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FIDUCIA INVESTORS ANNOUNCES INVESTMENT IN PROMETHEUS

North Sixth Group

Fiducia Investors LLC, the capital markets arm of North Sixth Group, today announced a strategic investment in Prometheus, the first social marketplace for the alternative investment community. Prometheus brings together the investment community through exclusive content and insights, enabling investors to engage in open dialogue with fund managers, allocators, wealth advisors, and other alternative investment experts. Accredited investors will be able to invest in alternative funds ranging from hedge funds and private equity to crypto funds and venture capital funds. Founded by alternative investment veteran and former Managing Partner and Portfolio Manager of Cyprus Funds, Mike Wang, Prometheus’ current investors include prominent capital markets and financial industry leaders including Kyle Bass (Hayman Capital); Gaingels; John Quinn (Quinn Emanuel); Gil Weisblum (family office of Barry Diller); Jared Rothman (family office of Dennis Washington); Thane Ritchie, Curtis Macnguyen (Inflection Capital & Ivory Capital); Kim Kolt (For Good Ventures); Alok Agrawal (Bloom Tree Capital); Chris Blum (Global Head of Equities at JP Morgan Wealth Management); and Khalid Malik (Meridiem Capital). “In addition to being an investor, we view Fiducia Investors and North Sixth Group as a strategic partner on our journey to grow the first social marketplace for the alternative investment community,” said Mike Wang, Founder and CEO of Prometheus. “We are impressed by the team’s entrepreneurial track record as well as their relationship network, skills, and expertise, and are excited to have them join our family of investors and strategic partners.” Fiducia Investors is the capital markets strategy, execution, and investment arm of North Sixth Group, a family office operating company with interests in a variety of investments across media, marketing, technology, and sports and entertainment. Fiducia Investors is headed by George A. King, whose capital markets experience includes 325+ capital closings of $20+ billion; advisory closings of $8+ billion; and executing two highly successful IPOs. “Alternative assets is a core asset class, yet access to insightful alternative investments has not been widely available,” said George King, Chief Investment Officer of Fiducia Investors, the capital markets arm of North Sixth Group. “Mike and the Prometheus team have an incredible vision to bring new levels of collaboration, innovation and education to the alternative investing ecosystem, and we are proud to be a supportive partner as this vision is brought to life.” For more information on Prometheus, visit www.Prometheusalts.com. For more information on Fiducia Investors, visit www.FiduciaInvestors.com. ABOUT PROMETHEUS: Prometheus was founded by professional fund managers seeking to modernize their archaic industry, and share insights gained over their years of analysis and managing alternative funds. Understanding that these types of long-term investments depend on building relationships, CEO Mike Wang coupled the idea of a social network with an alt funds marketplace. Though ancient laws restrict the opportunity to invest in these funds to accredited investors, the social network opens up the knowledge base to everyone until the time comes when we can modernize the laws and create open access to some of the world’s best investments for everyone. Join the community and the #altsforus mission at www.Prometheusalts.com. ABOUT FIDUCIA INVESTORS: Fiducia Investors is the capital markets strategy, execution and investment arm of North Sixth Group. Fiducia Investors offers a range of financial strategy, execution and investing services, including alternative investments through Fiducia Investors’ global deal flow and relationship networks; capital markets strategy, planning and execution; Transatlantic investment pipeline access; and diversified equity portfolio investment solutions across high-yield asset classes. Fiducia Investors is headed by George A. King, whose capital markets experience includes 325+ capital closings of $20+ billion; advisory closings of $8+ billion; and executing two highly successful IPO's. Contact Details N6A (For Fiducia Investors) +1 212-334-9753 FiduciaInvestors@n6a.com Company Website https://northsixthgroup.com/

