Category: Digital – AI & Apps

News and media stories that reflect Internet activities via social media, AI, Apps, and digital communication channels.

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Humanizing AI: Making digital marketing relatable with AI

Post author By Editor
Post date June 14, 2023
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Even before the launch of ChatGPT in November last year, AI has been increasingly adopted to assist with digital marketing tasks, but 66% of consumers want more human involvement in the design and delivery of their online experience. In fact, 59% of businesses report that they see a reduction in revenue by using AI without human intervention.

By 2025, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is projected to replace 85 million jobs globally. AI in marketing was valued at $20.82 billion in 2022 and is expected to surpass $107.5 billion by 2028. Although AI is gaining popularity in marketing, less than 40% of companies see gains from it.

Well-directed AI tools can mimic a brand’s identity but cannot be relied upon to generate or direct it. Without human direction and adjustment, the AI output lacks insight, humor, and structural diversity. Human sensibilities are required to ensure high-quality and clear messaging and easy readability.

AI in marketing is a complimenting tool, not a human replacement.

“Just because you CAN automate doesn’t mean you SHOULD. If a company makes its decisions purely on AI, it can lead to serious consequences,” says Derek Chew, CEO of Fullmoon Digital.

He believes that although AI helps analyze and predict customer behavior, personalize content, and optimize advertising campaigns, it lacks creativity, subjective thinking, and conscious thought, and relying too heavily on AI can lead to plagiarism, inaccuracies, and content that lacks emotional intelligence.

Chew affirms businesses need to look for uniquely tailored marketing processes for each client emphasizing the importance of effective communication and consistent collaboration. Even Google’s latest algorithm, the Helpful Content Update is designed to reward human-generated content that delivers valuable and useful information.

Derek Chew, CEO of Fullmoon Digital, can speak on the following:

Why is human creativity and decision-making important to enhance the effectiveness of AI in marketing?
Why is it necessary to have a personalized marketing strategy along with AI?
How will the increasing sophistication of AI impact job roles in the marketing industry, and what steps can marketing professionals take to prepare for these changes?
What businesses may be adversely affected if they continue to depend on AI more without human intervention?
How can digital marketers best cater to the evolving needs of their customers to ensure that their clients feel valued?

About Fullmoon Digital

Fullmoon Digital, founded by Derek Chew, a former early Yahoo! employee, is one of the few 100% independent digital marketing agencies in the United States. The firm is cross-functional, with deep experience in media planning and buying, digital consultancy, SEO, digital strategy, programmatic, analytics, performance marketing, paid media, social advertising, and creative. They push the envelope of what is possible in terms of marketing and technology, all the while providing best-in-class digital marketing service to their “pack” of clients. For more information, please visit www.fullmoondigital.com.

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How businesses can use AI tools to gain a competitive edge in digital marketing

Post author By Editor
Post date June 4, 2023
No Comments on How businesses can use AI tools to gain a competitive edge in digital marketing

AI is evolving quickly. Media buzz claims that the new ChatGPT tool is ready to replace copywriters and take over the world of digital marketing. Derek Chew, CEO of Fullmoon Digital Media, clarifies AI’s role in digital marketing, including where it shines and where it falls flat.

WINDERMERE, Fla. – Recently, the Pew Research Center surveyed 11,004 U.S. adults to measure their awareness of the presence of AI technology in their day-to-day lives.

Over the past 15 years, artificial intelligence (AI) has become such a fixture in everyone’s daily activities that many people are unaware of how often they are actually interacting with it.

From GPS traffic updates, fitness watches, banking, and personalized online shopping experiences, 30% of Americans were considered to have a high level of awareness, 38% had a medium level, and 31% were not as conscious of just how much they interact with AI on a daily basis.⁽¹⁾

The AI-powered Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT), a next-generation natural language processing tool launched in November 2022, has been promoted as a time- and labor-saving device for writing and research from school papers to multimedia applications. It is also demonstrating its usefulness in digital marketing.

But could AI simply replace people and take control of the digital marketing profession? Derek Chew, CEO of Fullmoon Digital, explains that AI is a powerful tool — but only truly effective when combined with human expertise.

Chew clarifies, “The performance of AI tools relies on access to large sets of data to learn from. The current evolution of AI can perform writing and optimizing tasks well if it has sufficient, targeted data and is prompted accurately. In that way, marketers can save time by employing AI effectively. But AI lacks the big-picture understanding, emotional intelligence, and insights to direct the process on its own.”

