Articles - Page 23

Bland Brands Beware: Optimizely’s New Identity Brings Human Creativity to its Agentic AI and AEO Ambitions

matt-garrepy

<hr /> If there’s a bright spot in content operations, it’s speed. And with the latest version of <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/brightspot">Brightspot’s</a> content management platform, the company is promising some serious acceleration for users. Announced last week, Brightspot's new CMS update includes expansive tech stack integrations and new AI features that aim to speed up creation time by prioritizing content workflows. According to Brightspot, this is its most innovative launch to date, transforming the way organizations can create content – and, perhaps more importantly, how content creation impacts organizations. The new version circumvents the daily grind of achieving quality and efficiency, replacing ineffective processes with intuitive workflows, integrated tech stacks, and at-the-ready information to empower faster creation. The result: less friction and a more natural workflow.<h3 id="complete-control-to-create-content-experiences">Complete control to create content experiences</h3>Brightspot’s <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management system</a> is designed to serve the needs of both non-technical users and developers alike, enabling individuals and teams to create and scale digital experiences with minimal effort. Its modular content system and comprehensive authoring tools allow for more seamless workflows – and the ability to create and publish content in minutes.While many content management systems still rely on extensive development, Brightspot is bucking the trend, offering complete control to create content experiences and easing the burden of organizing, managing, and supporting specific workflow needs.With its expanding suite of capabilities, the platform is able to help users boost the quality of their content while reducing the time it takes to make it. “Our customers today face demand for high-quality content, but production timelines simply haven't kept pace. That's why we've taken our content management platform through a significant evolution,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/raleighmcclayton/">Raleigh McClayton</a>, CEO of Brightspot. “These latest innovations empower teams with intuitive features and accelerate their ability to produce exceptional content, giving valuable time back to companies.”A big part of that evolution is Brightspot’s AI-powered creation and insights, which are enriching productivity gains. Additionally, the platform boasts integrations with over 7,000 of the most common business applications, improving the extensibility, efficiency, and efficacy of content teams.“The next version enables even more Enterprise-grade flexibility, customizability, security, compatibility and performance – now with AI enhancements that drive greater efficiency,” McClayton explained. “It's a game-changer in enhancing both efficiency and value, allowing our customers to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market."<h3 id="enhancing-ai-capabilities-and-breaking-down-tech-silos">Enhancing AI capabilities and breaking down tech silos</h3>There are a few “bright spots” in the new version that promise to accelerate productivity and deliver greater value for Brightspot’s customers.The first is smarter, faster, and safer content creation with AI. Brightspot’s artificial intelligence features mitigate challenges with search and tedious content generation with greater automation, allowing customers to quickly and safely create content with advanced governance tools and customizable permissions. Content-level AI tracking and analytics help reinforce the control aspect of utilizing AI features. Brightspot also supports the creation of custom AI solutions, allowing developers to extend the platform’s AI capabilities based on their specific needs.Brightspot has also made strides in breaking down silos between teams and tech. From automatic task creation in Asana to ticket generation in Jira, whenever an action is triggered in the CMS, Brightspot provides connected workflows across the most widely used business apps to create an orchestrated mechanism – and get work done. This applies to both technical and non-technical users, allowing them to increase compatibility across their respective tech stacks.A big part of the productivity promise is the continued reinforcement of an intuitive work environment. Brightspot has endeavored to build and account for every type of user, designing its solutions with simplicity at the core. The platform features an easy-to-navigate interface that simplifies the process of creating and executing workflows, and a clear emphasis on accessibility for non-technical users to manage and automate tasks.Brightspot’s flexible framework is all about extensibility. That means users can build bespoke functions that have no dependency on a customer's development or coding capabilities. A great example is how users can integrate AI or connect their tech stacks in unique ways that reflect their organizational processes, allowing them to achieve productivity across functions.<a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/brightspot">Click here</a> to learn more about Brightspot. <hr /> <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2025"><a href=" https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25">CMS Kickoff 2025</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">so secure your tickets today.</a>

Brightspot Shines with New Version of CMS, Doubling Productivity with Expanded Integrations and AI Features 

cms-critic-staff

<hr /> The MACH Alliance has always maintained a fiery passion for challenging the status quo and tearing down walls. Its zeal has been reflected in the championing of composability and a persistent quest for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems. Since its founding in 2020, the organization has also become an ambassador for change within the “human” architectures of technology organizations, specifically around the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This commitment is manifested in the Alliance's core values and expressed in the development of programs and resources to help guide technology companies to a more meaningful posture around social responsibility, sustainability, and DEI. Initiatives like the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/women-in-machs-2023-flagship-event-plans-to-go-beyond-boundaries-in-madrid">Women in MACH</a> program best exemplify its motivations, elevating the voices of women across their MACH membership community and serving as a template for the broader technology landscape.Last week, the not-for-profit advocacy group introduced a new resource to help tech companies gain clarity and divine actionable insight for improving their DEI efforts. <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/deib-maturity-assessment">The Women in MACH DEIB Scoring Tool</a> is a novel solution designed to accurately measure, track, and improve an organization’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging – specifically in the MACH space. That last piece about “belonging” is a differentiated aspect of the tool’s ethos. While not a new addition to the traditional DEI TLA (three-lettered acronym), belonging has gained traction in certain corners of organizational culture. <a target="_blank" href="https://deib-rise.ctb.ku.edu/deib-understanding-diversity-equity-inclusion-and-belonging/">A number of universities</a>, for example, have been spearheading the evolution of DEI and wrapping the concept of belonging into their toolboxes. In this vertical use case, belonging speaks to an individual student or faculty member’s perceived sense of connectedness and the feeling of being accepted, respected, and valued by their peers and community.The same holds true for employees at tech companies, where belonging has taken on a new imperative within the DEI rubric. Measuring how an organization supports and engages with team members is becoming a key component for reinforcing the well-being of its people, which ultimately translates into better performance and outcomes. HR departments are embracing more of an intersectional lens to support employee growth, and adding belonging to the classic DEI methodology is becoming an important part of an evolving strategy.  While many enterprises have invested in DEI – including the appointment of dedicated executive leadership – there is still significant work to be done. This is where the DEIB Scoring Tool comes in, providing a layer of insight for organizations to enhance the maturity of their programs.“Launching a simple yet powerful tool to advance efforts around DEIB has been our overall goal in developing the DEIB score,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rabea-tamm-53218178/">Rabea Tamm</a>, Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion &amp; Belonging at <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/commercetools">commercetools</a>. “I am convinced that the tool will provide clear guidance on the next step for any organization on their journey towards more equity. Offering it for free for MACH Alliance member companies is our contribution to pushing for progress broadly.” <h3 id="identifying-the-need-for-a-deib-solution">Identifying the need for a DEIB solution</h3>The primary goal of the new MACH DEIB Scoring Tool is to break down any barriers to success within a tech company’s DEI initiatives. It does this by providing an easy-to-use online survey that collects, aggregates, and scores your results in a neutral manner. It then prescribes actionable resources in the form of best practices and strategies.As Rabea Tamm noted, the DEIB Scoring Tool will be completely free for members of the MACH Alliance. This is a big benefit given that comparable products in the market can sometimes be quite expensive. For example, research tools <a target="_blank" href="https://www.qualtrics.com/support/employee-experience/creating-ee-project/common-use-cases-ee/diversity-equity-inclusion-solution/">like Qualtric's XM Platform</a> provide granular capabilities for tracking DEI metrics but require some pricey commitments.Downstream from more robust enterprise solutions, an organization could certainly launch its own DEI survey via marketing apps like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/">Survey Monkey</a> (they have an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/toolkit/dei-leader/">existing DEI template</a> for this specific use case). The problem? It would lack the industry focus and MACH-centric intimacy the Alliance brings to the table.  Leaders within the Women in MACH program were motivated to implement a DEIB scoring tool that served its MACH membership. Given the available options, it became abundantly clear that a homegrown solution was the way to go.“When looking at the existing DEIB tools, we were underwhelmed,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jguthmann/">Jasmin Guthmann</a>, Executive Board Member of the MACH Alliance and Sponsor of Women in MACH. “The expensive ones didn't deliver enough value, and the free tools were weak. We didn't want to wait for change – we rolled up our sleeves and built our own. Because of a world without accessible, actionable DEIB insights? That simply doesn't compute.”<h3 id="how-the-deib-scoring-tool-works">How the DEIB Scoring Tool works</h3><a target="_blank" href="https://mach-alliance-new-git-feature-map-165-intro-933f9d-machalliance.vercel.app/deib-maturity-assessment">The survey itself</a> takes about 15 minutes to complete. The flow is broken into clear categories around topics that include Awareness &amp; Communication, Policies &amp; Processes, Learning and Development, Belonging &amp; Engagement, Benefits &amp; Services, Inclusion, and Hiring. <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:89.4%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/09/mach-alliance-deib-tool-setup.png" alt="" /></figure>The login interface for the DEIB Scoring Tool Most surveys leave little to be desired. And if we’re being honest, most of us would prefer to skirt participation (unless we’re over the moon or have an axe to grind). The fact that this is kind of enjoyable is a testament to its design and structure: the app’s UX is elegant, and the content is light-hearted and engaging. Everything is easy to navigate, and there’s a progress bar at the bottom that shows you exactly where you are in the flow – making it feel less cumbersome to complete. Specific attention is paid to an organization’s maturity around substantive and declarative foundations for their DEI platforms, including questions about disability and neurodiversity statements. This might feel like table stakes, but many organizations still don’t have these DEI mechanisms built into their code of conduct or accompanied by any real enforcement. It also touches on the presence of anonymous reporting for policy infringement, which might be an overlooked component in many strategies. <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:67.6%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/09/mach-alliance-deib-tool-question.png" /></figure>Survey question example from the DEIB Scoring Tool There’s also a section on assessing your <a target="_blank" href="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/audit/articles/esg-materiality-assessment.html">Environmental, Social, and Governance</a> program, which consulting firms like Deloitte charge big bucks to develop. ESG is something of a hot potato in our current business and political climate, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ucem.ac.uk/whats-happening/articles/criticism-of-esg/">drawing criticism</a> from certain corners of the private and public sectors. To be fair, some of the feedback is relevant, particularly around its lack of standardized measurement or value-based results.Despite its naysayers, forward-thinking companies are taking a clear stand to be better citizens of the world by engaging in more sustainable practices. In fact, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/umbraco-publishes-annual-impact-report-reinforcing-commitments-to-sustainability-and-community">CMS vendors like Umbraco</a> are publishing reports on this topic, providing transparency and reinforcing their commitments.One highly relevant area of the survey deals with paid family and special leave care. This is a major topic across geographies, but also one coming under scrutiny in the U.S. presidential race, particularly around working families and affordable child care. More proactively, the survey also asks if there are mental health resources on staff, which might be reserved for large enterprises but could also manifest in third-party services.<h3 id="tallying-up-the-score">Tallying up the score</h3>Before submitting your survey, you have a chance to review and edit your full scope of replies. Once submitted, the data is tabulated and analyzed in a few seconds. <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:88.61%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/09/mach-alliance-deib-tool-review.png" alt="" /></figure>Reviewing results from the DEIB Scoring Tool The report itself includes a simple histogram accompanied by a clear DEIB maturity scale that scores your performance. It also includes the individual results within each of the aforementioned categories.  <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:76.89%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/09/mach-alliance-deib-tool-histogram.png" alt="" /></figure>A visual model mapping your DEIB maturity There’s a dynamite stinger: participants who achieve a “Mature” ranking are provided with a Women in MACH badge reflecting their status. The graphic can be downloaded and shared publicly to promote your organization’s MACH DEIB achievement.<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:36.36%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/09/deib-badge-large.png" alt="" /></figure>For participants who still have work to do (and let’s face it, we can all do better), the tool provides guidance in the form of a DEIB Playbook. The idea is to develop pathways for improvement that lead to rescoring and ultimately earning a “Mature” status. Like any survey, there are a few things that could be augmented or streamlined. While this tool might appeal to multiple roles within an organization, it’s clear that DEI, HR, and cultural agents might be the most keen on its potential. For anyone outside those walls, it would be helpful to feature informational prompts within the survey itself – like what formalized Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) might encompass. Stuff that's easily Googled, BTW. Aside from that, it’s a very lightweight experience, focusing on the most pertinent challenges relevant to DEIB success through a MACH lens – and delivering relevant, enlightening, and actionable results. <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>In 2023, I attended a conference where <a href="casper%20aagaard%20rasmussen">Casper Rasmussen</a>, Global SVP at Valtech and (at the time) President of the MACH Alliance, guided an interactive discussion on social responsibility.Throughout his talk, Rasmussen hammered home a simple mantra: “It's not just what's best for me, but best for we.” This seemed to wrap neatly around his call for modern businesses to make strong commitments to being open, sustainable, and “future fit” around goals that aren’t just commercially motivated.What stayed with me was a comment from an attendee that surfaced during the open forum. I’m paraphrasing, but this individual reflected a level of anxiety around progressive programs – particularly those within ESG – suggesting that they sounded good, but only if the current economics permitted such an investment. Said more plainly: if a recession were impacting tech and the broader market, these kinds of programs would be out the window.Is that the reality?Perhaps it has been – but it shouldn’t be. That mindset represents the easy path, not the right one. The fact is, we have far more to gain by embedding sustainability, diversity, and equality into our business practices at a fundamental level.Over the years, I’ve taken a keen interest in the Women in MACH program because it’s doing great work. But more importantly, it needs allies – particularly from those of us who are white, cisgender males in an industry where we have dominated leadership roles. Likewise, technology businesses need allies to guide the shape and direction of these investments. Having tools to codify progress and achievement is one way to reinforce the bedrock, especially if those systems are purpose-built for the industry and available in an open source vein.To be clear, women have fought to achieve so much. But as we saw at the MACH Two conference last year, the vast majority of attending companies were still represented by men. This resulted in a public challenge to include more diversity across the ecosystem. As the new DEIB Scoring Tool queries in the survey: Do you have an underrepresented group as part of your executive team? If not, what are you willing to do about it?While the MACH Alliance’s new tool is a terrific resource for auditing your posture, it’s far from being a panacea. It reminds me of how companies might use Siteimprove or Monsido to scan their websites for accessibility – it's a great first step, but real accessibility requires more humans in the loop, and a philosophical and cultural approach to design, implementation, and continued maintenance of their digital experiences. In other words, a tool is just the beginning. It’s what you do with it that matters.I previously mentioned the urgent need for “allies.” Perhaps it’s fitting that these programs are coming from an industry “alliance” within the MACH community, where diverse technologies – and people – find harmony. From DEIB tools to education, it says a lot that the MACH Alliance is continuing to invest heavily in this part of the equation. It is, after all, the reason why we’re building and innovating: to improve the lives of humans. <hr /> <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2025"><a href=" https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25">CMS Kickoff 2025</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">so secure your tickets today.</a>

