U of Digital Selected by the ANA to Deliver AI Education for Marketers. New collaboration includes live workshops, in-person conference programming, and an e-learning curriculum for ANA members. August 31, 2026 - U of Digital today announced that it has been selected as one of several key partners by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) to develop and deliver a growing portfolio of artificial intelligence education for ANA members. The collaboration includes a range of AI learning events in September 2026: * SEP 17: ANA Global Day of Learning (virtual) - get hands-on creating synthetic audiences * SEP 23: ANA AI Marketing Accelerator (live in Washington, DC) - join U of Digital for an in-person half-day AI bootcamp * SEP 30: ANA AI Marketing Accelerator (virtual) - U of Digital's recurring monthly half-day AI bootcamp for ANA members * A new on-demand e-learning curriculum (coming soon!) Everything is designed to help marketers and ANA Members understand how AI is reshaping consumer behavior, marketing strategy, media, creativity, and the day-to-day practice of marketing. "The ANA is committed to inspiring, educating, and enabling marketers to lead confidently in an AI-powered world. Our collaboration with U of Digital will give members the practical knowledge and skills they need to turn AI's potential into responsible action and measurable business growth." Michael Donnelly, Executive Vice President, AI, MarTech, and Marketing Futures at the ANA The ANA selected U of Digital based on its specialization in practical, vendor-neutral education for marketers. Unlike software vendors whose training naturally centers on their own products and priorities, U of Digital focuses on helping marketing organizations build a broad understanding of AI and develop capabilities that remain valuable regardless of which technologies ultimately succeed. For ANA members Your marketing team can get hands-on with AI in half-day virtual workshops take place monthly. Find the next ANA AI Marketing Accelerator session. "We're seeing marketing organizations move beyond asking, 'Which AI tools should we buy?' to asking, 'How do we help our people adapt to a fundamentally different industry?' That's a different challenge entirely. It requires education that is practical, engaging, and grounded in how marketers actually work. We're excited to bring that approach to ANA members." Shiv Gupta, CEO and founder, U of Digital The first phase of the collaboration kicked off in the summer of 2026 and it includes: * Monthly virtual workshops for ANA members (find the next one on the ANA website) * An interactive in-person workshop at the upcoming ANA AI & Technology for Marketers Conference on September 23, 2026 * An e-learning series that helps marketers understand both the technology itself and the profound changes AI is driving across the marketing landscape. U of Digital expects to continue collaborating with the ANA on additional educational initiatives as marketers' learning needs evolve. As AI adoption accelerates across the industry, organizations are increasingly recognizing that successful implementation depends not only on technology investments, but also on building AI fluency throughout their marketing teams. U of Digital has focused exclusively on this challenge, delivering AI education to marketers across Fortune 500 brands, agencies, media companies, technology providers, and industry organizations. The ANA engagement reflects U of Digital's continued focus on serving organizations that are investing in long-term AI capability development for marketers. Not an ANA member?

The Omnichannel Execution Gap: new global study by Anchanto reveals confidence is outpacing operational maturity. Published Aug 12, 2026, 01:57 PM * Anchanto's global study surveyed 408 qualified commerce decision-makers from brands and retailers generating more than USD 100 million annually across North America, Europe, MEA, and APAC. * The Omnichannel Execution Gap reflects the divide between perceived performance and operational reality, with disconnected systems, limited visibility, and manual coordination preventing consistent execution across channels, inventory, fulfillment, and delivery. * While 86% are satisfied with their omnichannel performance, only 12% describe their operations as optimized, 6% have end-to-end visibility, and 55% still report high levels of manual effort. SINGAPORE, Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Anchanto today released The State of Omnichannel Commerce 2026/2027, a new global study conducted with Demand Metric examining how enterprise brands and retailers are managing the growing complexity of modern commerce. The study identifies a clear divide between how organizations perceive their omnichannel performance and their ability to execute consistently across channels, systems, inventory, fulfillment, and markets. The report calls this the Omnichannel Execution Gap. Disconnected systems, fragmented workflows, limited visibility, and continued reliance on manual coordination remain barriers to consistent execution. "Brands and retailers have made significant progress in expanding across channels, marketplaces, and fulfillment models. But expansion alone does not create omnichannel maturity," said Vaibhav Dabhade, Founder and CEO of Anchanto. "The next competitive advantage will come from connected execution: bringing systems, inventory, workflows, fulfillment networks, and local market requirements together into one coordinated commerce operating model." AI leads the agenda, but connected operations remain the foundation AI and data capabilities lead the commerce transformation agenda, selected by 53% of respondents, ahead of cost reduction and efficiency at 46%. The most valuable use cases are focused on practical commerce decisions, including promotion and pricing effectiveness, marketplace performance visibility, and inventory and fulfillment prediction. However, AI's value depends on the quality and connectivity of the operating foundation beneath it. Disconnected systems, fragmented data, and manual workflows limit organizations' ability to apply AI consistently across the commerce operation. "The research shows that omnichannel maturity cannot be measured by channel presence or confidence alone," said John Follett, Co-Founder & Head of Research at Demand Metric. "Many organizations have built extensive commerce ecosystems, but the systems, workflows, and data behind them are not yet fully coordinated. Closing that