March 08, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

OPPO Find X5 Pro's ultra night video mode empowers the story of Joana Pastrana

OPPO

SHENZHEN, CHINA - Media OutReach - 8 March 2022 - OPPO celebrates International Women's Day in collaboration with Director Laura Sisteró to produce the story of Joana Pastrana, who is a world-class boxer and held the International Boxing Federation's mini-flyweight title for three years in a row. Her achievements were hard won through training and self-betterment. Joana Pastrana represents the spirit of OPPO's Save the Night initiative, which celebrates the empowerment of women who find they have to push harder and train longer in a world that can seem out of sync with their ambitions. (Shot on Find X5 Pro) A story of empowerment Joana Pastrana's story is told in a short film made in association with OPPO, directed by Laura Sisteró, and shot in part using the new OPPO Find X5 Pro. It shows what the night can be if we choose to make it so: "In the dark, I just saw an opportunity. While everyone went back home to rest, I was ready to chase my dream," says Pastrana. For her, the night was a time to work, and push harder. Competing in a male-dominated sport only made her self-empowerment more crucial. "I didn't see many women up there," says Pastrana. "I had to become my own role model. And from then on, I never stopped. I trained harder and harder. This was the only way to achieve my goals", she says. After three years of competing in the amateur circuit, Pastrana made her professional debut in 2016. At the time she was the only professional boxer in Madrid. By the middle of 2018 she was already a global champion in her weight class. Pastrana is an inspirational figure, an example of what self-motivation through empowerment can bring. Few could, or would even want to, box at a professional level. However, her words can inspire us all. She says, "the night can be the time to dream wide awake." It's a reminder that while dreams and aspirations may seem remote, they may be within reach. This is a sentiment worth celebrating. (Shot on Find X5 Pro) Behind the camera The aim of OPPO's Joana Pastrana short film was to offer a view into her world. She walks through the empty city streets at night towards her boxing gym, capturing images with the OPPO Find X5 Pro. She straps up her wrists and takes to the ring to train. As she sits at the end of the session, exhausted, Pastrana visualizes the match to come, when all her efforts will be put to the test. The film-making challenge was to capture the emotional and physical investment here in a 90-second format. Director Laura Sisteró's tools were the industry standard Arri Alexa camera and a less likely partner, the OPPO Find X5 Pro. OPPO Find X5 Pro can be the night companion. Its camera is optimized to produce stunning results, for stills or video, even in the most challenging lighting. An OPPO Find X5 Pro will record night-time memories, challenges, victories and defeats, which can form an important part of a motivational journey. The phone was put to the test in the shooting of this short film, used to film some of the more difficult scenes in the piece. The phone used by Pastrana to visually narrate her journey through the street in photo form. Shots of Pastrana training both in and outside the ring used the OPPO Find X5 Pro's Ultra Night Video mode. This marks a paradigm shift in the video quality of OPPO phones, bringing the quality associated with enhanced low-light stills to moving images. "I was quite surprised by the capabilities the phone has to take pictures at night," says director Laura Sisteró. A tapestry of software and hardware in the OPPO Find X5 Pro makes this a reality. Its wide and ultra-wide cameras use large, high-quality Sony IMX766 sensors. 5-axis OIS avoids motion blur and allows for longer shutter speeds, and OPPO's self-developed MariSilicon X NPU fine tunes the camera's advanced processing algorithms to suit each shooting situation. To create a night-time short film with the OPPO Find X5 Pro, take some of the creative choices made in the short film as inspiration. Note how Pastrana is not the only character here. The quiet atmosphere of the streets is brought into focus by the use of Pastrana's footsteps as the primary soundtrack to each exterior shot. This sits in stark contrast to the traffic noise of the first few seconds of footage, shot during the day. Director Sisteró plays with the shadows and light contrasts of the night-time city, and lets scenes bathe in the warmth of street light and the artificial lighting of neon signs. At night, each shadow can be an outlet for creative expression. This visual language is a key part of the telling of Pastrana's story ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5epW6JpoCw ). The phone is available from mid-March. Read more about the OPPO Find X5 Pro at the OPPO website. #OPPO Contact Details OPPO Media Contact press@oppo.com

March 08, 2022 07:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Video Image