Even before the launch of ChatGPT, AI has been increasingly adopted to assist with digital marketing tasks. AI and machine learning can personalize websites, analyze and predict customer behavior to segment communications, deliver personalized content, and help optimize advertising campaigns.⁽²⁾

AI is also used to help generate web content, although its ability to do that effectively is limited by access to existing, relevant data on the subject. This makes it more effective for some topics than for others. Google’s latest algorithm, the Helpful Content Update, is designed to reward human-generated content that delivers valuable and useful information.⁽³⁾

The long-term use of AI in digital marketing depends on improvements in writing code, mimicking human speech, optimizing advertising tasks, streamlining customer service functions, and building websites.⁽⁴⁾ The future-world potential of AI is wide open. Experts imagine everything from data-controlled serfdom to an idealized society where AI can supercharge health and fitness as well as reduce pollution. And with machines taking care of most of the work, people may even enjoy a universal basic wage, enabling them to realize their full human potential.⁽⁵⁾

In the meantime, AI is a real economic force with a viable role as a digital marketing tool. Marketers who ignore AI are missing out on time-saving data analysis, like managing informational relationships, measuring results, and using statistical models in predicting outcomes. Those who rely too heavily on AI run the risk of plagiarism, inaccuracies, and content that lacks emotional intelligence.⁽⁶⁾

AI systems are skilled at modeling natural speech and logistical analysis but are entirely incapable of creativity, subjective thinking, or conscious thought.⁽⁶⁾ Without human direction and adjustment, the AI output lacks insight, humor, and structural diversity — the elements that inspire the emotional reactions that move people to engage and act.

“AI is a time-saving tool but not a replacement for skill and experience. There is buzz that ChatGPT will replace copywriters, but companies that relegate content creation and ad generation to AI will fall behind. The output is intelligent but not emotional; emotions, not just logic, fuel human decisions. Just because you CAN automate doesn’t mean you SHOULD,” says Chew.

A powerful example is brand identity, which is a projection of the core values of a business and comes across as the company’s personality. It is essential to developing loyalty in today’s marketplace.⁽⁷⁾ Well-directed AI tools can mimic a brand’s identity but cannot be relied upon to generate or direct it.

Fullmoon Digital’s m arketing process is uniquely tailored to each individual client. Developing a winning digital marketing program entails more than 1s and 0s; it requires effective communication, consistent collaboration, and hard work.

About Fullmoon Digital

Fullmoon Digital Media, founded by Derek Chew, a former early Yahoo! employee, is one of the few 100% independent digital marketing agencies in the United States. The firm is cross-functional with deep experience in media planning and buying, digital consultancy, SEO, digital strategy, programmatic, analytics, performance marketing, paid media, social advertising, and creative. They push the envelope of what is possible in terms of marketing and technology, all the while providing best-in-class digital marketing service to their “pack” of clients. For more information, please visit www.fullmoondigital.com.

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Google updates focus on the role of CRO in achieving impressive ROI

Post author By Editor
Post date June 1, 2023
No Comments on Google updates focus on the role of CRO in achieving impressive ROI

Google continuously modifies its algorithms to provide searchers with the most relevant content. In March 2023, Google rolled out its Core Update, which is one of the most significant updates in recent years. It continually adjusts its search engine ranking system and user interface, averaging 12 changes per day, keeping digital marketers on their toes.

This algorithm update by Google focuses on user experience and penalizes inadequate websites, meaning websites with low-quality duplicated, and irrelevant content, poor user experience, and slow navigation will have lower rankings. Moreover, with the increasing use of mobile devices for internet browsing, the update has strongly emphasized mobile optimization, resulting in penalization for websites that are not mobile-friendly. Experts say Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is a powerful strategy that not only supports but also amplifies all marketing efforts.

“Marketing opportunities live in Conversion Rate Optimization more than uncasing an algorithm. Companies should constantly be working to improve the customer experience; this will never change, no matter what Google does. Digital marketing strategies that focus on the fundamentals of driving website traffic, improving conversion rate optimization, and delivering an outstanding customer experience will see steady market gains regardless of what changes Google makes to their algorithm,” says Derek Chew, CEO of Fullmoon Digital Marketing.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is about employing strategies that steadily and systematically boost customer engagement with a website, such as clicking a banner ad, filling out a form, or subscribing to a newsletter, to increase the likelihood of repeat visits or business.

It helps businesses analyze and segment their users to direct them toward purchasing the products or services that would best cater to their requirements. This leads to an increase in repeat customers and a greater overall value per customer across the entire product experience.

