Contact

AI-volution | Software Development

AI-volution | The unfolding story Software Development

Authors: Jonathan Davis (Partner, EMEA), Kevin Moore (Managing Director, US), Daniel Hart (Vice President, EMEA)

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force, revolutionizing various industries. One of the most notable areas where AI is making a significant impact is software development. With the potential to enhance efficiency, elevate quality and drive innovation, AI is reshaping the way software is conceived, created, and deployed.

Key industry players are recognizing the immense potential of AI and are investing heavily to harness its capabilities.

The race to harness AI’s potential in software development is on and industry giants are leading the way. Accenture, a global consulting and professional services company, has unveiled plans to double its workforce of data and AI experts from 40,000 to 80,000. This expansion is backed by a $3 billion investment into its AI capabilities.

Infosys, a multinational corporation that provides IT services and consulting, has introduced Infosys Topaz, an AI-first suite of services, solutions, and platforms. By leveraging generative AI technologies, Topaz aims to transform the landscape of software development. Not to be left behind, Wipro has made a substantial $1 billion investment in digital transformation. Launching an AI-first innovation ecosystem, Wipro has set its sights on training 250,000 employees in AI.

These investments underscore the industry’s recognition of AI’s potential and the commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancement.

The gradual platformization of AI is very interesting to me. The efforts by Google, Amazon, Salesforce — they’re bringing AI down to a level of not needing to be an expert to use it. … I think the day that any good software engineer can program AI will be the day it really proliferates.”

Kai-Fu Lee, Sinovation Ventures

Automating tasks for enhanced productivity – AI is taking over the mundane and repetitive tasks that have long been a part of software development. The process of code generation, testing and deployment can now be automated, allowing developers to focus on more creative and strategic endeavors. Not only does this streamline the development process, but it also translates to reduced costs, improved software quality with fewer bugs and enhanced security. This will result in faster delivery times and more efficient allocation of resources.

Elevating software quality with AI – Buggy software can lead to disastrous outcomes, both in terms of user experience and reputation. AI has the capability to identify and rectify bugs, ensuring a higher quality end product. Moreover, AI can make recommendations for better coding practices, optimizing the software’s performance.

This not only reduces the risk of software failures but also enhances the user experience. The lowered barriers for new developers to enter the market will also benefit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), expanding opportunities for growth and further democratizing the use of AI in software development.

Personalized user experience through AI – Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all software. AI empowers developers to personalize software for individual users. By analyzing vast data sets, including user preferences and behaviors, AI can recommend features, functionalities and even tailor the user interface. This results in an improved user experience and leveled playing field to deliver bespoke software solutions.

Predictive insights for informed development – AI’s predictive capabilities are invaluable for software developers. By analyzing trends and forecasting future developments, developers can incorporate AI assisted predictive logic into code to help make informed decisions and plan ahead. This not only enhances the return on investment but also mitigates the risk of obsolescence. Software projects can adapt and evolve in tandem with technological shifts, ensuring long-term relevance.

Multimodal methods: bridging the gap – The industry is witnessing a shift toward multimodal technologies that enable software development based on visual representations like drawings or wireframe blueprints, rather than solely relying on text and language-based interfaces. This innovation, with an increasing assist from AI tools, opens new doors for less technically skilled teams, fostering greater collaboration between various stages of development. The barriers between various development teams are being dismantled, leading to agile, streamlined processes from inception to the final product.

Amid the advancements of AI in software development, a central theme remains: AI is not here to replace human developers, but rather to augment their capabilities. Think of AI, like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Amazon Q or Github CoPilot, as a coding AI assistant. It aids in generating boilerplate code, offering new ideas and automating routine tasks.

It is essential to note that the human touch is indispensable in understanding how to leverage AI’s insights and adapt them creatively to specific projects. As well as monitor for errors and prevent rogue code from being released.

The relationship between AI and human developers ensures that technology serves as a tool for innovation rather than a substitute for human expertise.

As AI continues to evolve and redefine the landscape of software development, we stand at the brink of a new era. With investments pouring in from industry leaders like Accenture, Infosys, and Wipro, as well as every major enterprise software company, the potential for AI to revolutionize software development is unparalleled.

From automating tasks and elevating software quality to personalizing user experiences and enabling predictive insights, AI is ushering in a new wave of efficiency, creativity, and innovation. Developers are not being replaced by machines; rather, they are collaborating with AI to push the boundaries of what is possible. As we move forward, the harmony between human intellect and AI prowess promises to reshape the world of software as we know it.

We look forward to continuing the conversation as the AI-story unfolds. If you have any queries or would like to have an in depth discussion on this topic or the broader market please Contact us. Our next AI article delves into the world of Publishing.

AI-volution | Events & Conferences

AI-volution | The unfolding story Events & Conferences

Authors: San Datta (Partner, EMEA) & Kathleen Thomas (Managing Director, US)

The last year has seen the Events industry bounce back faster than anyone expected. The face-to face (F2F) industry, be it exhibitions, conferences, peer-to-peer or experiential has seen a surge in growth with events participants having a renewed appreciation of the value of F2F engagement in driving sales, networking, learning and collaboration.

While the fundamental allure of in-person interactions remains unchanged, the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is enabling a new era of enhanced experiences, efficient operations, and innovations within the industry.

The reasons that people attend events is unlikely to dramatically change due to AI advancements. AI technology is finding its stride in augmenting these connections, providing scope to deliver more innovative, cost effective, efficient, and tailored experiences.

AI-Powered Trends

Lead generation and qualification

A key part of AI’s potential impact on the events sector lies on its prowess in real-time crunching of huge amounts of data. The ability to aggregate and analyze diverse proprietary data sets (e.g. feedback, registrations, interactions, sales patterns) with third party unstructured data (e.g. social media activity and engagement) will allow rapid qualification, identification and prioritization of leads for exhibitors in advance and on the day to ultimately drive higher levels of engagement and conversion.  

Efficiencies through automation

The challenges of event planning – from registration and ticketing to speaker management and content production – are now prime candidates for AI-powered automation. Chatbots are emerging as versatile assistants, addressing attendee inquiries, processing payments, and distributing tickets. This automation will not only accelerate tasks but could free up event staff to focus on value-added endeavors. Eventex, for example, has already incorporated ChatGPT into its event management platform. Behind the scenes, event logistics are becoming more streamlined by AI tools that manage speaker availability, venue capacities and attendee preferences – helping organizers be more efficient.