EUCAST LEADER BACK IN UNITED STATES TO PROVIDE 4G and 5G WIRELESS BROADBAND ACCESS

EUCAST

The founder of EUCAST Co. Ltd., a South Korean company with 4G LTE and 5G advanced wireless telecommunication technology, is back in the United States this week. EUCAST and its representatives in the United States are pursuing additional partnerships to provide its state-of-the-art wireless broadband equipment and solutions to rural and remote communities and businesses in the United States. While initially focused on Korea and Japan, EUCAST sees the United States as a critical component of its global growth strategy. EUCAST Global Inc. headquarters was established last month in Denver, Colorado. EUCAST provides wireless communication systems that allow users to access the internet whenever and wherever they want. Its advanced equipment, comprising base stations, control servers, core network, and network management systems, allows users in remote and underserved communities to access the internet. EUCAST also provides private network solutions for businesses that share confidential information. On previous trips to the United States, Jaehyeong Kim, CEO of EUCAST, shared many of its solutions with leading academics, industry leaders, first responders, native American communities, and potential business development partners. EUCAST has already signed a partnership with a Colorado university to involve its students and campus as a "living laboratory". In addition, EUCAST has created a strategic relationship with Clovity, an IoT software solution company to bundle Clovity's artificial intelligence platform with EUCAST’S private network. EUCAST already has an agreement to have field trials at Native American tribal land and at a park area in southern California, where internet service was lacking or even non-existent. EUCAST’s citizens broadband radio services (CBRS) systems, including core network and base stations, will be delivered to the target area this month. “I am thrilled to be coming back to the United States and share how our products can make a difference, especially in areas that struggle with broadband access,” stated Jaehyeong Kim. “From first responders working in emergencies to students dealing with remote learning, or businesses working to reach customers, our 4G LTE and 5G systems provide valuable benefits.” “Instead of expensive and time-consuming construction of cellular towers and more fiber optics cabling, EUCAST provides its network in a box (NIB) solution allowing quick communication system recovery in emergency or disaster situations. These solutions also apply to public safety and military applications,” explained Gary Sumihiro of Sumihiro Investments, LLC, who is bringing EUCAST to the US. “EUCAST products are highly durable and rugged because they have verified quality and performance in Korean and Japanese markets. Furthermore, EUCAST’s less expensive price points and greater flexibility in design customization means less maintenance/support service fees," says Sumihiro. ### About EUCAST EUCAST provides end-to-end advanced wireless access solutions, comprised of base stations, control servers and gateway, core network, network management systems, and user devices. EUCAST has been a leading force in the advanced wireless access technology marketplace for more than a decade. Please visit http://www.eu-cast.com/ For more information or to schedule an interview with a EUCAST spokesperson, contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or daniel.rene@kglobal.com. Contact Details kglobal Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 daniel.rene@kglobal.com Company Website http://www.eu-cast.com/

March 07, 2022 10:41 AM Eastern Standard Time

MISHA MCCLURE TO LEAD DIGITAL EQUITY AND COMMUNITY IMPACT PROGRAMS AS COMCAST HOUSTON’S NEW DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Comcast Houston

Misha McClure will lead the Comcast Houston region’s digital equity and community impact programs as the new Director of External Affairs. In this role, McClure will partner with community organizations to help advance Comcast Houston’s position as a digital equity leader through legacy programs that provide important resources residents and business owners need to be successful in a digital world. In 2021, Comcast invested more than $3.5M in Houston-area community organizations and local digital equity programs. “Serving others has always been a big part of who I am,” McClure said. “I’m thrilled to advance our life-changing efforts to close the digital divide and lift-up income-constrained families with affordable and reliable high-speed broadband service. I’m also looking forward to working with our non-profit partners to further our shared efforts that help so many residents and customers.” McClure is a proven public relations and community affairs leader with more than 15 years of experience. McClure joined Comcast nearly nine years ago. In her previous role as External Communications Manager, she created compelling and engaging content for a wide variety of audiences, including amplifying digital equity and community impact efforts through traditional, influencer and social media. Internally, McClure launched the Houston region’s MyAbilities Employee Resource Group and completed numerous leadership development courses. “Misha has worked tirelessly to empower our community with information and programs that have truly made a difference,” Toni Beck, Comcast Houston’s Vice President of External Affairs, said. “In her new role, Misha will continue that work while also blending in her infectious passion for building partnerships that will make the Houston region a more equitable place to live and work.” McClure received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communication from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She serves on the Board for Easter Seals of Greater Houston. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America – Houston chapter and the National Association of Black Journalists. In her free time, Misha enjoys traveling with her family. She volunteers with organizations to help them optimize and grow their brand. To learn more about Comcast’s digital equity and community impact programs, visit houston.comcast.com. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with 57 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Foti Kallergis +1 832-986-0196 Foti_Kallergis@comcast.com Company Website https://houston.comcast.com/