While about 67% of companies globally don’t have a properly structured CRO strategy, it is important to note that businesses implementing CRO get an average ROI of 223%.

“In the wake of Google’s core updates, which prioritize user experience and relevance in search results, CRO has become even more important for digital marketing strategies. By improving the user experience and increasing conversions, businesses can improve their search engine rankings and increase their revenue and ROI,” notes Chew.

About Fullmoon Digital

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Avantra introduces a new Cloud edition for RISE with SAP at Sapphire 2023

Post author By Editor
Post date May 12, 2023
No Comments on Avantra introduces a new Cloud edition for RISE with SAP at Sapphire 2023

CHICAGO, IL, — Avantra, the leading AIOps platform for SAP operations automation, today announced the launch of their new Cloud edition for RISE with SAP. This edition enables RISE customers to automate cloud, on premise, and third party operation activities as they migrate their business operations to the cloud.

RISE with SAP has made it easier for SAP customers to bring SAP applications to the cloud together in a single contract, but customers retain responsibility for the operation of their applications. With the unprecedented capability to automate workflows across cloud, legacy, and third party implementations, the Cloud edition for RISE with SAP provides the time needed to focus on their strategic initiatives.

“At a time when more and more companies are looking at enterprise wide digital transformation and wanting to connect rather than isolate operations, impeding the ability to optimize hybrid operations presents a significant barrier to business advancement. We developed a Cloud edition designed to work with RISE with SAP to remove this barrier, recognizing that this need is not likely to go away any time soon,” John Appleby, Chief Executive Officer, Avantra.

One hybrid AIOps platform. Endless possibilities

The Avantra Cloud edition for RISE with SAP provides a single point of access to service and operating data and will support more than 300 RISE with SAP services. These include options such as configuration management for regulated industries, one off services, and cloud application services. It will also support more than 100 services where customers are responsible, such as managing data files, determining security requirements, and end to end application monitoring.

The ability to get such services from Avantra gives customers the choice of running them on cloud servers or partitioning them onto legacy operating systems, which they might want to do, for example, to reduce costs or gain strategic advantage.

“This new edition is the perfect complement to RISE with SAP. The enhanced flexibility and capability mean that customers can leverage software operations and services, and manage data across all modes, building strategic business systems, provisioning them more efficiently and with minimal human effort and error,” said Bernd Engist, Chief Technology Officer.

Echoing the market demand for hybrid solutions within SAP operations management, Nick Miletich, Chief Technology Officer at Managecore, said, “As RISE with SAP deployments continues to go live, Managecore too sees the increasing need for a unified experience for SAP customers across their IT systems that are both managed and not managed by RISE with SAP. Managecore’s RISE with SAP companion solution ManagecoreiQ+ leverages Avantra’s RISE certified automation tool via our Watchdog platform to provide that single pane of glass experience by monitoring all enterprise systems hosted by RISE with SAP or in a multi-cloud environment. The approach empowers SAP customers to see the full breadth of their systems in one place.”

In addition to introducing the new Cloud edition at SAP Sapphire, Avantra will demonstrate the ongoing activity to improve results and add context to its data analysis capability, what they call “intelligent automation.” In one demonstration, for example, they will show how AI tools like Chat GPT might improve efficiency in analyzing check results and guiding users to solutions.

The Avantra leadership team will be hands on at booth #830. SAP Sapphire takes place on Tuesday, May 16-17 at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando.

About Avantra:

Avantra helps businesses achieve commercial success and competitive advantage by saving time and resources, reducing issues and supporting growth. Customers of the Avantra platform save at least 30% in SAP operations costs, giving them the edge in a market where resources are tight. Today, some of the world’s largest organizations use Avantra to transform from reactive to proactive. This results in significant time and cost benefits across their business by avoiding human error, assuring quality, and delivering a single source of truth. The unmatched intelligence of Avantra gives enterprises freedom from system downtime, real SAP context for the whole technology stack and time for higher value projects. Many multinational brands rely on the Avantra platform to bring intelligent automation to their SAP operations, creating time to build a future path to hyperautomation success.

www.avantra.com

Media Contact:

Hemant Deswal

h.deswal@bcmpublicrelations.com

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US senators unveil a bipartisan bill that bans kids under 13 from joining social media and requires tech companies to get parental consent for teen accounts

Brian Fung / CNN:

— A new federal bill unveiled Wednesday would establish a national minimum age for social media use and require tech companies to get parents’ consent before creating accounts for teens, reflecting a growing trend at all levels of government to restrict how Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and other platforms engage with young users.

