LinkedIn details how it keeps new features from promoting inequality

Likedin | March 31, 2020

In a newly published paper, LinkedIn describes the internal approach it’s taken to pairing product testing with economic metrics to lower users’ barriers to networking opportunities. The company claims that across thousands of A/B tests it analyzed, the approach reshaped research and design practices across teams, increasing understanding of the underlying causes of inequality.
As the coauthors of the paper point out, even products that appear to have been designed in a “responsible” or “fair” way, based on assumptions of parity, can drive a wedge between users. For instance, an app update that improves overall engagement but runs slowly on older devices might affect members across demographic categories in a manner that doesn’t appear in a typical A/B test, because traditional A/B testing looks at averages focused on an idealized “average user.”

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Martech

Marigold Unveils Unique Martech Solution for Hyper-Personalization

Marigold | September 22, 2023

Marigold has introduced the industry's most extensive Relationship Marketing solution. This solution is strategically designed to assist marketers in achieving hyper-personalization on a large scale, all the while effectively addressing the intricate and continually evolving challenges related to privacy and deliverability. Desta Price, Chief Product Officer of Marigold, remarked, "Relationship Marketing is a long-term strategy focused on the customer relationship over time, not on a single touchpoint, campaign or transaction." [Source – Globe Newswire] The new solution will integrate top-notch email marketing, omnichannel marketing, SMS messaging, and loyalty technology with a comprehensive suite of features, including zero-party data, robust management of permissions and preferences, and dynamic personalization tools. These combined elements are intended to aid brands and businesses in establishing and nurturing trustworthy, enduring relationships with their customers in an expedited manner. Desta Price added that this announcement, which sets the stage for a new era of customer engagement and brand success, will give marketers access to messaging and loyalty program data, enabling them to deliver essential use cases. She further stated that the new solution will also equip marketers to establish more significant real-time customer connections throughout the entire customer lifecycle. Wellford Dillard, CEO of Marigold, highlighted the announcement's importance as a significant milestone in Marigold's commitment to offering clients a comprehensive view of their customers within the full spectrum of Relationship Marketing. This expanded perspective enables clients to orchestrate data-rich engagement initiatives within a unified solution, leveraging Marigold's extensive martech heritage and expertise. He emphasized that Marigold is again taking the lead, assisting marketers in achieving more while providing brands with a more intelligent approach to securing additional business, fostering customer trust, and future-proofing growth strategies. Marigold's Relationship Marketing solution offers real-time visibility across the customer lifecycle, from acquisition to loyalty. It allows marketers to access and utilize customer data across Marigold and third-party applications. With a flexible architecture, users can tailor it to their needs. Including zero-party data and personalization tools enhances non-Marigold martech investments, simplifying audience building, personalized content delivery, and loyalty cultivation. About Marigold Marigold stands as a prominent global leader in the field of marketing technology, specializing in the provision of relationship marketing solutions. These solutions have been instrumental in assisting more than 40,000 brands and organizations across the globe in discovering their customer base, fostering deeper connections, and ultimately transforming them into devoted advocates. Marigold's product portfolio comprises tailored martech, email, and loyalty solutions: Marigold Grow, Marigold Engage, and Marigold Loyalty. These offerings cater to the entirety of the customer lifecycle, facilitating the establishment of enduring relationships, cultivating loyalty, and expanding business enterprises.

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Customer Experience

JFrog Introduces Innovative Customer-First Channel Partner Initiative

JFrog | September 13, 2023

JFrog Limited has unveiled a novel global channel program during its inaugural Partner Day event. This program facilitates customer integration of JFrog solutions through third-party entities while concurrently seeking to establish fresh revenue streams for both JFrog and its collaborative partners. The JFrog Global Partner Program structures itself around a co-selling approach, avoiding using a pyramid or tiered partner program, such as gold, silver, and bronze, which would require substantial initial investments. The method enables partners to gain knowledge and experience by closely collaborating with JFrog's solutions engineering, professional services, marketing, and support teams. This 'customer-first' strategy allows partners to establish and expand their practices while expediting their time-to-revenue. Tali Notman, Chief Revenue Officer at JFrog, mentioned that JFrog is rapidly expanding its presence in the enterprise sector, offering both on-premises and cloud solutions. The company's foundation is built on robust community support, and it has established itself as a pioneer in the DevOps and security fields. She further expressed enthusiasm about the future, anticipating how JFrog's growth will continue to flourish through collaboration with trusted third-party partners. Additionally, Kelly Hartman, Senior Vice President of Global Channels and Alliances at JFrog, articulated the company's objective of delivering value to partners through access to their solutions and expertise, which has garnered trust from numerous Fortune 100 companies worldwide. Meanwhile, JFrog's Partner Program offers partners a range of options to create customer value, including co-selling, reselling, or selling to US government agencies, each supported by dedicated pre- and post-sales programs. These program options are currently available, with an easy-to-use partner portal for streamlined engagement. Additionally, the program introduces new incentives and deal structures to enhance revenue generation, assigns dedicated partner managers for seamless onboarding, provides engaged support from JFrog's sales and technical teams for qualified opportunities, offers curated sales and specialized training on the JFrog Platform, furnishes co-branded marketing kits to stimulate interest and create new opportunities, and grants access to an expanded resource library of product and sales enablement assets. About JFrog JFrog Ltd. is one of the leading software companies with a mission to revolutionize software delivery by realizing its 'Liquid Software' vision. Its Software Supply Chain Platform acts as a unified system of record, empowering organizations to efficiently build, manage, and securely distribute software, ensuring its availability, traceability, and tamper-proof nature. With integrated security features, JFrog helps identify, protect, and remediate against threats and vulnerabilities.

