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<hr /> As a new year beckons and we take stock of the one reaching its conclusion, it’s always a natural time to look back on the learnings and the experiences and enthusiastically towards the potential innovations before us. Writing at this time last year, I would not have even talked much about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wwt.com/wwt-research/generative-ai-risks-rewards-and-a-framework-for-utilization?utm_campaign=ao_ai_and_data_wwt2324_research_gen_ai_ps_1_search&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_content=&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAmsurBhBvEiwA6e-WPOhabEb0LXg2ylPjsudPYZV3z-GM7rmhjofX87dKj1H_lMcJeXzqDxoChKYQAvD_BwE">Generative Artificial Intelligence</a> or <a target="_blank" href="https://openai.com/">ChatGPT</a>. But boy, did it take 2023 by storm, building upon network effects unseen in human history. What I take personally from this past year is perhaps not something so ground-breaking, but a culmination of my own background and observations. For me, this has been the year of “earnfluencing.” A blend of earned media and influencer strategies, this approach could catalyze your own content management, strategy, and production – and turn many more eyes toward the content products you worked so hard on creating.  As I gear up for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff24/program#Earnfluencing">my talk on earnfluencing</a> at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff24">CMS Kickoff Conference</a> next month, I'm eager to delve into how earnfluencing can be a game-changer in your daily content strategy.<h3>Defining the “earned” and “influencer” terms</h3>You may not be familiar with earnfluencing as a concept. While it's fairly intuitive, let’s start with a basic explanation of the term and the parts that define the whole. <h4>Earned Media</h4>This is publicity gained organically through means other than paid advertising. Think promotional efforts like unpaid social, buzz, or viral attention. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cision.com/resources/articles/what-is-earned-media-definitions-examples-benefits/">According to Cision</a>, a PR and media software company, “Earned media, by definition, isn’t created directly by your brand or paid for. You ‘earn’ it through your reputation, word-of-mouth, and public relations efforts. The biggest difference between earned media marketing and other strategies is that it comes from third-party sources, which gives it some unique benefits.”<h4>Influencing/Influencer Strategies</h4>Here, the focus is on leveraging individuals who have the power to affect the purchase decisions of others because of their authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with their audience. Influencers can also be the third-party sources and platforms through which earned media can come to light.<h3>Combining the pitch and the platform</h3>Traditionally, earned media was won via media relations (public relations) specialists spending their days making pitches on behalf of clients to television and news platforms. These professionals would craft angles and narratives and pitch their customers accordingly. When a customer mention, interview, or profile landed in print or on television, it was a joyous occasion for the PR practitioner and their firm. Earnfluencing is different in that it includes the “pitch” but also the platform where that pitch will be disseminated. It’s still earned media because money has not changed hands to be mentioned or inserted, as in advertising. In this era of nearly unlimited digital canvas, where a smartphone in the palm of your hand can be a 4K video camera, audio recording device, notebook, word processor, and digital disseminator, there is a true democratization of platform creation. With this, you can leverage your unique storytelling skills to become and develop the platform. For instance, the earnfluencer can interview a thought leader to appear on their long-form podcast, write the definitive profile of the industry CEO for their news blog, and even guide an expert product manager into the waters of TikTok. The opportunities are endless. If you can artfully tell the story and provide access to an audience, you can facilitate the narrative. You can use that position at your professional intersection to further earnfluence by contributing to an online trade publication (like CMS Critic) or appearing in other podcasts, videos, and news across different platforms. <h3>Earnfluencing in action</h3>What’s the potential of earnfluencing? Consider the impact of personalities like Donald Trump and Deion Sanders. They expertly blended media presence with influencer tactics, generating significant (earned) value for their brands, organizations, or aspirations, albeit with varied outcomes.  First, it has been reported that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thestreet.com/politics/donald-trump-rode-5-billion-in-free-media-to-the-white-house-13896916">Donald Trump generated $5 Billion dollars in “free” earned media during the 2016 Presidential campaign</a>. That’s a big number. How did they calculate it, you ask? Here's the basic math: the totality of the media coverage of the individual is tracked in terms of overall impressions, and then a dollar value is applied to these impressions based on advertising rates at the time. Similarly, after Deion Sanders – the famous two-sport professional athlete nicknamed “Prime Time” – took over as Head Coach at the University of Colorado, he <a target="_blank" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/pac12/2023/09/29/deion-sanders-value-contract-colorado-buffaloes-football/70985907007/">generated an estimated $280 Million in earned media after the first four games</a>! Both examples speak to the power and estimated value of “earnfluencing.” That said, it’s important to note that Donald Trump’s presidential first term ended unsuccessfully (to be kind), and Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes finished 1-8 after three improbable wins to open the first season under his Colorado tenure. <h3>Leveraging earnfluencing in the content and DX industries</h3>I’ve used earnfluencing successfully in my work as a digital agency leader and across other entrepreneurial ventures. I’ve also thought a lot about how my peers in the digital experience and content management industry can leverage it as well. Here’s what I discovered: By combining earnfluencing with a solid, stable, mission-driven strategy, the impact can be incredibly effective – and, more importantly, long-lasting. It requires the right mindset and a firm commitment, but the rewards can be tremendous. If you’re thinking about putting earnfluencing into practice, here are five of my top takeaways and recommendations.<h4>1. Be a Beat Writer</h4>In the early days of my career, I cut my teeth covering sports for blogs and the online home of the Newark Star-Ledger. I was also the in-house writer for the NBA’s New Jersey Nets. Through it all, I learned the importance of being an effective beat writer. So, what exactly is a beat writer? It’s an old journalism term used to describe specialized reporters. Beat writers are typically in the thick of things, immersing themselves in a specific issue, sector, or environment – connecting with key players and constantly seeking stories to drive the news cycle. The beat writer uses all the access available to them and the trust earned in them to narrate, curate, and raise up the stories of those around them. Similarly, in content management, you can be the beat writer for your industry, product, or organization. Use your access and experience to uncover and elevate the narratives around you and develop a smart, scrappy mindset for uncovering the stories that matter. <h4>2 .