The proposed legislation by a bipartisan group of US senators aims to address what policymakers, mental health advocates and critics of tech platforms say is a mental health crisis fueled by social media.

Under the bill, known as the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, social media platforms would be barred from letting kids below the age of 13 create accounts or interact with other users, though children would still be permitted to view content without logging into an account, according to draft text of the legislation.

Tech platforms covered by the legislation would also have to obtain a parent or guardian’s consent before creating new accounts for users under the age of 18. The companies would be banned from using teens’ personal information to target them with content or advertising, though they could still provide limited targeted recommendations to teens by relying on other contextual cues.

It’s the latest step by lawmakers to develop age limitations for tech platforms after similar bills became law this year in states such as Arkansas and Utah. But the legislation could also trigger a broader debate, and possible future court challenges, raising questions about the privacy and constitutional rights of young Americans.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Hawaii Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz, an architect of the federal bill, said Congress urgently needs to protect kids from social media harms.

“Social media companies have stumbled onto a stubborn, devastating fact,” Schatz said. “The way to get kids to linger on the platforms and to maximize profit is to upset them — to make them outraged, to make them agitated, to make them scared, to make them vulnerable, to make them feel helpless, anxious [and] despondent.”

Most major social media companies already bar kids younger than 13 from their platforms, the result of a federal children’s privacy law known as COPPA. But enforcing the restriction has been a challenge.

Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, a leading Republican co-sponsor, said existing ways of ensuring kids are not underage online are too easily circumvented. The two senators were joined by Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Alabama Republican Sen. Katie Britt.

In what could be one of the most far-reaching changes to the technology landscape, the bill seeks to create a government-run age verification program that can certify users’ ages or parental status based on identification they upload to the government system or to a third-party verifier.

Under the bill, that program would be a pilot project administered by the Department of Commerce, and participation and use of the federally managed age verifier would be voluntary. But it would represent a potentially vast expansion of the government’s role in regulating websites where age verification is a requirement.

Tech companies could still develop their own in-house age verification technology or hire third party companies to perform the verification, lawmakers said.

Violations of the proposed law could mean millions of dollars in Federal Trade Commission fines for social media companies. But it would not apply to a long list of tech products including email services, teleconferencing providers, payments companies, video game storefronts, digital newsletter platforms, cloud storage services, travel websites and online reference guides such as Wikipedia or user review sites such as Yelp.

Wednesday’s legislation could be viewed as competing with another, separate bill being developed by Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn. That legislation, known as the Kids’ Online Safety Act, will be reintroduced in the Senate “very shortly,” Blumenthal said, expressing concerns about the Schatz-Cotton bill.

“I welcome additional ideas,” Blumenthal said. But, he added, “I have some concerns about an age identification system that would create a national database with personal information about kids in the hands of Big Tech, potentially leading to misuse or exploitation. I have other concerns about a bill that would put accountability on parents rather than on Big Tech, as our legislation does.”

A new set of concerns

In response to the bill, Design it For Us, a youth coalition pushing for changes to social media in the face of mental health concerns, said lawmakers should focus on shaping the basic product design of social media platforms, rather than imposing after-the-fact usage limitations.

“We believe that any legislation addressing harm on social media should put the onus on companies to make their platforms safer, instead of preventing kids and teens from being on platforms at all,” said Zamaan Qureshi, a co-chair of the group.

Opponents of the type of proposals outlined Wednesday have also said restrictions on teens threaten their constitutional rights. For example, the tech industry and digital rights advocates have said Utah’s legislation requiring age verification and parental consent would infringe on the First Amendment rights of young Americans to access information and chill the speech rights of all Americans.

“Requiring that all users in Utah tie their accounts to their age, and ultimately, their identity, will lead to fewer people expressing themselves, or seeking information online,” wrote the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights organization, last month. “In addition, there are tens of millions of U.S. residents without a form of government-issued identification. Those in Utah would likely be age-gated offline.”

The Computer and Communications Industry Association, which represents companies including Google, Facebook-parent Meta, has said age verification rules will require consumers to expose even more of their personal information to tech companies or third parties.

“That data collection creates extra privacy and security risks for everyone,” CCIA wrote in a letter to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox last month. “This mandated data collection would include collecting highly sensitive personal information about children, including collecting and storing their geolocation to ensure they do not reside outside of the state when confirming that they are of age to be using these services.”