Innovative and tailored event experiences

AI can also create new, innovative event experiences. While Generative AI based chatbots can drive efficiencies, they can also act as virtual concierges at events, providing attendees with instant and tailored guidance. Social media monitoring becomes a powerful tool to gauge attendee sentiment in real time, which could enable rapid interventions and elevate the overall event atmosphere. Facial recognition technology is being deployed to read attendee emotions, providing a new source of real-time data that paints a vivid picture of overall feeling, albeit at the risk of invading the privacy of attendees. All of these and more can potentially be combined with data based on footfall, visitor flow, content engagement, conference attendance and more. All of this data can then be used to optimize event dynamics on the fly.

Similarly, the advent of virtual and augmented reality offers novel opportunities for hybrid events that engage both on-site and remote participants. Through real-time translation of speeches and transcripts, audiences can be extended worldwide while on the ground, participants can be engaged more actively and creatively.

AI in set design testing becomes an agile playground for organizers, who can experiment with various layouts and ideas in a low-cost, nimble fashion. This innovation will help to precisely curate F2F experiences that cater to attendees’ needs and preferences.

Conclusion

Utilizing cutting-edge data analytics, seamless automation, and new innovations, AI is reshaping the landscape of events, transcending them beyond conventional gatherings. Participants can take part in captivating and tailored experiences, while event organizers have an opportunity to benefit from enhanced efficiencies and the invaluable insights that support an ongoing process of improvement.

Despite the continued integration of AI, the bedrock of success for any event remains rooted in authentic human connections, rendering the industry more robust against AI disruption.

As event organizers continue to amass operational efficiencies and AI technologies enhance the value proposition for attendees, the sector remains an attractive area to explore from an investment perspective.

We look forward to continuing the conversation as the AI-story unfolds. If you have any queries or would like to have an in depth discussion on this topic or the broader market please Contact us. Our next AI article delves into the world of Software Development.

AI-volution | Legal & Compliance Technology

AI-volution | The unfolding story Legal & Compliance Technology

Authors:  Scott Mozarsky (Managing Director, US) & San Datta (Partner, EMEA)

Generative AI represents the next, and potentially most meaningful, key stage of Artificial Intelligence impacting the legal market. Generative AI ushers in a new era of efficiency involving automating routine tasks, enhancing legal research, and reshaping how lawyers construct arguments. Its potential to unlock unprecedented insights, streamline contract management, and predict legal outcomes heralds a transformative journey that promises to redefine the legal landscape for lawyers and clients alike.

History of AI in the Legal Industry

AI has already had an undeniable impact on the legal industry. There have been several pivotal stages, from eDiscovery Technology Assisted Review (TAR) and Litigation Analytics to Document Automation and Contract Analytics, that are important to understand when considering the impact that we anticipate Generative AI will have on this market.

The legal world saw its first glimpse of AI’s potential back in 2005 with eDiscovery TAR, which introduced a future where artificial intelligence could perform document review by detecting patterns in documents, effectively optimizing the tedious discovery process. TAR has been a critical driver of eDiscovery ranging up to becoming a $20B industry. Despite the subsequent innovations, across the market TAR remains the largest and most successful example of AI’s impact on the legal market.

Fast forward to 2012, and the legal market began to witness the rise of litigation analytics. Litigation analytics involved leveraging AI to detect patterns in data coming out of dockets, and case law to deliver profound insights and analytics on law firms, companies, and judges. These analytics are used for business and practice of law purposes. At first, the market was dominated by companies like Bloomberg Law, Docket Alarm and Lex Machina, but now a diverse range of players, from established companies to nimble startups, offer litigation analytics.

The mid-2010s marked a period of transformation through document automation. Before the era of Generative AI, we witnessed automated form completion based on decision trees and app-driven expert systems. Neota Logic and LegalZoom were early disruptors across both B2B and B2C, while Legalmation led the way in providing automation of pleadings in litigation. Since then, no-code/low-code platforms have become increasingly popular, allowing users to deploy software applications without needing a technical background.

The impact of AI extended to contract analytics, encompassing everything from pre-execution contract analysis to contract lifecycle management. Pattern recognition AI technology, effectively the early TAR on steroids, laid the foundation for contract analytics. Not limited to just legal use cases, contract analytics also ventured into compliance and front of the house use cases. A surge in capital raises during 2019-2021, and early 2022 has led to inevitable market consolidation.

Generative AI: Shaping the Future

The arrival of Generative AI back in 2022 heralds a new era of efficiency and effectiveness for legal professionals. Lawyers can leverage AI to handle repetitive and lower-end tasks, freeing up invaluable time and resources for higher-complexity, value-added work. In-house legal groups are increasingly turning to AI and tech-enabled solutions instead of relying on outside counsel. These advancements are now bearing fruit for early adaptors.

Internet browsers and the World Wide Web popularized the Internet for most people, and that development transformed whole industries, including law. In a similar way, Generative AI is the first exposure that most people have to powerful AI tools. Generative AI is just as disruptive. It is already changing what legal services law firms offer, how they price services, and what tasks corporate legal departments can handle in-house.

Ed Walters, Chief Strategy Officer, vLex

Automated Legal Research and Analysis

Generative AI possesses the unparalleled ability to process vast volumes of data faster and more accurately than humans. It can extract relevant information, answer questions, and build robust legal arguments.

Litigation Moneyball

Legal professionals can use Generative AI to analyze data to identify high-value clients, predict likely outcomes and behaviors, and recommend case strategies and settlement analysis. This revolutionary technology is already transforming areas such as personal injury, class action, and mass torts.

Contract Generation and Management

Generative AI streamlines the process of drafting and negotiating contracts. It provides invaluable insights that have the potential to standardize certain contract types across the market.

Litigation Workflow Enhancement

The benefits of Generative AI extend to AI-generated case law summaries, accelerated document review and summarization, deposition preparation, and regulatory compliance. It even takes on tasks like automated transcription, brief preparation, and formatting.

Conclusion: Embracing the AI-Powered Future 

While we stand at the threshold of Generative AI’s influence in the legal market, its accuracy and adoption are still in the early stages. Yet, the trajectory is clear. Generative AI is poised to transform workflows, enhance efficiency, and empower lawyers to focus on the more strategic aspects of their profession. In the end, the synergy between human expertise and artificial intelligence is the way forward in the legal world.