“Contentize” Your Experiences</h4>The ultimate goal of any business is to monetize and commercialize activities. But I think we can do something very important on that path to monetization – and that is to "contentize." Contentizing is about turning every experience and interaction into potential content. It's utilizing your unique position, connections, and skills – whether they be writing, hosting, audio, video, social media, or teaching – to craft stories that engage, influence, and generate value in the form of content.  This approach goes beyond mere monetization. It creates real value through storytelling and engagement.<h4>3. Be a student of effective influencer strategies</h4>I call this “The Kardashian Model,” as no discussion of influencer strategies is complete without mentioning the Kardashians. Their methodical approach to content creation, as highlighted in "<a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/3Gy95uF">No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram</a>," revolves around strategic planning and algorithm mastery. Even if you’re not a fan of Kim and company, try mimicking their tactics by being intentional with your content, collaborating within your network, engaging with the super-connectors in your midst, and understanding the nuances of platform algorithms to maximize reach and impact. While we might not have the heft of the Kardashians (they’re known globally), we can do several of the things they do well within our own organizations, niches, and with the connections we have within the industry.<h4>4. Be prepared for serendipitous content opportunities </h4>As a beat writer, I’ve learned always to have my smartphone charged and ready – because a story can emerge in the wild at any moment. I call these serendipitous content opportunities.A great example of this is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyvaynerchuk">Gary Vaynerchuk</a>, a.k.a GaryVee. He epitomizes the "Contentize" ethos, as he constantly prowls for content opportunities. He even has videographers documenting his daily life, figuring that if he captures most of what happens in his day, there'll be some gold in them thar hills…It also makes him more apt to start discussions with strangers because serendipitous content opportunities can also come from those interactions. It's a virtuous circle – and if something doesn’t work, you don’t have to use it.Also, the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.slideshare.net/vaynerchuk/the-garyvee-content-model-107343659"> "Content Pyramid"</a> in GaryVee's Content Model strategy emphasizes repurposing a single piece of long-form content across multiple platforms (similar to the ole “big rock” concept). This approach can be a game-changer in creating, decomposing, and distributing content. <h4>5. Use generative AI to accelerate and improve your earnfluencing </h4>Despite its rap as a threat to writers, generative AI was purpose-built for content creators – and it’s revolutionizing how we approach earnfluencing. Gen AI is a massive productivity booster that allows earnfluencers to do more with less. It can aid in creating, transcribing, and repurposing content, allowing users to maintain a consistent and engaging presence across multiple platforms. This technology can amplify your earnfluencing capabilities, making your strategy more dynamic and far-reaching. ChatGPT, in my opinion, was born to contentize.<h3>Where does CMS/DXP fit into earnfluencing?</h3>A <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management system </a>or digital experience platform should be a natural repository, hub, and spoke of your earnfluencing program – the aforementioned “platform” to bring to life all your “pitches.” In a CMS or DXP, content can be created and crafted through collaboration. It can be requisitioned for publishing through integrated editorial calendars and workflow. The database of your ecosystem influencers and key/trending topics should be tagged and ultimately distributed across all your channels (social, email, etc.), so you can easily manage and grow your earnfluencer strategy.Using a platform with built-in or integrated analytics is also critical. The metrics and tracking should be within arm’s reach so you can always gauge your performance and adjust as needed. The best platforms can also power dynamic personalization for specific audiences, allowing you to tailor your content based on your readers and customers. My dream: What if you could pipe in trending topics (from Google Trends, etc.) to the dashboard of your CMS or DXP – and then have AI surface all the content within your library that can be utilized at that moment to generate new engagement and reach for your existing content? This tactic, affectionately called “newsjacking,” would be a great way to augment your earnfluencing and bring more value to your content. Earnfluencing is at the intersection of earned media and influencer strategies. It requires a keen understanding of digital narratives, audience engagement, and the power of influence. As content managers and creators, embracing this approach means stepping into a realm where authenticity, strategic planning, and technological innovation come together to create impactful, resonant content. Ready to catch some “earnfluenza”? Let's embrace it – and go viral together. <hr /><figure class="image"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/11/cms-kickoff-2024-banner.jpg" /></figure><h3>See Matt McQueeny at CMS Kickoff 2024 - January 16-17</h3>CMS Critic is a proud conference partner at this second annual edition of the prestigious international Boye &amp; Co conference, dedicated to the global CMS community. This event will bring together top-notch speakers, Boye &amp; Company's renowned learning format, and engaging social events.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. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move forward in 2024. Along with Matt McQueeny, hear from leading voices across the industry on a wide range of topics, including:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/andrew-kumar">Andrew Kumar</a>, GVP at Uniform</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/becky-brown">Becky Brown</a>, Content Strategy Lead at Johnson &amp; Johnson</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/marli-mesibov">Marli Mesibov</a>, Content Strategy at Verily</li></ul><img style="width:39.13%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/11/don-cesar-hotel.jpg" /><h4>The Don CeSar: a world-class venue</h4>Is there a better location for a winter kickoff than Florida's beautiful, sugary sand beaches? CMS Kickoff 2024 will be held at the iconic Don CeSar, just steps from the Gulf of Mexico. Dubbed the “Pink Palace,” this majestic hotel and resort provides a stunning backdrop to the conference, along with access to the local food and culture of St. Petersburg Beach. <h4>Get your tickets today</h4>CMS Kickoff offers an intimate, highly focused experience. Space is limited, and only a few seats remain. Don't miss this exclusive opportunity!<a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff24/tickets">Purchase tickets now &gt;</a>