On Wednesday, however, Cotton dismissed the privacy concerns, calling it not a “serious argument” when identity or age verification is used by government agencies and online gambling sites. He also said the bill will actually reduce the amount of personal information tech platforms effectively can collect by blocking the ability of kids under 13 to access their sites.

“If a child is, say, too young to sign a contract or too young to open a bank account in the real world, they’re too young to sign terms of service agreements and use social media in the digital world,” Cotton told reporters.

Schatz added that the bill has not been presented to social media platforms for feedback, but predicted that in short order the industry will be deploying “an army of lobbyists” to fight it.

“The tech industry is going to come at this bill, and every other kids’ online safety bill, with everything it’s got,” Schatz said. “But the burden of proof is on those who want to protect the status quo, because the status quo is making a whole generation of users mentally ill.”

— Techmeme

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Boingo Wireless CEO Mike Finley named to New York’s ‘Power Players in Aviation’ list

Post author By Michelle Dryden
Post date April 24, 2023
No Comments on Boingo Wireless CEO Mike Finley named to New York’s ‘Power Players in Aviation’ list

Finley Recognized among Prestigious List of Innovators, Changemakers and Thought Leaders in New York’s Aviation Industry

NEW YORK — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #WirelessSimplified — Boingo Wireless, a total connectivity provider of distributed antenna systems (DAS), Wi-Fi and private networks, today announced that its CEO Mike Finley has been named to the amNY, PoliticsNY and Airport Voice 2023 Power Players in Aviation list.

The list, researched and published by Schneps Media, recognizes influential government officials and business leaders dedicated to bettering New York metropolitan area airports. Boingo was honored for delivering world-class cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity at major airports including John F. Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark Liberty International (EWR).

For more than 20 years, Boingo’s cellular and Wi-Fi networks have enhanced the passenger experience and improved operations for New York’s transportation hubs, supporting the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority, among others. Boingo specializes in managing all 5G technologies across carrier cellular networks and Wi-Fi to streamline airport operations, enhance network security and reliably connect passengers and airport staff.

“Boingo’s converged wireless networks are an important part to New York’s aviation industry. No matter the 5G technology, we can deploy it to efficiently connect a wide range of airport services through one central and neutral provider,” said Boingo CEO Mike Finley.

“Our high-performing networks directly contribute to the positive reputation and recognition of New York and New Jersey’s airports. It’s an honor to be featured in this Power Players list and Boingo remains committed to helping our New York partners continually innovate and deliver the best possible airport experience.”

Boingo proudly connects people, business and operations at New York’s transit hubs, tunnels, airports, retail locations, office buildings and high-rise developments. At JFK, LGA and EWR, Boingo’s neutral host, converged networks work behind the scenes to reliably power passenger mobile tickets, streaming services, ride share apps and more, as well as create efficiencies with connected airport operations such as baggage tracking, digital signage, mobile concessions and airside maintenance.

Most recently, Boingo launched a converged 5G-enabled network featuring Wi-Fi 6, DAS and private LTE at EWR’s brand-new Terminal A. The network infrastructure enables fast, seamless connectivity for passengers and reliable internet for critical airport operations.

“Our Power Players in Aviation list was carefully curated to illuminate the innovators and leaders positively impacting New York’s complex and ever-evolving airports. Under Mike Finley’s leadership, Boingo Wireless plays a pivotal role in enhancing the passenger experience with next generation technology,” said Jill Carvajal, managing director of business development at Schneps Media.

Boingo also has been recognized for its philanthropic endeavors, such as its support of the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI), which fosters a creative and accessible environment for youth to learn to use science, technology, engineering, and math to tackle complex 21st century challenges.

About Boingo Wireless

Boingo Wireless, Inc. simplifies complex wireless challenges to connect people, business and things. Boingo designs, builds and manages converged, neutral host public and private networks at major venues around the world. Boingo’s vast footprint of distributed antenna systems (DAS), Wi-Fi, small cells and macro towers securely powers innovation and connectivity in airports, transit stations, stadiums, military bases, hospitals, commercial properties and enterprises worldwide. Learn more at boingo.com.

