Penn’s keynote presentation on how marketers can navigate emerging technology to fuel brand growth will draw on his four decades of leadership across technology, marketing, and political organizations. As Microsoft’s former Chief Strategy Officer, Penn led a team to revitalize Bing, the company’s search engine, and conceived of and led successful initiatives like Microsoft’s award-winning Super Bowl 2014 ad “Empowering Us All.” Today, as Chairman and CEO of Stagwell, Penn has built the only global marketing services organization boasting majority digital revenue. At Stagwell, he launched the Stagwell Marketing Cloud, a suite of SaaS and DaaS solutions spanning AI-enabled research, media, PR, and advanced media products in spaces such as augmented reality.

On the Cannes main stage, Penn will discuss:

The Contrarian’s Compass: Navigating Emerging Tech Hype

Join Penn as he reveals how nonconformist thinking can help brands navigate the complex landscape of today’s tech trends and find genuine ways to innovate, avoiding the traps that hinder long-term growth. Get practical advice for incorporating emerging tech into the brand creative mix.

Cannes Lions | Rotonde Stage, Rotonde | Monday, June 17, 4:45 PM CEST

Off the Mainstage

Penn will make several other appearances at Cannes Lions, including at Stagwell’s flagship sports business destination SPORT BEACH, to speak about the future of news and the balance between data privacy and consumer empowerment:

Future of News: Why News Audiences Matter as Much as Sports Junkies

News is the future – and represents a unique and complementary platform for brands to drive business results. How are news media preparing for the next thirty-six months? A C-Suite conversation discussing the path forward and opportunities ahead for journalists, brands and news junkies. Featuring:

• Meredith Kopit-Levien, CEO, The New York Times
• Barbara Peng, CEO, Business Insider
• Mark Thompson, CEO, CNN
• Moderated by Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO, Stagwell, and Sara Fischer, Axios

SPORT BEACH | Wednesday, June 19, 12:30 PM CEST

Empowering Consumers in a Data Driven World

Join industry leaders in an exploration of data privacy, consumer expectations, and the impacts of technology innovation. Gain a deeper understanding of how to build trust and propel innovative marketing strategies within the ever-evolving digital landscape. Featuring:

• Navaneeta Das Skinner, Global Client Lead, Publicis
• Eva Simone Lihotzky, GM AI Hub, Serviceplan Group
• Mark Penn, Chairman & CEO, Stagwell
• Elaine Rodrigo, Chief Insights & Analytics Officer, Reckitt

Microsoft Beach House | Monday, June 17, 1:00 PM CEST

About Stagwell

Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com

CONTACT: 
Sarah Arvizo
pr@stagwellglobal.com  

Not Perfect is an integrated creative, digital, and design network of nearly 100 people operating out of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Not Perfect boasts exceptional strength in creative production, anchored by its proprietary Creative FastForward™ process, which enables the network to produce high volumes of quality creative at a fast pace. As a global affiliate partner, Not Perfect will benefit from Stagwell’s focus on technology innovation in marketing services through the Stagwell Marketing Cloud and other digital firms across its network

As one of the most awarded agencies in the Baltics, Not Perfect’s client roster includes deep contacts in its home region and in an increasing number of countries around the world. It partners with the biggest telco providers in each of its offices – Tele2, LMT and Bite – which are each top 10 advertisers in the Baltic States. Other notable clients include the Carlsberg Group, Beam Suntory, NATO, and the Lithuanian Red Cross. Additionally, the agency is behind the largest global civic initiative in fighting Russian disinformation in the context of the Ukranian war called Call Russia, an effort which has been covered extensively by CNN, BBC, CBS News, Reuters, and other top outlets.

“Not Perfect brings the perfect blend of award-winning creative, technical know-how, and marketing craft that Stagwell is committed to bringing to our clients around the world,” said James Townsend, CEO, Stagwell EMEA. “Our teams across EMEA are eager to tap into their expertise, and in turn share more of our capabilities in digital transformation and global creative with their clients in the region.”  