M&A Role

Given the anticipated pace of transformation and the increasing adoption of Generative AI, we expect M&A to play a pivotal role in the legal market as firms look to gain a competitive edge. The table below includes AI-related transactions in 2023, which highlights this trend.

We look forward to continuing the conversation as the AI-story unfolds. If you have any queries or would like to have an in depth discussion on this topic or the broader market please Contact us. Our next AI article delves into the world of Events and Conferences.

AI-volution | CGI, Animation & VFX

AI-volution | The unfolding story CGI, Animation & VFX

Authors:  Jonathan Davis (Partner, EMEA), Daniel Hart (Vice President, EMEA), Adam Gross (Managing Director, US)

The worlds of CGI, Animation and VFX are undergoing transformation, fueled by the proliferation of generative AI content creation tools. This wave of innovation promises to streamline workflows, unleash creativity and elevate audience engagement like never before.

In this article, we delve into the cutting-edge developments in AI, explore the potential challenges of copyright and fair compensation and discuss how innovation is reshaping the industry’s landscape.

The AI Revolution in CGI, Animation and VFX

Generative AI is taking center stage with a host of new tools, such as MidJourney, Runway.ai and WonderStudios. Alongside these, industry giants like NVIDIA are making groundbreaking strides with their Neuralangelo platform, which transforms 2D spaces into lifelike 3D environments. These developments are lowering the barriers of creativity, giving artists the power to swiftly ideate, develop and pitch concepts.

But the greatest impact could arise from automation. Once time-consuming manual tasks, like rotoscoping, are now being automated, cutting down laborious efforts from hours to minutes. Productions like “Everything Everywhere All at Once” are testament to this transformation, with VFX teams that once numbered in the hundreds now reduced to a core squad of 10 engineers.

Put to its best use, AI has the potential to become an essential collaborative creative partner helping to empower the next generation of VFX artists. Not only will it improve productivity, but it will also enable artists to explore new creative opportunities, re-imagine new creative visions and just as importantly preserve mental wellbeing.

David Patton, CEO of Jellyfish Pictures

Copyright Challenges and Fair Compensation

However, the rise of AI is not without its ethical and legal complexities. Generative AI technology often draws upon existing art, designs and content to create new outputs. This raises questions about copyright infringement and fair compensation for original creators. With outdated copyright laws ill-equipped to address these modern issues, the industry is calling out for reform.

In the US, writers staged a strike demanding higher pay and fairer contracts, particularly regarding the use of artificial intelligence in creative processes. Companies remain cautious about leveraging AI for client work, fearing high-profile copyright claims could significantly impact their reputations. This shift will particularly benefit those with vast databases of content, potentially creating a new hierarchy of content ownership.

One solution could be the implementation of smart contracts and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). These technologies have the potential to ensure fair compensation for creators by establishing transparent and immutable ownership records for AI-generated content.

Embracing Innovation

As AI continues to empower the industry, personalization emerges as a new frontier. The technology could, for example, be used to allow anyone to become the main protagonist in their favorite film or show, forging modern connections between audiences and content. Furthermore, leveraging Intellectual Property (IP) across multiple formats, from 2D to AR and VR, has become more feasible and cost-effective. This shift opens doors to interactive experiences, for example taking control of a VR spaceship, letting the audience play a pivotal part in a film.

The Human Touch

Despite the transformative potential of AI, it is crucial to remember that human intervention remains paramount in creating art with a soul. AI tools can revolutionize the production process, but they cannot yet replace the essence of human imagination and emotion. There will likely always be a need for artists and storytellers who breathe life into AI-generated concepts, bringing authenticity and depth to the finished product.

Profit Margins and Production Dynamics

The impact of AI on profit margins is a subject of both hope and concern. While automation could potentially lead to cost savings, questions arise about whether these benefits will be passed onto brands, content owners and studios. Will the increased efficiency of AI-driven workflows result in increased procurement pressure, more productions or simply lead to larger profit margins for production studios?

As AI democratizes certain aspects of the process, lowered barriers to entry may inadvertently lead to increased competition, subsequently impacting the pricing and value of Animation and VFX services.

Key themes related to AI in the market

Conclusion

The CGI, Animation and VFX industries stand at the precipice of an extraordinary era driven by generative AI, where human creativity and technological innovation converge in powerful harmony.

However, the industry must address the challenges of copyright and fair compensation to ensure that creators are duly rewarded for their contributions. With mindful regulation and the integration of human artistry, AI promises to elevate storytelling to new heights, redefine audience engagement and unlock an unprecedented realm of possibilities. As we navigate this new frontier, we look forward to the potential opportunities AI has to offer while valuing the human-led businesses that will take the industry to the next level.

M&A Role

Although fast-moving, AI-technology in Animation and VFX remains relatively nascent, and the sector has yet to witness a slew of AI-driven M&A deals. 

Indicators of a game-changing future are apparent with venture capital increasingly flowing into AI enterprises.  Notable among these are Move.ai, which is transforming movement in digital settings, Speech Graphics, with their speech-based facial animation software, and MARZ, introducing a ready-to-deploy AI solution for VFX.

These investments herald a promising era of AI-driven creativity and efficiencies in Animation and VFX.

We look forward to continuing the conversation as the AI-story unfolds. If you have any queries or would like to have an in depth discussion on this topic or the broader market please Contact us. Our next AI article delves into the world of Legal and Compliance Technology.

Power of 5: Events Reinvigorated

Power of 5: Events Reinvigorated An Industry on the Move

5 Leaders, 5 Questions, 5 Minutes

In our most recent Power of 5 series, JEGI CLARITY Managing Director, Kathleen Thomas and Partner, San Datta asked five questions to five leading executives across the global B2B Information and Events landscape.  

This series featured Peter Jones, CEO of Nineteen Group, Lisa Hannant, CEO of Clarion Events, Paul Miller, CEO of Questex, Gareth Bowhill, CEO of CloserStill and Simon Foster, Group CEO of Arc. A big thank you to all the participants for their involvement.

Here we share some of their collective thoughts on the trends and opportunities ahead for the events industry. Please click here if you would like to access the videos.

How have you seen the B2B events market evolve in the last 12-24 months?

The resounding story from the B2B Information and Events sector over the past couple of years has been the successful return of live events. 

We’ve seen a ferocious appetite from both exhibitors, sponsors and also delegates to come back to events.