Contacts

Melody Walker

VP, Marketing Communications

mwalker@boingo.com
(424) 256-7036

Tags Business, New Jersey

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Caesars Entertainment relaunches Tropicana Online Casino in New Jersey

Post author By Michelle Dryden
Post date April 5, 2023
No Comments on Caesars Entertainment relaunches Tropicana Online Casino in New Jersey

Iconic online gaming brand returns with new offerings and unmatched rewards

TRENTON, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CZR) (“Caesars”) today announced the relaunch of Tropicana Online Casino in the state of New Jersey. The new iCasino app and online casino experience offers customers enhanced functionality with a catalog of industry-leading casino games and an improved integration with the industry-leading loyalty program, Caesars Rewards®.

“Caesars has a legacy in New Jersey with a history of providing a best-in-class gaming experience,” said Matthew Sunderland, Senior Vice President of iGaming at Caesars Digital. “The relaunch of Tropicana Online Casino is an important step in our progression toward providing valued customers with the best iGaming products in the industry. We’re confident this new offering delivers an elevated online casino experience with rewards that can’t be matched, similar to the industry-best experiences customers enjoy at Tropicana Atlantic City.”

Tropicana Online Casino is now live on desktop at TropicanaCasino.com and available for download on iOS and Android. New Jersey customers can expect a wide variety of classic and cutting-edge casino games, including American and European Roulette, market leading slot games from best-in-class providers, Live Dealer Blackjack, Poker and Baccarat and digital classics like Video Poker, and much more.

“Tropicana Online Casino enhances the exceptional gaming experience we take pride in bringing to our New Jersey customers every day,” said Joseph Giunta, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Tropicana Atlantic City. “We are pleased to offer our guests the convenience of enjoying their favorite casino games in a fresh and responsible manner, right at their fingertips.”

Every casino bet placed earns Tier Credits that contribute to one’s status and Reward Credits that can be redeemed for exclusive Caesars Rewards experiences and discounted getaways at various Caesars Entertainment locations throughout the United States. In addition, eligible online casino customers in New Jersey can elevate their online gaming experience with an exciting welcome offer and new promotional offers released several times a week, ranging from deposit bonus matches, reward spins, Reward Credit multipliers, and more.

An industry leader in responsible gaming, Caesars remains committed to responsible gaming education. As a complement to the tools in place that encourage responsible play with Tropicana Online Casino, Caesars recently announced two new responsible gaming policies.

The first is the industry’s most comprehensive universal exclusion policy, which adds participants who are currently on a state-sponsored self-exclusion list where Caesars operates to the universal exclusion list for all Caesars’ gaming facilities and platforms across the enterprise. In addition, the company has adopted an enhanced 21+ gaming policy that restricts Caesars Rewards accounts to individuals over 21 years of age and, where permitted by law, limits all domestic gaming, pari-mutuel, sports, and iGaming options to those over 21 years of age.

About Caesars Entertainment, Inc.

Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CZR) is the largest casino-entertainment Company in the U.S. and one of the world’s most diversified casino-entertainment providers. Since its beginning in Reno, NV, in 1937, Caesars Entertainment, Inc. has grown through development of new resorts, expansions and acquisitions. Caesars Entertainment, Inc.’s resorts operate primarily under the Caesars®, Harrah’s®, Horseshoe®, and Eldorado® brand names. Caesars Entertainment, Inc. offers diversified gaming, entertainment and hospitality amenities, one-of-a-kind destinations, and a full suite of mobile and online gaming and sports betting experiences. All tied to its industry-leading Caesars Rewards loyalty program, the Company focuses on building value with its guests through a unique combination of impeccable service, operational excellence and technology leadership. Caesars is committed to its employees, suppliers, communities and the environment through its PEOPLE PLANET PLAY framework. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER. For more information, please visit www.caesars.com/corporate.

Responsible Gaming in New Jersey

Must be 21 or older and physically present in New Jersey. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537).

Welcome Offer Terms

NJ only. 21+. New users and on first deposit only. Must register with eligible promo code. Minimum wagering within seven days required to release bonuses. Maximum deposit-match bonus of $500. See www.tropicanacasino.com/promotions for full terms. Wagering Requirements on bonus funds vary based on the game type played. Visit https://www.tropicanacasino.com/policies/bonus-policy for the contribution rate of each game type.

Contacts

Brad Harwood, bharwood@caesars.com
Dominic Holden, dholden@caesars.com

Tags Business, New Jersey

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Blue Apron and DashMart by DoorDash expand partnership

Post author By Michelle Dryden
Post date April 5, 2023
No Comments on Blue Apron and DashMart by DoorDash expand partnership

Blue Apron’s Heat & Eat Meals Now Available for Delivery in 11 Markets, Including New York City

NEW YORK & SAN FRANCISCO — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Blue Apron (NYSE: APRN) and DashMart by DoorDash, Inc. expanded the availability of Blue Apron’s Heat & Eat meals to 11 markets, including New York City.

