four areas – engineering, business intelligence, generative, and cloud services – to help fuel growth and transformation across automotive, hospitality, retail, and financial services. 

And Stagwell Marketing Cloud’s PRophet announced an alliance with LexisNexis to power PRophet’s industry leading AI platform, which collectively boasts access to over 200,000 global news sources from high authority outlets and journalists, including hyperlocal media, newsletters, trade publications, and blogs. The partnership is another step in helping PR pros become more performative, predictive, and productive Communications Engineers and follows the launch of “Taylor”, our generative AI tool. You can access a freemium trial of Taylor by visiting www.prprophet.ai. 

ARound, discussed above, began as a pitch in 2020 during Stagwell Marketing Cloud’s yearly internal “Shark Tank” Innovation Competition. Just over two years later, SMC’s “Shark Tank” continues to generate product innovation from within the network. This quarter, we publicly unveiled the 2022 winner: SmartAssets, an AI-powered SaaS ad platform focused on AI-powered asset management, performance analytics, and instant creative adjustments. The team behind Smart Assets from Locaria will receive up to $1 million in funding to bring the product to market. Read the Digiday story for more details and check out this Q+A with the team behind the pitch.  

Dispatch from Web Summit Rio: Marketers Need to Have Their Heads in the Cloud in 2023

FINTECH.TV: The Transformation of the Marketing Sector 

What does Stagwell look like today and where is it headed? I joined FINTECH.TV on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange after our quarterly earnings report last week to talk about the ways our organization is leading the transformation of the marketing sector. Please view the clip here. 

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Talent in the Metaverse 

What’s next in connection, community, and commerce for avatars, athletes and artists? Hear from Tracy Benson, CEO and Founder of Obsesh, Nova Han of Nova Han Productions, and Helix Wolfson, President of Metaverse Operations at Infinite Reality. Stream the episode.

Creator Economy and the Metaverse

How are creators and platforms envisioning the future of fandom and engagement in the metaverse and other immersive realities? Maggie Malek, CEO, MMI and John Rough, SVP, Enterprise for Untied Masters, discuss. Stream the episode.

Fandom, Music, and Metaverse 

VentureBeat’s Dean Takahashi, Jonathan Vlassopulos, CEO of Napster, and Animal Concerts Executive Producer, Music, Anthony Mazzo discuss how brands can connect with artists, music, platforms and communities in the metaverse. Stream the episode.

Inclusivity in the Metaverse 

AFROPUNK founder Jocelyn Cooper and Shelby Larkin, Director, Global Partnership development at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park discuss diverse communities can benefit from the Metaverse. Stream the episode. 

By

Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO, Stagwell

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At CES 2023 in January, Stagwell was the only global marketing services network to exhibit on the main convention floor as we focused on showing how we transform marketing through impactful technology. There, we unveiled an exciting new division in the Stagwell Marketing Cloud to build Specialty Media formats that offer brands novel ways to reach, engage, and monetize key consumer segments across sports, travel, retail, news, and dining. The unit currently includes ARound, our shared AR product in use by the Los Angeles Rams; a new QR code powered marketplace for restaurants and bars; and a new travel marketplace from Ink.    

Through this tech-focused approach, we are bringing new experiences to consumers, whether at the stadium, in a restaurant, or on an airplane. Along with these experiences comes a wealth of creative marketing opportunities, adding, as Digiday reports, yet another “bow in the quiver” of the Cloud that keeps us at the forefront of new forms of richly targeted media