March 07, 2022 07:02 AM Central Standard Time

Blockchain Blockbuster - Egyptian Government Extends Ground-Breaking Customs Project with CargoX

CargoX

CargoX, the global blockchain company leading the world on the digital transfer of trade documents, has announced a long-term extension to its disruptive agreement with the Egyptian government to accelerate the digital transformation of Egypt's trade flows with the world. The public-private partnership Misr Technology Services (MTS) - 80% owned by the Egyptian government - authorized CargoX as its blockchain document transfer gateway service provider for the country’s official NAFEZA single-window trade platform in March last year. Designed to bring trust and transparency to a digital trade environment, systemize Egyptian trade documents and information flow with companies around the world, the NAFEZA solution integrates the CargoX platform for Blockchain Document Transfer (BDT). Usage of the system became mandatory in Egyptian ports on October 1 last year. Since its implementation, the project has surpassed all expectations with CargoX’s blockchain solution already used to seamlessly and safely transfer more than 1,100,000 actual trade and finance documents for more than 75,000 customers. NAFEZA’s triumph has made CargoX the fastest-growing blockchain platform in the logistics industry. It represents one of the most compelling cases for the adoption of the blockchain as a critical tool for streamlining global trade and commerce. Underpinning CargoX’s remarkable success story is some game-changing time and cost-savings for the Egyptian government, importers, and foreign exporters doing business in Egypt. Benefits resulting for users from the adoption of blockchain technology include increased transparency, the elimination of red tape, and a reduction in the average cargo release time from 29 days to 9 days with a notable reduction in container demurrage and storage fees. Compliance costs for shippers have also been slashed from more than USD$600 to USD$165, or less as a consequence of the move onto the blockchain. As part of the extended agreement, the NAFEZA project will now be rolled out to include air cargo and encompass a total number of 30 sites including airports, seaports, dry ports, border posts, free zones, and bonded warehouses. NAFEZA has so far been adopted by more than 32,000 importers, 20,000 exporters, 2,200 brokers, 300 shipping agencies & freight forwarders, as well as more than 74,000 foreign exporters. The system currently handles 12,000 transactions a day. “The use of the platform in the public sector is a revolutionary step for global maritime shipping - and our partners will be forever inscribed in the ledger of history,” said Stefan Kukman, Founder & CEO, CargoX. “We are constantly working on providing great value, confidentiality, transparency, and immutability to our customers and our partners - and we base that value on building digital trust in global trade.” Immediate benefits for the Egyptian government include integrating 26 government bodies associated with cargo clearance, establishing a reliable national data warehouse with high-quality data used to drive the decision-making process for the ministry of finance, trade & industry, transport, and cabinet as well as the digital transformation of 6 trade documents, and the elimination of 11 other documents reducing red tape in the country dramatically. “In pursuit of Egypt’s ambitious strategy for sustainable development and integration into the global economy, MTS succeeded in implementing the national single window for trade across borders to achieve the transformation from 19th Century manual & paper-intensive customs procedures to a modern, state-of-the-art, digital ecosystem and extending it to engage the trade community abroad by partnering contractually with CargoX to leverage their leading-edge technology and advanced solutions,” said MTS CEO and chairman, Captain Ossama al Sharif. As an early adopter of the technology, Egypt has catapulted itself to the forefront of the changes taking place in the digitalization of global trade, said CargoX Chief Business Development Officer, Vjeran Ortynski. “Governments and companies with a strong digitalization agenda are showing the way for all the rest to follow, while gaining a strategic advantage in the global markets. We listen to our strategic business partners and develop features on the platform that are adapted to the needs of the global trade - with specifics that can be tailored to specific needs of our partners and always provide ease of use, value, and savings in time and cost for our global user base,” said Ortynski. About CargoX CargoX Ltd is a global company specializing in document transfer solutions, based on blockchain transactions and an ownership validation platform. The core team of founders brings together more than 100 years of experience in the logistics, banking, programming, IT and blockchain industries. Users of CargoX's BDT platform can upload or create electronic trade documents and then transact ownership of them like money through a global bank, at any time, with the following benefits: For more information: ( https://cargox.io/ ) Contact Details CHARLIE PESTI —The world’s best publicist for supply chain technologies. Charlie Pesti +1 267-439-4355 charlie@pesti.io Company Website https://cargox.io/