“We’ve admired Stagwell for years for their incredible lineup of the world’s best creative agencies that continuously produce culture-shifting work. Today, their offering, empowered by cutting-edge technology, is transforming marketing for the most ambitious brands around the globe. We couldn’t be more excited to join forces,” said Paulius Senuta, CEO of Not Perfect Network.

Stagwell’s Global Affiliate Program powers agile global solutions for clients, allowing Stagwell to partner with regional experts to scale marketing capabilities to new locations. Since the program’s inception, Stagwell has formed partnerships with nearly 90 affiliates across APAC, EMEA, LATAM and North America, extending Stagwell’s global operational reach to 98 countries.

Stagwell and Not Perfect’s partnership comes amid heightened focus on EMEA for Stagwell. Earlier this year, the company launched its first regional headquarters for EMEA in London, and acquired two new companies, What’s Next Partners (WNP) in France and Sidekick in the U.K. 

About Stagwell
Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com

About Not Perfect Network
Not Perfect Network is an integrated creative, digital and design agency with offices in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. We have reinvented quality creative development. Using a larger and more diverse team of creatives, we Creative FastForward™ from brief to creative development, producing large volumes of highly effective creative at speed. We’re renowned for creative work that gets the nations talking. Whether that be in our home region of the Baltics or in an increasing number of countries around the world.  Join us at www.notperfect.com

Not Perfect Network PR Contact
Lukas Pereckas
lukas.pereckas@notperfect.com 

Stagwell PR Contact
Kara Gelber
pr@stagwellglobal.com

Brand New Galaxy’s rebranding as Assembly was a natural next step in the agencies’ partnership. Assembly now boasts a stand-alone digital commerce capability of more than 400 experts continuing to deliver excellence for clients, including Lindt, Ceer, and Mashreq, while also offering expanded solutions for brands like Lenovo, Fossil Group, and Virgin Mobile to deliver superior value and ROI for marketing investments.  The move brings together unprecedented attitudinal, behavioral and now transactional data under, STAGE, Assembly’s AI-powered platform and operating system. Ultimately, this furthers Assembly’s vision to create more connected omnichannel experiences to make clients’ brands perform.

Key executives from Brand New Galaxy will join Assembly’s global leadership team, ensuring seamless integration and continuity of excellence for existing and new clients. Former Brand New Galaxy CEO Piotr Morkowski, a seasoned leader in the industry, is now Assembly’s Global Digital Commerce CEO, while Julia Dziurbiejko and Kacper Kłos, both highly respected in their fields, assume the roles of Global Digital Commerce COO and Global Head of Digital Commerce, respectively.

“Since we acquired Brand New Galaxy in 2021, the agency has been essential to accelerating commerce-driven solutions for our clients. We believe this combination is the right step to bring the best minds in the industry together with a broader spectrum of digital services designed to drive full-funnel growth and engagement,” said Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO, Stagwell.

“This move is a long-awaited natural next step in Brand New Galaxy’s journey since it joined Stagwell back in 2021. BNG has already been closely collaborating with Assembly on a number of global clients for the past two years, and coming under one umbrella is a natural move which creates even more growth opportunities for both our clients and people. I am truly excited about joining forces with Assembly to continue to be a challenger on the market and expand the digital frontiers even further together,” says Piotr Morkowski, now Global Digital Commerce CEO at Assembly.

“I am thrilled to have Brand New Galaxy become a part of Assembly,” says Rick Acampora, Global CEO of Assembly. “ Their expertise in digital commerce is a fantastic addition to help drive more meaningful connections between clients and their audiences. This integration and added capability allow us to help our clients grow by connecting their needs from end-to-end with more transactional data and insights to inform better brand strategies at the onset. We’re also excited about what this means for our people as more scale and exposure result in more professional growth for each of them. Our goal is to Find the Change that Fuels Growth in everything we do, and we are excited about the limitless possibilities that lie ahead.”

ABOUT ASSEMBLY
Assembly is a leading global omnichannel media agency that merges data, talent, and technology to catalyze growth for the world’s most esteemed brands. Our holistic approach weaves together compelling brand narratives with a comprehensive suite of global media capabilities, driving performance and fostering significant business expansion. Our initiatives are powered by STAGE, our proprietary operating system, and executed by a dedicated global team of over 2,300 professionals across 35 offices worldwide. Committed to purposeful action, Assembly leads the way in social and environmental impact within the agency realm. As a proud member of Stagwell, the challenger network designed to revolutionize marketing, Assembly continues to set new standards of excellence. For more information, please visit assemblyglobal.com.