MACH Alliance Empowers Gender Equality with New Women in MACH DEIB Scoring Tool

<hr /> DAM is hot. Red hot. Like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPDUDPCttfc">Steph Curry</a> from the three-point line.The reason is clear: we’ve got too much stuff dribbling on our digital courts. Handling the “brand ball” across distributed global teams, remote workers, and diverse channels is getting increasingly complex. As such, many organizations are often one foul away from using the wrong asset or publishing outdated product details – and that's a ticket to a losing game. Digital Asset Management (DAM) and its co-captain, Product Information Management (PIM), have been winning solutions to this problem of scaling content. While neither category is new to the roster, they’re continuing to prove their relevance as digital content grows. And grows. DAMs and PIMs are like different players on the same team. Both perform well in their respective positions and are quite closely aligned, stoking collaboration and ensuring consistency (you know, picking and rolling in the paint). If you’re not familiar with the distinctions, DAMs manage things like images, videos, and documents; PIMs are used to maintain stores of product information. As one might guess, they indeed overlap in discrete areas, but they miss a shot or two based on their focus. Typically, an organization combines brand assets from a DAM and product details from its PIM, relying on integrations to compile and print on various frontends like websites or apps. One thing they do have in common is rapid transformation with AI. The last two years have seen the addition of AI-driven tools and features like automated workflows, tagging, and more, all designed to help users and organizations streamline their digital operations.Having both DAM and PIM features more closely aligned – along with AI's force-multiplying effects – would certainly benefit large enterprises with vast digital caches of assets and product data. Now, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.canto.com/">Canto</a>, a preeminent DAM software provider, is expanding its footprint to do just that.Yesterday, the company announced that it has acquired industry rival <a target="_blank" href="https://www.imagerelay.com/">Image Relay</a>, a Vermont-based SaaS company that’s been doing novel work to unify digital asset management and product information management. The combination could be a game changer as Canto executes its vision to revolutionize the way businesses mine value from their digital content. Canto has been on its own shooting streak: just last year, the company <a target="_blank" href="https://www.canto.com/press-releases/canto-merlinone/">acquired another competitor, MerlinOne,</a> as it looked to inorganically scale its AI capabilities. For a company with three decades of experience in the DAM game, Canto is certainly looking to grow its fan base aggressively. Let's unpack it a little further. <h3 id="betting-big-on-the-digital-content-explosion">Betting big on the digital content explosion</h3>When I say DAM is worthy of a Steph Curry allusion, then the swish should be audible from the stands – and by all accounts, it is. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/digital-asset-management-market">According to Grand View Research</a>, the global Digital Asset Management market size was valued at over $4.2 billion in 2023, with a projected CAGR of 16.2% from 2024 to 2030.As I previously stated, this is primarily attributed to the proliferation of remote work and distributed teams – thanks in part to a little bug called COVID – which has accelerated the adoption of DAM technology. With more employees working from various locations, cloud-based DAM solutions swept in as a secure pipeline for accessing digital assets from anywhere. The benefits are exceedingly clear. With a DAM, disparate users and teams can collaborate seamlessly and respond faster to shifting dynamics, specifically in fields like marketing, media, and e-commerce – industries where immediate access to up-to-date assets can impact campaign effectiveness and customer engagement.Driving most of the attention and focus on DAMs is the rapid expansion of digital platforms and the rise of omnichannel marketing. As consumers move more fluidly across interconnected screens and devices, brands are seeking just-in-time solutions to meet buyers at every doorstep with cohesive messaging. This has resulted in swollen silos of digital content, packed with images, videos, PDFs, rich media, and more – and an onslaught of AI-generated substance to supply personalization and experimentation goals. To meet this surge, enterprises are now straddled with immense digital content creation needs, which require efficient structural, storage, and retrieval solutions. DAMs and PIMs provide a centralized resource for maintaining these assets in a unified system, helping content creators work together more effectively by streamlining workflows and ensuring consistency across their brand’s ecosystem of assets and product information.Many practical factors involved with digital asset management exceed the charter of marketing and broach the realm of a brand’s sustainability, liability, and reputation. For example, images might have specified copyright or licensing associated with their usage or compliance requirements for assets in different global regions. Content may need to be authenticated in a sea of AI-generated knock-offs. There might even be sensitive cultural considerations that require specific temperature controls. In all of these use cases, a DAM can provide a layer of governance that enables businesses to maintain control over their asset usage, reduce redundancy or errors, and achieve a higher TCO via cost savings from lawsuits or brand damage. This translates into greater efficiency that can be realized at multiple levels within an organization.<h3 id="canto’s-cantata-is-dam-good-music">Canto’s cantata is DAM good music</h3>The acquisition of Image Relay is a critical step in Canto's plan to revolutionize the way businesses extract value from their digital content. The company already boasts over 3,400 customers worldwide and is, by all accounts, in a growth mode. That said, certain industries – such as retail, manufacturing, and CPG – have traditionally relied on separate platforms and complex integrations to manage product data associated with specific digital assets. This can result in latency and errors relative to the unique structure of each independent system. I’ve followed Image Relay for several years, and it’s clear why Canto has chosen this technology to harmonize the orbits of DAM and PIM. Image Relay has made notable strides in uniting the hemispheres with its unified <a target="_blank" href="https://www.imagerelay.com/marketing-delivery">Marketing Delivery</a> platform, allowing customers to efficiently store, access, and share brand-approved, up-to-date product information alongside digital assets. Image Relay's Marketing Delivery system is purpose-built to enable things like omnichannel strategies. It's also designed to reduce product-to-market time and thus amplify revenue. Now, with Canto’s added reach, it could result in a comprehensive solution that fully aligns the two dominions.Image Relay’s founder and CEO <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/skye-chalmers-19273043/">Skye Chalmers</a> will join Canto to help lead the integration of the two technologies and their teams. As he noted in the press release, he’s spent 20 years at Image Relay focusing on the creation of seamless unified solutions that combine these systems. By joining forces with Canto, he sees the delivery of even greater value and efficiency for its customers.As more enterprises embrace composable technology stacks, Canto’s unification of DAM and PIM might reduce the surface area for stacks that require greater access to both resources while selecting best-of-breed tools that perform outside of composed DXPs – many of which offer their own DAMs as part of their offerings. Canto clearly brings key benefits to the coupling, namely in the way of AI innovation. After the acquisition of MerlinOne, the company launched its <a target="_blank" href="https://info.canto.com/digital-asset-management/mam">AI Visual Search</a>, a slick solution that enables users to find assets quickly across vast content libraries based solely on a visual description prompt. A novel approach in a growing field of generative AI applications, Visual Search effectively bridged the gap between visual content and metadata-based searches, delivering a more user-friendly experience for managing and utilizing digital assets. <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellum/">Wain Kellum</a>, Canto’s CEO, the acquisition of Image Relay will enable the company to offer a leading-edge solution to help businesses streamline their digital operations, enhance data accuracy, and deliver exceptional customer experiences.It all sounds fantastic, but we know there’s no easy layup in the software stadium. Along with the growth of the general DAM market comes a slate of competitive platforms, from <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/adobe-experience-manager">Adobe</a> to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bynder.com/">Bynder</a>. At the same time, vendors like Widen have been eaten by DXPs like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/acquia">Acquia, </a>which provide integrated offerings out-of-the-box. These are appealing to large enterprises looking for scalable, reliable solutions designed to work with a broader ecosystem of purpose-built technologies.Go across the market, and you see macro platforms like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/optimizely">Optimizely</a> tethering their DAM technologies with broader <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/optimizely-leads-gartners-2024-mq-for-content-marketing-platforms-as-more-dxps-join-the-game">Content Marketing Platform (CMP)</a> capabilities, reflecting the enterprise's focus on truly integrated solutions that accelerate and scale their marketing initiatives. Go downstream and<a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms"> headless CMS</a> platforms like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/directus">Directus</a> are tacking on their own DAM solution with bring-your-own storage capabilities. All this choice is great, but confusion is a blocker to greatness. In the analysis and evaluation, brands have to be concerned with the ease of use, accuracy, reliability, and ultimately the control that comes with the selection of a DAM or PIM – or both. The need is compelling, but organizations require a clear vision and roadmap to truly unlock the value of such a critical decision.There's also the question of industry scale. Right now, the largest portion of DAM adoption is in media, with the addressable U.S. market leading the revenue share. But factor in the rising potential in vectors like healthcare and manufacturing, and the possibilities for more targeted DAM and PIM solution sets could further balloon. This is where having an ambitious market vision will be a rallying point. As I touched on previously, AI is literally reshaping the definition of a DAM, automating everything from metadata tagging to content recognition. These AI features are evolving every DAM’s searchability, scalability, and usability, making them indispensable tools for enterprises managing vast volumes of digital assets. But the meaningful combination of DAM and PIM – and the focus on AI solutions that can unify, personalize, and ease the digital chaos – could be a key differentiator for Canto.As Steph Curry once observed, “<a target="_blank" href="https://247sports.com/player/65374/quotes/basketball-isnt-just-a-sport-it-is-an-art-one-that-must-be-45275228/">Basketball isn’t just a sport. It is an art, one that must be mastered to succeed.</a>” Similarly, Digital Asset Management isn’t just a technology, but an activator for brands to power creativity and master their game. In that sense, Canto’s vision with Image Relay might just be a slam DAM dunk.  <hr /> <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2025"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 2025</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">so secure your tickets today.</a>

