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CSG Systems International Adjusts Convertible Debt Conversion Rate for 2016 Convertible Notes as a Result of Dividend

CSG

CSG ® (NASDAQ: CSGS) today announced that as a result of its first quarter dividend of $0.25 per share on its common stock, it will adjust the conversion rate for its outstanding 4.25% Senior Convertible Notes issued in March 2016 (the “2016 Convertible Notes”). The adjustments are made in accordance with the terms of the Indenture Agreement. CSG’s 2016 Convertible Notes (Unrestricted CUSIP Number 126349 AF6) mature on March 15, 2036 and the original $230,000,000 aggregate principal amount remains outstanding. Effective March 19, 2021, the conversion rate for the 2016 Convertible Notes has been adjusted to 7.6898 shares for each $1,000 in principal amount of 2016 Convertible Notes (equivalent to a conversion price of approximately $56.53) per share of CSG common stock. About CSG For more than 35 years, CSG has simplified the complexity of business, delivering innovative customer engagement solutions that help companies acquire, monetize, engage, and retain customers. Operating across more than 120 countries worldwide, CSG manages billions of critical customer interactions annually, and its award-winning suite of software and services allow companies across dozens of industries to tackle their biggest business challenges and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. CSG is the trusted provider for driving digital innovation for hundreds of leading global brands, including Airtel Africa, América Móvil, AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DISH, Formula 1, Hutchison 3 Indonesia, Inmarsat, Mastercard, Maximus, Microsoft, Mobily, MTN, New Leaf Service Contracts, State of California DMV, TalkTalk and Telstra. To learn more, visit our website at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2021 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names which are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contact Details CSG John Rea +1 210-687-4409 john.rea@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

March 22, 2021 05:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Minuteman Press Franchise Owners Lynne and John Regas Show Print is Essential in Frankfort, Illinois