ABOUT STAGWELL
Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

STAGWELL CONTACT:
Kara Gelber   
pr@stagwellglobal.com

ASSEMBLY CONTACT:
Jess Santini
jess.santini@assemblyglobal.com

Each webinar will dive into Stagwell’s client work, market insights, and thought leadership across core areas such as Digital Transformation, Creativity & Communications, Performance Media & Data, and Research & Consumer Insights, as well as special topics such as the Company’s M&A strategy, political advocacy firms, and approach to artificial intelligence.

Upcoming: “The Next Five Years in Marketing”

Kicking off the series is “The Next Five Years in Marketing,” an in-depth exploration of the transformative technology, consumer, and client forces poised to shape the industry’s future. The webinar will take place on Tuesday, June 11 from 1-2PM ET, and feature:

• Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO, Stagwell
• David Sable, Vice Chair, Stagwell
• Julia Hammond, President, Global Solutions, Stagwell

Penn will present the trends shaping the next five years in marketing, followed by a roundtable discussion and Q&A with Sable and Hammond.

To register, visit this page. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions in advance by emailing ir@stagwellglobal.com.

Investors can stay up to date on the latest offerings and events in this series by visiting Stagwell’s investor site here.

About Stagwell
Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at stagwellglobal.com.

Contact:

Ben Allanson
ir@stagwellglobal.com 

NEW YORK and CANNES, France, May 23, 2024 – Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), the challenger network built to transform marketing, announced today a new roster of athletes and brand partners confirmed to activate at Sport Beach 2024 (June 17-20), the flagship sports business destination at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (Cannes Lions).

As sports, business, and culture increasingly converge, Stagwell will host conversations with athletes and brands working together to connect with consumers in an authentic way. Four-time NBA champion and media personality, Draymond Green, will be featured in programming. Manchester United legend Eric Cantona, former professional soccer player Karen Carney, professional soccer player Mary Earps, football player DeAndre Hopkins, basketball player Flau’jae Johnson, pilates instructor Amanda Kassar, Super Bowl champion and seven-time Pro Bowl honoree Jason Kelce, two-time Super Bowl champion and star NFL tight end Travis Kelce, and dancer and entertainment icon Jess King will also participate in featured programming and appearances. These athletes speak to several growing trends in sports and business, including the integration of sporting icons into the global apparel business, the growth of women’s sports and the proliferation of athlete-driven media.

“Sport Beach puts athletes and marketers together for real conversations – and serious play,” said Stagwell’s Chief Brand and Communications Officer Beth Sidhu. “Our attendees can expect Sport Beach to be a different kind of experience at Cannes Lions that capitalizes on the many intersections within sport, creativity and culture.”

Event Highlights

• Wine & Spirits Festival: NBA 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony and business partner Asani Swann will host the first-ever Wine & Spirits Festival at Cannes Lions on Thursday, June 20, featuring tastings of their flagship wine brand VII(N) The Seventh Estate, alongside:
  • Casa Azul Tequila Soda from two-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce
  • Garage Beer by Super Bowl champions and brothers Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce
  • La Fête du Rosé from co-owner and Golden State Warriors point guard Chris Paul
  • Le Portier premier cognac from NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe
  • The Paloma by Don Julio, the official cocktail of Sport Beach 2024
• Pickleball with the Pros: Patrick Mouratoglou, legendary tennis coach of Serena Williams and current coach of Danish star Holger Rune, and Recess Pickleball, will each lead a pickleball clinic at Sport Beach ahead of a team tournament sponsored by Snapchat.
• Podcast Recordings: Sport Beach will host recordings of some of today’s most popular podcasts including:
  • “A Touch More” with Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe
  • “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce”
  • “Nightcap” with Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson
• AR Comes to Sport Beach: Stagwell’s ARound, a shared augmented reality platform for teams and stadiums, will showcase a new interactive experience at Sport Beach that unites fans and brands for an immersive and engaging event.