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CRM

ZINFI Launches Innovative Generative AI Features for its PRM Platform

ZINFI Technologies, Inc. | September 07, 2023

ZINFI Technologies, Inc., a leader in partner relationship management (PRM) and through-channel marketing automation, has unveiled a suite of advanced generative AI functionalities within its SaaS platform designed for comprehensive partner management. This new set of tools will enhance ZINFI's enterprise clientele's ability to expedite and streamline the development of precisely targeted marketing content. It will also enable the utilization of internal content and partner-centric data to establish personalized guided routes for its partners while harnessing Microsoft Power BI and Copilot technology to gain insights into and enhance partner performance. Sugata Sanyal, Founder and CEO of ZINFI, highlighted that the new generative AI tools enable customers to significantly expedite their content creation capabilities while swiftly gaining insights into why certain partners with similar profiles outperform others. The primary goal is to assist customers in offering their partners more tailored pathways for enhancement, leveraging ZINFI's workflow automation and generative AI capabilities. The introduction of generative AI capabilities will initially be accessible solely through an early access program, with prioritized access granted to enterprise customers poised to derive the most significant benefit from their implementation. As Microsoft's generative AI tools continue to evolve, ZINFI plans to extend these platform enhancements to a broader customer audience. About ZINFI ZINFI Technologies, Inc., the frontrunner in Unified Channel Management (UCM) advancement, empowers vendors and their channel partners to achieve predictable and rapid profitable growth on a global scale. At ZINFI, a substantial opportunity exists to foster high-performing sales channels by implementing an accessible, comprehensive, and innovative SaaS Unified Channel Management automation platform. This platform effectively manages the entire partner lifecycle through four advanced SaaS applications - affiliate marketing management automation, partner relationship management automation, partner marketing management automation, and partner incentive management automation.

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Channel Partnerships

SonicWall Enhances SecureFirst Partner Program to Benefit Allies

SonicWall | September 25, 2023

SonicWall, a leading cybersecurity solutions provider, has unveiled its updated SecureFirst Partner Program, catering to existing and prospective North American customers. This initiative stems from SonicWall's commitment to actively engage with its partner community, actively listening to their needs and implementing suggested improvements. The upgraded program strongly emphasizes addressing the primary concerns of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), offering comprehensive benefits. The new SecureFirst Partner Program from SonicWall focuses on key areas critical to partners' success in the cybersecurity landscape. First, it simplifies the onboarding process, allowing partners to swiftly access SonicWall's partner benefits without the need for extensive training or complex business planning commitments. This flexibility extends to procurement options, with SonicWall introducing new choices that align with partner and customer requirements. These options include prepaid subscriptions at discounted rates and a no-commitment monthly service provider model. Additionally, SonicWall recognizes the importance of robust technical support and ensures personalized assistance by providing direct access to level 2 or tier 3 agents. The program introduces two distinct tiered tracks to accommodate varying business sizes and objectives: Velocity and Mastery. Velocity suits partners with minimal requirements, while Mastery partners gain access to all incentives, resources, and benefits. Additionally, SonicWall supports partners' customer acquisition efforts by offering aggressive discount levels for all tiers, equipping partners with a competitive edge in pursuing new business opportunities. As part of this program, partners gain exclusive access to SonicWall University, an invaluable resource for flexible training options, including product-specific courseware, specializations, and industry-recognized certifications, ensuring they are well-equipped to promote, sell, and deploy the SonicWall portfolio effectively. In addition to launching the enhanced SecureFirst Partner Program, SonicWall has been proactive in fortifying its position in cybersecurity. The company has reinforced its executive leadership team and introduced compelling incentives with the updated global partner program. Existing partners are encouraged to engage with their dedicated account management teams to gain insights into the program's enhancements and determine the optimal path to cultivate their businesses further. SonicWall remains committed to empowering its partner community and fortifying its capabilities for sustained growth and innovation in the dynamic cybersecurity landscape. About SonicWall SonicWall, a leader in delivering cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions tailored for the hyper-distributed era, where remote work, mobility, and security are paramount. SonicWall is a steadfast guardian in an ever-evolving work landscape characterized by ubiquitous remote access and cloud-enabled workforces, providing comprehensive protection against the most sophisticated and elusive cyber threats. The company's unwavering commitment to fortifying organizations is evident in its ability to thwart cyberattacks across diverse exposure points, even in the face of evolving challenges. SonicWall bridges the gap in cybersecurity readiness for enterprises, government entities, and small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) worldwide with a keen focus on unraveling the unknown, delivering real-time visibility, and facilitating cost-effective cybersecurity solutions.

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Spotlight

Create and deliver the content that makes customers go "Wow." Balancing speed and creativity is key to consistently meeting — and exceeding — customer experience demands. Based on research from a global study, Econsultancy and Adobe show you why in 2023 Digital Trends — Content Management in Focus.

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