Shifting Dynamics in Consumer Behavior: The Rise of AI Tools
A discernible trend is emerging wherein consumers increasingly favor artificial intelligence (AI) tools over traditional search engines, presenting significant challenges for marketing professionals.
Marketers can no longer rely solely on metrics such as website clicks or advertisement performance; understanding AI’s portrayal of their brand, the information it disseminates, and the frequency of brand mentions has become paramount.
This transition introduces a new layer of intricacy for marketing departments. While many teams are adept at extracting insights from AI visibility instruments, the subsequent transfer of this data into distinct automation platforms necessitates additional effort.
Consequently, teams contend with multiple systems, increased operational steps, and protracted execution timelines.
Based in San Francisco, Profound aims to streamline this convoluted process. The firm recently secured a robust $96 million in Series C funding, resulting in a valuation of $1 billion.
The funding round was spearheaded by Lightspeed Venture Partners and saw contributions from renowned investors such as Sequoia Capital, Kleiner Perkins, Evantic, Saga Ventures, and South Park Commons.
The new capital infusion is earmarked for product development, fostering integrations, and enhancing the expansive ecosystem surrounding Profound Agents.
Over the past eighteen months, the company has noted a significant uptick in growth, correlating with a heightened interest in AI-driven marketing solutions.
From Insight to Implementation
Initially, Profound facilitated marketing teams in comprehending how AI communicated about their brands by monitoring mentions, sentiment, and performance on key platforms. However, customers frequently encountered the necessity to export data to other systems, leading to operational inefficiencies.
To address these issues, Profound is introducing “Profound Agents.” These agents integrate orchestration and automation functionalities directly within the platform, enabling teams to oversee both insights and execution in a singular environment. This unified approach establishes a definitive source of truth for AI-enhanced marketing efforts.
Notable clients utilizing Profound’s platform include major entities such as Target, Walmart, Figma, MongoDB, Charlotte Tilbury, and US Bank.
According to Profound, the vision is to empower AI agents to undertake repetitive operational functions while allowing human teams to retain control over strategic planning and final decision-making.
Profound Agents are crafted to interface seamlessly with tools that many teams currently depend on, such as HubSpot, Google Workspace, Gamma, Parallel AI, and Vercel. The company continues to expand its integration offerings.
In conjunction with the product launch, Profound is actively developing what it refers to as a comprehensive ecosystem.
This initiative encompasses training and certification programs, a marketplace for agencies, and a venture called Profound University.
The company posits that this ecosystem could pave the way for a novel role within marketing teams, termed a “Marketing Engineer.”
Source link: Techfundingnews.com.