Athletes

• Eric Cantona (soccer) – Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., through the Snapdragon® processor brand, is bringing Manchester United legend Eric Cantona to Sport Beach. Eric Cantona is one of Manchester United’s most iconic players and a legend of the game. After joining the club in 1992, signing from United’s bitter rivals, Leeds United, he went on to win four Premier League titles in five years including two League and FA Cup Doubles. He wore Manchester United’s iconic No. 7 shirt and was known for turning up his collar – a trademark look. He is also affectionately nicknamed by Manchester United fans as “King Eric.” In 2003, Cantona was voted as Manchester United’s greatest ever player by Inside United magazine. He was an inaugural inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 and in 2021 Cantona was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
• Karen Carney (soccer) – Karen Carney is the lead female analyst and pundit for men’s & women’s football on Sky Sports and ITV Sport – working across the Premier League, The WSL, The FA Cup and men’s & women’s tournament football. Karen played professional soccer for Arsenal, Chelsea, Birmingham City, Chicago Red Stars and has 144 caps for England. In 2023, Karen chaired the recent UK governments report into the Future of Women’s Football, where she led the review and continues to work with the government to help futureproof the sport.
• Mary Earps (soccer) – Mary Earps is an English professional footballer who plays goalkeeper for Manchester United in the Women’s Super League and the England national team. She was awarded FIFA Best Goalkeeper in 2023 and again in 2024. She also founded MAE27, a clothing line focused on empowering others.
• Draymond Green (basketball) – Draymond Green is an American professional basketball player for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. Green is a four-time NBA champion, four-time All-Star, NBA Defensive Player of the Year, two-time All-NBA Team member, seven-time All-Defensive Team member, and two-time Olympic gold medalist. As an active player, Green is a prominent media figure, hosting and producing “The Draymond Green Show” podcast, broadcasting for TNT, and featuring in commercials, shows, films, interviews and events.  Green’s on-air and executive producer success ignited his creation of the media and production company, “The New Media.”
• DeAndre Hopkins (football) – DeAndre Hopkins is an American football wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. He played college football for the Clemson Tigers and was selected by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. Hopkins is a five-time Pro Bowler, has been named to five All-Pro teams and signed with IMG Models.
• Flau’jae Johnson (basketball) – Flau’jae, a multifaceted superstar from Savannah, Georgia, shines both as an LSU women’s basketball champion (2023) and a rising music artist. With a rich musical heritage inherited from her late father, Camouflage, a renowned recording artist, she has signed a distribution deal with Jay Z’s Roc Nation (EQ). Celebrated for her performances on “The Rap Game” and as the first rapper to earn the Golden Buzzer on “America’s Got Talent,” Flau’Jae continues to captivate audiences. Her recent single “AMF” featuring NLE Choppa precedes her upcoming debut EP “Best of Both Worlds,” showcasing her diverse talents. An influential social media figure, Flau’Jae engages over 3 million engaged followers across platforms, building a strong community known as “The Flauk.”
• Amanda Kassar (pilates) – Celebrity pilates trainer Amanda Kassar has been cultivating a loyal group of clients at her exclusive private pilates studio, Pilates By Amanda, for over seven years. As a certified pilates trainer for over ten years, Kassar has been able to refine her technique and teaching style by listening to her clients and honing in on their feedback they respond most positively to. Amanda is also the founder of Core Club, a video-based class subscription app.
• Jason Kelce (football) – Jason Kelce is a Super Bowl champion and seven-time Pro Bowl honoree who recently retired from the Philadelphia Eagles. Jason and his brother Travis teamed up in 2022 to launch the wildly popular original series, “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce,” which recently reached #1 on the Spotify sports chart and #1 overall on the Apple podcast charts. In 2022, Jason founded Underdog Apparel, with all proceeds benefitting Jason’s non-profit, the (Be) Philly Foundation. Jason has also given significant time and resources to benefit the Eagles Autism Foundation. Jason will be making his broadcast debut this season on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown.
• Travis Kelce (football) – The star NFL Tight End, Travis Kelce, is a 3x Super Bowl Champion and 9x Pro Bowler with the Kansas City Chiefs. Consistently ranked as the #1 Tight End in the league, this future Hall-of-Famer continues to break records for 11 seasons straight. In March 2023, he took to the stage at NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” as one of the few athletes ever invited to do so. In addition to launching his podcast “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce” with his brother Jason, Travis developed a clothing line “Tru Kolors,” hosted his first sold-out music festival, “Kelce Jam,” and launched 87 & Running, a foundation to empower underserved youth to achieve success by providing resources and support to their communities.
• Jess King (dancer & entertainment icon) – Jess King is a fitness, wellness, and entertainment icon, notably recognized as a founding instructor at Peloton, a celebrity DJ, wellness entrepreneur, and motivational speaker. Known for her energized and music-loving rides and runs on the Peloton bike and tread, Jess channels her passion for revolutionizing fitness by bridging the gap between fitness and entertainment, exemplified in her signature Peloton ride series, the Jess King Experience. Beginning her journey on the bike in 2014, she has since amassed an international following of riders and runners.

