Customer engagement platform Braze has launched a suite of new product innovations aimed at helping marketers create and optimise personalised experiences, including a new AI agent and new Cloud Data Ingestion integrations.

The company, which counts major brands such as Wesfarmers, iHeartRadio, Canva, REA Group, Atlassian, Cashrewards, and KFC Australia among its customers, unveiled these innovations at its annual customer conference, Forge 2024.

The new Braze AI agent, codenamed Project Catalyst, is designed to deliver 1:1 customer engagement by rapidly creating, testing, and optimising thousands of experience variations. Additional Canvas template and Braze AI assistant features have been introduced to help marketers get started and deliver sophisticated customer experiences: Braze AI Liquid Assistant and Message Template Assistant.

Enhancements to the Braze Data Platform aim to make it easier to unify and activate customer data, with new Cloud Data Ingestion integrations with AWS S3 and Microsoft Azure, zero-copy data, automated identity resolution, and enhanced analytics. Braze has also introduced CDI Segments for all Braze Alloys data warehouse partners, expanded its channels to include LINE and RCS Business, and introduced new WhatsApp features such as dynamic images, click tracking, and commerce support.

New automated Identity Resolution capabilities are planned for Q4 FY25. Braze has announced support for new digital touchpoints such as LINE, with general availability planned for Q3 FY25, and enhancements to WhatsApp, scheduled to roll out later this year and into FY26.

"Consumers have more brand choices than ever before. They demand highly memorable and relevant experiences that are personalised to them, and the brands that meet that challenge by being absolutely engaging will win consumer attention, advocacy, and dollars," said Co-founder and CTO of Braze, Jon Hyman.

Campaign Automation Manager at Overstock, Nicole Ruffner, said: "Braze Canvas Templates have truly transformed the way we work at Overstock. Their straightforward setup and editing capabilities have simplified and significantly streamlined our processes. By eliminating the need to start each email from scratch, our team can now dedicate more time to other projects. These templates have been a game-changer, boosting our team's efficiency and accuracy."