Minuteman Press International Inc

Minuteman Press Frankfort Has Remained Open As an Essential Business During Covid-19; Owners Lynne and John Regas Share Their Insights on Adapting During the Pandemic and Helping Local Businesses “Bounce Back” CHICAGO & FRANKFORT, Ill. – As Lynne and John Regas approach five years in business, no year has been more defining for their Minuteman Press printing franchise than this one. “We both feel very fortunate that we were considered essential and were able to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic, not only to be there for other local businesses and organizations, but to help us stay sane and keep working,” says Lynne. Print is Essential Since the beginning of the pandemic, Minuteman Press Frankfort has continued to provide high-demand products and services that have been critical in helping local businesses reach out to customers while promoting community solidarity. “Early on in the pandemic, we saw high demand for yard signs. We were able to supply local schools with graduation signs, and now those same school districts are coming back to us since it was so popular. Banners and flags have been in high demand from businesses who simply want to let customers know, ‘We’re Open.’ Restaurants have also come to us for takeout menus as they update their specials, menu items, and safe pickup and delivery options.” Lynne continues, “We are also helping a number of businesses reach out to the community via direct mail postcards and flyers. We’ve already reached out to several business categories about the power of mailing campaigns. For example, we have recently helped a local chiropractic office, a local physical therapist, and a local small gym owner increase their visibility (and therefore their customer base) by designing and mailing flyers using both direct mail and Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM). These are businesses that can really benefit from letting people know they are there and following every safety protocol to make sure they can provide their services and still keep you healthy.” “This pandemic really forced a lot of local businesses to rethink their paths forward, and we are here to help them do that and provide them with the design, print, marketing, and mailing services they need to do so. We are a local business ourselves, we support local businesses, and we are all in this together.” -Lynne Regas, Minuteman Press franchise owner, Frankfort, Illinois Helping Local Businesses Bounce Back When the pandemic first hit, Lynne and John launched Bounce Back Frankfort (part of Bounce Back USA by Minuteman Press International), a free community website that provides free local listings to businesses as well as free COVID-19 awareness and prevention posters. To date, 44 local businesses have signed up to reach out to community members with special offers. “The idea is simple,” says Lynne. “Let’s support local businesses, and let’s bounce back together as a community.” Lynne continues, “ We spent those first few weeks doing what we could to focus on a path forward and to give back to other businesses. Bounce Back Frankfort is special because it provides an uplifting message as well as a free way for people to advertise at a time where they could use that extra boost. It not only lifts our spirits, it also reminds everyone that it’s so important to communicate, connect, and engage with our community, especially right now.” “Our message to other local businesses is to hang in there. It’s important to remain calm and focused on the future while we navigate through these times. Knowing that everyone is in this together has caused a renewed sense of unity in the small business community we are a part of here in Frankfort. We’ve made sure that everyone knows we are here to support them – both now and in the future.” -Lynne Regas Adapting the Business and Receiving Ongoing Support Minuteman Press Frankfort is locally owned and operated but being part of the Minuteman Press franchise family has really helped Lynne and John learn and grow as business owners over the past five years and throughout the pandemic. Lynne says, “We have always been grateful for the support we’ve received from Minuteman Press, but 2020 and 2021 have really showed us that we made the right decision when we joined this family. The ongoing support during the pandemic has been above and beyond what we expected. From the Bounce Back program to the daily emails of suggestions and encouragement from Nick Titus (President of Minuteman Press International), we absorbed everything and did what we needed to do to adapt and pivot. It is so helpful to know what is happening with other franchises, both local and across the country, to know that we aren’t alone and to be reminded that there will be an end to this pandemic.” Lynne explains how she has learned and grown from this experience and is better positioned for the future. “We’ve started using social media much more to communicate and promote our business. We’ve had many businesses reach out to us as they start to reopen. For example, we ran a promotion for menus and restaurants responded.” She continues, “We have learned to incorporate marketing strategies and new ways of communicating so that we can reach and interact with clients safely. Whether it’s a promotion on Instagram or targeted local marketing, we are here to engage with customers across all touch-points.” “Lynne and John Regas have done a tremendous job supporting local businesses in their community and finding new ways to pivot and connect with their clients. They’ve followed the Minuteman Press franchise system closely and have built a solid foundation for their business over the past five years. They are great people and caring business owners, and I am proud to support them.” -Steve Szymanski, Minuteman Press International Regional Vice President, Midwest Reflections on Owning the Business and Advice for Others Prior to becoming business owners, Lynne and John worked in corporate sales. “ We were both involved in purchasing roles with different corporations. John had worked for the same company for almost 30 years and was laid off. I had worked for several different companies but was really just going through the motions. After John was laid off and began seriously thinking about opening his own business and being his own boss, I was supportive – but I’d be lying if I didn’t also say I was a little apprehensive. Looking back now, we certainly made the right decision.” She adds, “It’s so surreal that we’ve been doing this for almost five years because the time has gone by so quickly. We’re no longer in that ‘rut’ we were in when working our previous jobs, and every day is truly a new adventure. We are becoming the people we wanted to be – entrepreneurs who are doing what it takes to make their business successful, no matter what comes our way. The biggest reward, definitely, is no longer feeling like we are working hard for someone else. We’re working harder than we ever have but it’s for us and our business – and that makes it all worth it!” When asked what advice she would give to others, Lynne answers, “If you’re being honest with yourself, there is a lot of risk when you open your own business. Being a part of a company like Minuteman Press that really invests in its franchise owners helps mitigate that risk and should put any potential owners’ minds at ease.” She concludes, “We have potential new owners visit our center and we share our experiences as franchisees. We tell them how impressed we’ve been with the level of support we’ve received from day one. Ultimately, Minuteman Press International has always cared about us and their support during this pandemic has clearly demonstrated just how much they truly care.” For more information on Minuteman Press Frankfort, visit https://www.frankfort-il.minutemanpress.com. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and read Minuteman Press franchise reviews at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

March 22, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Accelerating Women's Economic Empowerment Webinar: The post-COVID world offers new models of economic justice and empowerment for women

