Articles

personalization Article

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/andycohen">Andy Cohen</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/deane"> </a>is the founding architect of Sitecore XM Cloud. He is VP/Chief Architect at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.altudo.co/">Altudo</a>, and a CMS Critic contributor. <hr /> When people talk about personalization, they often mean “the right content to the right person at the right time.” That idea is now past tense.I have watched this shift play out up close, from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/sitecore">Sitecore’s</a> early rules-based personalization, through <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentstack">Contentstack’s</a> use of edge-based personalization in a composable architecture, to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/optimizely">Optimizely’s</a> launch of Opal, a system of marketing AI agents. Personalization no longer stops at swapping content on a page. It now reaches into the interaction itself, and soon, into the relationships agents form with one another.<h3 id="when-agents-adapt-to-us">When Agents Adapt to Us</h3>That shift, from “what” to “how,” is where the major CMS players are already moving, and you can see it in the different bets they're making:<ul><li>Contentstack has put its weight behind <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/livin-on-the-edge-contentstacks-new-adaptive-dxp-might-just-rock-your-world">EDGE</a>, which they call a hyper-personalization platform. It blends their headless CMS with a real-time CDP, AI, and automation. The goal is simple but ambitious: deliver one-to-one experiences in the moment and at scale. Because it is composable, brands can adapt interactions without locking themselves into rigid patterns. What strikes me about EDGE is that it reframes personalization as something continuous, not a campaign you set and forget.</li><li>Optimizely has taken another route with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/optimizely-opal-gets-supercharged-for-agentic-ai-powering-infinite-use-cases-for-marketers">Opal</a>. Instead of a single assistant, Opal is built as a collection of agents that act like members of a marketing team. There is a campaign manager agent, a personalization advisor, a market researcher, and more. With the 2.0 release, Optimizely put the emphasis on letting these agents collaborate and run multi-step workflows across content, data, and experimentation. I have seen teams spend weeks coordinating those same steps manually. Opal hints at a world where marketing execution is handled by an ensemble of digital teammates who can plan, act, and adjust together.</li><li>Sitecore has focused on bringing assistance directly into daily work. Through <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.sitecore.com/products/sitecore-stream">Stream</a>, they have introduced AI copilots that support authors and marketers in real time as they draft and optimize campaigns. On top of that, Sitecore’s partnership with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/sitecore-sharpens-ai-focus-with-strategic-partnership-and-new-leadership-appointments">Gradial</a> shows how agentic workflows can extend into campaign execution. It is not just about smarter editors or quicker drafts. It is about agents that can carry intent through to delivery and adapt along the way. For a company that has lived for years in the world of static content publishing, that is a meaningful step forward.</li></ul>None of these approaches feels like a gimmick.They are different answers to the same problem: personalization is no longer about what content you are shown, it is about how the interaction unfolds. Whether that happens through hyper-personalization at the edge, through orchestrated marketing agents, or via copilots and execution partners, the shift is real and already in motion.<h3 id="what-nondeterminism-really-means">What Nondeterminism Really Means</h3>Most software behaves like math: 2 + 2 always equals 4. Generative AI does not. Ask it to draft a thank-you note and you will get three different answers, all plausible, none identical. That variability is what we call nondeterminism.It is the very thing that makes AI feel creative, but also the reason it needs personalization to stay useful. As <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://parivedasolutions.com/perspectives/managing-the-non-deterministic-nature-of-generative-ai/">Pariveda Solutions points out</a>, nondeterminism is what makes AI flexible and creative, but it also introduces governance challenges that remain unresolved. In my own work with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/getting-loud-with-xm-cloud-sitecore-reports-100-growth-of-its-ai-powered-cloud-based-cms">XM Cloud,</a> I have seen how unpredictable outcomes can be a feature if the system adapts well – and a liability if it does not.<h3 id="when-agents-adapt-to-each-other">When Agents Adapt to Each Other</h3>The next frontier is agents adapting not just to us but to each other. Nondeterminism multiplies when two autonomous systems interact. They need ways to converge on workable outcomes.Sometimes that looks like adjusting communication style, where one agent is structured and terse, another free-form and verbose. Sometimes, it means learning to accept differences in task style, such as fast approximation versus cautious step-by-step reasoning. Other times it's about role negotiation: who leads, who validates, who escalates.And sometimes it is memory. Agents do not just adapt in the moment; they remember. That memory can look like a grudge. A search agent that hallucinated last time will get fact-checked the next. A procurement agent that botched a deal may face stricter oversight. Even first impressions stick. If an agent’s very first hand-off is sloppy, the other agent may never fully trust it, no matter how good the later work becomes.Humans behave the same way. In corporate life, one bad kickoff meeting can color a partnership for months. Agents will carry those patterns too.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.deepset.ai/blog/ai-agents-and-deterministic-workflows-a-spectrum"> Deepset calls this the “spectrum of determinism to nondeterminism</a>.” I call it relationship management.