CEO Monthly Issue 11 2018

CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 11 2018 27 , Cision ® (NYSE: CISN) today announced the opening of a new global innovation and research center to fuel the ongoing development of ground-breaking technology for the communications industry. Cision Unveils Global Innovation Lab to Transform Communications Industry The Cision Innovation Lab, with locations in New York City and Berlin, is designed to build, test, and launch cutting-edge technology that helps communicators unify data, processes and analysis to transform the comms function. The Lab will serve as a testing ground for integration of acquired technology into the Cision Communications Cloud®, as well as the integration of the Cision Comms Cloud™ with industry-leading marketing and advertising technology from around the world. The research center will also focus on the creation of industry-standard frameworks and approaches that follow the best practices of Earned Media Management, helping to transform the comms function into a business driver. “Cision is building transformative technology to enable a modern communications industry – one where comms is realized as one of the most valuable assets within an organization,” said Kevin Akeroyd, Cision CEO. “We led the charge for a new era with our breakthrough Communications Cloud, and the Cision Innovation Lab is an important component to achieving our vision for the future of comms. We’re taking a new approach to innovation, helping global communications professionals to more holistically connect earned media with paid and owned media.” The Cision Innovation Lab will be led by David Barker, the company’s President of Data and Innovation. Under Barker’s leadership, the Lab will focus on anticipating and solving the communication industry’s challenges through product development, strategic acquisitions, and select partnerships with organizations in the paid and owned media spaces, including MediaMath ® and LiveRamp ® . The research center will be used to build and beta-test different communications use cases and solutions. Four primary centers of testing and development within the Lab environment include: • Quants : Enabling communicators to access data, metrics and measurement to validate the importance of earned media as a business driver. • Artificial Intelligence (AI) : Bringing efficiency, scalability, and deep insights to both the day-to-day functions and overarching comms strategies. • Graph : Allowing communicators to visualize and act on the interconnectivity of key influencers, content and target audiences. • Media : Integrating with the broader martech environment to extend and connect earned media to paid and owned channels. “Communications and public relations are rapidly evolving,” noted Barker. “Today, more than ever, comms and PR professionals are being asked to produce data-driven results that align with core business metrics. The Cision Innovation Lab will provide the ongoing development and innovation needed to set new standards of measurement and integration to continue validating the importance of earned media.”