Slam DAM Dunk: Canto Acquires Image Relay, Plans to Align DAM and PIM Features

<hr /> If there’s a song lyric that captures the ethos of Switzerland, this one comes to mind from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozl3L9fhKtE">Fleetwood Mac</a>: “You can go your own way…”This classic was spinning on turntables and jukeboxes in the mid-1970s, but the Swiss have been rockin’ to the beat of their own drum for over 500 years – back when the country first established its venerated stance on neutrality. With a rich history of non-conformist geopolitical leanings, it’s not surprising that Switzerland is embracing open source software (OSS) with greater purpose and intention, while much of the West remains hesitant – particularly in government circles. Just how serious are the Swiss about OSS? Last year, the country passed what it calls the <a target="_blank" href="https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/news/new-open-source-law-switzerland">Federal Law on the Use of Electronic Means for the Fulfillment of Government Tasks</a> (EMBAG for short), a law requiring public sector entities to provide their software as open source. This applies to any code or applications they’ve developed (or had developed by a third party) provided it doesn’t compromise any rights or create security issues. While many of the tenets are still being implemented, the Swiss government and its contractors must release their software code under an OSS license, promising an entirely new level of transparency around government practices. A year after the law’s final adoption, EMBAG continues to challenge existing perceptions of OSS across the EU, and might just be the model for the future. That may sound wildly ambitious to some – foolhardy to others – but it also makes perfect sense. Like the Swiss, OSS is steeped in a deep legacy of democratic and social idealism, embodying the spirit of freedom and community.But in a world where trust can be easily exploited, is it a good idea for government agencies to be so open about their software?I recently caught up with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathias-bolt-lesniak/">Mathias Bolt Lesniak</a>, an open source evangelist at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.toujou.com/">toujou</a> (a SaaS website building platform based in Norway) and Project Ambassador at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/typo3-association/">TYPO3 Association</a>. We’ve spoken previously about his involvement with the <a target="_blank" href="https://typo3.org/project/press/press-releases/open-website-alliance/english">Open Web Alliance</a>, a cabal of the world’s leading open source CMSs – <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/drupal">Drupal</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/joomla">Joomla</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/TYPO3">TYPO3</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/wordpress">WordPress</a> – which assembled in the wake of the <a target="_blank" href="https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/cyber-resilience-act">EU’s Cyber Resilience Act</a>. The Alliance perceived this emerging policy as a threat to free and open source software like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management systems</a>, assigning responsibility for safety and security considerations regardless of how their CMS software is being utilized or customized. Their efforts culminated in an open letter to the EU about a myriad of issues – including the financial implications – and reinforced the benefits of open source. As an expert in OSS (or “FOSS” when it's free), Mathias had some thoughts on the evolution of Switzerland’s law and what it signals about the future. While other countries in the EU are also investing in the promise of open source, governments abroad are less bullish about the prospects. WordPress, the open source CMS goliath, continues to <a target="_blank" href="https://wordpress.org/about/features/">power over 43% of all websites</a> on the planet. Despite this staggering reach, there’s much work to be done to advance OSS principles in all corners of the globe, particularly in the public sector. But EMBAG just moved the ball further down the field – and if the Swiss don't miss, it could change the game. <h3 id="the-long-road-to-open-source">The long road to open source</h3>The adoption of EMBAG was certainly a legal milestone, and more than a decade in the making. Over that period, the Swiss government was embroiled in lengthy political and legal battles. There were numerous questions about existing agreements and the weight of international law. But in the end, the Swiss government achieved cooperation, applying radical changes to its e-government practices – specifically as it relates to the free reuse of its open source code.Unlike other legislation efforts, EMBAG also breaks new ground by mandating the release of broader government data. While this precludes personal or highly secure information, its Open Government Data (OGD) model goes beyond transparency – easing the friction around reusing data for other applications and encouraging greater innovation and collaboration between government agencies. <h3 id="an-alignment-of-democratic-ideals">An alignment of democratic ideals</h3>I asked Mathias about the promises and pitfalls of EMBAG, and where the potential of success – or failure – might exist. He had some strong observations on the role of governance in the equation, and how that could influence the overall trajectory. “My primary reaction, of course, is that this is great,” he said “I'm really looking forward to seeing the results of it, because this is a project that can go really well, or it can go not so well. I think it depends on the governance aspect of how it's actually implemented. Switzerland, of course, is one of these places that has a really strong democratic tradition – and democracy is what I usually point to when I talk about the positive things open source can bring into countries. It's a kind of ‘learning ground’ for democratic practices. And Switzerland, of course, has had this amazing, direct democracy for hundreds of years.”As Mathias codified, one might say that the Swiss were “culturally prepared” for a shift towards OSS, making it an ideal stage for employing such a groundbreaking piece of legislation. Other countries like France have professed a predilection towards open source, but none have gone this far with their public sector standards.  <hr /> <h4 style="text-align:center" id="“democracy-is-what-i-usually-point-to-when-i-talk-about-the-positive-things-open-source-can-bring-into-countries.”">“Democracy is what I usually point to when I talk about the positive things open source can bring into countries.”</h4> <hr /> The cards might be stacked against any country willing to dive this deep with open source. According to Mathias, there are several things that might help ensure positive outcomes as Switzerland looks to successfully execute this policy.“One of the things I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing is the Swiss building expertise around open source systems, as well as their small to medium supplier market,” he observed. “Open source has this ability, because it gives people the possibility to learn and use it outside of the originally intended use case.” Mathias also sees a runway for expanding the reuse of government software by other entities within Switzerland as well as outside the country. To his point, the Swiss have long cultivated a reputation for superior products and technologies (watches come to mind). As he sees it, there may be a heightened demand for Swiss OSS that far exceeds its current charter – perhaps even a “Swiss standard” for government software. To that end, Mathias sees the adoption of EMBAG as a clear signal that Switzerland recognizes the true potential of open source, widening the aperture well beyond its peers in the EU and abroad. <h3 id="the-struggle-with-security">The struggle with security</h3>Despite the palpable pros, open source has wrestled with the central challenge of trust. And it makes sense: you open your code to the world, and the question of security naturally follows. Accountability is also a major point of friction, as any issues with code or functionality often belong to a community, which can present barriers to solving critical problems.To be fair, all software is vulnerable – and we’re seeing just how vulnerable on a daily basis. Hacks and threats are becoming commonplace, and large open source systems like WordPress provide a much larger surface area for exploits. That said, proprietary software is target-rich and bountiful for likes of ransomware. Just take a quick peek at <a target="_blank" href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/acknowledgement">Microsoft’s security update guide</a> and you’ll get a long and troubling list of vulnerabilities that have cropped up over time.No software should ever be deemed completely secure. But relative to proprietary platforms, open source can hold its own – and in some instances, might even be considered a safer bet. One example: because OSS isn’t controlled by a single vendor, anyone can monitor, locate, and remediate vulnerabilities. This can be a force multiplier for security and governance.At the end of the day, does this build enough trust for public sector agencies to open their code? Do the rewards outweigh the risks?“I think it definitely builds trust,” Mathias said. “Any country that adopts open source so fully is really a sign that its government understands all of the good stuff that you can do with it.”<h3 id="why-is-the-u.s.-less-bullish-on-open-source?">Why is the U.S. less bullish on open source?</h3>The European market teetered on the brink of recession throughout 2023. There were certainly a few bright spots, but by in large, the entire continent struggled as the U.S. boomed, losing pace in the race for AI and suffering setbacks in areas like electric vehicles. According to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/economy/europe-regulates-its-way-to-last-place-2a03c21d">Wall Street Journal article</a> published in January, there is one field where the EU still leads the world – and that’s regulation. This has been a benefit in areas like controlling carbon emissions and advancing data privacy. But its penchant for draconian rulemaking has also stymied its economic agility when competing with China and the U.S.Of course, it’s not all about competition. There is this thing called humanity, and countries like Switzerland seem interested in policies that protect citizens and serve the public interest while promoting digital sovereignty and stoking innovation. Many would claim that doing good and driving economic growth aren’t mutually exclusive, but some EU companies are proving the opposite. <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/umbraco-publishes-annual-impact-report-reinforcing-commitments-to-sustainability-and-community">A great example in the CMS world is Umbraco</a>, which is investing deeply in sustainability and DEI strategies while activating growth (it also happens to be an open source platform).We’ve already established that open source can overcome questions about its security and stability – and based on <a target="_blank" href="https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/open-source-software-the-nine-trillion-resource-companies-take-for-granted">research from Frank Nagle</a> at the Harvard Business School, 96% of commercial programs include some form of OSS in their mix – making it absolutely critical to the global economy. Now, the Swiss are advocating open source for government at the highest level.So why has it been slow to catch on in the U.S. public sector?Well, for starters, there’s certainly support for it. Just a few years ago, the <a target="_blank" href="https://thenewstack.io/how-the-u-s-air-force-deployed-kubernetes-and-istio-on-an-f-16-in-45-days">U.S. Air Force began deploying applications</a> on F-16s utilizing a hybrid cloud strategy via Kubernetes – an open source system for pushing, scaling, and managing containerized apps. The U.S. federal government also requires agencies to release a percentage of its custom code as OSS. That said, there are no mandates like the one Switzerland has introduced – and very little incentive for public sector agencies to invest heavily in open source. I asked Mathias about this marked difference between the U.S. and Europe, and what the underlying factors might be.“I think there's a difference in tradition,” he said. “The U.S. and Europe have different ways of funding for open source projects, to be very black and white. Europe has much more of a government-centric funding model, where the public sector supports projects. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sovereigntechfund.de/">German Sovereign Tech Fund</a>, for example, is a government construct for capitalizing open source projects. And in the U.S., it seems that it's much more reliant on private capital. I think both of those can work as funding solutions, but governments are going to be motivated by public service to a much larger degree than private funding.”That said, the EU's well might be running dry on public funding for OSS. In July, the European Commission <a target="_blank" href="https://fossforce.com/2024/07/is-the-european-commission-dropping-support-for-important-open-source-funding/">neglected to include</a> any Next Generation Internet (NGI) programs in its budget for 2025. NGI has been fiercely committed to building a trustworthy internet by funding over a thousand open source projects through its NGI Zero Commons Fund. If this disappears, many OSS projects may come to a halt.<h3 id="opening-up-the-open-source-promise-">Opening up the open source promise </h3>While EMBAG is providing a template for other EU nations – and the world – it’s still early days. There are aspects of the policy that still need shaking out. But as Mathias observed, the news is sparking great interest around open source and its potential for continued growth.There are clear benefits for the Swiss as they embark on this journey. Aside from the foundation of greater openness and transparency, OSS eliminates inhibitors like vendor lock-in and other compromises that come with selecting proprietary software. More importantly, it drives efficiency by enabling the reuse of code and improving productivity through collaboration. As Mathias sees it, open source can provide governments with greater choice and control –  the essential ingredients for accelerating time to mission and supporting the needs of citizens and communities. Being able to share and reuse OSS code can help activate the potential. “Selecting open source doesn't have to mean you select a single model or one open source piece of software to rule them all,” he explained. “You can also create and fund a collaboration between different projects so that they can reuse the same kind of code. And I think that's an opportunity that is much more relevant when the government is participating. We share information openly, and that’s something that can benefit existing platforms and the development of new platforms for things like government ID.”Mathias is also predicting unexpected ways that open source might deliver greater impact and value.“Governments have an opportunity to support some of areas that are often forgotten, or that receive little focus from open source developers, and one of those is UX,” he said. “For example, many open source systems have been built by developers who build them in a ‘developer way.’ The first thing they think about is functionality and not UX, and governments have the possibility to fund that missing layer of making open source so usable that everyone will adopt it. If that happens, we might see open source platforms that are being compared beyond their feature sets.”We’ve had numerous discussions in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/">Boye &amp; Company CMS Experts Group</a> about Gartner’s persistent “overlooking” of open source platforms on its MQ reports. We know revenue is an obstacle (among other requirements), but there’s also a latent undercurrent of negative perception around OSS when it comes to enterprise software decisions.As the Swiss swing for the fences and once again “go their own way,” perhaps more OSS solutions will attain a new level of respect in the minds of market watchers. Of course, that shift will require a deeper understanding of the true nature of open source:It’s less about code – and more about culture.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24---sold-out"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a> - SOLD OUT</h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, so secure your tickets today.