<h3 id="everyday-illustrations">Everyday Illustrations</h3>Picture a grocery agent told to buy apples if they are $0.99 a pound. A deterministic system comes back empty because they are $1.09. An adaptive one checks with you, “They are a little higher today. Should I buy anyway?” That is useful, until the store’s own agent learns to nudge yours into paying even more.Or ride-hailing. You set a $20 target. The price surges to $23. Do you want your agent to decline, wait, or decide on its own? What happens when the ride-share’s agent starts upselling yours into priority pickup at $28?Or travel. You say, “Book me a flight under $500.” The system finds none. A flexible agent returns with, “There is one at $525 with better times. Should I grab it?” Helpful, but it shows how quickly rules can bend.In the enterprise, this gets thornier. Procurement policies might cap software licenses at $50 per seat. A deterministic agent halts the deal. A personalized one negotiates to $55 and closes it. That looks like a win until you realize the vendor’s agent deliberately anchored higher, knowing yours would flex upward.Healthcare raises the stakes even more. You ask for an appointment with your doctor next week. A rigid agent says none available. A personalized one offers a nurse practitioner tomorrow or a specialist in two weeks. That looks like a better experience, but it could also push you toward higher-margin services instead of the care you really wanted.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.salesforce.com/blog/deterministic-ai/">Salesforce has written about this exact problem</a> of when to script agents tightly and when to let them roam. I see it every day in delivery projects. Too rigid and you frustrate users. Too loose and you open the door to manipulation.<h3 id="agents-that-carry-“you”-with-them">Agents That Carry “You” With Them</h3>Now push it further. Imagine your agent not only executes tasks but carries your personality footprint into every interaction. If you are cost-sensitive, it pushes harder. If you are time-poor, it pays more for speed. If you are detail-driven, it double-checks everything.What if you could swap personas entirely?<ul><li>"Frugal Andy" does the grocery shopping</li><li>"Executive Andy" books the flights</li><li>"Playful Andy" explores games and hobbies.</li></ul>Your agent would not only personalize to you. It would personalize as you.But there is risk in this. If the other agent knows who you are or which persona you are using, it can adapt back. That can be powerful when aligned with your goals, but it can also be exploited. Imagine a vendor agent that recognizes executive mode and steers you toward premium packages.This is not hypothetical. Optimizely’s Opal agents already act like different team members depending on context. Contentstack’s Brand Kit lets you define voice profiles and store guidelines so that every AI-generated artifact reflects your identity. Sitecore’s Stream copilots are designed to guide content creators in real time, aligning their work with brand and role expectations.These are early signals of a future where agents carry pieces of us, including quirks, preferences, and even biases, into every exchange.<h3 id="why-this-matters">Why This Matters</h3>This is why nondeterminism is not a flaw but the feature. Deterministic systems did not need personalization. There was only one output. Nondeterministic systems can go in many directions, and personalization is what prevents chaos.The best metaphor I know is jazz. Musicians improvising do not know exactly where the others will go. They adapt, they respond, they personalize their playing to the group. The music works not because it is scripted but because the players trust each other enough to bend and flex.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/seizing-the-agentic-ai-advantage">McKinsey has argued</a> that this adaptability is the defining advantage of agentic AI. From what I have seen in publishing systems, SaaS cost optimization, and large-scale CMS migrations, I agree. The resilience comes not from rigid plans but from the ability to adapt in context.<h3 id="what-leaders-should-prepare-for">What Leaders Should Prepare For</h3>Leaders should focus on their readiness in key areas. For example, trust frameworks must extend beyond human-agent interactions into agent-to-agent ecosystems. Standards cannot stay as fixed APIs; they need flexibility built in. Identity management has to protect personality profiles and alter egos from misuse. And agents must be able to remember not just what they did for us, but how they worked with others.<h3 id="the-future-of-personalization">The Future of Personalization</h3>Personalization started with content. It evolved into experiences. Now, it is moving into interactions – first with humans and then with other agents.If we get this right, nondeterminism will not be something to suppress. It will be the source of resilience, adaptability, and creativity. The companies that thrive will not just personalize their websites. They will personalize their agents. Those agents will adapt to us, and to each other, in ways that reflect who we are or even who we choose to be.And like humans, they will remember. First impressions will matter. Grudges may form. And relationships between agents will start to look a lot like relationships between people. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.61%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/storyblok-joyconf-2025-logo.jpg" /><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Storyblok JoyConf 2025</a></h4>October 14-15, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands November 4, 2025 – New York, NY November 6, 2025 – Los Angeles, CAJoin us at JoyConf 2025, where the future of content meets the people shaping it. Built for developers, marketers, and digital innovators, this free conference goes way beyond product updates or yet another strategy playbook. It’s where you’ll get inspired, get real, and get connected – to ideas, to the community, and to what’s possible when you build joyfully. Whether you're building lightning-fast frontends or launching cross-channel campaigns, this is where content becomes connection and collaboration becomes second nature. Come for the talks. Stay for the community. Leave with joy. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Save your spot.</a> <img style="width:28.9%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/sitecore-symposium-2025.jpg" /><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2025</a></h4>November 3-5, 2025 – Orlando, FLAt Sitecore Symposium, you’ll learn how to meet your customers where they are – across channels, moments, and touchpoints that didn’t exist a year ago. You’ll hear how the boldest brands in the world are transforming content into outcomes and creating experiences that are fast, relevant, and human. Join 1,500 marketers, digital leaders, and technologists in Orlando to see what’s possible when personalization scales, AI accelerates creativity, and trust becomes your competitive edge. This is the Third Wave of the Internet. And this is your moment to lead in it. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Get your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:31.44%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/cms-kickoff-2026-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">CMS Kickoff 2026</a></h4>January 13-14, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FLMeet industry leaders at our fourth annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global CMS 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" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">so secure your tickets today.</a>