gap will require leaders to evaluate operational reality more closely and build the connected foundation needed to support automation, AI, and continued growth." The report concludes that the next phase of commerce will not be defined by the number of channels an organization operates, but by how effectively it coordinates them. Organizations able to connect channels, systems, inventory, fulfillment, data, and local requirements will be better positioned to improve efficiency, protect margins, and scale customer experiences. About Anchanto Anchanto is a global SaaS company providing Brands, Retailers, and Logistics Service Providers with enterprise-grade omnichannel commerce and supply chain technology. Headquartered in Singapore, Anchanto operates across 12 countries in Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East, with integrations to more than 200 marketplaces, webstores, carriers, and enterprise systems. About Demand Metric Demand Metric is a global research and advisory firm that helps organizations empower their people with the expertise, insights, and resources they need to unlock customer value and achieve sustainable growth. Through strategic partnerships with the AMA, ANA, and AIPMM, Demand Metric's resources have become the industry standard for business professionals. Media Contact: The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The drive to and from work is still marketing's sweet spot. Consumers have never had more ways to consume media. Smartphones, streaming television, podcasts, social media, connected TVs and endless online content compete for attention every minute of the day. Yet one place remains remarkably consistent: the car. A recent report from the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), developed in partnership with the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), argues that today's connected vehicle has become one of the most valuable advertising environments available because it combines something marketers struggle to find elsewhere - attention, routine and trust. For businesses in Northern Utah and Southern Idaho, that's an important reminder that local radio continues to reach customers during some of the most influential moments of their day. The commute is one of the last places without constant distractions. Most forms of digital media compete with dozens of other messages. Consumers scroll. They skip. They switch apps. They glance at notifications. Inside the car, however, people typically stay engaged with a single audio source for much longer periods of time. According to Edison Research's Share of Ear, AM/FM radio accounts for 84% of all ad-supported listening in the car. Jacobs Media's Techsurvey 2026 found listeners continue choosing broadcast radio because it is easy, familiar, local and immediately available without subscriptions or internet connections. For advertisers, that means your message isn't fighting through an endless social media feed. Instead, it becomes part of a trusted listening experience. Local personalities still matter. One of the report's strongest conclusions is that consumers continue turning to local radio for companionship, information and entertainment. That aligns perfectly with what listeners experience every day across Cache Valley Media Group stations. Whether it's Will Feelright, JD Walker and Craig Hislop discussing local issues on KVNU, Jeff and McCall helping listeners start their morning on Q92.9, Lynn Simmons connecting with country fans on KIX 96.7, Eric Frandsen and Jason Walker breaking down local sports on 106.9 The FAN, or the many other local voices heard across its stations, these personalities have built relationships with audiences over years - not weeks. When trusted personalities talk about local businesses, listeners pay attention because those recommendations are delivered within programming they already value. The dashboard is becoming digital. Today's vehicles are doing more than simply playing audio. Many newer dashboards now display station logos, artist information and advertiser graphics while listeners hear commercials. National studies cited by the ANA and RAB found these synchronized audio and visual experiences can significantly improve brand familiarity, consideration and purchase intent. While those technologies continue expanding nationally, they illustrate a much larger trend: radio isn't standing still. Broadcast radio continues evolving alongside digital technology, giving advertisers more ways to reinforce their message while maintaining the trust and reach that have always made radio effective. Local marketing works best when channels work together. Perhaps the biggest takeaway isn't that radio competes against digital marketing. It's that the two increasingly complement each other. A potential customer might hear your commercial while driving to work, see your display ad later that afternoon, visit your website after dinner and follow your business on social media that evening. Each interaction builds familiarity. That's why successful marketing campaigns rarely depend on a single platform. At Cache Valley Media Group, businesses can combine trusted local radio with digital display advertising, streaming audio, connected TV, social media marketing, video advertising and Cache Valley Daily to create campaigns that stay in front of customers throughout the day. Attention is becoming more valuable than ever. In today's fragmented media landscape, simply reaching people isn't enough. The real challenge is earning their attention. The ANA and Radio Advertising Bureau conclude that the car remains one of the few places where consumers are consistently engaged, routines are predictable and trust remains high. Those qualities make in-car listening one of the most valuable opportunities available to advertisers. For businesses across Logan, Cache Valley and surrounding communities, that's encouraging news. Local radio continues to deliver what marketers have always wanted: a trusted environment where customers are listening. If you're looking to reach customers throughout Northern Utah and Southern Idaho with a marketing strategy that combines trusted local radio, Cache Valley Daily, streaming audio, connected TV, social media and other digital products, contact one of Cache Valley Media Group's marketing consultants. Cache Valley Media Group'll help you build a campaign that connects with consumers wherever they are - including during one of the most attentive moments of the day: the drive.