March 07, 2022 12:20 AM Central Standard Time

Digital staffing firm uses NFTs to raise money and awareness for Ukraine

Pixoul

Pixoul, a digital consultancy and IT staffing firm, announced today plans to partner with UNICEF amidst the growing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The company will use all proceeds from its NFT (non-fungible token) studio to donate to the emergency relief effort. The decision is a landmark shift in the growing crypto sector, as the digital assets become a vehicle for charitable donations. What is happening in Ukraine is a tragedy—we at Pixoul feel deeply for the Ukrainian people and want to lend support in any way we can,” says Devon Fata, CEO and President of Pixoul. “We knew when we started our NFT studio that we wanted to use this arm of our business to better communities near and far. I can’t think of anything more important right now than funding this fight for freedom.” Purchases of Pixoul NFTs will go entirely toward UNICEF’s emergency response efforts, as well as support to the local artists creating the NFTs. The digital art is available for purchase at: https://opensea.io/collection/pixoul-eye-candy. About Pixoul: Pixoul is a leading innovation consultancy and IT staffing firm that helps clients deliver outstanding products and scale digital teams. They were recently recognized as a 2022 Dallas Manifest Award winner as a top B2B firm, as well as a 2021 Clutch award winner for excellence in IT and business services. Connect with Pixoul at www.pixoulinc.com. Contact Details Pixoul Christiana Stankewitz +1 830-321-0359 hello@pixoulinc.com Company Website https://www.pixoulinc.com/

March 03, 2022 01:03 PM Eastern Standard Time

Kramer launches its new high-performance, highly scalable KDS-7 AVoIP streaming solution

Kramer Electronics

Kramer Electronics Ltd. is pleased to announce the release of KDS-7, a full AVoIP streaming solution for anywhere that low-latency, high-quality 4K60 content distribution and switching is required. Delivering a superb user experience, enterprise IT-grade security and advanced, yet intuitive management, the KDS-7 line is a perfect fit for Enterprise, Education, Homeland Security, Military or Government sites of any size. Built as a complete solution, the KDS-7 product line comprises a full range of networked end points, including encoders, decoders and auto-switch encoders, as well as a dedicated manager device. It supports 1K video sources and easily scales to suit the AV needs of numerous rooms and locations, for any size business or campus. Enterprise-grade IT security, built-in to all KDS-7 devices, protects the IT network. The KDS-7 product line expands the benefits of AVoIP. With AVoIP, the AV encoders and decoders are connected to the end-points of the organization’s IP network. Leveraging the switching power of the IP network eliminates the limits on AV deployments, which would otherwise be constrained by the number of physical AV ports on hardware, and that consume a great amount of real estate and energy. This simple and reliable approach enables huge numbers of devices in a single network and makes expanding into new spaces easier and less costly. Kramer’s AVoIP offering is already widely recognized for providing optimum scalability and flexibility, with multiple solutions adopted at growing scale by Enterprise, Education, Homeland Security, Military and Government organizations. Now, with the KDS-7 line, Kramer is introducing even greater scalability and flexibility. Plug-and-play integration into any IP network speeds up deployment and significantly reduces costs. High-resolution video, support for large-scale video wall installations, and full compatibility with end-user devices, including USB-C connection for simple collaboration and simultaneous charge, ensure an outstanding experience for users. “At Kramer we’re proud to be a leader in creating AVoIP products that accelerate hybrid work, improve hybrid learning across campuses and enhance performance of command and control centers at large-scale installations,” commented Gilad Yron, CEO Kramer Electronics. “Our new KDS-7 AVoIP product line furthers our mission, providing a superior user experience with its ability to support a large number of video sources, with low latency, fast switching, intuitive manageability and advanced security capabilities.” We are dedicated to delivering better, smarter solutions that enhance physical-digital engagement and collaboration. Kramer solutions are based on our cutting-edge products and technologies for traditional AV, AV over IP, unified communication and collaboration (UCC) and wireless collaboration, and advanced management and control. Contact Details Kramer Electronics Ltd. Ornit Sade Benkin +972 52-332-7700 osade@kramerav.com Company Website https://www.kramerav.com/