Media Partners

• Ben Lyons is a Senior Creative Advisor to Stagwell and Sport Beach. He is a multi-platform, award winning On-Air Talent, Producer, and Marketing Strategist at the center of elevated sports storytelling.
• Page Six is a world leader in celebrity and entertainment news. As a daily must-read for those who want to stay in the know, Page Six features breaking news and the inside scoop on the latest top stories. Page Six has evolved into an iconic and powerful brand reaching audiences across all platforms including digital, video, print, social, podcast and TV.
• Sports Business Journal (SBJ) sits at the epicenter of the sports industry. SBJ provides the news, the networking and the data to equip the most powerful executives in sports business to make more informed decisions, deals and partnerships. SBJ’s award-winning media content is delivered via multiple media platforms, unparalleled networking opportunities through its hallmark events and awards and market-leading data.
• The Athletic, founded in 2016 and acquired by The New York Times in 2022, is the world’s leading direct-to-consumer digital sports media company committed to elevated sports storytelling. The Athletic has the world’s largest sports newsroom, with 500 full-time employees covering more than 250 professional sports and collegiate teams in the US and globally. Through a personalized subscriber experience built around the teams and leagues that fans follow, The Athletic delivers content and insight across a range of formats from written to audio, video and social – delivering powerful stories and smart analysis that bring sports fans closer to the heart of the game. From breaking news and live commentary to deeply reported long reads and exclusive interviews, subscribers rely on The Athletic for every sports story that matters.