Gareth Bowhill, CEO, CloserStill

Peter Jones of Nineteen Group emphasized the value of live events, suggesting that their true worth became evident only when they were temporarily lost. A sentiment echoed by Gareth Bowhill of CloserStill who stated that their revenues have surged by 15% organically compared to pre-Covid levels.  Statistics and attitudes of clients clearly indicate that people wanted live media that they could trust for lead generation opportunities, continued Simon Foster of Arc. 

However, as several participants in the Power of 5 identified, the composition of event audiences has undergone significant changes.  Lisa Hannant of Clarion observed that there was a trend happening pre-pandemic of people, both in the industry and customers, changing roles, which has accelerated post-pandemic. She noted that industry operators need to adapt as their customer base is predicted to change roles every two-three years, which would continue to drive a shift towards many more first-time attendees to the events. 

This change in audience masked a second trend explained by Paul Miller of Questex – the entrance of technology and software into the market. These tools enable data driven strategies that, through smarter customer insights, are resulting in better products and more meaningful relationships. 

We see ourselves as a modern media business, bringing communities together 365, 24/7.

Paul Miller, CEO of Questex


Where do you see the key opportunities for your business during the next year?

There was an agreement from all the participants that the future is omnichannel businesses that seamlessly integrate content and live events with strong membership models.

Nineteen Group’s commitment to embracing digital through podcasting and digital events, while retaining a focus on physical events was the main emphasis for the next year according to Peter Jones.  Gareth Bowhill of CloserStill outlined their core growth levers being existing events and extensions of these brands, new product launches and engaging in M&A, seeing a landscape that allows them to push forward on all fronts.

We have a comfort in the many different formats that customers want to meet their customers – whether a conference, one to one event, digital or in-between – that allows us to respond in the right way to whatever customer group we are serving.

Lisa Hannant, CEO of Clarion Group

Simon Foster of Arc revealed their future strategy of integrating businesses within their group and leveraging the expertise and knowledge and different elements they have within the business to deliver success to their clients.  A commitment to doubling down on the data driven strategy aimed at providing superior products, that had been shaped from intelligence generated through interaction with content on their websites, was stated as a key opportunity for Paul Miller of Questex.

From an M&A perspective what is your criteria and where are you focusing?

Criteria for possible mergers and acquisitions included shared interests with existing organizations – mutual markets, complementary geographies, client synergies – or adjacent industries, companies with talent sets that can help build greater businesses and those with matching cultures and ethos. 

Lisa Hannant of Clarion mentioned that they have a clear view of the sectors the Clarion team felt the business was potentially unweighted in and wanted to push harder in. Gareth Bowhill of CloserStill, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of opportunities of the underlying markets they are already serving. 

Paul Miller of Questex stressed the significance of EBITDA thresholds and focusing on businesses with verticals they are already within or adjacencies to the verticals, so they can build buy-sell strategies. Peter Jones of Nineteen Group emphasized their strategy of identifying established, successful events with existing infrastructure and enhancing them to achieve even faster growth.

There were no real limitations when it came to regions for most, although the US, Europe and Asia were of particular focus. 

We are looking at businesses that fit with our existing structure and existing markets that can add value as opposed to just driving scale.

Simon Foster, Group CEO, Arc

If you look at the landscape, who of your peers do you admire?

Companies that are not only great to the outside world but are focused on building culture and strength internally while growing was the type of business Simon Foster of Arc admired. While Lisa Hannant of Clarion Group acknowledged how there is so much good work from so many organizations in the sector – from larger companies to smaller, more nimble start-ups. But what she admires most are those companies that are focused, and purpose driven around individual markets. Paul Miller of Questex commended companies that prioritize culture and leadership and are not building just a great business but a strong culture as they grow.

Phil Soar is an absolute genius. He has the ability to see around corners in blizzards.

Peter Jones, CEO of Nineteen Group

All the stakeholders underscored the importance of collaboration within the sector, acknowledging their peers and their organizations as those they admired and respected the most. Clear articulation around company vision, purpose driven business models around individual markets, leading stances on ESG initiatives and those that embedded culture into their leadership were admired by all. 

It is evident that these five leaders are at the forefront of driving the Information and Events landscape, with a shared vision for a promising and vibrant future.

To view the full interviews, please access Power of 5  Series – Events reinvigorated.

If you want to learn more about this series or the market more broadly, reach out to us at  Contact us

AI-volution | Performance Marketing

AI-volution | The unfolding story Performance Marketing

Authors:  Jonathan Davis (Partner, EMEA), Daniel Hart (Vice President, EMEA), Chris Karl (Chief Business Development Officer, US)

Technological advancements in processing vast amounts of data are sparking a revolution for Brands, Agencies, and Tech Partners across the Marketing Services landscape raising the bar yet again on the industry’s unwavering focus on improving performance.

The emergence of Generative AI and data analytics tools is transforming the way marketers harness data to create content and execute advertising campaigns across the addressable landscape; from paid search, and optimize organic SEO to Social and Connected TV (CTV).  

As adoption of technologies such as ChatGPT, Bard, Perplexity and a growing list of marketing focused AI tools take center stage, performance marketers are reaping the benefits including better campaign performance predictions, personalization at scale, and improved return on investment.

However, with the rewards come challenges such as brand safety concerns and questions about AI’s ability to produce expert content.

Data and Analytics: Decoding the Power of Insights

At the heart of the performance marketing revolution lies data and analytics. The integration of diverse, unstructured data sources is enabling marketers to glean new insights, providing a holistic understanding of their audience’s behaviors and preferences in advance of executing campaigns. Companies like Personalize, Chalice.ai, Ad Copy, Seven Sense are leveraging First-party data and Generative AI to deliver personalized and responsive experiences, supercharging the marketer’s ability to build stronger connections with their customers.

Interpreting this wealth of data to inform creative, strategy, and campaign optimization has emerged as an invaluable skill in the industry. Analysts who can decipher the data and draw meaningful conclusions are increasingly in high demand.  Selecting and parsing through disparate data sources can also be augmented by AI with tools like Narrative I/O’s Rosetta. 

In the big advertiser market, there is considerable interest in owning the predictive capabilities currently bundled with Google and Facebook media. Your own ad AI promises more efficiency, less risk.

Adam Heimlich, CEO of Chalice.ai

Content Creation: The Rise of Gen AI in Programmatic Advertising

Automation stands to reshape the content creation landscape, particularly for programmatic advertising aimed at CTV.