The Swiss Don’t Miss on Open Source: How Switzerland's EMBAG Law is Evolving the OSS Landscape

Untangling the CMS market in 2024

janus-boye

<hr /> The mantle of “CMO” is a bit of an albatross. Much like the ancient mariner, anyone fuddling in this C-level role might find the journey replete with danger.  To be sure, it’s an important job, shouldering the massive responsibility of driving revenue and swimming in the deep end of a vast data pool. It also has the distinct reputation of being the C-level position with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marketingweek.com/cmo-tenure-falls/">the shortest tenure</a>.There are numerous reasons for this, one of which is burnout. It’s not for the faint of heart, as Chief Marketing Officers are often saddled with breathtaking responsibilities and expectations – the kind where sleep might be an elusive dream. While the CMO was once considered a less important position in the pantheon of corporate leadership, it has certainly earned an essential role. <a href="it’s%20not%20for%20the%20faint%20of%20heart,%20often%20saddled%20with%20breathtaking%20responsibilities%20where%20sleep%20might%20often%20be%20a%20luxury.">According to one study</a>, significantly more CEOs are ranking their marketing departments as “best in class,” a perception driven by CMOs who deliver on business imperatives. As enterprise leaders rely more on visibility powered by analytics and data, CMOs are also taking on a new role as Chief Data Officers. This is thrusting their value into the stratosphere – and their pay packages to boot. The hiring or transition of any C-level leader is a bonafide big deal. But there’s a strong signal being sent when a CMO is enrolled, particularly one with a high-caliber skillset and proven pedigree. It’s a throat-clearing moment that prepares the market for visible change, particularly around how a brand positions itself in an increasingly dense field of competition.  That’s what Storyblok’s hiring of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/markwheeler/">Mark Wheeler</a> represented this week: a full-speed-ahead, no-holds-barred investment in growing its market share. If the CMS’s <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/storyblok-is-writing-its-next-chapter-with-an-80m-series-c-heres-why-it-matters">recent $80 million Series C</a> represents a beachhead for planning its strategy, Mark is the general arriving on the scene to take the castle. Can he do it? Ah, only time will tell. There are certainly major headwinds: cooling economic conditions, tighter IT budgets, and upstream and downstream competitors that continue to befuddle buyers with a confusing morass of messages. Oh… and that pesky U.S. presidential election. Talk about instability. Still, if Mark’s history is any indicator, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominikangerer/">CEO Dominik Angerer</a> should have plenty to look forward to. In my recent discussion with Dominik, we talked at length about Storyblok’s next chapter, which includes ambitious plans to grow its U.S. market footprint. This was underscored by a shift towards a “modern content management system” as a positioning foundation. By doubling down on this clarity, the company could have a key advantage in staking its market differentiation – something a CMO will need to harness, and only a seasoned and successful one can unleash with the right strategies to cut through the noise. Given Mark’s history, proximity to the CMS industry, and immersion in the category of content, he might be the right person for the job. “Having experienced leaders who can help us navigate the opportunities and challenges of our next phase of growth is critical to our success,” Dominik said. “Mark knows the CMS industry inside out and has already been on the part of the journey we’re about to embark on. His experience will help us properly educate the market on the transformative impact Storyblok has throughout the entire content lifecycle.”<h3 id="leaning-on-proven-success-at-adobe-and-sitecore">Leaning on proven success at Adobe and Sitecore</h3>It seems that (almost) all roads lead in or out of <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/sitecore">Sitecore</a>. That speaks to the platform’s longevity and omnipresence, and its undeniable impact on the shape and course of the CMS industry at large.A big part of Mark’s origin story was forged at Sitecore, beginning as VP of Marketing and establishing a reputation as a leading B2B tech marketer in Europe. He later assumed dominion over EMEA and APAC, ultimately running the worldwide field and partner marketing out of London and San Francisco.This encompassed four years, all at a time of significant change across the CMS landscape. Prior to his Sitecore heritage, Mark also ran EMEA marketing at <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_EMC">EMC (Dell),</a> accelerating growth across mid-market, enterprise, government, and via the service provider community with the EMC portfolio of products. Before that, Mark spent seven years at the goliath that is <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/adobe-experience-manager">Adobe</a> in a marketing director role. During his tenure, he achieved some innovative outcomes like establishing an in-house demand gen team and leading a channel transformation strategy that significantly impacted sales bookings.Most recently, Mark was VP of Marketing at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nutanix.com/">Nutanix</a>, a cloud infrastructure software provider. That was followed by his first CMO stint at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.leanix.net/">LeanIX</a>, which was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.leanix.net/en/company/press/leanix-is-now-part-of-sap">acquired by SAP</a> during his tenure. That led to a transitional CMO role under the SAP banner, and ultimately to a break before taking the CMO job at Storyblok.Without question, Mark has a stellar resume – one that would make any tech company anxious to lock down this talent. It’s worth noting that he has also been recognized as a <a target="_blank" href="https://hottopics.ht/awards/cmo-100">Global B2B CMO 100</a> Award Winner in 2021, 2023, and 2024. Add this to his long tenures at both Adobe and Sitecore, and he is well-positioned to drive the marketing and business objectives at Storyblok.<h3 id="the-continued-struggle-to-serve-both-developers-and-marketers">The continued struggle to serve both developers and marketers</h3>Go ahead. Do a drive-by of every major DXP or CMS website, and you’ll see this line somewhere: “Finally, a platform that unites both developers and marketers…”It’s one thing to say it, and quite another to deliver on it. And in an era where <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">headless CMS</a> platforms are still working to mend the fences with content editors and marketing professionals, a lot of these statements still feel hollow. And it’s not for a lack of trying: many platforms are making headway on appealing to marketing folk with a bit of “visual editing fairy dust," and the results are beginning to speak for themselves. If only it was a simple as solving a technology problem. As Mark noted in the company’s press release, the CMS industry has come a long way, baby – but that struggle between devs and marketers is still palpable. Collaborating from concept to completion remains elusive in many systems and organizations (it’s not all on the tech), and Mark has a clear line of sight on where the breaks can be bridged and futureproofed for things like AI. “The market requires solutions that dismantle silos, optimize workflows, and accelerate the content lifecycle, making it more adaptable and ready for the era of generative AI,” he said. “Storyblok is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this by offering a platform that empowers businesses to create, manage, and deliver content at unprecedented speed and scale. By focusing on these advantages, we can drive substantial revenue growth and market share.”It won’t be easy. We’ve been struggling with this for many years, and while other challenges like interoperability have been trimmed with APIs, the human challenges of working together on experiences seem like the ever-present last mile to success. This seems to be a core focus for Mark as he takes the reins. “I'm ready to amplify these strengths by demonstrating how Storyblok empowers teams to achieve extraordinary things,” he further noted. “By truly understanding the challenges faced by content creators and developers, we can position Storyblok as the go-to platform for building exceptional digital experiences.”<h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>As I mentioned a few paragraphs back, the hiring of a CMO is a bellwether moment. It’s a sea change that can prime the engines for a company’s brand, and I think we can expect to see some clear signals right out of the gate.This is a pivotal moment for Storyblok. When I saw their demo competition at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/">Boye &amp; Company CMS Kickoff</a> in 2023, I was blown away by the quality of the product UI and its intuitive simplicity – something they have continued to build on. It has also remained tacitly composable in its posture, allowing for more expansive growth within MACH-architected stacks (the company has been a MACH Alliance member since 2021).Despite everything it’s doing right – including a staggering Series C windfall led by U.S. investors – Storyblok’s greatest challenge might be around choice. With significant competition across the market, including DXPs that are now selling their product in a more composable fashion, the CMS needs to double down on what makes it unique. Some of that is wrapped up in AI and automation, as well as novel new features like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.storyblok.com/docs/guide/in-depth/ideation-room">its Ideation Room.</a> For my money, it's what they've always done well: understanding the customer and expressing that through their product experience. It's a big reason why Dominik Angerer claims he's never lost a customer to churn. Focusing on these attributes is where marketing can be a force multiplier. The other red flag is the persistent and lingering confusion on the headless battlefield. While it all feels less like a “race to the middle” and more like a widespread evolution (heck, we even have a “Universal CMS” entering the fray), I think it’s smart that Storyblok is reinforcing its core sediment as a modern content management system. The market desperately needs sage guidance, and cutting back on the over-engineered experiences and marketing lexicon is the best way to see the forest through the trees and deliver some much-needed clarity to buyers.As Mark Wheeler takes the wheel (sorry, it had to be done), driving that clarity will make all the difference.  <hr /> <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2025"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 2025</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, so secure your tickets today.