Media Outreach

TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Media OutReach - 22 March 2021 - Organized by Taiwan’s Foundation for Women's Rights Promotion and Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with support from the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office in New York, the Accelerating Women’s Economic Empowerment Webinar, which was held on 18 March, focused on policies and programs to help women achieve equality in the post-pandemic future. Speakers of the Accelerating Women's Economic Empowerment Webinar. “Women are bearing the brunt of the COIVD-19 crisis,” said Denise Scotto, vice president of the International Federation of Women in Legal Careers, as she opened on Accelerating Women’s Economic Empowerment Webinar. However, the new models of working from home, and greater access to technology and the internet may point to how the gender divide can be bridged. This was the message conveyed by speakers at the Accelerating Women's Economic Empowerment webinar, which took place parallel to the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women and during Women’s History Month celebrations. Headlining the event, Taiwan’s digital minister Audrey Tang discussed how to make the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality work in Taiwan. Tang pointed out that Taiwan is the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, equal pay day has come down to February 20, and over 41% of legislators in Taiwan’s parliament are women. Taiwan’s first transgender minister also testified that she had never suffered discrimination in her job. However, there are still areas where Taiwan has much to do. “Less than a quarter of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) students in tertiary education are women,” said Tang. Taiwan’s achievements in controlling the pandemic have been well documented. But one aspect that has not been widely reported is the gendered aspect to disease control. Tang highlighted the example of a Taiwanese boy who was teased for coming to school with a pink mask when medical supplies were being rationed. The boy called the government hotline to complain, and the next day the health minister and his top officials all wore pink masks during the daily press briefing. Tang said, “The health minister said it was fine for a boy to wear pink, and added that his favorite cartoon character was the Pink Panther.” Technological advances are also helping level the playing field for young women, said Tang, sharing one initiative against plastic straws started by a 16-year-old Taiwanese woman. “She didn’t have to wait until she was 18 or join a political party,” said the digital minister, adding, “more and more young women and men are looking into e-participation and co-creation across sectors to create their own initiatives.” The Swedish minister for gender equality’s state secretary Karin Strandås focused on applying a gender perspective to government policies and budgeting. “We must also focus on the role of men and boys as drivers for change,” said Strandås, “Men and boys in all their diversity must be part of transforming gender norms and inequality.” Responding to the pandemic, Strandås said, “It is about building a better world and a better future for everyone.” Although it is possible for men to take as much parental leave as women, Sweden has yet to achieve full equality in the workplace. “Reforms are necessary for women to enter the labor markets,” said Strandås. Strandås noted the link between economic inequality and domestic violence. “It is harder to leave a violent relationship if you are dependent on your partner,” the state secretary said. Taiwan’s ambassador at large Lin Ching-Yi spoke about the role of women in law making. “The more female participation there is in politics, the more gender-based policy making there will be,” said Lin. Talking about the danger women face on the frontline of the pandemic as nurses and cleaners, Lin said she was initially worried for their safety. Thankfully, Taiwan’s success in pandemic control has largely been down to gendered policy making. “All policies are based on gender equality,” said Lin, “so only ten nurses have been infected with COVID-19 in Taiwan.” Other speakers shared their experiences in advancing women’s economic rights and independence, investing in women’s empowerment, and supporting marginalized women to earn, save money, and improve their health and wellbeing. Algene Sajery, vice president of the Office of External Affairs at the US International Development Finance Corporation, outlined the Women’s Initiative which has catalyzed more than US$7 billion of investment in projects that are owned by women, led by women, or provide a product or service that empowers women. Iliriana Gashi, executive director of Kosova Women 4 Women, talked about her organization’s efforts to finance women economically affected by the pandemic, working together with the government and international corporations to help women running small businesses. Giving rights and more economic power to women is good for men too. “We are one human family, both men and women,” said Scotto, “so all of humanity is empowered by empowering women.” Concluding the session, Lin said after the pandemic, global society will face new norms. There will be an opportunity to build different economic models through the internet or community models, and create new ways for women to participate equally. Contact Details Taiwan’s Foundation of Women’s Rights Promotion and Development Helen Lee +852 3996 9731 helen.lee@wrp.org.tw Company Website https://www.media-outreach.com/

March 22, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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CMMC Center of Excellence Announces Engagement Agreement with TechnoGen & TechnoGen Cybersecurity