With Generative AI tools at their disposal, marketers can now automate content production in ways not before possible. Tools such as Memorable and INK use data-driven insights to inform content creation, facilitating a low-cost, fast-moving approach at scale.

The implications of this transformation are profound. Imagine a world where the actual visual content seen in Ads has been machine curated for you based on real-time data from your recent online activity and behaviors. We are fast approaching that moment.

However, as AI takes over content creation, concerns about brand safety have also surfaced. Striking a balance between mass personalization and maintaining brand integrity is a key challenge that marketers must address.

Paid Search: The Algorithmic Advantage

The world of paid search has seen a seismic shift with the rise of Generative AI and Data Analytics. Smart bidding and responsive ads have become the norm, leveraging AI’s ability to analyze vast amounts of data and optimize campaigns in real-time. Multi-model search algorithms (that can understand the context of connected images and words) have further enhanced search relevance and performance.

Can Paid Search improve even further in its efficacy? Marketers can now achieve more significant results with fewer resources. By capitalizing on AI-driven insights, they can improve return on ad spend, making every advertising dollar count.

Organic SEO: Elevating the Standards

AI-powered tools have refined the way marketers streamline copywriting, introducing mass automation and individualized relevance to create better-performing content. However, while AI copywriting (such as ChatGPT, Jasper and Anyword) has raised the bar, it still falls short in generating expert-level content that requires deep domain knowledge (albeit MarketMuse a research and copywriting tool is taking on this challenge).

As AI tools mature, there is a need to bridge the gap between AI-generated content and the expertise of human writers in order to achieve relevance at scale. The evolving SEO landscape is prompting marketers to reconsider their content strategies and find the right balance between AI-generated content and human expertise.

At our agency, embracing new technologies is not something new. It happened with cloud, with privacy and now with AI. Staying updated is a part of the offering. We need to lead in this space because our clients demand it, and it’s interesting to see the rapid innovation that comes from agencies ensuring they stay competitive and relevant.

Christoffer Lötebo, Group CEO of Precis Digital

Conclusion: Embracing the AI-Powered Future

Generative AI and data analytics are undeniably transforming performance marketing, enabling better predictions, personalized experiences, and improved ROI. The power of data has unlocked new insights and opportunities, empowering marketers to make data-driven decisions that resonate with their audiences.

While AI is revolutionizing content creation and its consequent effect on organic SEO, it is crucial for marketers to acknowledge the limitations and find ways to leverage AI’s strengths. Embracing the AI-powered future requires a delicate balance between automation and human expertise to maintain brand safety and produce high-quality, expert-level content.

As the AI landscape continues to evolve, performance marketers must stay agile and adapt to these transformative technologies.

M&A Role

With the adoption of Generative AI and the pace of change we expect M&A to play a central role as Brands, Agencies and Tech Vendors race to gain a competitive advantage be that in adding consultative expertise or in direct tech. The table below includes AI-related transactions over the last three years, which highlights this trend.

We look forward to continuing the conversation as the AI-story unfolds. If you have any queries or would like to have an in depth discussion on this topic or the broader market please Contact us. Our next AI article delves into the world of Animation & VFX. 

AI-volution | The unfolding story

AI-volution | The unfolding story

Recent breakthroughs, such as the advent of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, herald a new era set to rival the impact that personal computers, the internet, and smartphones had on our lives.

This wave of innovation has the potential to propel industries forward at a pace, promising to revolutionize the way businesses operate. Tasks, once mundane, are being automated, insights are generated with greater precision, and decision-making is reaching new heights of sophistication. At the same time, AI is opening up fresh avenues of growth, sparking product and service innovations, redefining value propositions and driving operational efficiencies.

One fundamental theme, something that has been consistent across all of our research, remains the importance of the human touch. As the story unfolds, AI’s true power lies in its ability to complement and enhance human capabilities, accelerating progress and efficiency, and delivering higher quality end products and experiences. Firms are actively harnessing AI and related capabilities fueling a surge in M&A activity, as they strive to gain an edge in an increasingly digital economy.

With this in mind, we are excited to introduce AI-volution | The unfolding story – a series of articles designed to identify key themes arising from AI developments in select sub-sectors and their subsequent impact on businesses. This series will cover:

Over the coming weeks, we will unveil each of these sector pieces individually, and welcome you to engage in discussions and share your own AI experiences. These insights will culminate in a final report, available for download, encapsulating AI’s potential opportunities and threats and common themes across the selected sectors.

We look forward to continuing the conversation as the story unfolds. In the meantime, if you have any queries or would like to have an in depth discussion on this topic or the broader market contact us

Power of 5: Events Reinvigorated

Power of 5: Events Reinvigorated An Industry on the Move

5 Leaders, 5 Questions, 5 Minutes

Events Reinvigorated – An Industry on the Move

Three years ago, Covid brought the world to a complete halt and the Events sector, be it exhibitions, conferences, networking or experiential, was one of the most affected sectors globally. Questions were even being raised about its long-term future in a virtual world. Fast forward to today, however, and it is clear that in-person engagement is more critical than ever and a rapidly growing component of the B2B Information & Marketing value chain.

In our latest Power of 5 series, we interview leaders from across the global B2B Information and Events landscape to hear how they are staying ahead in an increasingly competitive and buoyant market.

Full Interviews Below

Peter Jones, CEO of Nineteen Group speaks with San Datta
Paul Miller, CEO of Questex speaks with Kathleen Thomas
Simon Foster, Group CEO of Arc speaks with Kathleen Thomas
Lisa Hannant, CEO of Clarion speaks with Kathleen Thomas
Gareth Bowhill, CEO of CloserStill speaks with San Datta

There’s a temptation in our networked age to think that ideas can be developed by email and iChat. That’s crazy. Creativity comes from spontaneous meetings, from random discussions.

Steve Jobs

The CEO Perspective

The CEO Perspective

What it Takes to Win in the Changing Market Research Landscape

JEGI CLARITY’s 19th Annual Media & Tech Conference focused on ‘Maintaining a Winning Mindset,’ brought together senior executives and investors from across the global media, marketing, information, and technology sectors.

During the conference, attendees had the pleasure of hearing Tod Johnson and Karyn Schoenbart, both currently Co-Founders & Managing Directors of Duo Partners Consulting and former CEOs of The NPD Group, talk to John Rose, Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group, about the changing market research landscape.