Earnfluencing: Bridging the Gap Between Earned Media and Influencing

mattmcqueeny

Bridging Content and Data: A Contentstack Conversation with Bill Mitchell of MongoDB

matt-garrepy

<hr /> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/sitecore">Sitecore’s</a> annual SKO landed squarely in the summer heat of Orlando, Florida, this week – a fitting backdrop for a tempest of hot announcements. Under the hypnotic sway of palm trees and the predictable torrid of July showers, the digital experience leader continues to turn up the heat on AI innovation.To that end, the company just announced a strategic partnership with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.gradial.com/">Gradial</a>, an AI agent platform designed to accelerate the content supply chain for enterprises. The collaboration aims to speed up and simplify how marketers deliver personalized campaigns at scale while monetizing engagement – all at a fraction of the current cost. Armed with Gradial’s capabilities, Sitecore aims to evolve agents beyond baseline recommendations and suggestions, enabling them to act autonomously on the marketer’s behalf to achieve new levels of productivity. According to Sitecore, the Gradial partnership is another milestone in its innovation horizon for agentic AI, which is explored in detail at the new <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.sitecore.ai/">Sitecore.ai</a> (we <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/accelerating-the-agentic-future-sitecoreai-gives-marketers-an-inspiring-roadmap-for-their-ai-journey">covered the launch</a> at the end of June). More than a website, this center of excellence illustrates how content, data, and intelligence can be synthesized to power the next era of digital engagement, and agentic AI is at the center of it.“Gradial brings a unique blend of engineering precision and marketing empathy,” said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/sitecore-taps-veteran-eric-stine-as-ceo-to-lead-next-phase-of-growth-and-innovation">Eric Stine,</a> CEO of Sitecore. “Their AI-powered orchestration capabilities enhance Sitecore’s composable digital experience platform by automating the execution layer marketers need most to deliver the kinds of personal, predictive experiences that drive leads and revenue growth, but which historically have been costly and laborious. Together, we’re helping marketers move faster and smarter, using AI to transform delivery and stay anchored in creativity and brand purpose.”<h3 id="empowering-marketers-with-ai">Empowering marketers with AI</h3>It goes without saying that today’s marketing teams are overwhelmed. Data is fragmented and siloed, and tools are often disconnected – making the rigors of campaign management difficult under the best of circumstances. To cope with these challenges, marketers resort to extraneous apps and complicated workflows to help design, launch, deliver, and optimize campaigns. The whole rigmarole slows everything down and diverts attention from strategic initiatives and compromises time to market.According to Sitecore, the partnership with Gradial is effectively “reinventing” marketing operations. Gradial’s AI-powered orchestration platform integrates with Sitecore’s DXP to automate the execution layer, turning marketing briefs into live campaigns without the handoffs, tickets, or delays.“At Gradial, we see content operations as a systems challenge – complex, dynamic, and in need of intelligent automation,” said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-tallmadge-14166075/">Doug Tallmadge,</a> CEO of Gradial. “Sitecore’s vision for agentic AI aligns perfectly with our mission: to build adaptive systems that do the heavy lifting, so marketers can lead with insight, not infrastructure. Together, we’re enabling a new era of marketing execution that is precise, scalable, and deeply human.”Gradial has already achieved a strong reputation as an agentic platform for the enterprise. As marketing teams struggle to deliver on-point omnichannel experiences, Gradial’s unique model automates content operations, from authoring to production – enabling organizations to leverage agents to govern site health, brand compliance, and even QA and accessibility concerns. Gradial’s agents are also being positioned as activators for enabling CX optimization and automating a host of functions that have traditionally created friction within content operations. <h3 id="new-chapter,-new-leadership">New chapter, new leadership</h3>Since assuming command in May, I’ve spoken with Sitecore CEO Eric Stine a few times. In our calls, he’s been exceedingly clear about the company’s focus on AI, and much of that vision has been crystallized in the new Sitecore.ai website.  To match the pace of change in an AI marketplace, Stine is tapping a newly appointed executive team with deep expertise in AI, cloud, and CX – all with the goal of empowering marketers to deliver the future of digital experiences. <img style="width:26.96%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/07/image-1752583805404.png" /><h4 id="michael-bannon-–-president-and-chief-administrative-officer"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-bannon-077a296/">Michael Bannon – President and Chief Administrative Officer</a></h4>Bannon has been with Sitecore for less than a year, moving swiftly from CFO to the President’s chair to lead strategy, people, finance, legal, and enterprise technology. Bannon’s career spans high-growth technology companies, private equity, and investment banking with firms like Accel Starter. Previously, Bannon ran Typeform as President and CFO. With his leadership experience within high-growth environments and innovation-led organizations, he will support Sitecore’s next phase of growth. <img style="width:28.86%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/07/image-1752583843497.png" /><h4 id="michelle-boockoff-bajdek-–-chief-marketing-officer"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellebb/">Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek – Chief Marketing Officer</a></h4>Boockoff-Bajdek is a transformational CMO, digital storyteller, and undisputed trailblazer in AI-powered marketing. As CMO of IBM Watson, she oversaw the Watson brand, helping to translate the value of AI. As CMO at IDC, she reimagined marketing as a “strategic growth engine,” launching a new brand identity, leading the firm’s first GenAI initiatives, and aligning brand, demand, and strategy to drive global impact. A frequent speaker on marketing leadership and purpose-led growth, Michelle will advance how Sitecore communicates the transformative power of AI in marketing. <img style="width:30.04%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/07/image-1752583889763.png" /><h4 id="dave-tilbury-–-chief-operating-officer"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/davetilbury/">Dave Tilbury – Chief Operating Officer</a></h4>Tilbury brings more than 20 years of global business experience and a proven track record of driving growth, transforming commercial outcomes, and elevating customer impact. Most recently, as EVP and Chief Sales Officer at Capgemini, he led the sales, marketing, and product teams. At Sitecore, he will oversee all customer-facing functions, including sales, pre-sales, revenue operations, unified customer support, and customer value realization.<h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>The Gradial partnership will undoubtedly provide a more robust content marketing experience for Sitecore’s customers, giving teams more power and automation to execute campaigns faster and with more precision and insight. It’s a clear win – and a force multiplier that will enable Sitecore to compete more effectively with similar offerings. Seeing how users engage with the features will be telling, but it’s a step in the right direction.The new leadership team is a cabal of heavy hitters, each bringing a solid background of experience and forward-thinking potential. We always anticipate change when new leadership enters the top of the C-Suite, but it’s clear that Stine has been thoughtful in his selections – particularly with AI talent that will help shape the next steps in the agentic race. More will likely be revealed at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium</a> – the company’s showcase of innovation and insight – taking place this November in Orlando. Stay tuned. <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="looking-for-guidance-on-sitecore?-talk-to-an-expert.">Looking for guidance on Sitecore? <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contact">Talk to an expert.</a></h4><hr /> <h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

Sitecore Sharpens AI Focus with Strategic Partnership and New Leadership Appointments

Sowing the Seeds of Love: Umbraco's Codegarden 2025 Celebrates 20 Years of Community and Innovation

Adapt + Thrive: Contentstack’s ContentCon25 Energizes Attendees with an AI-Powered Vision