Agent-to-Agent Personalization: Trust, First Impressions, and the 'Grudge' Factor

andycohen

Agentic AI Is Coming. Is Your DXP Ready?

dsfaltudo

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

matt-garrepy

<hr /> “If content is king, context is queen.”That’s what <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contentstack-raises-57-5-million-in-series-b-round-qa-with-ceo-neha-sampat">Neha Sampat</a>, Contentstack’s founder and CEO, had to say about her company’s latest innovation, speaking to the “royal” relationship between content and data – and how their DXP is poised to help brands adapt to customers in real-time to every interaction and across every channel.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentstack">Contentstack</a> has been steadily building this evolutionary vision of an “adaptive DXP,” laying the groundwork from the moment <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contentstack-just-acquired-lytics-a-real-time-customer-data-platform-heres-why-it-matters">it purchased Lytics</a> – a customer data platform – last January. After breaking that news, I later visited Sampat at Contentstack’s HQ in Austin during a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/groups/cms-experts">Boye &amp; Company CMS Experts</a> meeting, where she rolled out more of the red carpet surrounding her data ambitions. At the time, I had no idea just how fast she would move to “adapt” Lytics. “The future of digital is here,” she said, “which is why we moved so quickly to deliver on our promise to arm customers with the combined power of content and data.”Indeed, the future is here. And for brands to compete, they need more context than ever. That’s where today’s announcement at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon">ContentCon 25</a> (the company’s fourth annual customer shindig) comes in. Contentstack just revealed that it has natively added real-time audience insights, intelligent content recommendations, and omnichannel journey orchestration into <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/livin-on-the-edge-contentstacks-new-adaptive-dxp-might-just-rock-your-world">Contentstack EDGE</a> – its fully integrated adaptive digital experience platform.According to Contentstack, this is an industry-first game-changer at the CMS level. Armed with these features – where content and data are seamlessly combined – brands can deliver one-to-one personalized experiences across every channel.Making the announcement at ContentCon will no doubt help to fortify visibility and reinforce the relevance. Featuring speakers from a number of Contentstack’s marquee customers – including Crocs, Mattel, PetMeds, and Volvo – will help bring greater stickiness to the message as they trumpet their success leveraging the platform’s capabilities. To further elevate the message of performance, attendees will be treated to a closing keynote by two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion and Olympic Gold Medalist <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandi_Chastain">Brandi Chastain</a>, co-founder of Bay Football Club.This is sure to score points as partners, agencies, and practitioners leave with practical wisdom – as well as a deeper sense of Contentstack’s roadmap for adaptive digital experiences. <h3 id="a-speedy-expansion-to-the-‘queendom’">A speedy expansion to the ‘queendom’</h3>I recently <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/livin-on-the-edge-contentstacks-new-adaptive-dxp-might-just-rock-your-world">wrote about Contentstack EDGE</a>, the brand envelope for its adaptive DXP. This new platform identity came just five months after its acquisition of Lytics, which demonstrates the speed and efficacy of Contentstack’s team in the pursuit of value from its CDP purchase.We’ve seen other vendors ride hype around M&amp;A, only to have a slow integration and consolidation period that can last years. Worse, the results are sometimes spotty, resulting in a cumbersome UX that misses the mark. This is fast by every modern measure, and the motivation was clear.It’s still early days for these new capabilities, but Contentstack has always doubled down on the user experience, making its native <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contentstack-launch-aims-to-simplify-front-end-hosting-interview-with-dean-haddock-senior-product-manager">products like Launch</a> incredibly easy to use. Speed is absolutely critial, but so too is the delivery of an experience that meets – or at best, exceeds – customer expectations. <h3 id="“the-royal-treatment”-of-ai-powered-personalization">“The royal treatment” of AI-powered personalization</h3>AI is the name of the game, and Contentstack has been at the innovation edge since 2023, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/a-closer-look-at-contentstacks-ai-features-with-christine-masters-senior-product-manager">when I first demoed</a> its early GenAI capabilities. They were certainly novel at the time, and they were one of the first platforms to focus on more concrete, high-utility applications at the workflow level – where automation was solving real problems. Personalization has arguably come a long way. It’s not the elusive “Holy Grail” it once was. But according to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contentstack-fires-up-brand-relevant-ai-powered-personalization-at-contentcon-2024">Conor Egan,</a> Contentstack’s SVP of Product, there are still barriers to realizing its potential. “Personalization is a priority, but brands struggle to deliver,” he said. “The reality is too abstract, complicated, disconnected or they’re locked into legacy tech that makes agility impossible.”Last year, Contentstack released a new personalization engine that combined brand-aware generative AI content creation, automation, and visual building technology. It was a foundation step that unleashed the benefits of AI while simplifying key aspects of the experience. But to deliver true hyper-personalization at scale, both content and real-time data were essential to the recipe. Now, Contentstack is fulfilling the last mile of its personalization vision, providing a blazing-fast integration that addresses long-standing personalization challenges with a practical solution. And by unifying content, data, and journey orchestration into a single, combined platform, brands can power true personalization at scale – all with clarity and confidence.“We’re not just committed to our vision of the future,” Egan said. “We’re offering customers the tools that make personalization possible today.”<h3 id="‘knighting’-its-adaptive-dxp-with-key-features">‘Knighting’ its adaptive DXP with key features</h3>The announcement provides some details about the feature additions to Contentstack EDGE at a granular level, further defining the company’s vision as an adaptive digital experience platform.First, the integration of Audience Insights will enable users to understand what content is driving engagement and delivering on business goals. The added context can help marketers support targeted campaigns and ground their personalization efforts in data-driven insights. Along with visual maps, audience building, and opportunity insights, brands can learn what their audiences care most about in real time. Worth noting: This feature is available at no additional cost to Contentstack customers today.Then, there’s Real-Time Data Activation, which aims to deliver personalized experiences instantly via seamless access to over 200 data connectors. There’s also native integration with existing data warehouses, activated in real time as customers interact – a key benefit that has emerged as brands tap data from a variety of siloed sources.Finally, with Flows, it’s all about scaling the promise of omnichannel personalization. Users can design and automate what Contentstack calls “adaptive customer journeys,” which can guide individuals seamlessly across web, mobile, email, ads, SMS, and other channels, maximizing engagement and conversions. <h3 id="is-this-a-new-reign-for-adaptive-dxps?">Is this a new reign for adaptive DXPs?</h3>For a space that’s often more buzzword than breakthrough, Contentstack is walking the walk with a rarefied air. This launch doesn’t just expand their platform – it helps reshape what’s possible for brands that are still struggling with the paralysis of personalization.Marketers are hungry for the context that Contentstack is promising. The speed at which they’ve delivered these new insights and journey orchestration capabilities is impressive, but UX is key – and we’ll have to see how organizations embrace the feature set. One big benefit here is Contentstack’s focus on customer intimacy and fueling its product enhancements around a solid feedback loop.Atop everything is the crowning position of adaptive digital experiences. While there’s a clear marketing angle, we’re all being forced to adapt to new realities in the race to digital dominance – and Contentstack is building a platform solution around the challenges and opportunities. You can come up with a fancy new name. But you have to make it mean something. And that’s precisely what they’re doing. Contentstack’s ascension to a DXP throne has been hard-fought, but its strategy seems to be paying off. As noted by several key analyst reports, the company’s composable roadmap and the acquisition of a data layer have catapulted it into new quadrants of consideration. This should assist in the battle against industry stalwarts and the general barrier to greater awareness.I still think one of Contentstack’s greatest assets is its culture. Over the years, I’ve spoken to CEO Neha Sampat about the company’s growth ambitions, but it’s always peppered with stories about people – and how Contentstack is doubling down on expanding through diversity and other human-focused initiatives.Case in point: The company has been recognized for its unmatched customer care and tradition of giving back globally through its Contentstack Cares program, including its support of Pledge 1% and “Girls Who Code.”It might be one of the shiniest gems in its crown – and another reason to watch this company as it continues to expand. <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="looking-for-guidance-on-contentstack?-talk-to-an-expert.">Looking for guidance on Contentstack? <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: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>

Context Is Queen: Contentstack Crowns its Adaptive DXP with Native Real-Time Audience Insights

Umbraco Shines on Sustainability and Growth in Third Annual Impact Report

Contentful Rolls Out New AI and Personalization Capabilities, Ramps Up R&D for its DXP

Call Tracking + AI 

Call Tracking + AI that Turns Calls into Leads

#ffffff

Getting Loud with XM Cloud: Sitecore Reports 100% Growth of its AI-Powered Cloud-based CMS