“The expansion of our partnership with DashMart by DoorDash into additional markets follows a successful pilot program that we launched in Philadelphia last year,” said John Adler, Blue Apron’s Senior Vice President of Physical Product.

“These types of strategic partnerships are an important market opportunity for us to expand our reach and provide customers with access to our products without a subscription. We’re committed to providing them with even more convenient ways to bring Blue Apron into their kitchens each week.”

In addition to New York City, Blue Apron’s Heat & Eat meals are available for delivery in eligible cities in New Jersey, Virginia, Illinois, Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania. DashMart customers can choose from a selection of easy to make Heat & Eat meals, including customer favorites like a Cheesy Truffle Cavatappi and Spanish-Style Beef & Rice.

Based on some of Blue Apron’s best-selling and top-rated dishes, Heat & Eat are prepared, single-serving meals that are ready in 5 minutes or less without sacrificing quality for convenience. Whether customers are looking for a last minute, quick dinner option for one, or to complement a grocery order, Heat & Eat meals are designed to make meal-time a bit easier.

DashMart is a grocery store and warehousing service owned and operated by DoorDash that sells a wide variety of products from fresh meats, produce, and baked goods to household essentials, personal care items, medicine and more.

To purchase Heat & Eat meals in eligible cities on DashMart, visit doordash.com.

About Blue Apron

Blue Apron’s vision is Better Living Through Better Food™. Launched in 2012, Blue Apron offers fresh, chef-designed meals that empower home cooks to embrace their culinary curiosity, challenge their abilities in the kitchen and see what a difference cooking quality food can make in their lives. Blue Apron is a carbon-neutral meal-kit company and is focused on bringing incredible recipes to its customers, while promoting planetary and dietary wellness for everyone.

About DoorDash

DoorDash (NYSE: DASH) is a technology company that connects consumers with their favorite local businesses in 27 countries across the globe. Founded in 2013, DoorDash builds products and services to help businesses innovate, grow, and reach more customers. DoorDash is building infrastructure for local commerce, enabling merchants to thrive in the convenience economy, giving consumers access to more of their communities, and providing work that empowers. With DoorDash, there is a neighborhood of good in every order.

Contacts

Muriel Lussier

Blue Apron

muriel.lussier@blueapron.com

Tags Business, New Jersey

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Devashish Saxena joins Imperial Dade as Chief Digital Officer to support company’s continued growth

Post author By Michelle Dryden
Post date April 1, 2023
No Comments on Devashish Saxena joins Imperial Dade as Chief Digital Officer to support company’s continued growth

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Imperial Dade, a leading distributor of food service packaging and janitorial supplies, announced that Devashish Saxena has joined the company as its first Chief Digital Officer. He will be focused on identifying how the organization can use the latest digital technologies to create a world-class omnichannel customer experience powered by data science.

For over 20 years, Devashish Saxena has built digital organizations and guided them in making data-driven decisions to deliver business impact. With a software engineering background, Devashish focuses on human beings and their role in the digital journey.

Most recently Devashish led digital transformation as Vice President, Chief Digital Officer at PPG, a Pittsburgh-based coatings manufacturer. Prior to his time at PPG, Devashish served as Vice President, Global Digital Business and E-commerce at Rexel, a France-based omnichannel distributor of electrical supplies. Prior to Rexel, he led the digital journeys at UK-based Premier Farnell (now part of Avnet) and Texas Instruments in Dallas.

“Devashish is an excellent addition to our organization, contributing his expertise and passion to further develop and execute our digital strategy,” said Charlie D’Elia Jr., Chief Commercial Officer of Imperial Dade.

“Digital transformation has a critical role to play in our disciplined growth plans, and his experience and leadership will be invaluable in the years ahead.”

“I am so happy to join the amazing team at Imperial Dade,” said Devashish.

“They are passionate about serving our customers and are doing so in a familial and entrepreneurial manner. I really appreciate the warm welcome from everyone I have met thus far and look forward to leading the company on its digital transformation journey.”

About Imperial Dade

Founded in 1935, Imperial Dade serves more than 90,000 customers across North America. Since Chairman Robert Tillis and CEO Jason Tillis acquired the company in 2007, the company has grown both organically and through acquisitions to become a leader in the disposable food service and janitorial supplies industry. For additional information, please visit www.imperialdade.com.