<hr /> If you’re as old as I am, you might remember that the biggest hit on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Use_Your_Illusion_I">Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion</a> was the iconic rock ballad, “November Rain.” It was cold. It was sweet. And that Slash solo? Fire. It was the soundtrack of 1991.What you might not recall (or choose to forget) was that the same album offered a cover of the McCartney/Wings ode to James Bond, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_and_Let_Die_(song)#Guns_N'_Roses_version">Live and Let Die.</a> It turned out to be a sleeper hit, ranking near the top of a double album that went platinum seven times. I bring this up because, sometimes, there’s no logic to predicting human behavior. It’s an illusion. You can try to explain why a cover of a weird post-Beatles tune – soaked with an appropriate layer of pre-Grunge acid – appealed to the kids of my generation. But it ended up being one of the most popular songs on an album that sold 39 million copies. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.apple.com/">Apple</a> also knows a lot about music. And phones. And movies. Heck, they seem to have all media caught in their intrepid net of tech domination. Case in point: At their annual <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://developer.apple.com/wwdc25/">Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC)</a> – which kicked off today and runs through June 13th – they introduced some stunning enhancements across nearly every one of their products.I watched most of the opening, and I could spend a lot of time conveying how breathtaking the new Vision Pro UI is, how it brings flat 2D images to life with dramatic depth. I could wax philosophically about the emergence of spatial content, and how Apple is altering the fabric of reality with drag-to-life capabilities for retail products (try adding a couch to your living room from a web page and seeing it appear IRL).Instead, I’m going to zero in on everyone’s favorite subject: AI. Because there’s not enough fatigue around a subject that everyone wants to bank their future roadmaps on. If I sound cynical, it’s because I’m subjected to a lot of demos in our CMS and DXP corner of the software world, and I’m always trying to splice the hype from the hope. So here's the deal: Coinciding with WWDC, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machinelearning.apple.com/research/illusion-of-thinking">Apple just released some new research</a> that casts doubt on advanced AI models. The study sharply reveals a truth that many have already suggested: AI isn’t that smart, and it’s a long way from pulling any sentient, Skynet-level shenanigans.Good news? Maybe for those who were concerned about its propensity to go all self-aware Terminator on us. But for hype machines promoting AI’s grand promise of higher-order thinking and logic, this might sour the apples, so to speak. The research paper, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machinelearning.apple.com/research/illusion-of-thinking">The Illusion of Thinking: Understanding the Strengths and Limitations of Reasoning Models via the Lens of Problem Complexity</a>, is a comparative study of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://medium.com/@fahey_james/large-reasoning-models-lrms-an-overview-19837b72540f">Large Reasoning Models (LRMs).</a> It validates that they show promise on a variety of reasoning benchmarks, and there's clear evidence of that. But when the rubber meets the road, their limitations are, as Apple surmises, “insufficiently understood.”Said another way: Not good. In the open salvo of the research, the authors explain how they have systematically investigated the gaps that exist around mathematical and coding constraints, which impact the accuracy of a model’s output as the challenges become more difficult. Through some extensive experimentation, they arrived at a core problem:LRMs face a complete accuracy collapse beyond certain complexities. Wow. And a deeper dive into the paper's content – a 30-page railgun of diagrams comparing failure tracks along a horizon of problem complexity – fires a cannon of chaos, illuminating just how real these limitations might be.<h3 id="bad-apples">Bad Apples</h3>BTW, that’s actually a song title on Use Your Illusion I. So, what’s all the fuss about this research? Well, if you believe the doomsayers, it describes a “total collapse” scenario, suggesting that leading frontier LRMs from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://openai.com/">OpenAI</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.anthropic.com/">Anthropic</a>, and DeepSeek (there's a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/trust-and-verify-when-internet-drama-meets-ai-reality">great article on that one here</a>) fall apart when trying to solve really complex problems – and they don’t yield any remarkable benefits over LLMs that operate downstream.This scenario is based on the paper’s conclusion that these models aren’t, in fact, able to “think” or reason for themselves. They’re simply mimicking whatever they’ve been trained on. When given new and highly complex problems, even the most advanced LRMs perform less reliably than the standard LLMs on basic tasks. This is a “big pause” moment given the untamed investment in LRMs, which claim superior logic and reasoning for solving mathematical proofs, making decisions, and processing diverse data types with multi-modal capabilities. We’ve known about their heftier computational requirements – more tokens, slower response times – but those limitations were poopooed in light of their potential to handle higher-order problems.  To conduct its tests, Apple employed a series of “puzzles” that allowed for greater control over the granularity of complexity dimensions (they also designed them to minimize contamination that’s common in other relative benchmarks). It then compared reasoning-level responses from LRMs (such as o3-mini, DeepSeek-R1, Claude-3.7-Sonnet-Thinking) against a non-reasoning LLM. The paper provides more specifics, but what they discovered is that frontier LRMs experience a “complete accuracy collapse,” which results in a kind of logic bedlam. As observed, there were surprising limitations in the LRMs’ ability to perform exact computations, including a failure to benefit from explicit algorithms and their inconsistent reasoning across the different puzzle types.There’s a weird phenomenon at play here. Given the increased complexity of the puzzles, the models should have engaged in more detailed chain of thought computations, thus consuming more resources. But instead, they consumed less, effectively giving up. Throwing in the towel, so to speak.Not knowing the “why” in this case is particularly harrowing. As Apple states in the paper, they believe the lack of systematic analyses investigating these questions is due to “limitations in current evaluation paradigms.” In other words, we don’t even know how to test for the problem. And that’s a problem.<h3 id="knockin’-on-heaven’s-door?">Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door?</h3>This all might seem a little morose, but no one’s saying the future of AI is DOA. Well, not me, anyway. Still, the plague of inaccuracies has been scaling as of late, and Apple has been at the center of it. In January, shortly after launching its shiny new <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.apple.com/apple-intelligence/?cid=wwa-us-kwgo-features-AIBrand-AppleIntellligence--AppleIntelligence-Brand-AppleIntelligence-apple%20intelligence&amp;aosid=p240&amp;ken_pid=go~cmp-21372186377~adg-168674639212~ad-757331429164_kwd-833708590225~dev-c~ext-~prd-~mca-~nt-search&amp;token=f8ed3188-10e0-4de1-9527-7c1db3c81d53">Apple Intelligence</a> feature on late-model iPhones, the company temporarily pulled the feature after the technology <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/19/media/apple-intelligence-news-bbc-headline/index.html">produced fake and misleading</a> summaries of news headlines that appeared almost identical to regular push notifications. The reversal was jarring, given the heavy holiday marketing they had done to promote their new AI capabilities. But this isn’t just an Apple problem. AI hallucinations are as prevalent as ever. A <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.arxiv.org/abs/2407.17468">July 2024</a> study from Cornell, the University of Washington, and the University of Waterloo revealed that top AI models still can’t be fully trusted, given their propensity for making stuff up.No doubt, the timing of this research release was carefully orchestrated. With so many new product upgrades and announcements – and a gnarly video of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.apple.com/leadership/craig-federighi/">Craig Federighi</a>, Apple’s SVP of Software Engineering, circling the roof of the Cupertino saucer in a Formula 1 racer – there was ample cover. This was comms strategy at its finest, stimulating just the right amount of public discourse.There are, of course, those who might suggest Apple’s delayed arrival in the “Big AI Game” might be a key motivator. While Apple has forged a reputation for innovation, they have also been known to lag on trends like TV, autonomous vehicles, and other initiatives that fizzled. Given every player’s struggles with AI accuracy, a vilification of LRMs might provide cannon fodder to blow up the competitive matrix in an already tight race.So was it an illusion? Was this the LRM hype machine in overdrive, with Slash shredding outside the chapel on a dusty plain? I think we can safely say that some of it was. And herein lies the problem: With AI, we’re moving to product so quickly, we don’t always have the answers. We’re often not even asking the right questions. This research might be the best example of that.For the CMS and DXP industries, Apple is blazing some interesting trails with its portal to spatial content. There's a lot to unpack regarding the storage and structure of that content and expressing it in three dimensions, and that's exciting stuff that companies like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/first-look-cloudinarys-new-ai-vision-brings-brand-safe-gen-ai-capabilities-to-its-dam">Cloudinary</a> are already preparing for. At the same time, this AI research is offering us a moment of clarity that can't be overstated. As I said earlier this year in my <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/in-a-fast-and-furious-tech-world-cms-kickoff-25-was-a-love-letter-to-slow-down">CMS Kickoff 25 wrap,</a> we need to slow down and be more thoughtful in this race to harness AI. The risks and consequences are simply too great, and the accuracy of content is in the crosshairs. Maybe we can use the illusion as a signal – and find better pathways to test, analyze, and validate what we’re building.Slowing down is hard advice to follow, especially in this hyperactive digital marketplace. But it might be the best prescription for writing the next hit. That – and making sure Slash gets his solo.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

Lose Your Illusion: Apple Sings a Sad Ballad About the Limitations of Reasoning Models

Sorry, Eurovision. The real music was at CMS Summit 25. Here’s what made it a hit