Interoperability Clearinghouse

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Center of Excellence ( CMMC COE ), hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public-private partnership serving the public and private sectors for more than 15 years, is excited to announce a partnership with TechnoGen, Inc., an ISO 9001:2015, ISO 20000-1:2011, ISO 27001:2013 and CMMI Level 3 Global IT Services and Consulting Company headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia and Offshore Development Center in Hyderabad, India. This unique partnership will extend efforts to identify and include proven capabilities within the CMMC COE Marketplace to improve cybersecurity protection and resilience for the global defense industrial base network of contractors, vendors, and suppliers. In addition, the partnership with TechnoGen and TechnoGen Cybersecurity establishes a presence for the CMMC COE in India with a future plan for a Center of Excellence- India in collaboration with the CMMC COE APAC. With over 16 years of experience providing end to end IT Services and Solutions to the Public and Private sectors, TGI provides highly skilled and certiﬁed professionals committed to helping clients solve complex problems and achieve their goals, on time and under budget. “This is exciting opportunity for us”, said Mr. John Weiler, Chairman of the Board at CMMC Center of Excellence, “This new partnership will further help advance the goals and objectives for improving the supply chain security and resilience of the US Department of Defense (DoD)”. Mr. Lax Chepuri, CEO of TechnoGen, Inc. expressed confidence and delight in the newly formed relationship with the CMMC COE saying, “Both TechnoGen, Inc. and TechnoGen Cybersecurity and will bring enthusiastic support for the goals and standards of the CMMC COE in both the U.S. and India Defense sectors.” The executed Engagement Agreement establishes a collaborative engagement between TechnoGen and the CMMC COE to partner in the furthering of their respective and complementary missions and objectives regarding the adoption, use, and expansion of CMMC based cybersecurity practices, risk management, and compliance for the DIB contractor, vendor, and supplier community of providers creating a broader CMMC ecosystem globally to improve security and resilience. Specific actions will include: The co-development of CMMC advisory services, cyber training and education programs to accelerate CMMC certification, increase cyber adoption and improve cyber protection & resilience. Co-sponsor symposiums, training programs and podcasts leveraging their combined cyber and IT expertise. Host regular working groups, with other partners, to enable collaboration and communications. Establish an independent Industry Cyber Security Advisory Council with peer organizations to advise and educate leaders across government and industry on the continued evolution and effectiveness of CMMC. The CMMC-COE ( http://cmmc-coe.org ) and TechnoGen partnership will focus on bringing together the many disparate cyber and national security communities of interest to reduce complexity, improve awareness, and accelerate industry effort to become more cyber resilient against the growing threats from nation states and criminal enterprises. The CMMC-COE establishes both a Market Place and Knowledge Clearinghouse that will include resources that support the overall effort, including white papers; tutorials; recorded webcasts; presentations; and more that will help reduce the cost and burden on small and medium size contractors already struggling from the impact of COVID. For more information on the CMMC COE, please visit http://cmmc-coe.org, email info@cmmc-coe.org or call 703-863-3766 For more information on TechnoGen, please visit https://www.technogeninc.com/ About Us ---------- CMMC-COE.ORG is a unique non-profit public-private partnership, with a vision to accelerate Cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMM) adoption, and reduce time & cost for security compliance for our partners by leveraging commercial best practices, CMMC standards, and innovative solutions for a measurable success. Our mission, focused on DOD mission objectives, cost containment and expeditious CMMC compliance, is to help the DIB improve cyber posture and resilience, and simplify its acquisition. The CMMC-COE is hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public/private partnership (P3) chartered in 2007 as an honest broker to reach outside the confines of the Federal IT advisories that lack dynamic reach into the Global IT Market, and dedicated to the adoption of commercial IT management standards of practice and innovations emanating from the Global IT market. Team IT-AAC has already demonstrated the value of its decade long investment, and provides a unique value to agencies seeking to achieve accelerate the transformation of legacy processes and systems. Our Just-in-Time SMEs apply an innovative suite of Technology Business Management and Agile Acquisition Processes needed to assure the business value of commercial IT. The Interoperability Clearinghouse (ICH), is the managing partner that make up the 24 NGO/SDO organizations that make up the IT-AAC. ICH provides the contract vehicles, clearances, and critical resources proven to guide sustainable, measurable and repeatable processes needed to drive better investment decisions as the speed of mission need, while aligning existing processes, methods and workforce with IT reform mandates contained in Clinger Cohen Act, FITARA, IT MGT Act, EO13838. Contact Details Bob Dix +1 703-975-6633 bob.dix@it-aac.org Company Website https://cmmc-coe.org

