The MarTech Minute: Google’s updates Google Fusion Table users, Adobe Target rolls out extensive upgrades

MarTech Minute briefs always appear first in our daily newsletter throughout the week. Click here to subscribe. The following is our compilation of the past week’s briefs from those newsletters.

Extensive upgrades to Adobe Target rolling out. Adobe has announced updates to the personalization engine of Adobe Experience Cloud that promises to deliver better, faster and easier cross-channel personalization for marketers and developers. The upgrades include personalized recommendations based on customer profile data, new SDKs for faster omnichannel deployment of Adobe Target as well as enhanced privacy and security features.

Chargify rolls out expanded revenue management platform. The revenue management platform for SaaS businesses announced new solutions to help their merchants manage billing, revenue ops, and business insights. Chargify will launch a native Sales Commission Calculator that will improve how sales reps and account executives calculate sales commissions on subscription SaaS offerings, accelerating sales processes. 

DiscoverOrg announces the launch of its new go-to-market platform, rebranding to ZoomInfo. Following the February acquisition of B2B sales and marketing platform ZoomInfo, DiscoverOrg has combined the two companies’ technologies to design a B2B data source of truth for sales and marketing organizations. The solution, which can be integrated with major sales, marketing and CRM platforms, promises to deliver marketers an actionable, 360-degree view of customers, contacts and opportunities. 

CRM provider shares new market research on sales and marketing initiatives. CRM provider Insightly revealed findings from a survey of over 440 businesses about trends and challenges in marketing. Among the findings, the study found that the majority of businesses (54%) say marketing is very important to their business growth, with nearly one in five reporting they couldn’t run their business without it. That said, 11% do not integrate marketing and sales initiatives, while 42% only do it on occasion. “Having spent more than 20 years of my career in marketing, I have experienced the challenges and critical importance of aligning marketing with sales in order to validate its effectiveness,” added Tony Kavanagh, CMO of Insightly. “By driving a better connection to the ROI of marketing programs, we are ensuring marketing teams (no matter how lean) are maximizing the impact of their efforts and ultimately, boosting the bottom line for the business.”

Google shares update with Google Fusion Tables users. Google shared a progress update with users via email regarding new tools for downloading data, migrating maps and replacement solutions for the soon-to-be-sunset Google Fusion Tables. Initially launched as an experimental project to help users visualize large data sets, particularly on maps, the solution will shut down on December 3, 2019. Google is asking users to download their data before the shutdown date. 

Marketers on the Move

Wendy Johansson has joined Publicis Sapient as group vice president, experience transformation lead to further Publicis Sapient’s Digital Business Transformation practice capabilities. Wendy was most recently a co-founder and vice president of academy and user experience at product consulting company Wizeline. Johansson built and led Wizeline’s global UX design strategy and teams while pioneering “Wizeline Academy” — a training program to bring high-value computer skills to build and grow tech communities in Mexico, Vietnam and Thailand. In addition, Wendy grew Wizeline’s APAC operations and expanded Wizeline’s learning culture to local offices in Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Sydney.

Episerver has hired Deane Barker as its senior director of content management strategy. Barker brings decades of CMS implementation experience to the role, including as the chief strategy officer and founding partner of Blend Interactive. “We’ve hit the lottery with Deane coming on board to oversee CMS strategy,” said Chief Product Officer Justin Anovick, to whom Barker will report. “Barker will bring fanatic energy to our concentration on content as the foundation of all digital experiences. Regardless of a company’s size or sophistication, content is what gets people to interact the first time and the next time. Orders, omnichannel, one-to-one personalization, optimization – you name it – are all supported by well-managed content. Deane won’t let us forget it as he lives and breathes CMS.”

Brent Hyder will join Salesforce as president and chief people officer later this month. Hyder, who has over 20 years of HR experience, will come on board after spending the last 15 years at Gap Inc., where he was most recently executive vice president and chief people officer. His other roles at Gap Inc., include leading communications, global sustainability and Gap Foundation, as chief operating officer of Gap Brand as well as vice president, general manager and representative director of Gap Japan KK. “Brent will play an essential role in enabling us to attract the top talent in our industry and maintain Salesforce’s status as a best place to work,” said Salesforce co-CEOs Marc Benioff and Keith Block. “Brent is an incredible addition to our leadership team as Chief People Officer and we’re thrilled to welcome him to Salesforce.”