<hr /> Digital agencies are like the heroes in a Greek myth. Driven by a quest for creative glory, they partake in an often perilous business odyssey. Along the way, they acquire “supernatural” skills and knowledge to help them navigate the competitive sirens and conquer impossible feats of digital transformation. At the same time, growth requires a bit of Gorgon-slaying, and it ain’t always pretty. Servicing existing customers is hard enough, but finding new business can be an epic battle. And yet, when an amazing new website or experience launches – and a brand takes pride in the results – it can become the stuff of legends.It's no secret that agencies are under increasing pressure to perform. As such, they’re having to transform. But this isn’t new territory for these nimble Argonauts. They’ve faced change time and again (I should know, having owned a tech-focused digital agency for 17 years). That said, the latest character in this tale – <a target="_blank" href="https://research.ibm.com/blog/what-is-generative-AI">Gen AI </a>– is like a Minotaur in a maze. Agencies are getting flanked from all sides. Even as some brands strengthen their in-house resources, many organizations are mired in confusion and need an agency’s guidance. Traditional business models have been disrupted, and competition is on the rise. And on the other end of the spectrum, tech vendors are looking for agency partners to drive more opportunities. It's a lot.Still, innovation is activating real value across the sector, and M&amp;A is proving to be a rapid path for driving differentiation and competing for business. Ad tech is one reflection of this. Agencies and marketers rely on it heavily, and while 2024 was solid, the third quarter was worthy of a Golden Fleece. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://lumapartners.com/presentations/q3-2024-market-report/">Luma Partners</a>, M&amp;A deal volume was up 118% year-over-year, the highest since the first half of 2022.Agencies did a similar acquisition dance in 2024, with a slew of deals from small to large. In December, Omnicom Group, one of the world’s biggest agencies, announced that it was <a target="_blank" href="https://investor.omnicomgroup.com/news/news-details/2024/Omnicom-to-Acquire-Interpublic-Group-to-Create-Premier-Marketing-and-Sales-Company/default.aspx">acquiring Interpublic Group</a> to expand its offerings across CRM, data, digital commerce, precision marketing, and more. This comes just as marketing budgets are expected to stabilize or increase in 2025.Even firms with a tight focus on digital transformation bought big. Earlier in the year, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.valtech.com/en-us/">Valtech</a> – a reknowned agency that pitches itself as the “experience innovation company” – <a target="_blank" href="https://www.valtech.com/en-us/news/valtech-completes-acquisition-of-kin-carta/">completed its purchase</a> of Kin + Carta, a global digital consultancy. Now, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bizstream.com/">BizStream</a> has joined the M&amp;A mythology. The Michigan-based digital agency – which specializes in strategy, design, and development – just announced its acquisition of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.refactoredmedia.com/">Refactored</a>, a Colorado-based agency known for its expertise in digital transformation and advanced user experience design. Refactored is also known for its proven experience as a U.S.-based <a target="_blank" href="https://www.storyblok.com/">Storyblok</a> partner, adding to BizStream’s long list of CMS technology specializations. This includes platforms like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/kentico">Kentico</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/kontentai">Kontent.ai</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/payload">Payload</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/wordpress">WordPress</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/progress-sitefinity">Progress Sitefinity</a>. “We’re thrilled to have Refactored join BizStream, as their expertise in digital transformation and brand storytelling perfectly aligns with goals of expansion and growth,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/bmckeiver">Brian McKeiver,</a> BizStream Co-owner, Solution Architect. “This acquisition allows us to deliver an even broader range of modern, scalable, and engaging solutions to our clients. It also opens some doors into new areas of opportunity for BizStream. We look forward to continuing our tradition of exceptional results, now with an expanded team and enhanced capabilities.”It's worth mentioning that Brian McKeiver has also been a CMS Critic contributor, exploring the realm of artificial intelligence through the agency lens. You can read his article, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/responsible-ai-principles-for-digital-marketing-and-content-teams">“Responsible AI Principles for Digital Marketing and Content Teams,”</a> and I highly recommend downloading his <a target="_blank" href="https://bit.ly/Responsible-AI-Guidelines-For-Content-Teams"> AI Principle Worksheet</a>.<h3 id="expanded-capabilities-and-a-headless-cms-accelerator">Expanded capabilities and a headless CMS accelerator</h3>As noted, BizStream already boasts a strong aptitude for CMS as part of its core technology portfolio. And while both companies provide a similar range of services – from visual design to web development – Refactored’s proven success in creating digital strategy, data-driven digital experiences, and brand storytelling will complement BizStream’s existing expertise. Refactored has cultivated a track record for executing strategies based on deep industry understanding, audience insights, and key channels and technologies. By leveraging its expertise in digital transformation, advanced user experience design, and tailored brand and content development, the unified team aims to deliver substantive business results.BizStream’s customers will also have access to Refactored’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.refactoredmedia.com/web-accelerator/">Web Accelerator</a> solution, which simplifies the adoption of modern <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">headless content management </a>technology while reducing costs and mitigating risk. Web Accelerator provides a complete, pre-built website framework using the Storyblok methodology – which streamlines the transition to a headless CMS.Accelerators are certainly having their moment within the agency tapestry. These custom solutions are purpose-built to deliver a quick startup, easier onboarding, and better user adoption. Refactored’s Web Accelerator is designed with composable principles in mind, helping companies realize faster business value while future-proofing their stack with a centralized content model that makes migrations a thing of the past.Storyblok continues to blaze trails in the headless CMS landscape, making this particular accelerator even more attractive. With a killer UX and a strong commitment to exceptional customer experience and outcomes (CEO <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominikangerer/">Dominik Angerer</a> once told me “I’ve never had a customer leave because of our product”), Storyblok is building momentum as it eyes the larger addressable U.S. market. Last year, it sold investors on that vision, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/storyblok-is-writing-its-next-chapter-with-an-80m-series-c-heres-why-it-matters">closing on an $80 million Series C</a>. <h3 id="agencies-are-poised-for-growth,-even-as-pressure-mounts">Agencies are poised for growth, even as pressure mounts</h3>Given the growing trend of M&amp;A activity last year, the digital experience sector was already signaling some healthy activity heading into 2025. That prediction paid off at the beginning of January, when <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentstack">Contentstack</a> – a