Sprout

Sprout Social, which provides cloud-based social media management software, announces several enhancements to its Social Customer Care by Sprout platform. Associated Messages will give teams access to a full historical view of a case’s public and private messages. Message Intent Classification leverages AI to help users determine the highest-priority message so that they can be solved first. The updates are intended to help lessen the amount of manual work that customer care teams need to deal with. Other new features include Analyze by AI Assist, which offers executive summary insights for reporting widgets; Conversation Breakdown Widget, which employs data lenses such as sentiment to broaden its view of active conversations; and Comment Sentiment in Reports, a way for marketers to understand how audiences respond to certain content through new positive/negative/neutral comment counts. “We are continuing to invest in product enhancements that enable teams to work smarter and faster,” said Sprout Social chief product officer Erika Trautman.

Trefoil

Trefoil Group, a Milwaukee-based B2B marketing agency, merges with BrandStar, a horizontally and vertically integrated production company, marketing agency and content exchange platform. The acquisition is BrandStar’s first B2B agency investment. Trefoil will maintain its home office in Milwaukee, along with its current team. Mary Scheibel, who founded Trefoil in 1991, takes on the title of EVP, strategy. The agency’s client base spans a wide range of markets, including manufacturing, medical device, logistics, healthcare and consumer packaged goods. Trefoil says that access to BrandStar’s family of companies deepens its digital and public relations bench strength and expands its creative competencies. “This merger accelerates our ability to deliver B2B marketing that continues to drive our clients’ businesses forward with measurable returns,” said Scheibel.

PRSA

The New York Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America is launching The Big Apple Podcast by PRSA-NY, a limited-edition series that looks at how New York City became the prime hub for PR pros. Each episode interviews industry trailblazers who share their insights and experiences, highlighting how the city’s environment shapes the world of public relations. Streaming on all major podcast platforms, The Big Apple Podcast by PRSA-NY is hosted by Sandra Fathi, CEO and founder of Grey Matter Advisory, chief growth officer for Global Gateway Advisors, and former president of PRSA-NY, chair of the PRSA Tri-State District, chair of the PRSA Technology Section and a Board Member of the PR Council. “Our board has been laser focused on engaging current and prospective members with new tools, resources, and innovation activities to support their professional development objectives,” said PRSA-NY chapter president and North Sixth Group founder and chairman Matt Rizzetta. “The Big Apple Podcast by PRSA-NY is a great example of this.”