The Changing State of the Market

Tod and Karyn began by acknowledging that the landscape of market research and information services has dramatically changed over the last few years with the deconstruction of large players, such as Nielsen and Kantar, and the consolidation of companies like The NPD Group / IRI merger (now Circana) and the NielsenIQ / GFK proposed merger. Tod commented that this disruption within the marketplace is not new, with acquisitions taking place in the mid-1980s and the reconstruction of many companies like Dun & Bradstreet in the 1990s. He went on to explain that restructuring works well when the two businesses coming together are harmonious in their approach, like the merger of The NPD Group with IRI that collected similar data but in different industries. For Tod and Karyn, the tipping point for them to sell came down to it being the right time – the growth of the business was good, employee and client satisfaction was high, and they felt there was another chapter ahead of them as leaders as well as for NPD.

The Changing State of Market Research

Conversation turned to the changing state of their industry and the decline of panel effectiveness and proprietary surveys. Karyn commented how real time information and ‘always on’ data will become prevalent, with many disruptive, early-stage data companies able to gather information from consumer reviews, social media mentions/videos, and other more passive platforms that are quicker to obtain relevant information and don’t bring with them the privacy issues and fraudulent challenges of survey-based gathering.

This more observational approach was often being driven by tech-led companies, that have the tech know-how but need to tap into the business application and analysis around the data. One such example highlighted by Karyn was a company led by two young female scientists who have developed an AI tool that uses computer vision to look inside of a video to understand the real sentiment of the video. These types of early-stage, disruptive companies are exciting them, and they are looking to bring their expertise and years of business experience to complement their tech platforms.

Tod expanded on how The NPD Group, being a private company, allowed them to take a longer-term view and invest in new technologies such as Media Metrix, online surveys and receipt captures which other larger, public, limited companies that are less agile possibly couldn’t respond to as fast.

Developing a winning mindset

John Rose asked Tod and Karyn what they thought it took to develop a winning mindset. Karyn Schoenbart described the company’s three-pillar philosophy of:

  • Having the best and most accurate data
  • Turning data into information
  • Being able to deliver the data in a way that it is useful for people

Tod added that having a part-creativity and part-mechanics approach is how you generate real success, commenting that if you can apply your expertise in a different way than your competitors, you are likely to win in business.

For more information about our conference please click here.

How I do it: Neil Vogel, Dotdash Meredith

How I do it: Neil Vogel, Dotdash Meredith

JEGI CLARITY’s 19th Annual Media & Tech Conference, focused on ‘Maintaining a Winning Mindset,’ brought together senior executives and investors from across the global media, marketing, information, and technology sectors.

At the conference, Colin Morrison, Founder, Publisher & Editor of Flashes & Flames and Advisory Board member at JEGI CLARITY, interviewed Neil Vogel, Chief Executive Officer of Dotdash Meredith, America’s largest digital and print publisher. The article below was written by Colin Morrison and originally published in Flashes & Flames. Click here to receive more content from Flash & Flames.

Background

Neil Vogel is the Chief Executive Officer of Dotdash Meredith, the largest digital and print publisher in the US, whose 40+ brands include People, Better Homes& Gardens, Verywell, Food & Wine, The Spruce, Allrecipes, Byrdie, Real Simple, Investopedia, and Southern Living.

The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IAC, Barry Diller’s listed holding company whose “financially disciplined opportunism” has been responsible for the success of many digital brands including Vimeo, Expedia, TripAdvisor, Live Nation, Match Group, and Angi.

Prior to the $2.7bn acquisition of Meredith Corp in 2021, Vogel had been CEO of Dotdash and led its transformation from a general information website (About.com) to a portfolio of high-performing lifestyle verticals. In 2020, it had made $66mn EBITDA on revenue of $214mn, growth of 65% and 27% respectively. Its operations were characterized by: “Best content, fastest sites, and fewer, better ads”.

The all-digital publisher’s decision to acquire the troubled 120-year-old, print-centric Meredith surprised many. But Vogel had identified the value of its long-established magazine brands; the market-leading product licensing, generating an estimated $100mn of annual profit, principally from Better Homes & Gardens branded products in Walmart; and the constraints that had been forced on Meredith by its ill-fated 2017 acquisition of Time Inc.

But the CEO has admitted last year was a tough start for the “new” company: “These mergers are hard, and this was really hard and slow. In a good market, nobody sees your mistakes. In a bad market, everyone sees every mistake.”

Dotdash Meredith now claims some 170mn online consumers in the US each month (76% of all adults and 90% of women). That makes it a top 10 internet operator alongside Disney, Warner Media, Paramount and Comcast/NBC – and larger than Hearst and Condé Nast combined. Its largest sectors are: Food (Allrecipes, Food & Wine), Entertainment (People), Home (Better Homes & Gardens, Southern Living) and Health (Verywell). Its pro forma revenue for 2022 was $2.3bn, 60% from ads, 20% from eCommerce and 13% licensing. For Q4, digital accounted for 54% of revenue and 85% of profit, emphasizing the digitalization of the Meredith portfolio.

Before joining IAC / Dotdash in 2013, Vogel was Founder and CEO of Recognition Media, a producer of award shows including the Webby Awards and the Telly Awards. Previously, he had been an executive at digital content and marketing company Alloy, and an investment banker. He had graduated in finance from the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania.

How did you get into media?

When I realized I was not going to be the starting shooting guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, I had to take a different course. I was an investment banker for a number of years. I actually very much enjoyed it, but I found myself wanting to be a client, not one of my bosses. I joined a very early internet company called Alloy. They ended up going private and selling it off and we had a pretty good run.

Then I left and got into more nuts and bolts media businesses. I started a company, Recognition Media, that rolled-up media and advertising award shows which we eventually sold to private equity. Then I joined a venture capital firm FirstMark Capital as an entrepreneur in residence. But I was a terrible investor. It’s not my temperament or my skillset.

How did you come to join IAC?

I knew the guys at IAC, which now owns Dotdash Meredith. At the time, they had just bought About.com from the New York Times.
That was probably one of the worst scaled internet businesses in history. They called me to see if I knew anyone who could run it, and I said ‘Well, wait, that looks interesting,’ and I persuaded them to let me do it. About.com was a general information website, much like an old fashioned service magazine publisher. But it was one brand, a lot of content, and the vast majority of the content was pretty bad. But it still had 20-30mn users a month and I thought we could do something with it.