Contacts

Laura Craven

305-805-2716

Tags Business, New Jersey

Business Digital - AI & Apps Lifestyle Perks Technology

United Bank of Michigan replaces legacy eSignature platform with IMM eSign

Post author By Michelle Dryden
Post date March 29, 2023
No Comments on United Bank of Michigan replaces legacy eSignature platform with IMM eSign

Seamless interoperability with Fiserv Premier banking platform delivers superior experience with faster digital transaction processing

RAHWAY, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #DigitalTransformation — IMM, the only eSignature provider specializing in eSignature and digital transaction solutions exclusively for financial institutions, today announced that United Bank of Michigan successfully migrated from its legacy eSignature platform to IMM eSign for Banks. IMM’s enterprise-wide eSignature platform directly interfaces with the bank’s core processing platform, Fiserv Premier, as well as other existing business applications including its enterprise content management software suite, Fiserv Director, as well as Fiserv’s Business Process Manager (BPM) system for account opening and other customer service tasks.

Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., United Bank of Michigan has 13 branch locations across Western Michigan, more than $850 million in assets and is recognized as a leading small business lender. According to bank executives, IMM’s exclusive focus on financial institutions and associated domain expertise, coupled with the out-of-the-box interfaces are the primary reasons it selected IMM eSign. The bank reported immediate results including the ability to complete transactions faster and more accurately, in a paperless environment, as well as deliver an enhanced, more engaging experience to customers in both a remote environment, as well as in-person at the branch.

“Our previous eSignature platform was not integrated with our key business applications and our usage was minimal,” said Eric Soya, vice president of branch operations, United Bank of Michigan. “As we accelerated our digital-first strategy, it became evident our previous provider was not able to effectively integrate with our current systems and did not truly understand the nuances of how the bank operates. The overall value of the system was languishing. We conducted a rigorous review process, and IMM met every established requirement and continues to exceed our expectations. From day one, IMM’s eSignature platform has been seamlessly integrated with our banking core platform, Fiserv Premier, as well as Fiserv’s BPM and Director products.”

IMM’s eSignature solution provides a seamless, streamlined interface, enabling the bank’s employees to complete transactions faster in a completely digital environment. Automated archiving and filing into the content management system improves the overall accuracy of each transaction, eliminating the possibility of accidental human error.

Soya continued, “Prior to implementing IMM eSign, completing most transactions required multiple steps, making it time-consuming for employees. Now, transactions are completed, including the indexing and archival of the documents, with just a few clicks. Additionally, we can deliver all documents to our customers electronically, which is not only more convenient, but also safeguards their information and potentially sensitive personal data.”

The bank’s customers can now electronically sign documents remotely at a place and time of their choosing. The bank also leverages tablets in branch to provide a more dynamic experience, enabling customers to view and sign documents electronically on the tablet itself. The bank wanted to ensure that no matter what business system employees were producing documents from, or what system clients were signing documents within, the user experience would be seamless, interoperable and cohesive.

Michael Ball, SVP of markets and strategy for IMM, said, “In today’s economic environment, it is so important that banks partner with technology providers that recognize and understand the intricate nuances and regulatory requirements associated with the financial services industry. United Bank is a perfect example of an institution that had an eSignature platform that is widely recognized in every type of organization, across many industries, but was unable to meet the specific operational needs of a financial institution. We understand how critical system integrations are to ensuring daily operations and that is why we designed IMM eSign to meet the specific needs of banks like United Bank of Michigan.”

About IMM

For 26 years, IMM has been the premier provider of eSignature and Digital Transaction solutions designed exclusively for financial institutions. Today, more than 1,650 banks and credit unions use IMM’s eSignature and Digital Transaction Management solutions across the Institution to elevate consumer experiences while streamlining back-office processes in a comprehensive, end-to-end digital processing environment.

For more information, visit www.immonline.com or call 1.800.836.4750. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About United Bank

Founded in 1887, United Bank has more than $850 million in assets. The bank operates 13 locations throughout West Michigan, plus mortgage, wealth management and insurance divisions. A leading business lender, United Bank offers a comprehensive suite of business and personal banking products that blend cutting-edge technology with personalized service. Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender www.unitedbank4u.com

Contacts

Adrie Morales / Anna Stanley

adrie@williammills.com / anna@williammills.com
678.781.7227 / 251.517.7857

Tags Business, New Jersey