<hr /> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-smigelski-1b0023163/">Jared Smigelski</a> isn’t a dentist, but he’s doing his part to improve smiles.That’s not easy when you’re modernizing a digital ecosystem that’s been in place for decades. It’s a bit like performing dental work that’s long overdue. Where do you start? How do you ensure a pain-free outcome?When I met Jared at “The Composable Conference” a few weeks ago, I was immediately drawn into his career arc at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/benco-dental/">Benco Dental. </a>He's spent the last 13 years supporting and incrementally improving his company’s digital properties, starting as a software engineer and moving into product and application ownership. Now, he and his team are embarking on a “composable cleaning” that aims to transform his company’s IT posture with a MACH architectural approach – a move that could improve Benco’s competitive agility while future-proofing it for the next wave of tech innovation.“We’re a hundred-year-old company, maybe more, and the site’s been around since there’s been a site,” Jared said. “So it’s heavily monolithic, heavily legacy. All the logic is all over the place, and a lot of it lives on the front end, so we’re looking to pull a lot of that apart. In theory, MACH principles are perfect for what we’re trying to do.”This initiative is exactly why Jared and two of his key practitioners were attending the annual <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-composable-conference-2025-takes-shape-as-mach-alliance-announces-speakers-and-new-events">MACH Alliance event in Chicago</a>. They had already started down the composable path by assessing a move to the cloud, embracing an API-first approach, and even procuring several tools to begin “drilling” into their strategy. “We’re in a position right now where we’re integrating a lot of these tools that are already within the Alliance,” he explained, mentioning <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bloomreach.com/en">Bloomreach</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentstack">Contentstack</a> by name.But going composable can be like pulling teeth, fraught with challenges and mired by the looming potential of failure. For Jared, the MACH Alliance community provided a bit of Novocain for his concerns, and hearing the successful use cases from other practitioners made him hopeful about their prospects. For me, this is a fantastic story and a compelling use case. First, it’s an opportunity to hear from a digital leader at the very beginning of his MACH journey, starting with an aging monolithic legacy system – and one that’s homegrown. It's brownfield with a bit of green on the edges. It’s also an example of an enterprise application within the B2B healthcare vertical, which gives it a differentiated spin from the typical retail examples we’re accustomed to in MACH. Finally, Jared’s frankness captured some of the real stakes at play when considering a composable path. In our chat, we delved into his selection of Contentstack as a CMS foundation and what influenced his decision. We also discussed how their roadmap for AI is already beginning to take shape as they consider the possibilities of a MACH-powered future.Will it be easy to realize this vision? Not likely – and he knows this is a years-long gamble for both his team and the company. Getting there could, at times, feel like a mouth full of braces. But with the right planning, mindset, and execution, a more structured and (dare I say) beautiful smile awaits. <h3 id="avoiding-digital-“tooth-decay”">Avoiding digital “tooth decay”</h3>Benco is a storied brand in the dental industry. As the largest privately owned, full-service distributor of dental supplies, equipment, consulting, and equipment services in the US, it has a rich heritage built on almost a century of success. Founded by Benjamin Cohen, the company has remained family-owned and laser-focused on its mission of "delivering success smile after smile."​ Based in Pittston, Pennsylvania, Benco is also the nation's fastest-growing dental distributor with more than 50 regional showroom locations and five distribution centers servicing more than 30,000 dental professionals in all 50 states.As you might imagine, this unabated growth is driving more dependency on Benco’s digital properties, which feature e-commerce shopping capabilities. And while legacy and longevity are key attributes for a brand, Benco’s aging website and infrastructure have been a key source of pain as it looks to scale. To avoid this digital “tooth decay” and get to the next step of digital transformation, Jared has embraced a composable strategy – and tapping the MACH Alliance and its community of expertise is one way he’s hoping to achieve success as he begins to execute.   “The principles, they’ve been around since modern development architecture has been around,” he said, referencing the tenets of MACH. “But actually having some place that pulls it all together is really helpful. We’re here to try to learn more about these principles, get some actionable content when we go back, so we can implement a CMS successfully on the first try.”<h3 id="the-mach-community:-a-retainer-for-knowledge">The MACH community: A retainer for knowledge</h3>As Jared mentioned, the goal of attending “The Composable Conference” was to seek insight and walk away ready to take action. The education piece continues to be a shining example of where the Alliance excels, and that came through in spades during the first day’s keynote sessions and focused workshops. That said, I spoke to a number of attendees who felt that the conference's content was on point, but that “actionable” component might not have been fully realized. This is one area where the Alliance can continue to improve its value to members and the market at large. This year’s session tracks did provide a clear and concise framework for attendees, allowing them to select a path that best fits their current status – from early-stage “MACH Curious” to “Active” or “Pro.” I asked Jared what sessions stood out for him and why they made an impact. “Hearing Andrew talk from Zoro on that first day, that keynote was really pertinent because we’re a similar company,” he said. “We’re a B2B selling to offices, and hearing about that transformation was truly impressive.”He was referring to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/goodfellow/">Andrew Goodfellow</a>, CTO at Zoro – an online provider of tools, parts, and supplies. As CTO, Andy took attendees through the digital retailer’s early adoption of MACH, and how it ultimately enabled Zoro to go from 2 million SKUs to 15 million and double revenue. You can read more about it <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-deep-dish-on-composable-6-tasty-takeaways-from-the-mach-alliances-2025-conference">in my conference overview</a>. Jared also mentioned how <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.vfc.com/brands">the use case for VF</a>, the company behind brands like The North Face and Timberland, struck a chord. It was real and relatable, and gave him perspective on where things are at – and the potential for them to go off the rails. “They had a 1.0 version of a MACH approach, which is where I feel we’re at,” he reflected. “We’re kind of new to this, and you hear the candid truth about their story, right? He said it took them three years to release one site the first time, because they jumped in, rushed it, and didn’t do it right. So it’s cool to hear that other companies are having these same challenges.”<h3 id="a-new-cms-crown-with-contentstack">A new CMS crown with Contentstack</h3>Benco doesn't have an actual CMS – and never has. Instead, they have what Jared described as a homegrown “CMS-like” solution. So the prospect of moving to a mature platform is novel… and even a little nerve-racking.“I almost wish we could skip past that first phase where we picked the wrong one and we try to migrate to another,” he said, laughing. “We’re in the very first phase of this. We’ve never integrated a CMS.”Jared mentioned that he had already settled on Contentstack, a composable DXP with a headless CMS as its foundation. While the platform already presented key advantages based on their goals, some soft attributes added confidence to his decision.“We had some really good experiences with their sales team and technical folks,” he said. Relying on experienced voices has been key for Benco as early questions arose like, Where’s your data map? or Where’s your architecture diagram? They simply weren't prepared.The MACH Alliance community has been pivotal to supporting education within the composable category, and platforms like Contentstack have helped bridge the awareness gap from the very beginning. “The Composable Conference” helps to crystallize things over a two-day period, but <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-taps-dylan-valade-of-abbott-to-drive-expanding-ridemach-education-program">programs like rideMACH</a> are shepherding the cause throughout the year with courseware, certifications, and real-world insights from people who have done the work. “This has been really helpful to see and get to connect with people who’ve had those experiences," Jared remarked, "and help talk through what you do the first time.”<h3 id="removing-the-legacy-plaque-to-make-way-for-ai">Removing the legacy plaque to make way for AI</h3>Composable is already proving its value as a key conduit for AI innovation and adoption. Enterprises that have a composable posture are arguably better equipped to shift, experiment, and deploy new AI solutions, and the MACH Alliance is focusing more attention on this – specifically with the advent of its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-launches-new-mach-ai-exchange-to-help-enterprises-streamline-ai-adoption">new MACH AI Exchange.</a>  While Jared and his team are consumed with the elemental steps of their composable strategy, I asked him about AI and where it fits with his organization’s plans. From his perspective, he sees early gains within Benco’s content operations practice and how they leverage the new CMS.“The biggest use case that comes right to mind for AI, especially in something like a CMS, is getting our titles, blog posts, articles, all that stuff SEO optimized,” he said, reflecting how humans aren’t the best at knowing how to game the algorithms for search. This is one way that AI could have a solid impact on performance in the near term.But the future? With a composable architecture, Benco could certainly dive into the realm of more advanced personalization and optimization, akin to what Zoro achieved – something Jared and his team are eager to sink their teeth into.Here’s five minutes of brain floss to sharpen your smile: <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/BuUbmrwne-I"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BuUbmrwne-I" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:33.07%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/05/contentcon25-logo-1747412490394.png" /><h4 id="contentstack-contentcon-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon">Contentstack ContentCon 25</a></h4>June 3-5, 2025 – Chicago, USAThe future of digital is waiting for you! Contentstack presents ContentCon, the premier event for digital teams and industry leaders who are reimagining the future of digital experiences. Join us for two days of transformative presentations and workshops designed to help you put personalization and AI strategies into action. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://contentcon2025.site.zuddl.com/">Register today! </a> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