The one thing I couldn’t understand was that there were still advertisers – companies like Microsoft and Carnival Cruises – paying us exorbitant amounts of money to advertise on a platform where the ads really didn’t work that well. The content was not presented in a great way. But, because my background was not publishing but more like banking and math, I came to realize that our users were at the very bottom of their decision funnels (whether they were ready to solve a problem or make a purchase) and so that was a very good place for some advertisers. When people are searching “What do I bring on my cruise?” that’s a good place for, say, Carnival Cruises to be.”

With that bit of knowledge, I went to Barry Diller. For those who know him, you’ll know that I did not have the easiest conversation when I said: “This thing that we bought is totally wrong. We’re going to throw out almost two-thirds of the content and we’re going to launch a whole bunch of brands to compete against household brands that you’ve known for a hundred years – on the internet, which seems like a bad place for publishers.” His response was: “Well, this hasn’t been working for so long. It’s about time. You guys have an idea that’s worthwhile doing.”

So we took About.com, broke it up and launched a whole bunch of sites including Verywell Health and The Spruce in Home. We almost instantly had very big success, simply because we had looked at the internet differently. We said we’re going to make fast sites, every bit of content we make is going to be amazing, we’re going to have fewer ads so they perform better and don’t annoy consumers, and it’s going to work. We immediately turned the business round and made some acquisitions. We bought Brides from Condé Nast, Byrdie (a beauty site) from an entrepreneur, and some food sites. Suddenly, we went from 30mn users a month to more than 100mn.

Dotdash went from 60 or $70mn in revenue to almost $300mn. We went from losing money to close to $100m EBITDA. We realized that we had become very, very good at publishing on the internet.

Why did you acquire Meredith?

Dotdash had achieved this rapid growth at a time when everybody thought publishing was broken. Publishing is not broken, bad publishing models are broken. But the thing that we didn’t have was major brands. While The Spruce grew to be the biggest home site on the internet, bigger than Real Simple, Good Housekeeping and Better Homes & Gardens, nobody really knew what it was.

IAC really believes in the power and value of major brands so we persuaded it to acquire Meredith Corp for $2.7bn.

Our whole thesis was that this historic business had structural issues that caused it to be very cash constrained and not that able to invest in growth. We thought that, if we could take what we knew digitally and apply it to these incredible brands – People, Better Homes & Gardens, Travel and Leisure, Real Simple, Food & Wine, Entertainment Weekly – we could do to them what we had done to the brands we had re-invented from About.com.

We thought we could have tremendous success and we still feel that way. We happened to buy at a relatively tough time for the ad market. But, long term, that doesn’t matter. We’re now the biggest digital and print publisher in America, probably in the world. We have a whole bunch of print assets too, that we actually like and they fit as part of the mix. We’re by far the biggest publisher online. We like our brands and our scale. Our content really performs and, though the integration has been hard, we’re getting there.

The opportunity to acquire Meredith arose essentially because of its problems with the purchase of Time Inc six years ago. Had Dotdash / IAC also tried to acquire Time Inc back in 2017?

When Meredith bought Time Inc, we were actually too small to do anything. But we forced ourselves into the room to see what we could learn. Meredith had made a choice to double down on print: one print publisher was buying another print publisher and hoping to wring more money out of print.

Some of our people jokingly called it “print on print violence”, and it didn’t work. I don’t really have an opinion on what happened before we got there, but I think the results speak for themselves. We paid significantly less than what the combination of Meredith+Time Inc would have been worth at the time they did it.

For us, though, it certainly wasn’t about buying either print or digital; it was about buying brands. What we saw in Meredith was a company with some very talented people but which was a dividend-driven, essentially a family-controlled business, not really exposed to the latest thinking. We’d just been through this exercise with the About.com assets plus the seven or eight brands we had bought. We knew exactly what to do with these legendary Meredith brands, to fix them on TikTok, on Instagram and – more importantly – on the web.

We also had a very good idea of what to do with print because you just have to make magazines that people are willing to pay for, that are high quality – and that will work. We probably had a touch of irrational arrogance because of our previous success. If we get this right, I think we can be a category-defining publisher for where media’s going.

How did People – the biggest and most profitable Meredith brand – fit your strategy?

We’ve always said – and I think it’s something unique to us – that we’ve always stuck to our knitting and said we are going to be a service publisher. That means health, finance, home, food, tech, travel. We are never going to do news, we’re never going to do politics, we’re never going to do User Generated Content. I mean, we do it in recipes but that doesn’t count. That’s not what we do. Nothing we produce puts you in a bad mood or gives advertisers concern. You’re never going to have an opinion piece. No one stops me on the street and yells at me because maybe they didn’t like a recipe on Food & Wine!

Would you really have bought People if it had not been part of Meredith?

Maybe. We’d never said we wouldn’t buy entertainment, but it’s a little bit different than everything else we do. We like things that are ‘down funnel’ intent. We had to take a very hard look at People before we bought it because it was such a meaningful part of the portfolio. What we found was that, with the entertainment type businesses, you must have readership scale otherwise the audiences are simply worthless to advertisers. But that’s what we have. People is 4x bigger than the next biggest entertainment sites, the Daily Mail and TMZ.

We basically knew it had the scale and that – if we did a good job – there was an intent-based kernel in there, because some 35% of the traffic comes from search. Our ad sellers were very excited to have People as part of a sales package because it sprinkles stardust on the portfolio. If you’re talking to a soup company, allowing them to do something at the Academy Awards can be very helpful. So, we bought People with our eyes open. It’s actually probably been our fastest-growing audience. Super-interestingly, the People team came up with the definition of their brand: “People means ordinary people doing extraordinary things and extraordinary people doing ordinary things.”

What we have ensured is that the print, social media and web content is distinct because the audiences are. In print, you can put the Queen on the cover and write a million stories about Julia Roberts and they do great. On the internet, it’s Kim Kardashian and what was on TV last night. If you try and put George Clooney on TikTok, no one even knows who he is. But the thread is quality journalism for entertainment, which means nothing salacious, no rumors, no gossip. Just a different kind of person for a different kind of audience. We’ve spent the last year transitioning, which has been fairly brutal, trying to do that in all of our brands and understanding what people want. Food & Wine, the print magazine is about experiences. You want to read it while you’re watching TV or whatever. The internet is recipes and social is, “How do you make a Popsicle explode?”