leading headless CMS – <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/contentstack-just-acquired-lytics-a-real-time-customer-data-platform-heres-why-it-matters">purchased Lytics</a>, a respected customer data platform. Of course, there were numerous factors driving that acquisition.As I previously mentioned, agencies also had some wins. But the picture is far from clear. As always, it’s helpful to look at where we’ve been for a glimpse of what’s ahead, and I found a couple of sources that provide a modicum of consensus. Fair warning: these are both from services companies in the agency business, so I assume a bit of bias is baked in. Just a few weeks ago, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.rswus.com/survey/rsw-us-2025-new-year-outlook-report/">RSW/US published some comprehensive research</a> on key trends across the agency landscape. The report is about 30 pages long, but worth a deeper dive – and it’s free to download.The sample included over 5,000 marketing services, advertising, and PR firms in the U.S. and Canada, with capitalized billings ranging from under $3 million to $75 million. In the mix were full-service, digital, PR, and marketing consultancies. While this represented a broad set of disciplines, many of these shops undoubtedly build websites and apps, implement CMS and other DX technologies, and manage content and marketing strategies.As I reflected in my <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/down-the-agency-rabbit-hole-a-post-opticon-chat-with-chris-kostakis-cto-at-hero-digital">Opticon follow-up</a> with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriskostakis/">Chris Kostakis</a>, CTO at <a target="_blank" href="https://herodigital.com/">Hero Digital</a>, the outlook from agencies is mostly positive as brands and marketers increasingly rely on their expertise. According to RSW/US, 78% of agencies expect their business to improve in 2025. At the same time, there are headwinds. Over one-third of participants reported a decline in business from 2023 to 2024, likely driven by client demand and increased competition. AI is also disrupting the agency business model and could further drag down performance. This is precisely why the rapid development or acquisition of strategic services – including the expansion into new technologies – is critical.It's worth noting that <a target="_blank" href="https://sparktoro.com/blog/the-state-of-digital-agencies-in-2024-big-challenges-bigger-optimism-and-is-remote-work-here-to-stay/">Rand Fishkind and his Sparktoro team</a> recently published their own independent research on the same subject, trying to determine how shops have been fairing over the last 12 to 24 months. I covered some of their conclusions <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/down-the-agency-rabbit-hole-a-post-opticon-chat-with-chris-kostakis-cto-at-hero-digital">in a recent article</a>, and the assessment was decidedly less “glowing” around last year’s performance. I would encourage reviewing that data as well for some additional context. <h3 id="trust-in-digital-agency-partners-is-solid">Trust in digital agency partners is solid</h3>Despite the tectonic shifts, agencies are still perceived as high-value partners. According to the RSW/US research, 62% of marketers believe their agency partners are “ahead of the curve,” particularly when it comes to new trends and technologies. This positions agencies as a trusted source for guiding marketers and brands on a wide range of investments and considerations, which certainly includes the composition of a modern tech stack.Agencies, likewise, have greater confidence in their preparedness to meet their customers’ expectations regarding new trends and technologies (between a 6 and a 10) – a slight increase from previous years.On the subject of new technologies, here’s the big one: 73% of agencies cite AI-powered personalization as the top trend for 2025. Just as we heard from vendors, agencies, and customers at the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/reflections-on-cms-kickoff-25-from-the-aem-guy">Boye &amp; Company CMS Kickoff 25</a>, AI is no longer an emerging tool but a critical driver of automation, efficiency, and innovation. While the future is still a bit murky, what’s abundantly clear is that agencies are under increasing pressure to prove their value and expertise in areas like data-driven insights, cutting-edge creativity, and specialized tech solutions – positioning them as indispensable partners. They also need to deliver measurable impact around KPIs and ROI. These will be the defining factors that help agencies win business against both competitors and in-house resources.<h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>There’s a reason why Jason dragged all those Argonauts with him: there’s strength in numbers. With 50 heroes sailing the Argo, he had a better shot of navigating rough seas and avoiding any siren calls. With BizStream’s acquisition of Refactored, they’re tapping that same mythology of combining forces to scale and succeed. While some mergers focus more on expanding an addressable market reach, technology pairings often zero in on specific IP or resources that bridge a missing gap. In this case, BizStream is benefiting from Refactored’s broader strategy and capabilities, as well as its Web Accelerator component. By reducing the hassle factor of migrating to a headless CMS, they will have another ace in their hand for powering growth.A big part of advising on any stack is choice, and BizStream is delivering that in spades. They provide expertise in multiple CMSes and DX solutions, necessitating an agile and objective mindset for choosing the right technology for each project. At the same time, having a broad menu requires knowledgeable teams across each platform – which can be challenging to maintain.Digital agencies continue to be resourceful in the age of AI, leading their customers from chaos to clarity. As brands double down on hyper-personalization and other advanced AI-powered capabilities, they will require knowledgeable partners to get there. My guess is that we’ll see more of these “unified fronts” via M&amp;A and strategic alliances, allowing agencies to compete more effectively in the AI theater and at the edge. That's good, but only if it remains tightly focused on a firm's core business. The track record for agencies becoming product companies is uneven at best and might deter from the mission.Despite any positive momentum in the aforementioned studies from RSW/US and SparkToro, 2025 might prove more challenging than anticipated, especially as the political and policy-making dynamics in the U.S. continue to evolve and players like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.deepseek.com/">DeepSeek</a> disrupt the status quo. This is where an agency’s expertise, wisdom, and trust can deliver real value – and transform a myth into legendary success. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:30.46%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/11/cms-summit-25.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-summit-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">CMS Summit 25</a></h4>May 13-14, 2025 – Frankfurt, GermanyDon't miss the first European edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community! CMS Summit 25 will bring together top-notch speakers, our renowned learning format, and engaging social events. Hear from leading practitioners like Deutsche Bahn, Dr. Oetker, and more – and join customers, agencies, and CMS vendors as we discuss current trends and what's ahead for the content and digital experience fields. Connect and network at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference focused on CMS. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">so book your seats 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" 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" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