March 03, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Update: Theorem Inc Defends Trademark and Trade Name, Ninth Circuit Denies Citrusbyte Efforts for Stay of Injunction

Theorem Inc

Theorem Inc, a flexible full-service digital marketing solutions provider, recently defended its federally registered trademarks and trade name, winning a Preliminary Injunction in the United States District Court for the Central District of California against Citrusbyte, LLC, recently conducting business as Theorem LLC (Theorem.co) and, as of January 24, 2022, conducting business as TheoremOne (TheoremOne.co). After all attempts at reaching an amicable resolution failed, Theorem Inc, which has been operating under its Theorem trademarks and trade name since its inception in 2002, sought an injunction against Citrusbyte LLC, which had rebranded itself under the name Theorem. Despite receiving a decision by the United States Patent and Trademark Office rejecting its attempt to register the name “Theorem” for its business due to the likelihood of confusion with the registered trademarks of Theorem Inc, Citrusbyte LLC previously moved forward with their rebrand from Citrusbyte to the name Theorem, and promoted itself through its website at Theorem.co. The District Court ruled that Theorem Inc was likely to prevail in its trademark infringement claims against Citrusbyte, and therefore, issued a Preliminary Injunction requiring Citrusbyte to cease its use of the Theorem name pending final resolution of the litigation. The granting of this Motion for Preliminary Injunction by the United States District Court was the first step to permanently eliminating market-wide and end-user confusion within the industry in connection with Citrusbyte’s use of Theorem Inc's registered trademarks. The primary requirements of the Preliminary Injunction became effective as of January 24, 2022. Citrusbyte attempted first in the District Court, and then after losing in the District Court, in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, to obtain a stay of the Preliminary Injunction so it would not need to comply. On February 1, 2022, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied Citrusbyte’s most recent motion to stay the District Court’s Preliminary Injunction. Pursuant to the Preliminary Injunction, Theorem LLC (formally known as Citrusbyte, LLC) has now rebranded itself to TheoremOne. View the 9th Circuit Denial of Stay Here View the District Court Preliminary Injunction Ruling Here About Theorem Founded in 2002, Theorem provides end-to-end agile digital marketing services for some of the world's leading brands. Theorem takes legacy services and pivots these approaches to develop future-proof, modern marketing solutions for clients and partners. Creating end-to-end solutions designed to solve client challenges, through our extensive knowledge of and agile approach to digital marketing technology and strategies. Theorem is pioneering the future of full-service flexible marketing solutions. Theorem’s expertise saves their clients time, reduces their costs and increases their revenue. For more information, visitwww.theoreminc.net Contact Details Maggie Stasko +1 843-693-7161 maggie@kitehillpr.com

March 02, 2022 04:55 PM Eastern Standard Time

3rd Annual Survey: CMOs Increasingly Being Tapped to Lead Growth in Difficult Business Environment in 2022

