Customer Engagement

Customer engagement platforms are finding new relevance as brands seek direct relationships with consumers across emerging channels. Lay's deployment of WhatsApp to create group chats for World Cup fans exemplifies how messaging platforms are becoming brand engagement venues, not just customer service channels. This shift toward conversational, community-based engagement represents a departure from traditional broadcast advertising models. The addition of Airship (formerly Urban Airship) to the database this week reflects the growing importance of mobile-first, permission-based engagement infrastructure as brands build owned audiences that can withstand platform algorithm changes and privacy restrictions. These direct channels become increasingly valuable as third-party targeting capabilities erode.