Storyblok just hired a CMO with Adobe and Sitecore pedigree. Here’s what it signals for the future

<hr /> In today’s competitive business environment, delivering dynamic experiences across multiple digital channels is becoming increasingly important. In the past, a traditional monolithic CMS was the go-to solution for managing website content in bulk, offering a comprehensive approach with integrated frontend and backend functionalities.However, as the importance of web channels for media distribution grew, developers within larger enterprises recognized the limitations of monolithic solutions in managing complex, structured content or delivering unique frontend capabilities. This led to the rise of custom, internal CMS solutions. Performance and extensive customization were possible but at huge engineering costs and time pressure to plan, develop, and uphold these systems.Since 2007, the rise in smart devices has welcomed a new era of content consumption across diverse channels. The move significantly burdened both monolithic CMS technology and content teams.The need for a multi-channel content strategy and a modern tech stack made the limitations of traditional CMS more apparent. Even today,<a target="_blank" href="https://hygraph.com/resources/future-of-content"> 8 in 10 tech leaders</a> think their current CMS holds them back with inefficient developer or editorial experiences.<h3 id="elevating-tech-teams-with-cms-modernization">Elevating tech teams with CMS modernization</h3>The heavy burden developers face with maintaining custom CMS platforms not only leads to burnout – <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.jetbrains.com/team/2023/11/20/the-state-of-developer-ecosystem-2023/">experienced by nearly 73% of developers</a> at some point in their careers – but also acts as a significant restriction. Consequently, organizations are increasingly looking to modernize their CMS to alleviate these pressures.An in-house CMS requires ongoing maintenance, like keeping an orchestra in tune and ensuring all musicians play harmoniously. It’s also less scalable as it’s often built by a small group of people, so they are the only ones who can access and make changes to the system. Subsequently, it’s hard to manage as the project scales, and the small group of developers who built the solution will be stuck maintaining the code base. Modern headless CMS platforms can greatly enhance the capabilities and efficiency of tech teams, freeing them from the constraints of maintenance around custom platforms and empowering them to focus on driving innovation. There are many other benefits to consider, too: <h4 id="1.-increased-developer-velocity">1. Increased developer velocity</h4>Accumulated technical debt from maintaining custom middleware can reduce developer velocity, slow release cycles, and hinder an organization's ability to maintain a continuous release schedule. <h4 id="2.-improved-app-performance">2. Improved app performance</h4>Performance is a key indicator of your project's success. It's also closely connected to your business since you lose revenue when your performance is poor. A CMS failure can be detected by business metrics such as lost revenues, which are influenced by poor performance indicators such as slow page load speed and low core web vitals. <h4 id="3.-stay-current-with-the-latest-tech">3. Stay current with the latest tech</h4>The technology landscape is ever-evolving. Naturally, some of the latest technologies work better than outdated ones. The advantage of a headless CMS is that you can choose any technology you like and easily switch the front end without changing your CMS. <h4 id="4.-future-proof-technology-strategy">4. Future-proof technology strategy</h4>A tech leader should choose IT vendors that can adapt quickly to an unknown future. A headless architecture with content federation puts data in one place so teams can scale the digital experience. Developers get all the flexibility of headless without having to build, host, secure, and ensure the performance of custom middleware.   <h4 id="5.-talent-acquisition">5. Talent acquisition</h4>Legacy systems are hard to understand, making developers less productive and less attractive when recruiting new team members. It’s much easier to handle things in-house if everything needed to work with the CMS can be easily found in any tech stack. <h4 id="6.-heightened-security">6. Heightened security</h4>Unlike a traditional CMS, a modern headless CMS decouples the backend content repository layer from the frontend presentation layer. This separation allows for greater security because the content management layer is isolated and can be protected independently.<h3 id="why-headless-is-the-way-forward">Why headless is the way forward</h3>Adopting a headless CMS with content federation can offer flexibility, scalability, and streamlined content distribution across multiple channels. Furthermore, by separating the frontend and backend, this approach lays the foundation for organizations to meet their technical and content requirements swiftly, allowing technology teams to develop with any technology for any platform.At a time when content is king, your CMS needs to be a gateway to digital transformation rather than a barrier. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24---sold-out"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a> - SOLD OUT</h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, so secure your tickets today.

 Roadmap to Digital Experience Success: Six Ways to Future-Proof Your CMS While Elevating Your Tech Teams

michael-lukaszczyk

CMS Summit 26

Find out at CMS Connect 26, August 4-5 in Montreal, Canada

What's ahead for CMS in the agentic era?

#ffffff

Publish and pray? No way. Uniform's Visual CMS + Experience Manager is heaven-sent for marketers