Once you understand that and realize you can do this all from the same brand voice, it gives you super-freedom.

We have these amazing editors from Meredith who had felt restricted in what they were able to do. They are now just bursting with ideas. It’s been a real education for us, learning from them. We are now at the point where all of the brands with print (six of them) have ‘brand editor-in-chiefs’ responsible for the brand mission. They have no operating control over digital, but the effectiveness of this brand-led approach has been a revelation.

How much of Dotdash Meredith is now print?

It’s a much bigger share of revenue than of profit because of the nature of print. We’ve said publicly that, in Q4 last year, 54% of the revenue and 85% of EBITDA profit was from digital. We’ll print probably half as many magazines next year as we did last year but the profitability is going to look pretty much the same. We’re in a really nice cadence where both the ad business and subscriptions on print are pretty good.

We invested heavily in the print properties we kept, so we raised news stand and subscription prices by about 20%. That seems to have all been accepted. We’re excited about it because there’s still a magic in print brands. I’ve been meeting these CMOs and they still love print and they have a lot of data that says it’s still very effective. It’s just you have to realize it’s not for everybody. It’s not going to be a growth engine, but it’s still a really nice contribution business.

What are your principal digital revenue streams?

Advertising is our biggest piece of business and the ad market’s been fairly rough because there’s so much uncertainty. It’s been a challenging environment.

However, a large – and probably the fastest growing – piece of our business is transactional, which is effectively like a guides ratings reviews business. Readers trust Food & Wine for their recipes so they trust them also to tell them which blender to buy. We have 53 test kitchens in Birmingham, Alabama and 100,000+ square feet of product testing space in Des Moines, Iowa. We do comprehensive consumer report-style user tests across everything from throwing luggage off a loading dock to figuring out what is the best blender for a small kitchen. That’s been a real bright spot.

It’s a great business to be in. The people who do the tests and reviews are deliberately independent of any economic arrangements we make with the brands. If we say we have the best brands in the world and they’re really trusted, we should absolutely be able to recommend luggage on Travel and Leisure and blenders on Food & Wine, and we should also be able to tell our readers how they can buy the dress that Jennifer Aniston wore last night in People.

This is a very big and growing business for us digitally. We also have a large licensing business, but the only reason it works is because people love the content. We spend heavily on content and, again, it’s one of those things we tell our people: “Don’t worry about the money, make amazing things, build great audiences, and the revenue will come.” There’s obviously a lot of us who do worry about the costs and revenue, but not our people making the content.

Product licensing was one of the standout, best-in-class successes of Meredith. For more than 20 years, it had been way ahead of its larger rivals in putting magazine brands on licensed product. Is this long term revenue stream now a game changer for you?

We have a very big, longterm partnership with Walmart which sells everything from candles to sheets under the Better Homes & Gardens brand. These products are bestsellers. We love this licensing because it’s great business but also because it’s brand validation. If your brand can carry off that many consumer product sales and have that much consumer trust at Walmart, it’s pretty incredible.

We are in the process of expanding this licensing with many of our other brands, including Southern Living and Brides, for the long term. It’s a great way to monetize our brands.

The next time you are in Walmart, look at Better Homes & Gardens products. It’s an amazing range of bestsellers. We now give everyone on the editorial team at Better Homes & Gardens a $500 quarterly allowance to buy whatever they want from “their” range at Walmart.

What about subscriptions?

We have 11mn print magazine subscribers, but that’s a different business. We have not done subscriptions in any material way across our other properties. We’ve obviously thought a lot about this. But, in order to be a successful subscription product, you generally have to have daily use and many or most of our properties are not that. You need them when you need them and you don’t when you don’t. Also, our whole business is built on scale and subscriptions would tend to limit the audiences.

If consumers are going to pay for things, it generally has to be part of a bundle or part of something. In our sectors, we have made the decision not to be subscription-driven. Our primary revenue is going to be advertising, sponsorship, and eCommerce. But we’re still learning and some of the Meredith people have made a strong case for is experiments because we do have 12mn subscribers who are willing to pay for content.

How important are podcasts?

We do a few. Southern Living has a very big podcast and so does our Verywell Health brand. We probably have 15-20 podcasts across the company, and two or three are large. We don’t do podcasts just to do them. But take the “Biscuits and Jam” one for Southern Living, Sid Evans, the Editor-in-Chief, takes all kinds of southern musicians and just talks about Southern culture. It’s an amazing podcast and does very well. We also have a very big mental health podcast. It’s early days but podcasts are interesting.

How will AI impact your company?

We could do five hours on this! I think there’s been lots of threats to our business in the 10 years we’ve been here. But this is the first thing that could be truly existential if not done correctly and properly. The thing to keep your eye on, as a publisher, is it’s an incredible tool. It’s the greatest analytics tool ever and it’s helping us. We’ll never use it to write content, but it’s helping us figure out what to make in a way that is mind-blowing.

The part of it that no one really knows what’s going to happen (and Barry Diller, has been fairly outspoken on some of these issues) is that the world has been conditioned to use the search bar to get information. People’s behavior can change or not change, but I think that’s where we are for now. Google dominates search so what it does with the search results is going to be the single thing that affects American consumer businesses more than anything else going. Because that is what’s going to happen. If AI disrupts that process in some way, our business is going to change. No matter who you are, because Google is a material part of the traffic.

What’s your vision for Dotdash Meredith in, say, five years?

I’ll be working for the robots! I think we’re in a really interesting place. We’re the biggest publisher in terms of scale. I’m biased but I believe we also have the very best brands in the world. We’re very good at the new-ish channels and our ads perform incredibly well because very simply… If you put three ads on the page instead of six, they do way better. We have a chance to redefine what we’re doing in terms of share of revenue and share of voice. Because we have platform-level scale, we’re now competing with Meta and we’re competing with CTV and we’re competing with all these other channels. If we can do all of this in a brand-safe environment and guarantee that the ads perform, I believe we have a chance to really redefine what a publisher is.

We’re very good at technology. But we make content that people love and we make it accessible and we aggregate these great audiences and connect them to advertiser-vendors. This is a business that has existed for a hundred years. Better Homes & Gardens is 101 years old now. It’s not brain surgery, it’s “just” execution but it’s difficult. It’s hard. But we put in the work and I like our chances.

For more information about our conference please click here.