Brand Partners

• Apollo Jets revolutionized the private jet charter industry and continues to set new standards. We are known for our commitment to providing tailored service and access to the largest network of private jet operators. As one of the largest and most respected charter brokers in the US, we have the resources and expertise to deliver world-class service that exceeds expectations.
• BOSS is made for bold, self-determined individuals who live life on their own terms, with passion, style, and purpose. Collections offer dynamic, modern designs for those that embrace who they are fully and unapologetically: as their own BOSS. The brand’s heritage tailoring, performance suiting, casualwear, denim, athleisure, and accessories cater to the style needs of the discerning consumer. Licensed fragrances, eyewear, watches, and kidswear complete the brand. The world of BOSS can be experienced in over 489 own stores worldwide. BOSS is the core brand of HUGO BOSS, one of the leading companies positioned in the premium segment of the global apparel market. The group offers collections in 131 countries at around 7,800 points of sale and online in 73 countries via hugoboss.com. With approximately 19,000 employees worldwide, the company, based in Metzingen (Germany), posted sales of EUR 4.2 billion in the fiscal year 2023.
• Channel Factory is a global technology and data platform that maximizes both performance efficiency and contextual suitability and alignment, turning YouTube’s 5 billion videos and 500 hours per minute of new content into brand-suitable, efficient advertising opportunities. Channel Factory’s mission is to create a suitable video ecosystem that connects creators, brands, and consumers – by enabling advertisers access to the most relevant videos, channels, and creators.
• DIRECTV Advertising is a pioneer in the converged addressable space, delivering industry leading audience-based, digital, and innovative media solutions. Employing our decades of experience, we empower advertisers to address and engage their audience at scale while continuously measuring campaign impact against brand goals to unlock insights and optimize future campaigns.
• Eastside Golf focuses on the future of the game with a deep respect for its past. We recognize that golf, once an exclusive domain, is now a space for everyone, offering its benefits and values to all. Under the progressive and inclusive leadership of Olajuwan Ajanaku and Earl Cooper, we are committed to making golf accessible and welcoming to everyone. All the while growing our brand and delivering premium luxury apparel that speaks to a variety of golfers.
• Gatorade returns to Sport Beach as the official hydration partner for the second year. The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo, provides sports performance innovations designed to meet the needs of athletes at all competitive levels and across a broad range of sports.
• Kansas City Chiefs – Founded as the Dallas Texans in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL) by sports pioneer Lamar Hunt, the franchise moved to Kansas City in 1963 and became known as the Kansas City Chiefs. The team currently competes in the West Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL) and has won four Super Bowl championships. Under the guidance of the Hunt Family and the leadership of Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, the mission of the Kansas City Chiefs is to Win with Character, Unite our Community, Inspire our Fans and Honor Tradition. For more information about the Kansas City Chiefs, visit Chiefs.com.
• LG Ad Solutions is a global leader in connected TV and cross-screen advertising, helping brands find hard-to-get unduplicated reach at optimal frequency across the fragmented streaming TV landscape. We bring together LG’s years of experience in delivering world-class smart TVs to consumers worldwide, with big TV audience data and Video AI designed to connect brands with audiences across all screens. Learn more at tv.
• OpenX is an independent omni-channel supply-side platform (SSP) and a global leader in supply-side targeting, transparency, and sustainability. Through its 100% cloud-based tech stack, OpenX powers advertising across CTV, app, mobile web, and desktop, enabling publishers to deliver marketers with improved performance and dynamic future-proofed solutions. With a 15-year track record of programmatic innovation, OpenX is a direct and trusted partner of the world’s largest publishers, working with more than 130,000 premium publisher domains and over 100,000 advertisers. As the market leader in sustainability, OpenX was the first adtech company to be certified as CarbonNeutral™ and third-party verified for achieving its SBTi Net-Zero targets. Learn more at openx.com.
• PadSquad is a leading innovator in digital advertising, specializing in interactive and engaging ad experiences across screens. With a focus on high-impact strategies for digital, PadSquad empowers brands to connect with consumers in meaningful ways through innovative ad formats and cutting-edge technology.
• Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. through the Snapdragon brand is bringing Manchester United back to Sport Beach. Snapdragon processors power many of the devices you love from smartphones to PCs and XR devices to vehicles, and so much more, and has been bringing extraordinary experiences to fans of the No. 1 sports team in the world. Don McGuire, Qualcomm CMO, and Eric Cantona, Manchester United legend, will share how Snapdragon and Manchester United are taking their partnership to the next level with never-before-seen exclusive content – the intersection of technology and sports will never be the same.
• Relo Metrics is an AI-powered sponsorship analytics platform that enables brands to track and optimize their sponsorship investments and powers teams and leagues with the insights they need to retain and grow revenue. The company tracks sponsor exposure across live broadcasts, social media, and streaming platforms and delivers actionable insights via a fast, single-solution platform. For more information, visit www.relometrics.com
• Samba TV has transformed the TV from a pane of glass on the wall to a window into the heart of audiences. We are the global leader in television technology powering real-time insights and audience targeting to enable unparalleled marketing efficiency and effectiveness. Our proprietary first-party data from tens of millions of opted-in televisions, across more than 20 TV brands sold in over 100 countries, provides advertisers and media companies a unified view of the entire consumer journey. Our independent measurement has future-proofed advertising for the next generation, empowering advertisers to connect with their audiences on any platform, across every screen. To learn more, visit samba.tv.
• Snapchat enhances relationships with friends, family, and the world. To help us connect during one of the busiest industry events of the year, they’ll be bringing us together through sport as the official sponsor of the Sports Beach pickleball tournament. Sport Beach will also leverage Snapchat’s proprietary in-stadium Camera Kit integration—the same technology found at SoFi Stadium and the Barclays Center—which allows fans to experience the joy of Snapchat’s most popular Lenses on the Jumbotron together.
• The Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA) is a non-profit 501c3 professional membership organization comprised of Black CxO’s. Members are committed to four key pillars; share, learn, elevate and pay it forward in order to create opportunity, access, and equality for the current and next generation of Black marketing leaders.
• Vacation® Inc is an award-winning sunscreen company from Miami USA on a mission to make sunscreen fun. Founded by Marty Bell, Lach Hall, and Dakota Green, the trio works alongside Dr. Elizabeth Hale, Board Certified Dermatologist and an SVP of The Skin Cancer Foundation, as well as world-renowned perfumers Carlos Huber and Rodrigo Flores-Roux to create products that are both unique in the category – take their whipped cream-inspired “Classic Whip Sunscreen Mousse” – and which make the wearer look, feel, and smell like they’ve been to paradise and back. Vacation® Inc launched in June 2021 and quickly became a viral sensation, beloved for its “leisure-enhancing” sunscreen and nostalgic 360-degree brand world inspired by the sun-soaked days of 1980s beach culture. You can find Vacation® sunscreen products at retailers nationwide including Ulta Beauty, Nordstrom, and Target, and on www.Vacation.inc.
• Wilson Sporting Goods Co. is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-performance sports equipment, apparel, footwear and accessories. The Company brings more than a century of innovation and heritage to the world of sport – celebrating the iconic moments made possible by Wilson across Racquet Sports, Baseball, Softball, American Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer and Golf. Wilson is part of Amer Sports Group, a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange.
• Zillow Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: Z and ZG) is reimagining real estate to make home a reality for more and more people. As the most visited real estate website in the United States, Zillow and its affiliates help people find and get the home they want by connecting them with digital solutions, dedicated partners and agents, and easier buying, selling, financing and renting experiences.