BizStream Acquires Refactored, Adds Strategic Digital Services and Headless CMS Accelerator 

<hr /> Ah… personalization. Like it or not, it’s still the Holy Grail. And we’re still in search of its full potential. While the promise of scalable personalization remains a bit elusive for many companies (there are a bevy of reasons for this), CMS and DXP platforms have discovered some finely cut diamonds in the rough – making it much more attainable. Some of that success can be credited to the force-multiplying effects of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-generative-ai">generative AI</a> on things like variant testing. But it’s also due to having more of the right tooling, analytics, and best practices in place to shepherd the journey. The impact of AI can't be understated. At some point, it seems entirely feasible that we'll arrive at completely autonomous hyper-personalization, so every customer has a fully curated experience without batting an eyelash. For now, we’ll settle for the incremental gains – and how a new breed of innovative tools is helping marketers achieve success with their personalization efforts. Case in point: <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/umbraco">Umbraco</a>, an open-source .NET <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management system</a> provider, recently announced the general availability of <a target="_blank" href="https://umbraco.com/products/add-ons/engage/">Umbraco Engage</a>. Born three months after the company’s acquisition of the Dutch-based <a target="_blank" href="https://www.umarketingsuite.com/">uMarketingSuite</a>, Engage is a new add-on for Umbraco CMS that instantly provides organizations with meaningful analytics around visitor interactions with web content.At its core, Umbraco Engage enables marketers to take a “learn, adapt, convert” approach to personalizing their digital experiences and optimizing content to boost conversion rates and improve ROI across their digital platforms. It has the potential to help businesses create dynamic digital content that’s continuously informed by real customer interactions. Engage is packed with power in all the right channels. It provides server-side analytics and customer 360° profiling to surface deep insights, stats, and heatmaps on critical metrics like pageviews. It also provides real-time A/B testing, enabling teams to adapt content to the needs of diverse audience segments. Having this layer of intelligence right at your fingertips will undoubtedly give marketers quick and relevant data around content engagement, allowing them to optimize more fluidly.“Engage provides businesses with intuitive tools, all within their familiar CMS platform, and we’re thrilled to now offer this powerful set of content optimization tools as a first-party solution,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mats-persson-296a66/">Mats Persson</a>, CEO at Umbraco. “This launch brings immediate value for our partners and end-clients, empowering them to meet the growing demand for tailored digital experiences. Personalization and content optimization, that work in practice, are now essential for driving conversion rates and ROI – a trend we’re excited to support with Umbraco Engage.”<h3 id="powering-personalization-for-marketing-teams">Powering personalization for marketing teams</h3>The benefits of personalization – and its impact on customer experience – are ubiquitously evident, and there's ample research to support a brand's investment in personalization technologies and strategies. A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-value-of-getting-personalization-right-or-wrong-is-multiplying">McKinsey &amp; Company study</a> found that 76% of consumers were more likely to purchase from brands that personalize their experiences, and 78% were more likely to refer friends and family to those brands. Beyond the tangible effects on purchase conversion, personalization can also improve other business and financial dimensions for brands. In fact, the same study found that personalization can reduce customer acquisition costs by up to 50%, lift revenues from 5% to 15%, and increase marketing ROI by 10% to 30%. McKinsey also reported that digitally native direct-to-consumer brands – ones that own the customer transaction and put first-party data at the heart of their marketing decision-making – derived approximately 25% of their revenue from personalization. Not too shabby. Umbraco is clearly driving more focus and attention around personalization based on the company’s innovation roadmap. As noted, the launch follows the announcement of Umbraco’s acquisition of uMarketingSuite, a content personalization tool that has become popular in key industries like financial services, healthcare, and the public sector, where privacy regulations restrict the use of third-party data. Existing uMarketingSuite customers will continue to benefit from the product's A/B testing, 360° profiling, analytics, and content personalization. Because Engage is now part of Umbraco, organizations also have the confidence and reassurance that ongoing product development and support will be delivered by a larger team at Umbraco HQ.According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hemraker/">Rune Strand</a>, Umbraco’s Product Communications Manager, marketing teams can immediately gain value from these new content personalization and optimization tools within its CMS.“As soon as Engage is installed on existing or new sites, marketing teams can instantly see how well web content is performing,” he said. “Pageview analytics and statistics are all at their fingertips within the Umbraco CMS interface. Being able to see heat maps that show precisely how users interact with your site can be game-changing for identifying which content is working well and which needs to be retired, refreshed, or personalized.”<h3 id="out-of-the-box-insights">Out-of-the-box insights</h3>Umbraco has scored a win by making this level of data more accessible to marketing professionals, content editors, and CRO specialists. With the add-on, users can gain actionable insights based on interactions with existing content and more effectively personalize and optimize information for new and returning website visitors and customers.Additionally, teams will be able to make data-informed decisions and take swift marketing actions within the Umbraco editing environment. They can proactively improve content performance using the tool’s real-time A/B content variant testing to improve digital experiences and boost conversion with more relevant, custom-tailored content. <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:85.09%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/11/umbraco-engage-screenshots.png" alt="" /></figure>Umbraco Engage provides clear analytics and performance metrics “People who create web content should be able to see how well it performs and make necessary tweaks, all within the CMS,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/leondewildt/">Leon de Wildt</a>, the Commercial Product Manager for Umbraco Engage and the founder of uMarketingSuite. “Umbraco Engage is designed to help organizations tailor digital experiences in response to their own interaction data. Using the in-app reports, marketing teams can make changes that measurably improve engagement. Businesses can use Umbraco Engage to continuously improve the digital experience and boost conversion rates, whether that means more people filling out a form, buying a product, engaging with content or signing up for a webinar.”Umbraco is also addressing regulatory and data privacy considerations – something the company has long been a fierce proponent of. With Engage, marketers will be able to use server-side analytics and first-party data to satisfy compliance with data and privacy laws while accessing the platform's benefits.Umbraco Engage works out-of-the-box with other platform add-ons like <a target="_blank" href="https://umbraco.com/products/add-ons/forms/">Umbraco Forms</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://umbraco.com/products/add-ons/commerce/">Umbraco Commerce</a>. For example, integrating Umbraco Commerce and Umbraco Engage enables digital marketers to view order history on the visitor profile level. This can help power eCommerce sites that recognize returning customers, serve personalized product information, and interact immediately with abandoned shopping carts to help boost sales. Umbraco Engage is available now, and Umbraco digital agency partners can access discounts, exclusive webinars, and free demo licenses based on their partnership agreements. If you’re a uMarketingSuite customer, there’s also a path for upgrading to Engage by February 24th, 2025. <a target="_blank" href="https://umbraco.com/products/add-ons/engage/">You can learn more about Umbraco Engage here</a>. <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>Umbraco continues to drive a unique position as an open-source .NET content management system. With a fervent community of over 220,000 active members worldwide, they’re benefitting from a wide bench of innovation as more contributors participate in advancing the CMS and its capabilities.Personalization remains a challenge for all parties, from vendors to customers. It’s no longer the “undiscovered country,” but it needs to be defined around a brand’s specific goals. Further, there are many challenges associated with executing and maintaining a successful strategy. Having access to the right tooling – specifically around analytics and insights – can help provide a solid foundation for marketers and deliver better outcomes. AI will further disrupt the landscape, but Umbraco has a distinct advantage with a proven and “friendly” brand that will be key to cementing loyalty. By all accounts, the uMarketingSuite acquisition was a smart move as it looks to expand features, remain in competitive parity, and drive greater agility for marketing teams. UX is also pivotal. Having meaningful data closer to the CMS – and integrated within the editing workflow – will enable users with more control and faster decision-making, which could ultimately improve conversions and grow the bottom line.And that’s the real Holy Grail. <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="looking-for-guidance-on-umbraco?--talk-to-us.-">Looking for guidance on Umbraco?  <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/contact">Talk to us. </a></h4><hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <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> <img style="width:30.46%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/11/cms-summit-25.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-summit-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">CMS Summit 25</a></h4>May 13-14, 2025 – Frankfurt, GermanyDon't miss the first European edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community! CMS Summit 25 will bring together top-notch speakers, our renowned learning format, and engaging social events. Hear from leading practitioners like Deutsche Bahn, Dr. Oetker, and more – and join customers, agencies, and CMS vendors as we discuss current trends and what's ahead for the content and digital experience fields. Connect and network at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference focused on CMS. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">so book your seats today.</a>

