We’ve been toying with the idea of a podcast at the CDP Institute: frankly, it sounds like a lot of work. But enough people have taken the plunge that ad-supported podcast network HowStuffWorks has attracted a $15 million Series A investment and is becoming an independent company.
LookBookHQ uses customer data and behaviors to offer continuously updated content recommendations in each situation. It’s a bit tough to explain but pretty cool when you see it. They’ve just raised an $11 million Series B to help spread the word.
Google is invading Amazon’s turf in turn. They recently signed an alliance with no less than Walmart to make it easier to buy Walmart products through Google Express and the voice-powered Google Assistant. Costco and Target had already done similar deals. What’s that saying – when elephants dance, the ants get crushed? Look up!
Martech keeps taking larger bites out of marketing budgets: 17.3% last year, 19.9% this year, 23.5% next year, and 30.9% five years from now, according to the latest CMO Survey. This despite barely more than half (56.4%) of current tools being used and nearly half (48.8%) of the survey respondents reporting worse-than-expected results. Oddly enough, marketers rate selecting marketing technologies as the thing they do best.