Is "successfully" redundant in "XYZ successfully crossed 1 mil customer mark"?
In the following statement
XYZ successfully crossed 1 mil customer mark
- Is successfully not required?
- What additional information does successfully provide about the situation?
- Can't I just say "XYZ crossed 1 mil customer mark"?
Successfully adds emphasis, which may add meaning if the action had been tried and failed before, or is tried by many but accomplished by few. It indicates that the action is a good or desirable thing rather than a neutral or negative thing (as in, crossing the 1 mil customer mark from havning previously been at 10 mil).
The successfully here is redundant, unless there's some way to cross the one million mark incorrectly (which doesn't sound like the case). This word is typically given for emphasis, not as additional information.
Successfully is being used as an adverb. Adverbs are used to modify other adverbs, adjectives, or verbs. In many if not most contexts, adverbs with -ly endings are unnecessary but instead provide explanation, emphasis, or style to an otherwise drab sentence. In your case, I believe the latter is the most relevant. Whereas easily, quickly, or surprisingly, for instance, would have different purposes. Redundant? OK. But style is what makes writing so much fun! (And in terms of print ads or company stock portfolios, is a reason people buy your stuff.)
What you are asking is less a linguistics question and more a question of communication and information density.
I say that usage of successfully is not merely superfluous, but improper if Company XYZ had not -at some point in the past- defined "Crossing the 1 million customer mark" as a Good Thing to be achieved.
Decorating "crossed the 1 mil customer mark" with successfully indicates that this was a mark that was specifically targeted.
If this was not the case, then inclusion of "successfully" conveys meaning that is not present, and is therefore improper.