MACHtales: Voices from “The Composable Conference” with Jared Smigelski of Benco Dental

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<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/tom-cranstoun">Tom Cranstoun</a>, “The AEM Guy,” is the principal consultant at Digital Domain Technologies Limited and a CMS Critic contributor. <hr /> The Frankfurt skyline, the only city in Germany with skyscrapers, provided a fitting backdrop for two days of intense conversation about content management systems at the CMS Summit 2025, organized by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25/program">Boye &amp; Co. </a>This first European installment brought together a diverse mix of CMS practitioners, vendors, agencies, and analysts from across Europe and North America. My experience at the summit changed how I view the intersection of AI, CMS, and web technologies—areas that directly connect to my professional focus.<h3 id="the-state-of-content-management-in-2025">The State of Content Management in 2025</h3>What struck me most was not the technical specifications of various platforms, but the rich dialogue about how organizations actually use these systems. A common challenge emerged across multiple sessions: the search for a perfect "all-in-one" solution often leads to disappointment.Several presentations addressed this directly, noting that good technology alone doesn't guarantee success. Speakers described how quickly new requirements can reveal limitations in even the most promising systems. This observation was reinforced by cautions against purchasing tools before clearly defining the problems they should solve. The recommendation to view technology "not as a solution but as an enabler" resonated with many attendees, myself included.<h3 id="ai-integration:-substance-over-spectacle">AI Integration: Substance Over Spectacle</h3>The discussion around AI and content management stood out for its practicality. Rather than focusing on theoretical applications, presenters addressed real implementation challenges.Sessions on AI integration cut through typical enthusiasm with a focus on creating genuine value. Speakers emphasized that successful AI implementation depends less on impressive features and more on building user trust and achieving measurable outcomes.Several talks provided valuable insights on how AI systems interact with CMS-powered content, highlighting current limitations and offering concrete approaches to help AI better understand structured content—a critical consideration as these technologies become more deeply integrated. In full transparency, I was one of the speakers and I moderated one of the workshops, “Trust in AI”.<h3>"How Did I Not Know This?"</h3>The most profound insight came during the "Trust in AI" and "Building Products with AI" workshops, where a startling realization emerged that changed my understanding of AI in multilingual content management: Non-English speakers experience AI differently. And those of us in the English-speaking tech world rarely understand this. <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="-"> </h4><h4 style="text-align:center" id="“non-english-speakers-experience-ai-differently.-and-those-of-us-in-the-english-speaking-tech-world-rarely-understand-this.”">“Non-English speakers experience AI differently. And those of us in the English-speaking tech world rarely understand this.”</h4> <hr /> As someone familiar with AI bias discussions, I thought I understood the landscape. Yes, AI has a Western tilt. Yes, models reflect dominant ideologies. But what I hadn't fully grasped until this summit was the structural exclusion of non-English perspectives from the foundation upwards.In the European context, where linguistic diversity is lived rather than theoretical, this observation gained immediate traction. As we discussed AI implementation in content management systems, participants from various countries shared starkly different experiences with the same AI tools—experiences shaped primarily by language.The technical explanation proved equally eye-opening. Most large language models powering today's AI features in CMS platforms are trained on Common Crawl, a public dataset that scrapes vast portions of the web. Approximately 44% of this content is in English, with no other language exceeding 6%. German, Spanish, French, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese are present, but minimally so. The remaining global languages are virtually absent.A couple of anecdotes from the side chatter further underscore this challenge in both artificial intelligence and machine translation, particularly when dealing with nuanced languages like German.  <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/trieloff/">Lars Trieloff's</a> remark, "His English is Better than AI's German," while perhaps humorous, highlights the limitations of AI in achieving natural and idiomatic language proficiency. This suggests that even with advancements in AI, human expertise remains essential for tasks requiring linguistic finesse.  <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:86.85%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/05/image-1747664039114.png" alt="A person speaking into a microphone

AI-generated content may be incorrect." /></figure><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/trieloff/">Lars Trieloff</a>, principal at Adobe. Photo Source: Marta Cukierman <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelika-gust-5a4192205/">Angelika Gust's</a> experience further emphasizes this point. Her workflow, involving an "Experiment in AI," necessitated the active participation of native German speakers. Their role was crucial in rectifying the "stilted German" generated by the AI, indicating that while AI can be a useful tool in translation, it often falls short of producing text that is both grammatically correct and stylistically natural.  <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:85.83%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/05/image-1747664039107.png" alt="A person in a dress with her hands up