Optimizely Introduces New SaaS CMS with Visual Builder for Marketers

More and more businesses are now recognizing the importance of content marketing, but many of them are still struggling to put this discipline into practice effectively.Whilst these businesses can see the value in producing high quality content to attract and retain customers, they often just don’t know where to start. As a result, they end up with subpar and generic content marketing plans that produce subpar and generic results.A well executed content marketing strategy will set you apart from the pack and help you to build a loyal customer base – which will lead to higher conversion rates.In this post, I’m going to debunk a few common content marketing myths that could easily lead you astray, so that you can focus on converting your site visitors into those customers.<h2 id="1.-if-a-social-media-platform-exists,-you-have-to-be-on-it">1. If A Social Media Platform Exists, You Have To Be On It</h2>It’s better not to have any social media presence than to have 5 or 6 accounts that you’ve completely neglected. A poorly set up and rarely used social media account isn’t going to reflect well on your business.Each social media platform will attract a different audience and offer different functionality, so you really need to do your research and focus on the platforms that are most applicable to your business. Think about where your customers hang out and follow them there. If they’re not on Instagram, then you don’t need to be there. If your customers are on Twitter, then you need to pile your resources into that channel.<h2 id="2.-social-media-is-a-waste-of-time">2. Social Media Is A Waste Of Time</h2>Hold up, I know I said you don’t have to be on every social media channel out there – but let's not go overboard. Social media is an essential part of your content marketing campaign and there’s no getting out of it.Regardless of your industry, if you want to truly build relationships with your audience and get the most out of your content, then you need to be active on social media. Think of it as the soft sell; your social media platforms will allow you to nurture your prospects so that they’ll eventually convert into loyal customers.<h2 id="3.-you-need-to-create-as-much-content-as-possible">3. You Need To Create As Much Content As Possible</h2>No, you don’t. You need to create as much quality content as possible. The whole concept of content marketing is about creating content that is of high value to your audience, and if you start churning out 10 pieces of mindless drivel per day it won’t be long until you endure the wrath of a Google Panda Penalty.But that isn’t the only reason to focus on quality content.If you create content that actually appeals to your readers, you’ll encourage brand loyalty and trust – which is essential when it comes to increasing your conversions. Not to mention the boost it’ll give your organic search ranking, which will also have a healthy effect on your conversion rate.<h2 id="4.-all-of-your-content-should-be-self-promotional">4. All Of Your Content Should Be Self-Promotional</h2>Sure it should, if you want to lose all of your customers.Doug Kessler, Co-founder of Velocity Partners, wisely said that, “Traditional marketing talks at people. Content marketing talks with them”. You need to spend less time talking about your business and more time engaging with your customers.Remember, content marketing is about giving your audience that they want, and they don’t want to be bombarded with promotional content every single day.<h2 id="5.-everything-should-be-automated">5. Everything Should Be Automated</h2>This doesn’t apply to content marketing any more than it applies to real life. You have to put in the groundwork yourself if you want your content marketing to take off, and you have to stay sitting in the driving seat if you want it go keep going in the right direction.Marketing automation is a necessary evil and there is tons of excellent software out there to help you streamline the content marketing process. However, it’s important to remain authentic. Your content campaign should never be entirely automated or you’ll appear both unprofessional and impersonal to your audience as a result.<h2 id="6.-only-one-metric-matters">6. Only One Metric Matters</h2>Many businesses make the mistake of only focusing one key metric, rather than looking at the bigger picture.Businesses who want to improve sales will instantly focus on conversion rates, but items such as click-through rates and traffic sources are just as important in terms of optimizing your content marketing campaign.This data will give you a better understanding of your audience and help you to make informed decisions which will increase your overall conversion rate.<h2 id="7.-email-marketing-is-dead">7. Email Marketing is Dead</h2>When I was sitting in an email marketing lecture a few years ago, the lecturer asked us to raise our hands if we thought email marketing was dead. And of course, I raised my hand (yup, I was that student).I had just started learning about digital marketing and I really wasn’t in the email marketing camp at all, I simply didn’t think it was that effective – mainly because I usually sent any promo mails straight to trash.The lecturer simply gave me a knowing look and said he’d ask the question again at the end of the week. But I kept my hand down the second time around.Within the space of that week, I realised that email marketing was rapidly evolving and fast becoming one of the most important tools in a content marketer’s toolbox. And that’s still true today.Email marketing has become one of the best ways to promote content, engage with your target audience, and convert them into customers. Recent data from McKinsey<a target="_blank" href="http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/marketing_sales/why_marketers_should_keep_sending_you_emails"> </a>has even shown it surpassing social media in terms of effectiveness; the study revealed that email is almost 40 times better than Twitter and Facebook for acquiring new customers.<h2 id="8.-content-mills-are-awesome">8. Content Mills Are Awesome</h2>Remember what I said earlier about the importance of quality content? This is exactly why you need to steer clear of hiring from content mills.Firstly, businesses only hit up content marketplaces if they’re looking to pay peanuts. Secondly, contractors who work for peanuts generally aren’t very good. And if they are good, they’re not going put in much effort if you’re paying content mill rates.You need to hire quality writers if you want to get quality content and see actual conversions. If your budget is tight, it’s better to invest in a few exceptional articles rather than a ton of them that don’t hit the mark.<h2 id="9.-you-can-just-copy-your-competitors">9. You Can Just Copy Your Competitors</h2>This isn’t going to work. When you do your competitor analysis, you can assess what you’re up against and see what works for them – but that doesn’t mean that you can clone their content marketing campaign and expect it to work for you.There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ model, and you really have to carve out your own plan based on your specific company objectives and target audience. By creating buyer personas, you can develop content that will appeal to your specific target customer and draw them in. In fact, I’d argue that creating a content marketing strategy for your business is more about knowing your customers than knowing your competitors.<h2 id="10.-your-blog-posts-have-to-be-really-long">10. Your Blog Posts Have To Be Really Long</h2>It’s been proven that longer content tends to do better in terms of ranking and engagement, but that doesn’t mean that you have to churn out a thesis on your blog every single day. Shorter articles have their place and can still rank really well.Some customers will also prefer to read articles that are short and sweet, so it’s better to add some variety to your blog and test both to see what works.<h2 id="11.-your-content-is-only-working-if-your-sales-increase">11. Your Content Is Only Working If Your Sales Increase</h2>If you can’t see direct conversions from your content, it doesn’t mean it’s not working. For most businesses, your content will help you to build loyal audience who are then more likely to convert in future. And it’s important to see the value in these indirect conversions.<h2 id="12.-b2b-marketing-is-the-same-as-b2c-marketing">12. B2B Marketing Is The Same As B2C Marketing</h2>You can’t use a B2B content marketing strategy on a B2C blog or your readers will never come back. Seriously, you’ll bore their socks off.B2C content strategies need a entertainment edge, visuals, a ‘lighter’ vibe, and shorter articles. Whereas, B2B content is more of the ‘how-to’ variety with more of a focus on stats and longer pieces. B2B readers want informative and actionable content that they can use to improve their businesses.That said, don’t forget that your B2B customers are people too and they’ll enjoy a bit of humor just as much as their B2C counterparts.<h2 id="13.-content-marketing-is-all-about-seo">13. Content Marketing Is All About SEO</h2>Nope, it’s about people. SEO is important but it’s not where your main focus should be. Once you stop creating content for people and start creating it for bots, you’re on a downward slope to a town called Customer Zero.After all, how is your content going to ‘go viral’ if no-one is interested in reading it in the first place?<h2 id="14.-content-marketing-is-just-a-trend">14. Content Marketing Is Just a Trend</h2>I think we can safely say that this isn’t the case.Content marketing is a discipline that has become a staple in the marketing industry and it has definitely proved its worth. The only change we might see, is when content marketing starts to be referred to under the more general ‘marketing’ umbrella as it becomes more and more recognized and the disciplines merge.<h2 id="15.-content-marketing-is-easy">15. Content Marketing Is Easy</h2>It takes a lot of work to develop a strong content marketing strategy and it can take a few months before you start to see any real results.In comparison to traditional advertising, you won’t see instantaneous results from your campaigns, and you really need to be in it for the long game to reap the rewards.<h2 id="who-ya-gonna-call?-–-mythbusters">Who Ya Gonna Call? – MythBusters</h2><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/3jxYbdnTjMc2UGVhw1Qq68Qdx6wdwbtVq_eljsgtTrrDlIzasY78EkB5PH2pHlK0QGz5rH3sLuy8JvnD9DSied_BeCqOEPTqiDYveC4Z2TJZsZaEvkOGs5tmvLRNx9hg-KWZs14Q" alt="Screen Shot 2016-01-03 at 03.25.32.png" />As you can see, there are quite a few misconceptions floating around in the content marketing world and hopefully this post has cleared up a few of them for you. Just remember that it’s not always a case of ‘everyone else is right’, and sometimes you have to come up with your own way of doing things to find out what works best for your business.If you have any other content marketing myths you’d like to demystify, why not share them with us in the comments below.