Umbraco Engage Enhances Digital Personalization to Drive Higher Conversion Rates

<hr /> They say seeing is believing. And what I’ve seen in 2024 has made this “The Year of Visual Builders and Editors.”Hold your applause. I think the marketers in the room are fainting. But it's true. Going back a bit, we’ve seen the slow and steady march of tools that stitch together the missing visual threads for headless CMSes. The pace has picked up over the last 12 months. I won't debate the vicissitudes of “racing to the middle.” It's been conjured quite enough, thank you. Suffice it to say that headless platforms would inevitably introduce their own visual solutions to balance out the benefits. And why not? It allows them to deliver a more complete and connected experience that's closer to the source. In other words, it’s a good thing. Behind it, of course, is the unintended consequence of rapid innovation. It’s sad that our gushing, omnichannel exuberance for all things decoupled left “the marketing folk” in the dark. They were, after all, kind of essential to the whole content thing.But hey, that’s the beauty of modern technology, right? Even if you rush like Reid Hoffman, it’s never too late to update your product.I’ll hand it to <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentstack">Contentstack</a> for pushing the boulder uphill earlier in the journey. They’re always striving to lead, and the company’s drive to position itself as a “Composable DXP” was a progressive move – one that reflects a deep focus on translating the voice of its customers. I think it’s paying off in dividends, providing a decisive edge as they introduce more features that up the ante for modern enterprises. Now, the company is further mending the marketing fences with the launch of native drag-and-drop visual capabilities in its composable CMS environment. Contentstack’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.contentstack.com/platforms/visual-building">new Visual Builder</a> is an experience-crafting toolset, combining the benefits of its industry-leading headless CMS with a powerful slate of visual capabilities. Purpose-built for marketers, Visual Builder accelerates workflows, enabling creators to actually see their work – both present and future – in a headless environment. The announcement was made today at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon-europe">ContentCon Europe in London</a>, which featured speakers from noteworthy brands like Paula's Choice, LADbible, Miele, and more.To be sure, other platforms across the headless and DXP spectrum are introducing an array of in-app builders and editors. As I said, this year has seen a flurried buzz of announcements surrounding this manner of tooling, which has recently reached a fevered pitch. But Contentstack’s visual tools are just the tip of its proverbial iceberg. Along with its <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">headless CMS</a> features, its new Visual Builder is augmented by brand-aware generative AI, personalization, and automation features that truly unlock the value for marketers. "I love that we're overcoming an obstacle for our customers,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nehasampat/">Neha Sampat</a>, founder and CEO of Contentstack. “But what I love even more is how this capability combines with personalization, automation, and GenAI to be true to our North Star: The world's best digital experiences run on Contentstack.”The new visual tools also promise a better authoring experience for users, giving them unmatched clarity around content creation while simplifying and accelerating each step of the process. Marketers stand to gain greater control and flexibility, armed with the ability to see, edit, and manage content with greater ease and accuracy. “We're not focused on one-and-done capabilities,” Sampat explained. “Instead, we work relentlessly toward complete solutions that allow brands – and the marketers and developers within them – to rise above the noise."<h3 id="natively-visualizing-the-possibilities">Natively visualizing the possibilities</h3>As more organizations embrace headless CMS and roll towards composable, the need for business users to visualize their work has increased. The emphasis on backend experience creation has been mired in a swell of complicated planning and trial-and-error processes, all of which impacted the marketer mindset around headless. Contentstack's new Visual Builder aims to solve this problem, offering a complete set of tools for users to create and see their work in real time across any persona. It’s also keenly focused on delivering flexibility and simplicity through a range of features. Perhaps most notable are the drag-and-drop blocks, enabling users to seamlessly create layouts by adding or rearranging predefined content blocks on a page – all without the need for developer support or resources. This can include things like content cards and other components, providing an on-brand, customizable experience that keeps design and brand elements inside the guardrails. <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:69.76%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/09/contentstack-dragdropblocks.png" alt="" /></figure>Contentstack's drag-and-drop builder featuring card components The new toolset also offers live and in-line editing capabilities, allowing content creators to make quick edits directly to a page with role-aware permissions for control and accuracy. The contextual UI highlights editable areas like headers and text areas, allowing users to swap images, update copy, and make other changes without breaking format. This is something that traditional web CMSes have offered and has been missing from the headless mix.There’s also a trick timeline feature that provides a chronological view of your content, allowing you to compare versions side by side, collaborate around reviews, and improve the publishing workflow. Audience preview is another key benefit. It enables marketers to see content in real time to know exactly how it will appear in different campaigns or targeted activities. When combined with Contentstack’s Personalize capabilities, it allows marketers to see how content will appear based on customer behavior, experiment results, and other details. <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:76.94%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/09/contentstack-audience-segments-2.png" alt="" /></figure>Contentstack's audience preview provides rich controls and personalization capabilities All of the new Visual Builder’s features are deployed on a foundation of strong governance, ensuring that team members have the right level of access and administrators have control over their teams with role-based permissions. <h3 id="powering-experiences-with-ai,-personalization,-and-composability">Powering experiences with AI, personalization, and composability</h3>Today’s announcement at ContentCon London amplifies Contentstack's previous introduction of premium capabilities, all designed to help customers reimagine personalization at scale. This includes the aforementioned <a target="_blank" href="https://www.contentstack.com/platforms/personalize">Contentstack Personalize</a>, which infuses a segmentation and testing engine directly into its CMS to address fragmented content production.On the AI front, Contentstack has already been blazing trails across its digital ecosystem. With its exclusive <a target="_blank" href="https://www.contentstack.com/docs/content-managers/brand-kit/about-brand-kit">Brand Kit capabilities</a>, the company is solving the conundrum around vanilla AI-generated content by making it brand-aware and hyper-relevant to organizations. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.contentstack.com/platforms/automate">Contentstack Automate</a> is another piece of the pie, thwarting the challenges of operationalizing and repeating large volumes of personalized content with greater efficiency. And then there’s the force multiplier of composability throughout the system. With Contentstack, marketers can pull content not just from their CMS, but from other sources like a DAM or PIM to power their experiences at scale. This is reinforced by the platform's MACH-centricity, which enables greater flexibility with open and scalable architectures that allow marketers, developers, and organizations to assemble the right stack for their needs and connect data from almost anywhere. Underscoring all of this innovation is Contentstack’s "no fail" promise to customers. This includes its unique <a target="_blank" href="https://www.contentstack.com/academy/content/ai-accelerator">AI Accelerator program</a>, designed to guide customers from zero to fully deployed with AI in 45 days or less. Contentstack Academy is also part of the knowledge investment, arming business and technical users with the skills and resources they need to build superior content organizations.<h3 id="why-it-matters-">Why it matters </h3>When I last <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/contentstack-fires-up-brand-relevant-ai-powered-personalization-at-contentcon-2024">spoke with Neha Sampat and Conor Egan</a>, Contentstack’s VP of Product, they were prepping for ContentCon 2024 in Austin. In addition to the local lure of the event’s destination (also the company’s home base), we discussed their collective vision for AI-powered personalization, and how companies are prioritizing it amidst a brand relevancy crisis.Also stymieing that crisis: a lack of control for marketers to be more proactive and reactive. Despite the many developer-centric benefits of a headless CMS, these talented practitioners need the agility and nimble resources of robust visual building tools to realize their ideas and accelerate time-to-market – and ultimately attain the benefits of what Neha calls “Personalization Reimagined.” I’m not trying to demonize the developer here. Quite the opposite. While adding a visual builder to its feature set serves the marketer’s goals, the real gamechanger is the harmonization of capabilities for both developers and marketers alike – enabling them to collaborate around reusable components that set creators free with a visual drag-and-drop feature that is simple, elegant, and incredibly fast to use.  "Now marketers can build and see what they're doing, which will help them achieve the Holy Grail of personalized digital experiences at scale, faster," said Egan. “But this isn't just a story about enabling marketers. The headless world rests on the shoulders of the modern developer and we've assembled the best tools and learning paths to make that happen.”Now, we’re finally seeing in a headless world – and Contentstack is opening our eyes to what’s possible.   <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>

Seeing in a Headless World: Contentstack Introduces New Visual Building Capabilities for Marketers

Contentstack Fires Up Brand-Relevant, AI-Powered Personalization at ContentCon 2024