March 22, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

San Diego Zoo Global Evolves into San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/VnevV89fD_c The San Diego Zoo and Safari Park allow visitors to experience their nonprofit conservation organization’s global effort to protect world’s plant and animal species. San Diego Zoo Global is evolving to embrace a new name and vision that more fully expresses the global impact the organization is striving for in support of animal and plant conservation. San Diego Zoo Global is now San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA), integrating wildlife health, conservation science, along with education, to protect and conserve wildlife worldwide for years to come. On March 3, Paul Baribault, President and CEO of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and Nadine Lamberski, Chief Conservation and Wildlife Health Officer of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, partnered with D S Simon Media and YourUpdate TV on a nationwide media tour, to discuss how the new name and vison more accurately reflects the organization’s focus on wildlife conservation—and how today it is a driving force for the future, committed to changing outcomes for wildlife around the globe by building alliances to tackle wildlife’s largest challenges. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s expertise in caring for wildlife is at the core of what makes the organization a unique player in conservation. The deep and extensive knowledge from more than a century of experience around wildlife care, health, veterinary services, nutrition, etc. makes the Alliance invaluable in the global effort to save species. Their science-based approach leverages the diverse skills of their teams and partners, showcasing the limitless potential of how, together, partners can change outcomes for wildlife in their native habitats. And it all starts with the wildlife the Alliance supports at home in San Diego. Unique to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance are the two “front doors” of the organization, the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. These parks are essential to fulfilling the mission of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, transferring the knowledge that team members garner on the ground in San Diego into meaningful and impactful conservation work around the globe. Over 5 million visitors annually walk through these two front doors, where they interact directly with some of the wildlife the organization is dedicated to saving. At the core of their commitment to the wildlife at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is showing up as a strong partner and collaborator with a global network of nearly 200 leading and renowned conservation organizations, including Save the Elephants and Polar Bears International, and many others with a common goal of protecting the world’s wildlife where they live. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

March 19, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

Tips on Making (and Sharing) Instagram-Worthy Smoothie Bowls

YourUpdateTV

If you scroll through Instagram, you’ll find over 2.6 million posts with the hashtag #smoothiebowl. There are entire accounts dedicated to this fresh food trend, because not only do they taste great – they look like a piece of art. From Instagram feeds to home kitchens, colorful smoothie bowls are becoming a breakfast staple in the U.S. Recently, Ninja’s first-ever Smoothie Bowl Sommelier, Gillean Barkyoumb, MS, RDN, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss this new breakfast trend and to provide some great tips and recipes. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/pUFS1i2uVG8 In comparison to a typical smoothie, smoothie bowls have a thick, spoonable texture. The base goes into a bowl and then the fun happens – you can artfully decorate your bowl with a variety of toppings. With the Ninja® Foodi® Smoothie Bowl Maker and Nutrient Extractor*, which is designed specifically with smoothie bowls in mind, even novice home chefs can create spoonable smoothie bowls right in their very own kitchens. The Ninja® Foodi® Smoothie Bowl Maker and Nutrient Extractor* with smartTORQUE™ technology is designed to power through heavy loads at high speed without stalling or the need to stir or shake, making the creation of a smoothie bowl quick and easy from the comfort of your own home. The 14-oz. Smoothie Bowl Maker with built-in tamper blends and powers through frozen foods with less liquid for perfectly thick smoothie bowls. This blender has 4 preset Auto-iQ® programs which allow for one-touch smoothies, extractions, bowls, and spreads. For more information, visit NinjaKitchen.com and follow @NinjaKitchen on Instagram. About Gillean Barkyoumb: In addition to her title as Ninja’s Smoothie Bowl Sommelier, Gillean Barkyoumb, MS, RDN, is a registered dietitian, speaker and writer from Phoenix, Arizona who is committed to making nutrition doable for everyone. Gillean’s food philosophy focuses on simplicity and convenience to build balanced meals, including thick, spoonable smoothie bowls. Gillean has contributed to publications such as Shape, Women’s Health, Well + Good, MyFitnessPal, and Daily Burn and frequently shares nutrition tips on various networks including ABC, NBC, and FOX. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

March 18, 2021 12:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Women Hosts Powering Airbnb During the Pandemic

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/kfkiWTMt2Cg The pandemic has forced thousands of women out of the workforce. In order to face the economic burdens that have fallen on their shoulders, many of them became new Airbnb Hosts. Airbnb estimates that 55% (2 million) of their 4 million Hosts globally are women. Since the start of the pandemic last March, new women hosts that have started hosting on Airbnb with only one listing have collectively earned $600 million. This lifeline isn’t limited to just Hosts who are sharing their homes. In a recent Airbnb survey, 35 percent of these women reported that they started their Online Experience to replace lost income from a full-time or part-time job. Stephanie Ruiz, Regional Communications Lead for Latin America at Airbnb partnered with YourUpdate TV on a nationwide media tour discussing the economic opportunities that home sharing creates for communities. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the opportunity offered by hosting has become even more invaluable to women. With a record-setting departure of women from the workforce due to pandemic-related layoffs or new, urgent responsibilities at home, we are facing an unprecedented “she-cession”. That’s why it’s no surprise that Airbnb is seeing even more women turn to hosting on Airbnb in this moment. For women who are in need of new and more flexible ways to help support their families at this time, that is invaluable earning potential. If you are considering hosting, now is the time. Recent Airbnb consumer polling indicates there is pent-up demand for travel, and the type of meaningful travel enabled by Airbnb is the kind of travel people will continue to seek even after the pandemic ends. If you are looking to share your space or learn how to become a host yourself, check out Airbnb.com/host About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