15 Misguided Myths About Content Marketing

grainne-logue

<hr /> Skip the intro and directly access my <a target="_blank" href="https://bit.ly/Responsible-AI-Guidelines-For-Content-Teams">downloadable Responsible AI Principle worksheet</a> for your team now.<h3 id="an-introduction-to-responsible-ai-for-digital-marketing-teams">An Introduction to Responsible AI for Digital Marketing Teams</h3>In today's digital age, artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly become a cornerstone of marketing strategies and tactics, driving innovation and efficiency across various tasks that marketers must complete. However, as AI technology becomes increasingly integrated into digital marketing teams, the need for ethical guidelines and responsible usage is also becoming increasingly crucial.I’m just going to say it: As powerful as AI is, in my opinion, content creation and digital teams are rushing headstrong into using tools like <a target="_blank" href="https://chat.openai.com/">ChatGPT</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://copilot.microsoft.com/">Copilot</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://gemini.google.com/">Gemini</a> without considering how to use them responsibly. I think there is a need to have a prudent approach and set of guidelines in place to ensure these tools are integrated correctly into their content operations. Does your digital marketing team have an AI Policy in use? Mine didn’t. In fact, I’d wager that most teams haven’t even prioritized having such a policy. I believe it’s time to start thinking about implementing one. Below is some context and background that may help. I’ve also listed some of the main factors you should consider when developing guidelines for your team's responsible use of AI.<h3 id="the-rise-of-ai-in-digital-marketing">The Rise of AI in Digital Marketing</h3>AI has revolutionized the marketing landscape, offering tools that can write content, translate from one language to another, automate content delivery, and optimize campaign performance. These advancements have enabled digital marketing teams to achieve high levels of efficiency, leading to more effective writing and improved ROI. CMS platforms and tools such as <a target="_blank" href="http://kontent.ai">Kontent.ai</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sitecore.com/">Sitecore</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kentico.com">Kentico</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.contentful.com/">Contentful</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.optimizely.com/">Optimizely</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.storyblok.com/">Storyblok</a>, etc., are all rushing as fast as possible to add more value with AI-enabled features in their products. I’ve seen it firsthand in many of them. All of these platforms want to be seen as the market leader in the space through AI innovation.In fact, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.futurepedia.io/ai-tools/marketing">Futurepedia</a>, a tool that tracks new AI tools as they come on the market, has over 211 AI tools listed in the Digital Marketing category.  <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:83.28%"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXftvTU4IabsW3KwL1ga2eWKlnhaDjSgAxG64tQEQ8O_vHarNdLMXPU70heYHuek2Loa9bVU5ln_WmC8Da2JE_QKs8avuqLGXZ6I8l1tmTE_rb0GS-8OhSoqZRQPubq6c1S2cUvye4yoQJMEY3uM996fRQLd?key=CLw_KJ6KxDiqOvRg30VM1w" /></figure> Heck, by the time I publish this article, there will probably be 212 or more listed. The pace of change and innovation is impressive. However, with great power comes great responsibility. The reliance on AI-driven tools necessitates a framework that ensures these technologies are used correctly, both from a vendor perspective and a digital team perspective.How do we place some governance on all this change? The answer is to be prudent in the approach to AI by leveraging Responsible AI as a core theme.<h3 id="what-is-responsible-ai?">What Is Responsible AI?</h3>Responsible AI refers to the development and use of artificial intelligence in ways that prioritize ethical, fair, and safe outcomes. Major tech companies like Google, Meta, IBM, and Microsoft emphasize that organizations should follow a set of key principles when leveraging AI. The principles listed below are the most common ones I see. They combine to be a set of guiding principles when using AI.<h3 id="six-key-principles-when-leveraging-ai">Six Key Principles When Leveraging AI</h3><ol><li>Fairness: AI systems should treat all people fairly.</li><li>Reliability and safety: AI systems should perform reliably and safely.</li><li>Privacy and security: AI systems should be secure and respect privacy.</li><li>Inclusiveness: AI systems should empower everyone and engage people.</li><li>Transparency: AI systems should be understandable.</li><li>Accountability: People should be accountable for AI systems.</li></ol>I actually completely agree with the way that Microsoft and others have laid this out. All of those large tech giants have complex resource sites or large PDFs that spell out even more detail around the idea of Responsible AI. The challenge is that these resources are extensive. As an example, the <a target="_blank" href="https://ai.meta.com/static-resource/responsible-use-guide/">Meta Responsible AI guide</a> is over 25 pages. Motivating myself to read all of that or browse multiple pages on the Microsoft Responsible AI site is hard enough. I can’t see my team or my client’s team going through all of that information. That’s why I really like focusing on the main six principles above.I believe that having a responsible approach to using or producing any AI tool in an organization is critical. It is also something that is needed in digital marketing/content teams as well. That’s why I started down this path. I wanted to put a policy in place at my own agency, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bizstream.com">BizStream</a>. <h3 id="why-an-ai-policy-is-essential">Why an AI Policy is Essential</h3>Adopting AI in digital marketing isn't just about leveraging new technologies for improved outcomes; it's also about acknowledging and mitigating the potential risks associated with AI's autonomy and influence. Issues such as data privacy, bias, and the chances of hallucinations (errors by a generative AI tool) pose significant challenges. Without a comprehensive AI policy, organizations risk breaching ethical standards, violating customer trust, and potentially facing legal consequences.In fact, to me, the clearest example of where generative AI can go wrong is the published information around <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2024/02/18/air-canada-airline-chatbot-ruling/">Air Canada’s chatbot failure</a>. An earlier ruling this year ended in favor of the end customer, and now Air Canada is on the hook for AI that was not used responsibly.An AI policy serves as a guiding beacon for digital marketing teams, ensuring that every AI-driven initiative is aligned with ethical principles and corporate values. It helps establish clear boundaries and standards for AI usage and addresses concerns like fairness, transparency, and accountability.<h3 id="the-role-of-principles-in-ai-deployment">The Role of Principles in AI Deployment</h3>Drawing inspiration from established frameworks like Microsoft’s six principles for responsible AI—fairness, reliability and safety, privacy and security, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability—digital marketing teams can develop a robust policy that governs AI use. These principles are not just theoretical ideals; they can be necessities that shape how AI tools are selected, deployed, and managed within a team.As digital marketing continues to evolve with AI advancements, having a well-defined, responsible AI policy should reduce friction with AI usage. It can ensure that while organizations pursue technological innovation, they remain steadfast in their commitment to ethical practices, full transparency, and working within societal norms.<h3 id="my-responsible-ai-principles-worksheet">My Responsible AI Principles Worksheet</h3>Bringing us back to my situation specifically, as 2024 has progressed, I witnessed more and more AI tools being used by my team. On the one hand, this was great because we were seeing the benefits firsthand of faster content creation on our website, email, and social media channels. On the other hand, I was getting a little concerned about two things. First, as more tools were added to our digital marketing stack, my SaaS tool spend was climbing quickly, and second, I questioned if all of these tools being used safely and responsibly.In an effort to ensure my own team at BizStream is adequately trained on the benefits and risks associated with using AI in a marketing context, I created the following tool for us internally. The idea is that I wanted to ensure each of my team members working with these types of tools had a set of guardrails or guiding principles. I used the key Responsible AI principles (Fairness, Reliability, and safety, Privacy, and security, etc. etc.) as the main set of information. From there, I pivoted a table across those principles to include the category or type of activity that we perform in our digital marketing efforts. Then, I added a description to explain further what kind of considerations to take around that type of activity that align to a principle. It started to look like this: <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:88.25%"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcyan4Kp5V4ui62GBclk3PRP2zf896t_SA2ud9i9Vpo_1v8qPrOQWfOp9xqD3WxN5ckXvPxyMRKoZXo45T-gZ4IY7D5nxcx73So7V4Ke7Bcqg63hunm9UIdd7i0AKnJKRkW2_kd8D0TMDctuawkQD6vaJ0c?key=CLw_KJ6KxDiqOvRg30VM1w" /></figure> After the first draft, my marketing specialist asked me some questions about this, so I added some guiding questions in the last column to help kick-start the brainstorming process. The current incarnation ended up looking like the screenshot below: <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:83.97%"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfbgC_IIHSM1GTgfHUuYOxyKFikNuvB0mTdJu7oMB-maSSu0PxyYEKSKqJKnAsyS94qwbCMs_0wXMkIwpNfpD7wAei-G3vA7zYCH1yfadhC_eCth-Qa2Eiyk3OZI2MxajJ9EdHKKf2iiOIC-44Dc2pjylVL?key=CLw_KJ6KxDiqOvRg30VM1w" /></figure> You can <a target="_blank" href="https://bit.ly/Responsible-AI-Guidelines-For-Content-Teams">download the editable version of my Responsible AI Principles &amp; Guidelines for Content Teams</a> for free. My goal for this tool is to ensure that Responsible AI practices are considered when selecting third-party vendors, tools, platform features, and subscription services. I also aim for it to add governance to both our adoptions and those of our clients.Additionally, as we onboard new marketing team members or interns, I believe they will come up to speed faster with how we operate as a team. We are working to improve this process, but only time will tell.<h3 id="periodic-reviews-of-your-ai-policy-on-a-schedule">Periodic Reviews of your AI policy on a Schedule</h3>One other note. Don’t be fooled into thinking that an AI policy or single document is a ‘set and forget’ thing. The AI and especially generative AI world is constantly changing, as are the laws and regulations around it. You must treat your AI policy as a living, breathing document. Schedule time to review it regularly, considering the changes that are coming in at a rapid pace.<h3 id="feedback-wanted">Feedback Wanted</h3>As with any new idea, I’d love to gather feedback on it and improve it. If you download the worksheet and have thoughts on it, please let me know via <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmckeiver/">LinkedIn</a> or email.<h3 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h3>Using AI in digital marketing and content creation comes with many benefits and responsibilities. By following clear guidelines and responsible principles, we can use AI ethically and efficiently. I recommend that all digital marketing teams strive to implement a responsible AI policy. Note: The above information has been written to provide general guidance only. It does not equate to legal advice. Varying legal requirements exist in different locations, and laws and regulations governing AI, privacy, and cybersecurity do not exist in a consistent manner.Note: Generative AI was used to edit this document for grammar and spelling. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24---sold-out"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a> - SOLD OUT</h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, so secure your tickets today.

Responsible AI Principles for Digital Marketing and Content Teams 

bmckeiver

<hr /> When I spoke to the incomparable <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinapodnar/">Kristina Podnar</a> last November, she was – in a word – ecstatic.And rightly so: the <a target="_blank" href="https://dataandtrustalliance.org/work/data-provenance-standards">Data Provenance Standards</a>, an initiative she helped guide into existence as Senior Policy Director at the <a target="_blank" href="https://dataandtrustalliance.org/">Data &amp; Trust Alliance (D&amp;TA)</a>, was finally emerging from the chrysalis and taking flight.The D&amp;TA has become a leading voice in the chorus for trustworthy data and AI. Founded in 2020 by market mavens <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-chenault/">Ken Chenault</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_J._Palmisano">Sam Palmisano</a>, the organization has been keenly focused on guiding the responsible use of data and intelligent systems.If you’re not familiar with the Data Provenance Standards, I encourage you to read my <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/can-you-trust-your-ai-data-new-standards-emerge-to-help-ensure-transparency">previous interview with Kristina</a>, who is an oracle on all things Digital Policy.As we discussed in our conversation, having clear data provenance – understanding the origin, lineage, and rights associated with data – is vital to establishing trust in the details and decisions coming from data-enabled systems. This includes AI applications, which are exploding in popularity and expanding across numerous industry use cases. The Data Provenance Standards were co-created by 19 member organizations of the Data &amp; Trust Alliance, along with multiple third-party industry partners and ecosystem experts. Contributing players include American Express, Humana, IBM, Mastercard, Pfizer, and Walmart (to name a few) – obviously some of the biggest and most notable brands in the world. Now, after testing and validation with more than 50 organizations both inside and outside the Data &amp; Trust Alliance, the organization <a target="_blank" href="https://dataandtrustalliance.org/work/data-provenance-standards">just released version 1.0.0</a> of its Data Provenance Standards. The announcement was detailed in a blog post by the brilliant <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/saira-jesani/">Saira Jesani</a>, Executive Director of D&amp;TA – who I’ve also spoken to previously about this ambitious initiative. <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:63.94%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/07/saira-kristina-headshots-2.jpg" alt="Headshots of Saira Jesani, Executive Director, and Kristina Podnar, Senior Policy Director" /></figure>As Saira noted in her overview, the entire journey started because the D&amp;TA members and the broader business community were yearning for, as she called it, “better rules for the road around data quality.” Exacerbated by the race to adopt AI, she went on to frame how data has become the most sustainable source of competitive advantage. This revelation ultimately led to the creation of the Data Provenance Standards, and now to the vital feedback loop that will continue to improve the framework.<h3 id="what-are-the-data-provenance-standards?">What are the Data Provenance Standards?</h3>When first proposed back in November of 2023, Kristina was quick to point out that the new Data Provenance Standards were not a form of policy, but benchmarks accompanied by rich metadata. Functionally, this metadata would serve as a set of trustworthy considerations when validating the integrity of datasets. At launch, eight proposed standards were included, each with a unique provenance metadata ID and a label for tracking the history and origin of each data set. It’s worth noting that the standards apply at the dataset level, acting as an overall “fingerprint” for divining details like the data’s lineage, source, legal rights, and more.<hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="-"> </h4><h4 style="text-align:center" id="“these-practical-standards,-co-created-by-senior-practitioners-across-the-industry,-are-designed-to-help-evaluate-whether-ai-workflows-align-with-ever-changing-regulations-while-also-helping-generate-increased-business-value.”">“These practical standards, co-created by senior practitioners across the industry, are designed to help evaluate whether AI workflows align with ever-changing regulations while also helping generate increased business value.”</h4><h4 style="text-align:center" id="-"> </h4><h4 style="text-align:center" id="rob-thomas">ROB THOMAS</h4><h4 style="text-align:center" id="senior-vice-president,-ibm-software-and-chief-commercial-officer">Senior Vice President, IBM Software and Chief Commercial Officer</h4> <hr /> According to Saira, the standards were designed to facilitate business adoption via two key focus areas. The first is to demonstrate tangible business value by helping organizations assess which datasets are of higher quality. This includes delivering the transparency required for efficient, accurate, and reliable use of data – as well as mitigating the risks from legal, copyright, and regulatory compliance issues.  The second is making the implementation of the standards more streamlined and attainable, thereby encouraging adoption. This is achieved by homing in on the most essential metadata needed to reveal and understand a dataset’s origin, method of creation, and whether it can be legally used.Since last November, we’ve seen significant changes across the regulatory landscape regarding data and AI, chiefly marked by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20230601STO93804/eu-ai-act-first-regulation-on-artificial-intelligence">Europe’s sweeping EU AI Act</a>. As Saira noted, while this is happening at a macro level, we still don’t have standard definitions for its critical elements. To call this a conundrum would be selling it short, to say nothing of the challenges surrounding the quality and integrity of datasets – which are essential for AI model training to deliver accurate and trustworthy results.   “Model evaluation is difficult, with little transparency around the data that trains and feeds those models,” she stated. “The consequences – from copyright infringement to privacy to authenticity – could affect both the technology’s business value and its acceptance by society, limiting organizations’ ability to determine what is to be trusted.”There’s a lot at stake, and that’s why the creation of the Data Provenance Standards is an evolutionary process – one in which the D&amp;TA is steadfast in its commitment to engaging with stakeholders, reviewing feedback, and modifying its approach to improve outcomes and further encourage adoption. <h3 id="what’s-new-in-v1.0.0?">What’s new in v1.0.0?</h3>Since the Data Provenance Standards were first proposed, Saira and Kristina have been working diligently with the D&amp;TA’s ecosystem of data, AI, ethics, and legal experts to enhance business adoption, gauge feedback, and continuously test and validate the standards. This has led to version 1.0.0, which includes multiple refinements.First and foremost, the original eight categories have been simplified down to three standards, streamlining the adoption and facilitation. The accompanying metadata has also been revised, focusing on detail that “shows, not tells” – and giving data, AI, and legal teams stronger evidence to help inform critical decisions.There’s also been a concerted effort to make D&amp;TA queries more specific about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/advocacy-research/tech-at-ftc/2024/02/keeping-your-privacy-enhancing-technology-pet-promises">Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs)</a> to attain more accurate information. PETs are a broad set of tools and practices that enable organizations to build products and functionality while protecting the privacy of users’ data. Demonstrating how PETs fit into the equation further acknowledges D&amp;TA’s commitment to transparency. Along those same lines, v1.0.0 also sports refinements around surfacing consent language – in particular, the content shown to a user when collecting their personal data to assess risks associated with consumer data usage.Here’s one of the biggest outcomes thus far: Thanks to persistent testing and validation over several months, D&amp;TA has assembled a number of case studies, including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/KY5VLRP9">one that has been released by IBM</a>. This example illustrates how the Data Provenance Standards increased overall data quality and reduced clearance review time for datasets used to train AI models. <h3 id="what’s-next-–-and-why-it-matters">What’s next – and why it matters</h3>The Data &amp; Trust Alliance is shepherding a flock of forward-thinking organizations that recognize the challenges – and opportunities – associated with data quality and integrity. Market-leading brands represent a cabal of early adopters around the Data Provenance Standards, but their participation is also an incentive for their broad ecosystems to join the fold, if for no other reason than to do business with the Pfizers and Walmarts of the world.Leading by example is perhaps an obvious force multiplier, but as Saira observed in her post, the D&amp;TA’s goal is to increase transparency across the broader business scope – and encourage all organizations to take advantage of this free tool and realize the benefits of adoption.Accelerating and expanding that adoption is next on the docket. While numerous data suppliers and producers of all sizes participated in the feedback cycle of the Data Provenance Standards, the organization is focused on fully enlisting them as partners in adoption and easing the process with toolset providers. The D&amp;TA’s innovative work is manifesting quantifiable benefits. Since the launch of the proposed Data Provenance Standards, the business value has become more palpable – particularly around the impact to productivity. As it stands, data scientists <a target="_blank" href="https://www.anaconda.com/resources/whitepapers/state-of-data-science-report-2022">spend</a> nearly 40% of their time on data preparation and cleansing tasks, which is a huge drag on productivity. On top of that, 61% of CEOs <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/c-suite-study/ceo">cite</a> the lack of clarity into data lineage and provenance as the central risks preventing adoption of AI across their businesses.Refinement is certainly a predictable expectation when launching a new concept like this. But already, the proof is in the provenance pudding – and the IBM case study is a poignant example of how these standards translate into real business value. Reducing friction and minimizing the barriers to testing AI models can accelerate time to market, all resulting from greater trust and confidence around datasets that have leveraged these standards.In my previous conversations with Kristina (including a chat at the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/a-cms-consultants-takeaways-from-cms-kickoff-2024">Boye &amp; Company CMS Kickoff</a> event in January), we discussed the potential impact of the standards on the content, ad tech, and marketing industries. All of these layers rely heavily on data, but AI has also infected every CMS and martech platform on the planet, both directly and indirectly. This cross-section is pivotal, as brands will increasingly rely on more trustworthy data to support their AI initiatives. The <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management ecosystem</a> is at the foundation of how these technologies and campaigns will be managed. As such, the impact of the Data Provenance Standards could bring greater control and confidence to this sector of the market landscape. In an economy where data is the most valuable currency – and every business across industries is now (or soon will be) a data enterprise – trust is paramount. As organizations race to leverage the potential of AI, good data is absolutely essential. This takes on a heightened imperative when we consider the kinds of initiatives that AI is supporting, like cancer or diabetes research. This is precisely why the Data Provenance Standards are emerging as a key foundation for ensuring the future of data, AI, and – most importantly – people.   <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, so secure your tickets today.

