Sitecore and Microsoft’s Partner Network Win Content Marketing Award for Best Use of Content Using AI

Sitecore and Formica Corp also received a finalist nod for the best use of technology as part of a content marketing program

San Francisco, Sept. 16, 2020Sitecore®, the global leader in digital experience management software, today announced it won the 2020 Content Marketing Award for Best Use of Content Involving Artificial Intelligence (AI), for its work with Microsoft’s Partner Network. The Content Marketing Awards, produced by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), is the largest and longest-running international content marketing awards program in the world.

The win highlights the success of Sitecore’s work with Microsoft to test Auto-Personalization, a component of Sitecore AI, a machine learning framework that empowers marketers with predictive insight to automate the delivery of personalized digital experiences. The companies used this technology on Microsoft’s Partner Network website, which sees more than 6.5 million unique visitors per year, totaling 56 million page views per year from visitors in more than 100 global markets using 11 different languages.

“Sitecore AI-Automated Personalization has improved our operational efficiency and enabled Microsoft to connect to a broader audience, enhancing the overall customer experience,” said Wina Wichienwidhtaya, martech strategist, Microsoft.

By using Sitecore’s Auto-Personalization, the manual customization time significantly decreased by 30%, allowing Microsoft to build customized experiences for visitors and experiment with options, which were not feasible in the past, e.g., short- versus long-form versus bulleted content and use of different colors. Engagement rose 16%, and the specific pages that were updated have an engagement rate 244% higher than the rest of the site, with a bounce rate less than 85%.

“Content is critical for all aspects of driving personalized experiences, but many marketers struggle with the amount of content needed to keep campaigns fresh,” said Paige O’Neill, chief marketing officer, Sitecore. “Auto-Personalization, a feature of Sitecore AI, enables Microsoft’s team to spend time thinking about how they want to personalize content to individual site visitors versus the mechanics of making it happen across hundreds of different sites. I’m thrilled to see this work recognized by the Content Marketing Institute and be seen as a case study to inspire others. ”

Sitecore was also named a finalist in the Best Use of Technology as Part of a Content Marketing Program category for its work with Formica Corp. on a solution to deliver a more responsive and personalized experience, making ordering more intuitive and convenient for customers around the globe.

“One of the favorite parts of my job is getting to review some of the most innovative, inspiring, successful content marketing programs in the world each year for the Content Marketing Awards,” shares Stephanie Stahl, general manager, Content Marketing Institute. “The quality of work we’ve seen with this year’s contenders is just off the charts. The industry has come a long way over the last 10 plus years and it’s gratifying to see companies and businesses not only embracing what we’ve been preaching but that they are seeing so much success with their content marketing efforts.”

All awards will be recognized at Content Marketing World 2020, which will be completely online as a one-of-a-kind digital event, October 13-16, 2020. To learn more about #CMWorld 2020 and to register, go to: https://www.contentmarketingworld.com/.

About Sitecore

Sitecore delivers a digital experience platform that empowers the world’s smartest brands to build lifelong relationships with their customers. A highly decorated industry leader, Sitecore is the only company bringing together content, commerce, and data into one connected platform that delivers millions of digital experiences every day. Leading companies including American Express, ASOS, Carnival Cruise Lines, Kimberly-Clark, L’Oréal, and Volvo Cars rely on Sitecore to provide more engaging, personalized experiences for their customers. Learn more at Sitecore.com.

About Content Marketing Institute

Content Marketing Institute is the leading global content marketing education and training organization, teaching enterprise brands how to attract and retain customers through compelling, multichannel storytelling. CMI’s Content Marketing World event, the largest content marketing-focused event, is held every fall in Cleveland, Ohio, and ContentTECH Summit event is held every spring in San Diego, California. CMI publishes Chief Content Officer for executives and provides strategic consulting and content marketing research for some of the best-known brands in the world. Content Marketing Institute is organized by Informa Connect.

About Informa Connect

Informa Connect is a specialist in content-driven events and digital communities that allow professionals to meet, connect, learn and share knowledge. We operate major branded events in Marketing, Global Finance, Life Sciences and Pharma, Construction & Real Estate, and in a number of other specialist markets and connect communities online year-round.

Sitecore is a registered trademark of Sitecore Corporation A/S in the USA and other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.