Chief Outsiders

Chief Outsiders, the nation’s largest and fastest growing firm offering fractional Chief Marketing Officer services with Fortune 500 experience, today revealed the results from the third annual survey of its CMOs on their 2022 outlook. The results speak to the changing expectations that the C-suite holds for CMOs, the impact of the pandemic and changing customer behaviors and preferences (among them those pertaining to ESG) on companies and companies’ marketing priorities. “While it seems that we finally have the worst of the pandemic behind us, the impact of Covid on the economy, on businesses’ growth prospects and on customer preferences and behaviors, will continue to be strongly felt for quite some time to come. More than ever, CMOs are being called upon to take the leading role in helping companies accelerate growth in this new environment, many of whom haven’t embraced digital marketing solutions in any significant way until now,” said Art Saxby, founder and co-principal of Chief Outsiders. “Since labor shortages also impact the marketing function, and technology makes remote work more viable than ever, fractional CMOs are rapidly becoming a natural option for an increasing number of CEOs faced with a need to hire specialized executive-level help for achieving their growth objectives,” said Pete Hayes, CMO and co-principal of Chief Outsiders. Key Survey Takeaways: Expectations for 2022 Respondents were mixed on their expectations for 2022, with 47 percent of CMOs surveyed reported having a pessimistic view on the New Year. 46 percent expected the economic circumstances to improve. See Table 1, Q15: ( N: 57) here. Impediments to growth in 2022 CMOs identified as main headwinds for companies’ growth a continued shortage of talent, on-going supply chain issues, inflation, and potential government Covid measures. In other words, CMOs expect that the uncertainty and longer-term impact of the pandemic will continue to weigh negatively on companies’ growth prospects. See Table 2, Q16: (N: 55) here. CEO priorities for CMOs In the current environment where an unprecedented confluence of quickly evolving economic and sociological factors impact not only what customer have to be spend, but also how they collect information on alternatives and what factors weigh in when they make a purchasing decision, CMOs are called upon by their CEOs, first and foremost, to set the growth agenda. Second is lead generation (filling the sales pipeline), and third is building the organization to achieve growth goals. 76.4 percent of respondents say the shift in growth emphasis is permanent, while 12.7 percent say it’s not. See Table 3, Q8: (N: 56) here. Importance of ESG Another important factor impacting growth prospects for businesses are changes in customer buying behavior that are not new but have been accelerated through - and because - of the pandemic. Important changes to behaviors, next to the digitalization of the buyer journey, include growing concerns with ESG where 69 percent of respondents said that a brand’s stance on environmental and social issues is somewhat important or extremely important to customers when making purchasing decisions. And more than 83 percent said that CMOs should take the lead in defining and activating a brand’s ESG initiatives. See Table 4, Q36: (N: 54) here. Capturing and managing 1st party B2B, B2C customer data Upcoming changes to companies’ ability to leverage third party data is an emerging challenge marketers will need to address. When asked where marketers can best capture and manage first party customer data, at in-person events came second to last (the owned website and social media came first) - the same picture can be seen for both B2B and B2C customers. See Table 5, Q27: (N: 55) for B2B and Table 6, Q28: (N: 48) for B2C here. CEO attitudes towards fractional CMOs CEOs also no longer need CMOs to be on payroll, let alone check in every morning at 08:00 AM. Increasingly, attitudes are becoming more positive towards fractional CMOs where 70 percent of respondents said that fractional CMOs are becoming ever more accepted by the C-suite, with only 18 percent indicating that only some CEOs are willing to work with fractional CMOs. See Table 7, Q11: (N: 56) here. The complete results of the survey available upon request. About this survey Chief Outsiders surveyed more than 60 CMOs with Fortune 500 experience in over 1,400 enterprise and mid-market companies on their perspectives of their marketplaces. This marks the third annual CMO survey on what to expect in market trends and company growth. About Chief Outsiders Chief Outsiders is the leading Fractional CMO firm that helps CEOs accelerate growth through the development and disciplined execution of well-crafted growth plans. The firm has more than 100 part-time, or fractional, Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) engaged from coast-to-coast. Unlike traditional marketing and management consulting firms, each CMO has held the position of VP Marketing or higher at one or more operating companies, including many Fortune 500 firms. Chief Outsiders CMOs have served on the executive team of more than 1,400 client companies, driving growth strategy and execution plans by offering instant access to talent with highly customized and flexible engagements. Because of its market-based growth plans, quality of leadership, and experienced team, Chief Outsiders has been recognized for the past eight years by Inc. Magazine as one of the 5,000 fastest growing privately held companies in the US, and was recognized in 2019 as a Forbes Small Giant. Chief Outsiders’ CEO Art Saxby and Principal Pete Hayes are the co-authors of “The Growth Gears: Using a Market-Based Framework to Drive Business Success,” an Amazon #1 best-seller for business owners and CEOs. For additional information about the companies who trust Chief Outsiders as their premier source for business growth acceleration, click here. Contact Details Razor Sharp PR Ray Young +1 512-633-6855 ray@razorsharppr.com Company Website https://www.chiefoutsiders.com/

March 02, 2022 12:55 PM Pacific Standard Time

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