AI-generated content may be incorrect." /></figure><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelika-gust-5a4192205/">Angelika Gust</a>, Senior Product Manager, Digital Channels at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bahn.de/">DB Regio</a>. Photo Source: Marta Cukierman These real-world examples serve as a potent reminder that achieving truly human-quality language generation and translation remains a hurdle for artificial intelligence. The need for human oversight and correction is not just a matter of preference but a practical necessity for ensuring accuracy and quality. <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:84.04%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/05/image-1747664038840.png" /></figure> This imbalance creates models that "think" in English—not just linguistically, but culturally and contextually. For CMS implementations serving multilingual audiences, this poses significant challenges. Content created or augmented by AI in non-English languages often exhibits lower quality, cultural misalignments, and reduced effectiveness.Don’t forget that the system prompt is also written in English, the UI and front end often sneak in tricks by looking for text like ‘think deeply” in the prompt and then adjust the model's output.Wow. Perhaps everyone should prompt in English! I hope not.Common Crawl's architecture compounds the problem by prioritizing highly-linked domains, which overwhelmingly come from the English-speaking West. Already-dominant voices are further elevated, while content from smaller, less networked communities is ignored. This is particularly problematic for CMS implementations serving diverse global audiences.The contrast with established institutional approaches was striking. The United Nations publishes all official documents in six languages. The European Union recognizes 24 official languages and mandates linguistic equity across communications. Yet our content management systems, increasingly powered by AI, lag significantly behind this standard despite serving the same diverse populations.Another layer of systemic imbalance arises in how AI systems are fine-tuned. Reinforcement <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinforcement_learning_from_human_feedback">Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF)</a>, the technique used to refine language models, is overwhelmingly English-centric. This creates:<ul><li>Perspective Narrowing: Models reflect Anglophone values and social assumptions</li><li>Language Exclusion: Many global languages receive no feedback at all</li><li>Digital Colonialism: While the Global South provides labour and data, the benefits and governance remain concentrated in the Global North</li><li>Outdated non-native English: The global south was decolonised in the 1950s, their English language was often a second language, used as a link language; it has not kept up with modern English.</li></ul>What made this revelation particularly impactful was its obviousness in retrospect. As someone who has worked extensively with content management systems, I found myself wondering:  “How did I not know this?”<h3 id="digital-sustainability-emerges-as-a-core-concern">Digital Sustainability Emerges as a Core Concern</h3>The conference marked a shift toward acknowledging the environmental impact of digital solutions. Presentations offered compelling data on the growing carbon footprint of websites, applications, and AI systems.Speakers noted that building more climate-friendly digital experiences benefits both the planet and business outcomes. Several vendors and agencies have begun incorporating sustainability metrics into their development practices, signaling a potential industry-wide shift in priorities. <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:86.08%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/05/image-1747664039089.png" alt="A person giving a presentation to a group of people

AI-generated content may be incorrect." /></figure><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/thorsten-jonas">Thorsten Jonas</a> presenting “The Time is Now for Web Sustainability.” Photo Source: Marta Cukierman This focus on sustainability connects directly to questions about resource allocation and efficiency—particularly relevant as content management systems grow more complex and data-intensive.<h3 id="collaborative-problem-solving-">Collaborative Problem-Solving </h3>The second day shifted from presentations to working groups addressing pressing industry questions. Topics included building products in the age of AI, future-proofing content across multiple platforms, and establishing accuracy and trust with AI systems. <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:87.11%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/05/image-1747664277914.png" /></figure><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianmills/">Julian Mills</a> facilitating one of the day two workshop sessions. Photo Source: Janus BoyeThis format created space for substantive cross-organizational dialogue, allowing participants to share challenges and strategies from different perspectives. Many attendees noted this collaborative approach as particularly valuable compared to the experience of traditional conferences.<h3 id="reflections-and-forward-movement">Reflections and Forward Movement</h3>Looking back on the summit, what remains most valuable are the connections formed with other practitioners facing similar challenges. The conversations during breaks and social events often yielded insights as valuable as the formal sessions.For those working at the intersection of content management and emerging technologies, the path forward requires both technical expertise and strategic vision. We're navigating an industry-wide transformation driven by technological changes that pressure vendors, agencies, and clients alike.The multilingual AI revelation particularly calls for a shift in how we approach AI integration in content management. If we truly want AI-enhanced CMS to serve global audiences, then we need:<ul><li>Training data that's representative, multilingual, and culturally nuanced</li><li>Evaluation processes that account for linguistic diversity</li><li>Governance structures that include voices from all markets served</li><li>More inclusive, ethically curated datasets</li><li>Feedback systems reflecting a genuinely global range of human values</li><li>Movement beyond tokenism into structural equity</li></ul>The next European CMS Summit is scheduled for May 12-13, 2026, again in Frankfurt. Based on the quality of this year's event, it promises to provide another opportunity for meaningful exchange across the global CMS community. If you're based in North America, you can also join <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect in August</a> or <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25">CMS Kickoff in January.</a> And finally, the conversation continues in the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/groups/cms-experts/">CMS Expert Groups,</a> where <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/matt-garrepy">Chief Critic Matt Garrepy</a> is also an active community leader. This post represents my personal takeaways rather than a comprehensive report. I extend my gratitude to all speakers, demonstrators, and fellow attendees for two days of inspiring dialogue and discovery. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:33.07%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/05/contentcon25-logo-1747412490394.png" /><h4 id="contentstack-contentcon-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon">Contentstack ContentCon 25</a></h4>June 3-5, 2025 – Chicago, USAThe future of digital is waiting for you! Contentstack presents ContentCon, the premier event for digital teams and industry leaders who are reimagining the future of digital experiences. Join us for two days of transformative presentations and workshops designed to help you put personalization and AI strategies into action. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://contentcon2025.site.zuddl.com/">Register today! </a> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

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The ‘Deep Dish’ on Composable: 6 Tasty Takeaways from the MACH Alliance’s 2025 Conference