March 18, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Clearbanc and Pencil partner to help ecommerce businesses grow using creative AI

Stockwood Strategy

Creative AI company Pencil has partnered with the world’s largest e-commerce investor Clearbanc to provide their customers with the latest innovation in online video advertising, Machine Generated Creative (MGC). These ads can be created in minutes and consistently double return on ad spend for brands. It is anticipated that companies using the Pencil platform will be able to unlock new audiences on Facebook and Instagram and grow revenue faster. MGC online video ads are generated by artificial intelligence (AI), while learning what resonates with audiences, in order to systematically deliver better results for brands. Using historic ad performance data, Pencil is able to understand what in the ad is resonating with customers. It can then generate new batches of ad ideas which are new and distinct, but which share winning characteristics with past winners. In this way Pencil learns what works while continuously exploring new ideas that could resonate with audiences. Pencil analysed over 100 campaigns that used MGC video ads and found the best MGC ads delivered an average return on ad spend (ROAS) 2x that of other ads the brands were running. One brand’s MGC campaign delivered 7x higher ROAS. Will Hanschell, CEO and co-founder of Pencil commented: “This partnership with Clearbanc underlines the success we’ve had with our Machine Generated Creative ads for brands around the world. These ads are helping ecommerce brands and agencies grow, and I am confident we can help them scale further.” This partnership announcement comes hot o n the heels of Pencil joining as a creative partner in Facebook Marketing Partners, a program that connects businesses to an ecosystem of specialists. More than 200 million businesses worldwide use Facebook’s apps to connect with customers and grow, and over 10 million of them run advertising campaigns each month. Pencil customer James Harding, Head of Growth at Lyka Pet Food commented: "Pencil gives us the ability to generate ads quickly and more importantly, come up with ideas we might not have otherwise. It's been a massive win for us essentially." Pencil leverages proprietary technology to generate ad video, derive insights and make predictions, as well as integrating the OpenAI API to generate ad copy. The OpenAI API provides access to GPT-3, one of the world’s most powerful language models. Pencil is among the first companies approved to use it commercially. This approval requires strict criteria in AI safety and ethics. Daniel Rodic, Head of Market Development commented: “Clearbanc was created to help Founders grow their businesses by using our non-dilutive capital to invest in predictable and repeatable expenses like marketing spend. Pencil’s technology offers a simple solution for brands in our portfolio to improve their return on ad spend and ultimately maximize the effectiveness of the capital they deploy.” Clearbanc has deployed over US$1.6b to more than 4,000 ecommerce and SaaS businesses. EndS Notes to the editor About Pencil Pencil is a Creative AI company on a mission to generate unexpected ideas that get results. Pencil generates ads that learn to perform, delivering the return on ad spend that helps brands scale their businesses. Pencil invented Machine Generated Creative (MGC), a new way of making ads that algorithmically optimises for creative novelty, brand relevance and return on advertising spend. It always starts from a human brief and it always involves total human editorial control. Pencil’s MGC platform generates ads in minutes and has been shown to generate ads that double returns for brands. Pencil was founded in 2018 with a team from Google, Facebook and Uber and is backed by Sequoia Capital India, Wavemaker Partners, Singapore Innovate and Entrepreneur First. About Clearbanc Founded in 2015 by Michele Romanow (Canada’s Shark Tank), Andrew D’Souza, Ivan Gritsiniak, Charlie Feng, and Tanay Delima, Clearbanc is changing the way companies raise money by providing fast, affordable capital to online brands and B2B SaaS companies. Clearbanc’s data-driven algorithm has invested in 4,000+ companies across 50 states and backed 8x more female-founders than traditional VC. Clearbanc customers span small businesses across the United States, Canada, and the UK to some of the fastest-growing consumer brands today, like Le Tote, Leesa Sleep, Farmgirl Flowers, and Public Goods. For more information visit Clearbanc.com Contact Details Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 press@trypencil.com Company Website https://www.trypencil.com/

