The Trend Report is back! You can all unbate your breath. This month we look at a battle of the bots, group video Snapchats and much, much more. 

Welcome to the first installment of CMO SoapBox, a video series of discussions with top CMOs and marketing thought leaders. In this installment, I interview Kieran Hannon, global CMO of Belkin International, to get his perspective on delivering integrated customer experiences and the importance of courage in being a marketing change agent.

On Monday, March 19, Google quietly announced its new program Shopping Actions. The program is partnering with some of the biggest retailers in the country in an effort to compete against Amazon.

Springbox has teamed up and committed to support the Promiseland Project — an initiative to bring purpose to America, not politics.

Did you think we were going to sit this one out? Then think again because Springbox has the inside scoop on the hottest SXSW experience around, and we wouldn't miss it for the world. Maybe we'll see you there!

Which is why Springbox is presenting the Valiente Awards at SXSW on Sunday, March 11. We love to partner with digital disrupters and bold marketers who want to create transformational shareholder value. The program, now in its fifth year but renamed from the original Cojones Awards, recognizes bold and courageous marketers who are challenging the status quo. Finalists are selected by an independent panel of industry all-stars and will be recognized at a special event hosted at The Experience by Dell Technologies.

When it comes to recognizing women leaders in tech, Springbox doesn’t have to look far. Two of Austin’s most decorated female digital leaders are right here on our executive team. In fact, with a company made up of 47% women, you could say that Springbox is a place where strong women thrive.

Springbox is excited to announce that it has acquired nFusion, an Austin-based demand generation agency.

Your website and software development have the capacity to be revenue generators — investments in creating real, long-term, sustainable shareholder value. While some people view it as a cost center and a profit-reducing expense, a successful website can absolutely generate new business, and this form of efficient marketing can be immediately monetized.  

Similar to real estate, web and software development should be viewed as a long-term, lucrative investment. To illustrate: when your company purchases a residential or commercial building, you anticipate the monetary benefits to continue over a period of time. In contrast, when you pay a water bill, for example, the benefit has already been received. Your company cannot capitalize on the cost over time; it’s simply an expense or a sunk cost.