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<hr /> As a digital analyst – and, at heart, a guy who just likes to write stories about cool people and tech – I try to bring an outside perspective to everything.Sometimes, I’m just beyond the perimeter. Others, I’m inside it. More on that in a minute.Let me start today with one of our favorite words: composable. I’ve long held that it is, indeed, a “thing.” I think most of you will agree with me. Trends come and go, but this one is as much about technology as it is about philosophy – and broader in its reach than the stiff walls of industry categories. Even now, debate continues around how we define the composability of a product or a company, with conflicting POVs emanating from various camps based on a number of factors. Why can't we all just get along? As the feud wages on, the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-expands-certification-scope-to-include-offerings-within-larger-vendors">MACH Alliance</a> has been a leading voice in shaping the answer to this and other questions. Since 2020, it has endeavored to quantify the dimensions in a tangible way, establishing core tenets that reinforce key attributes and educate the market. How does the Alliance define composable? In a nutshell, it's a modular development approach that allows organizations to create custom applications by combining smaller, independent components. These components can then be customized, replaced, and plugged in independently to meet specific needs. In other words, you “compose” your stack.The charter of the MACH Alliance has always been clear: make it easier for buyers to understand the benefits of composable so they can evaluate solutions confidently, and even procure technologies that meet rigid MACH (Microservices, API-first, Cloud SaaS, Headless) standards. These standards provide the guardrails for certifying a solution as truly composable, which is where some of the debate stems from. By this definition, all MACH solutions are composable, but not all composable solutions are MACH compliant.Like composable, MACH is also a “thing." And that’s made clear by its continued rise in adoption (solid <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-publishes-first-annual-report-showcases-industry-impact-and-plans-for-2024">research validates this</a>). At last year’s <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year">MACH TWO event</a>, we saw how European markets and global brands were turning MACH’s pioneering principles into real projects and successful outcomes. Because of its early adoption across EU markets, some people assume this whole movement started in Europe. Not exactly.Now, at this year’s <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/events/mach-three">MACH THREE event</a> – which wrapped in New York City last Tuesday – we’re seeing the movement's zeitgeist take root in North America. This is a big deal for the MACH Alliance, another signpost reflecting its continued rise and influence. The organization, which advocates for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems, has attracted more than 100 members to its ranks. This includes a signature bench of Enablers like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/aws-joins-mach-alliance-as-enabler-member-reflects-growth-of-cloud-native-solutions">AWS</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/google-cloud-platform">Google</a>, and industry Supporters that feature <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/newsroom/mach-alliance-announces-paypal-is-the-first-company-to-join-new-supporter-membership-category">PayPal</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/members/j-p-morgan">J.P. Morgan</a>. Heavy hitters, to be sure. At CMS Critic, we’ve been following the organization’s successes and challenges since Day One, and always taken a keen interest in its trajectory. We’ve covered its accomplishments and accolades, but also the challenges and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-openly-invites-companies-claiming-mach-to-apply-for-certification">occasional controversy</a> that the movement has stirred – particularly among competitors. <h3 id="full-transparency">Full transparency</h3>I am a member of the Alliance’s Executive Advisory Board, where I listen and counsel with objective industry insight. I view things first through the CMS lens, but I've cultivated a deeper knowledge of the wider market and how composable and MACH are being leveraged to future-proof enterprise stacks.For the second year, I was asked to judge the prestigious <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/mach-impact-awards">MACH Impact Awards</a>, a staple of the annual conference’s agenda – and a reflection of the actual work being performed in the market. The MACH Impact Awards recognize organizations that have demonstrated tremendous value through digital transformation projects by successfully implementing a MACH approach. What qualifies me for this honor? Over the last two decades, I’ve built digital experiences with numerous tools and platforms – too many to count. There have been incredible highs and wildly successful launches, but I’ve also struggled, maybe even cried a few times (not ashamed to admit that). Along the way, I've also watched the seedlings of composability bubble up effervescently as stacks became more decoupled and dependent on APIs. In my second year judging the Impact Awards, I’ll say this: it’s getting easier and harder. Easier in the sense that more organizations clearly understand the fundamentals and are adopting the mindset in a more intentional way. Harder in that the use cases are more dense, complex, and difficult to choose as winners in a juried contest. I can’t get into the sausage-making behind the scenes. But I’ll simply say this: it was a joy to read, rank, and collaborate with fellow judges on our panel, all of whom are accomplished industry experts. We were all committed to assessing every entry with a fair, critical, unbiased eye – giving each use case a thorough evaluation. With that said, here are the results of that work.<h3 id="mach-matters-more-than-ever">MACH matters more than ever</h3>There were some astoundingly rich, detailed, ambitious, and downright intimidating entries in the third annual Impact Awards. Before I Iist the victors, there are a few key insights derived from 2024's cohort of applications.First, it’s worth noting that this year’s Impact Awards experienced a 20% increase in entries. That’s a clear signal that interest and awareness is growing – but also that organizations, vendors, and SIs are understanding the fierce requirements needed to satisfy a successful MACH program. In terms of scope, the MACH Alliance handed out ten MACH Impact Awards, recognizing projects from focused industries, project teams, and individuals. There was some notable expansion into the categories of travel, tourism and hospitality, and consumer product goods manufacturing. The MACH Alliance also added a Best New Breaking Ground Project award for companies paving the way in a new sector.There were two new “Grand Prix” awards featured in this year’s contest. This included Best Digital Experience and Best Overall Change, where the category award winners vied for a “best-of-the-best” honor as chosen by the judges.  “We are seeing companies implement MACH projects across a growing range of industries and geographic markets like never before, which speaks to the importance of operating a flexible, modern, and composable technology infrastructure,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-hall-4b14a945/">Holly Hall</a>, managing director, MACH Alliance. “Our <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/content-hub/mach-global-research-2024">2024 global research</a> discovered that 9 in 10 IT decision-makers say composable technology will be instrumental to the success of their organization in the next five years.”<h3 id="“we-are-the-champions”-(cue-the-music)">“We are the champions” (cue the music)</h3>No shocker if you read the headline, but Kraft Heinz and Clarks earned the pretigious Grand Prix honors. These were incredible projects, and certainly worthy of the accolades. Official winners of the 2024 MACH Impact Awards include:<ul><li>Best B2B Project: Hynds Group</li><li>Best Retail Project: Clarks</li><li>Best Health &amp; Wellness Project: Vision Healthcare</li><li>Best Travel, Tourism, &amp; Hospitality Project: Wendy’s</li><li>Best Manufacturing (consumer goods) Project: Kraft Heinz</li><li>Breaking New Ground Project: Micheldever</li><li>Team of the Year Award: Varner</li><li>Contributor of the Year Award: Justin Thomas, head of digital experience, Kraft Heinz</li><li>Grand Prix – Best Overall Change: Clarks</li><li>Grand Prix – Best Digital Experience: Kraft Heinz</li></ul>One special exception: during the event, recognition was given to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.danielsmusic.org/">Daniel’s Music Foundation</a>, a New York-based nonprofit that provides accessible music programs to people living with a disability. As the organization proclaims on its website, it’s changing lives through the power of music – a unique and worthy cause with local and global implications. This spotlight is another example of the MACH Alliance’s mission to make positive changes in our world, particularly in the realm of diversity, equality, and inclusion. If you’re interested in perusing the full list of nominees and winners, visit the <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/mach-impact-awards#Finalists">MACH Impact Awards page</a>. <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>I think I’ve hit the high points in the opening salvo, but there are two main reasons why these Impact Awards are a milestone.First, it signifies the tangible growth of MACH and composable – and it’s not just hype or hyperbole. By featuring real use cases and successful outcomes, the Alliance is pinpointing just how successful its investments in community and education have been. With significantly more entries in this year’s contest, it’s clear that interest continues to rise.Second, MACH is making strides in the U.S. market, where it has been slowly taking root. The addressable market is large and relatively untapped, and its efforts over the last year to build a beachhead and drive awareness has been successful. This was part of the calculus in selecting New York City as the host location for the MACH THREE event – a hub for tech, finance, and just about every other industry under Gotham’s sun. Also, having U.S.-based brands like Kraft Heinz achieve standout recognition is further evidence that opportunities are evolving Westward.The contention around composable is a real phenomenon, and the division has been palpable. As monolithic platforms make inroads towards a more composable posture, headless CMSes and MACH-certified tools have also been evolving their own offerings to better compete in a grueling marketplace of options. I could probably write a book about the chaos that has ensued – both sides feeling a bit marginalized, both racing towards the middle in their own ways. But in the end, what really matters is the customer, and that’s what I love about these Awards. They elevate the voices of brands and builders, allowing their individual and collective success to tell their stories. And for the third year in a row, the MACH Alliance has made those stories a jewel in the crown of its premier event.  Awards programs are a fun and spirited way to celebrate achievement and excellence among our peers. The Impact Awards have delivered that in spades and continue to exemplify the promise and potential of MACH. Congratulations to the winners.  <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.

Clarks, Kraft Heinz Take Top Honors in MACH Impact Awards at MACH THREE

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