March 17, 2021 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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News Direct And Media Outreach Form Distribution Partnership For Asia Pacific And America

News Direct

News Direct and Media OutReach - two newswires that are revolutionizing the news distribution industry with advances in technology, analytics, security and workflow - have entered into a reciprocal press release distribution arrangement covering the United States and Asia Pacific region. Media OutReach clients will benefit from News Direct's full-fledged access to The Associated Press distribution network in the US, which includes the nation's leading newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations, and online sites. Additionally, releases are posted to AP's popular app and apnews.com, the news agency's heavily trafficked consumer-facing site. News Direct's geographic distribution capabilities are supplemented by its robust industry-specific reach, allowing for highly relevant targeting. Trade sector and consumer-focused lists are refreshed with each use for maximum effectiveness. The partnership also allows Media OutReach clients to issue multimedia such as infographics, videos and images as independent assets in line with journalistic preferences. As a confirmation of ROI, clients receive a robust Performance Report that includes postings on major portals including Yahoo! Finance and MarketWatch. Media OutReach is the first global newswire founded in Asia Pacific and has a unique, in-depth understanding of the media landscape in the region. Its success has been driven by its technology-led distribution platform with an unrivaled Asia Pacific network, comprehensive database and precise editorial targeting capabilities which has proven to be highly-effective for PR professionals to reach out to journalists and editors - including influencers in their target media and countries. Through this partnership, News Direct clients can expand their reach and build direct connections with journalists in the region. Additionally, News Direct clients can leverage Media OutReach’s extensive media partnerships which guarantee online postings. As such, they will see their stories posted on leading news portals such as SINA, Viet Nam News and AsiaOne among others, further enhancing their exposure in Asia Pacific. News Direct clients will have access to the Media OutReach automated post release reports which provide qualitative and quantitative performance metrics. Importantly, this includes access to the proprietary Media and Journalist Insights dashboard, which provides insights such as the interaction between journalists and the press release including story open rates by publication, by country and eventual write ups. "News Direct aims to differentiate itself in many ways," noted founder and CEO Gregg Castano. " but above all we want to be known for the unrivaled quality of our distribution network. We are proud to partner with Media OutReach, which has earned its reputation as Asia's most innovative and dynamic distribution service." Jennifer Kok, founder and CEO of Media OutReach said, "This partnership enhances our USA distribution capabilities and customers can now distribute their news release and multimedia through its leading-edge delivery platform in America. Overall, this adds further strength to Media OutReach’s global distribution network, and we are pleased to be working with News Direct. The team at News Direct are industry veterans, many of whom are formerly from Business Wire and have built on their expertise to create an exceptionally strong distribution platform and service.” About News Direct News Direct provides news and content distribution for PR, IR, Corporate Communications and Marketing professionals. Our automated platform delivers a completely-reimagined, intuitive workflow, industry-leading security, transparent, flat-rate pricing and actionable analytics. Further, News Direct has deployed an array of innovation including advanced automation, isolation cloud technology and custom software for the most dynamic, efficient and flexible platform available today. To learn more visit newsdirect.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. About Media OutReach Founded and headquartered in Hong Kong in 2009, Media OutReach is the first global newswire founded in Asia Pacific with offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, China and Taiwan as well as international reseller partnerships in Canada, USA and Europe. Media OutReach is the only newswire that owns its distribution network across 24 countries across Asia Pacific; possessing a database of more than 130,000 journalists across at least 400 trade categories and 460 media partnerships, it is revolutionizing the industry by providing guaranteed online news postings, by language, for each distribution. With proprietary technology at its core, Media OutReach Newswire distributes multi-language and multimedia press release contents directly to the inbox of targeted editors and journalists to optimize news write up, build media relations and automates the reporting process with key performance metrics and its pioneering post-release reports gives insights into if journalists are actually accessing the release by publication and by country. Media OutReach Newswire is the go-to news release and content distribution partner for public relations, social marketing, digital agencies, and organizations in Asia Pacific. For more information on Media OutReach, please visit media-outreach.com. Contact Details News Direct Martha Pearlstone +1 203-295-7566 martha.pearlstone@newsdirect.com Media Outreach Ken Man +852 3594 6640 ken.man@media-outreach.com Company Website http://www.newsdirect.com

March 17, 2021 08:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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