<hr />Andrew Kumar is the GVP, Customer Solutions &amp; Tech Ecosystem at <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/uniform">Uniform</a>, and a CMS Critic Contributor. Effective content management is crucial for businesses to stay competitive and engage with their audience in today's digital landscape. As technology evolves, so do the processes and methods for managing and creating content. The shift to composable architectures has disrupted the more traditional model for content management, providing opportunities to accelerate time to market and tap omnichannel capabilities. One emerging trend is the concept of a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.uniform.dev/visual-workspace">visual workspace</a>, which is revolutionizing how teams collaborate to build websites and apps.  <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:79.94%"><img src="https://images.storychief.com/account_4678/image_ac69077b90c17d4e6f80a06e9ced0a93_2000.png" /></figure> In this article, we'll explore the future of <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management</a> through the lens of 8 key predictions, focusing on how visual workspaces are shaping this landscape. <h3 id="prediction-1:-“all-hands-on-deck”-when-building-websites-and-apps">Prediction 1: “All hands on deck” when building websites and apps</h3>Traditionally, website development and content creation have been siloed tasks performed by developers or marketers. This is nothing new; collaboration has seldom been a main staple of the developer/marketer workflow, which has been <a target="_blank" href="https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/articles/enterprise-marketers-challenges-opportunities-research">described as “broken”</a> for the last two decades.However, in the future of content management, there will be a conscious shift towards a more collaborative approach. A broad spectrum of digitally-savvy team members will be involved in the process, democratizing who can build, deploy, and launch with confidence. This “new way” is more inclusive, allowing diverse perspectives and expertise to come together, resulting in more innovative and user-centric experiences.<h3 id="prediction-2:-platforms-must-coexist">Prediction 2: Platforms must coexist</h3>With the increasing complexity of digital experiences, it's unrealistic to expect a single platform to fulfill all of your requirements. In fact, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/articles/enterprise-marketers-challenges-opportunities-research">Content Marketing Institute</a>, less than 25% of marketers believe they have the right tools to succeed. In the future, platforms will need to adapt and learn to coexist. To that end, we can expect to see a combination of consolidation and modularization. Different platforms will be used for specific tasks based on their strengths, allowing organizations to leverage the right tool for each job. This approach promotes flexibility and adaptability as businesses can easily integrate new technologies or features without being tied down by a monolithic system. <h3 id="prediction-3:-experience-modeling-will-rise-in-importance">Prediction 3: Experience modeling will rise in importance</h3>While content modeling has long been a cornerstone of effective content management, experience modeling will gain prominence. Unlike content modeling, experience modeling creates clear divisions and boundaries within digital experiences while enabling seamless reusability across multiple channels. Dedicated tools for experience modeling will emerge, providing organizations with better control over their customer journeys and enabling them to deliver consistent experiences across multiple touchpoints.  <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:81.33%"><img src="https://images.storychief.com/account_4678/image_b5a7c1f942cb402be3dd60d09d468929_2000.png" /></figure><h3 id="prediction-4:-brands-will-start-with-the-customer-and-deprioritize-orchestration">Prediction 4: Brands will start with the customer and deprioritize orchestration</h3>Orchestration has certainly become an oft-used buzzword in the composable realm. But in the future, brands will shift to prioritizing customer-centricity over orchestration.Content graphs, which provide visibility and observability of existing content, will enable organizations to solve specific business problems. Orchestration, however, will take a backseat – as it does not directly improve customer experience or tackle customer problems. This shift in focus will allow businesses to allocate resources more effectively and achieve a higher return on investment.<h3 id="prediction-5:-no-more-“lift-and-shift,”-only-incremental-migration">Prediction 5: No more “lift and shift,” only incremental migration</h3>Ask any practitioner who has redesigned or migrated a website to a new CMS, and they will likely say the same thing: it's hard.Content migration has traditionally been a daunting task. However, in the future of content management, we can expect a more granular and piecemeal approach to content migration. Instead of “lifting and shifting” entire websites or applications, organizations will adopt an incremental migration strategy. This approach allows for faster and more efficient migration while minimizing disruption to ongoing operations.<h3 id="prediction-6:-more-accelerator-">Prediction 6: More accelerator "products" for integration and white-labelling</h3>Accelerators are pre-built technology solutions that provide a faster time to market. To mitigate the risks associated with current accelerators, the future of content management will see an increase in accelerator "products." These products offer pre-built integrations and white-label solutions that can be easily customized to meet specific business needs. By leveraging these accelerators, organizations can streamline their development process, reduce time-to-market, and ensure greater consistency across their digital experiences.<h3 id="prediction-7:-no-code-capabilities-for-integration-frameworks-will-continue-to-emerge">Prediction 7: No-code capabilities for integration frameworks will continue to emerge</h3>As headless and composable stacks gain traction in the industry, integration frameworks will play a crucial role in connecting various components seamlessly. In the future of content management, we can expect to see the rise of no-code integration frameworks. These frameworks allow non-technical users to build integrations between different systems without writing code. This democratization of integration capabilities will empower teams to quickly adapt and connect their preferred tools without relying on developers.<h3 id="prediction-8:-ai-quality-will-improve">Prediction 8: AI quality will improve</h3>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already made significant advancements in various industries, and content management is no exception. In the future, we can expect AI to play a more prominent role in CMS platforms. Improved AI capabilities will enable personalized user experiences, enhanced search functionality, chatbots and virtual assistants, automation of repetitive tasks, dynamic pricing and offers, real-time language translation, accessibility enhancements, and much more. These advancements will revolutionize how businesses engage with their audience and deliver tailored experiences at scale.<h3 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h3>The future of content management is bright – and filled with exciting possibilities. At the center of it all are visual workspaces, which are reshaping how teams build digital experiences by fostering inclusivity and collaboration. With the predicted trends discussed in this article, organizations can prepare themselves for the evolving landscape of content management and stay ahead of the curve. By embracing these changes and leveraging emerging technologies like AI and integration frameworks, businesses can create compelling experiences that resonate with their audience while streamlining their workflows.Continue the conversation with Andrew Kumar in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/groups/cms-experts">Boye &amp; Co CMS Experts Community</a> <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.

Visual Workspace and the Future of Content Management

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Last week, Portland-headquartered <a href="https://www.sheerid.com/shoppers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SheerID</a> announced a new partnership with composable commerce vendor <a href="https://commercetools.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commercetools</a>. The goal: help merchants create better personalization and more relevant offers and promotions for consumers based on identified customer segmentation.
“Our partnership with SheerID further demonstrates our commitment to providing our merchants with access to market-leading technologies,” said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellygoetsch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kelly Goetsch</a>, chief strategy officer at commercetools. “We look forward to working together to help merchants sell more, grow faster, and create meaningful connections that build customer engagement and loyalty.”
<h2>SheerID gets personal</h2>
SheerID operates what it calls a “digital verification engine.” With more than 20,000 authoritative data sources, the system helps to instantly verify eligible customers for offers they qualify for.
With brands like <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/andy-jassy-amazons-new-ceo-signals-bold-future-for-loud-and-digital-experiences/">Amazon</a>, Spotify, and T-Mobile already on the verification platform, SheerID boasts their customers have received three times the conversion of their typical campaigns when utilizing the verification platform.
“Our strategic partnership with commercetools enables the company’s merchants to access our audience verification service, driving significant business outcomes,” said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakeweatherly/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Weatherly</a>, chief executive officer at SheerID. “Providing offers to valuable consumer communities like students, teachers, and healthcare professionals is a proven strategy to drive immediate sales. In the cookieless future, online merchants increasingly rely on privacy-compliant, zero-party data marketing solutions like this to drive consumer acquisition, retention, and loyalty.”
<h2>Heading headless with commercetools</h2>
The partnership with commercetools – a <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-headless-commerce-platforms/">leading headless commerce platform</a> and member of the <a href="https://machalliance.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MACH Alliance</a> – was a natural fit for SheerID to improve customer segmentation. More integrations like SheerID and commercetools could be likely in the future as companies embrace the headless commerce structure, allowing for greater flexibility and more software offerings.
“The integration was conceived with MACH principles in mind,” said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyvanags/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andy Vanags</a>, global director of retail technologies and marketplace partnerships at SheerID. “Companies will be able to flexibly set up SheerID with their existing frontend e-commerce systems and DXP, CDP, and marketing automation systems. With our supporting documentation and sample open-source code, a merchant's developer or system integrator can easily leverage the verified customer data to create custom promotions, feed the loyalty system and/or personalize the site experience. Companies are only limited by their imagination!”
<h2>About commercetools</h2>
The inventor of headless commerce, <a href="https://commercetools.com/?utm_source=press_release&amp;utm_medium=announcement&amp;utm_campaign=publicis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commercetools</a> is an innovative technology disruptor that has established itself as an industry-leading eCommerce software provider. Today, some of the world’s most iconic brands and growth-focused businesses trust commercetools’ powerful, flexible, scalable solutions to support their ever-evolving digital commerce needs. As the visionaries leading the modern MACH (Microservices-based, API-first, Cloud-native and Headless) architecture movement, commercetools provides customers with the agility to innovate and iterate on the fly, merge on and off-line channels, drive higher revenue, and future-proof their eCommerce business.
<h2>About SheerID</h2>
SheerID is the global leader in identity marketing. With SheerID, brands identify and acquire customers from highly valued consumer communities — such as the military, students, teachers, first responders, and more — with personalized offers, gated by instant verification from the largest set of authoritative data worldwide. SheerID verifies over 2.5 billion people via 20,000 authoritative data sources; provides global insights from hundreds of the world’s leading brands, and never shares or sells customer data. As a result, the world’s biggest brands — including Amazon, Home Depot, Spotify, and T-Mobile — rely on SheerID as their identity marketing partner. Founded in 2011, SheerID is backed by Fortson VC, Brighton Park Capital, Centana Growth Partners, Voyager Capital, and CVC Growth Partners. For more information, please visit <a href="https://www.sheerid.com/business/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SheerID</a> or follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/SheerID" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/sheerid/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SheerIDdotcom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>.

SheerID and commercetools Form Partnership to Provide More Personalization and Better Offers for Consumers

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