Data & Trust Alliance Releases v1.0.0 of Data Provenance Standards, Enhancing Data Quality for AI

<hr /> <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/ci-hub">CI HUB</a> has been a persistent explorer of in-app connections. The company’s software enables users to access and manage content from various key sources, including DAM (Digital Asset Management), PIM (Product Information Management), cloud storage, stock sources, and even work management systems. Connectors like this have become critical to productivity as brands wrestle with an increasingly complex and disjointed landscape of data sources. This is a big reason why <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/ci-hub-announces-major-investment-plans-to-scale-content-integration-solutions">CI HUB announced</a> a major investment from Scale Capital in March of this year, with plans to further advance its ecosystem of connector capabilities. Currently, it provides two core offerings: CI HUB Connector Professional and Connector Corporate.A big focus for CI HUB has been the burgeoning <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/adobe-experience-manager">Adobe Creative Cloud</a>, but they’ve also been blazing trails with other large-scale enterprise systems, including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365">Microsoft Office 365</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/salesforce">Salesforce’s Marketing Cloud</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/google-cloud-platform">Google Workspace</a>. CI HUB also offers solutions for content, experience, and prototyping platforms like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/wordpress">WordPress</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/microsoft-sharepoint">SharePoint</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/figma">Figma</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/sketch">Sketch</a>. One of the biggest deterrents to DAM and PIM utilization is complexity. With distributed teams having to leverage multiple platforms with different access credentials – and unwieldy systems stymieing the ability to locate assets – content creators can become frustrated and productivity can be significantly impacted. This can result in users getting “creative" with outside tools and unauthorized assets, which can impact brand consistency and integrity. In some cases, it can even open up Pandora's Box around things like stock image licensing and copyright infringement.CI HUB is once again easing the DAM burden with its new <a target="_blank" href="https://ci-hub.com/download/drive/">CI HUB Drive</a>, which enables users to access assets stored in DAMs, PIMs, and other systems directly from their desktops via MacOS or Windows machines. By bringing these systems into a local environment, CI HUB reduces the friction of finding and utilizing key assets, syncs components fluidly, and accelerates productivity and time to market. This translates into greater value around a DAM or PIM investment. “Most companies don’t get the most from their DAMs because employees find it difficult or inconvenient to log in and access what they need,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreasmichalski/">Andreas Michalski</a>, CI HUB Founder and CEO. “But with CI HUB Drive, DAM assets and data are available right on their desktop. By integrating CI HUB Drive into the most commonly used tools, MacOS Finder and Windows Explorer, there is zero training needed. This will significantly improve the adoption rate and company-wide use of DAM assets and data, making them a go-to hub for content, rather than simply an asset repository.” <h3 id="enhancing-the-value-of-dams,-pims,-and-other-sources">Enhancing the value of DAMs, PIMs, and other sources</h3>CI HUB Drive is capable of connecting multiple data sources simultaneously, providing a single desktop connector interface for DAMs, PIMs, MAMs, and stock image providers – as well as common cloud storage services such as SharePoint, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dropbox.com/home">Dropbox</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/google-cloud-platform">Google Drive</a>, and many more. Here's how it works: CI HUB Drive virtually mounts an asset management system in a MacOS Finder or Microsoft Explorer. This enables users to seamlessly locate, use, and synchronize files without ever having to leave their desktops.  <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:86.86%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/07/ci-hub-drive-product-image-3.png" alt="" /></figure>CI HUB Drive on MacOS The beautiful thing about CI HUB Drive is its familiarity. From a visual perspective, the file structure is simple, clear, and highly navigable – which reduces the surface area of complexity for users. And with a multitude of connections available (anything from Adobe AEM to Bynder to more exotic systems), users have much more control over their asset domain. In MacOS, for example, being able to preview a stock image in a desktop window makes the entire experience second nature. It's intuitive and requires no training whatsoever. <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:85.13%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/07/ci_hub_drive.png" alt="" /></figure>Viewing a stock image file in MacOS via CI HUB Drive The app also enables real-time multi-threaded file synchronization, meaning that edits made to assets locally on the desktop will be updated on demand in the original DAM or drive where they are stored. CI HUB Drive also replicates any permission-based access to folders within the DAM system, ensuring that users can access the correct files based on existing roles and rights within the connected system. “Everyone within a company is a potential content creator, and employees are accessing files from multiple sources every day,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerd-glaser-89b22a9b/">Gerd Glaser</a>, CI HUB CSO. “However, each system has a different log-in, interface and search function. Using CI HUB Drive eliminates the time-consuming processes of accessing and transferring assets between drives, tools and work management platforms. Now, users can access the company assets they need as easily as a personal drive folder linked to their desktop.” The new CI HUB Drive complements the existing CI HUB Connector plugin, which already enables users to seamlessly access their digital asset libraries within the most popular work apps such as Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, Figma, SharePoint, Google Workspace, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and dozens more. <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>As brands and organizations struggle with the expanding ecosystem of assets – and the apps that house them – CI HUB Drive provides ease, fluidity, and familiarity that maximizes the value of a DAM or asset system. By reducing complexity and streamlining access, users can successfully locate what they need at a local level faster and more efficiently. Having a native UI in MacOS or Windows makes the entire journey of locating assets much easier. The process becomes more intuitive, eliminating much of the friction around the grunt work associated with simply browsing, picking, and finding stuff in the morass. Having a solid DAM makes it even easier, but bringing the assets closer to home makes the entire process feel more natural. One of the key benefits of CI HUB Drive is its first-class respect for permissions. This ensures that any mounted desktop access inherits the same roles for users and groups from the source DAM or PIM, so organizations can maintain governance across their teams – wherever they might be accessing resources. Additionally, the real-time multi-threaded syncing is a slick function, making it even easier to maintain consistency when users make edits at a local level. All in all, CI HUB Drive is a solid addition to the company’s portfolio of products. To sign up for access, you can <a target="_blank" href="https://ci-hub.com/products#drive">visit the company's website</a> for details.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, so secure your tickets today.

New CI HUB Drive Enables Desktop Access to DAMs, PIMs, and More

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