For the full roster of leaders, innovators, and cultural influencers joining Sport Beach 2024, visit sportbeach.com.

To learn more about partnership opportunities on the ground at Sport Beach, reach out to cannescomms@stagwellglobal.com. Sport Beach will be produced by TEAM in partnership with Cheerful Twentyfirst.

About Stagwell

Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

Media Contact
Kara Gelber
pr@stagwellglobal.com

Social media platforms and companies viewed as politically polarizing are the ones with the poorest reputations or that suffered the steepest declines. This year, The Trump Organization, X (formerly Twitter), Spirit Airlines, Meta/Facebook and Fox Corporation are at the bottom of the 26^th annual list, with poor reputations.

“This year’s Axios-Harris Poll 100 finds a systemic loss in corporate reputation, as public backlash to the handling of inflation has created higher prices and poorer value for the stretched American consumer,” said John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll. “In fact, 72% believe companies are taking advantage of inflation to increase their profit margins rather than being fair and transparent with the prices they charge.”

Stagwell’s Harris Poll has ranked reputation since 1999. The survey’s Reputation Quotient (RQ) ranking is based on companies that are most visible to the general population and on their performance in seven key areas:

• Trust – “Is this a company I trust?”
• Vision – “Does this company have a clear vision for the future?”
• Growth – “Is this a growing company?”
• Products and Services – “Does this company develop innovative products and services that I want and value?”
• Culture – “Is this a good company to work for?”
• Ethics – “Does this company maintain high ethical standards?”
• Citizenship – “Does this company share my values/support good causes?”

This year, only one industry – pharmaceuticals – improved. Biggest individual company gainers: BP, Hobby Lobby, Fidelity, Subway and eBay. Biggest decliners: Boeing, Shein, Reddit, Starbucks and Anheuser-Busch. New to the list: Nvidia, Mattel, Novo Nordisk, Bayer and Alaska Airlines.

“To excel at reputation, companies must deliver on strong business performance, corporate character and trust,” said Ray Day, vice chair of Stagwell. “While you can build a brand, you earn a reputation. This year’s results underscore more than ever that reputation needs to be a priority from the board room to the C-suite – as companies with the strongest reputations also are the ones winning in the marketplace.”

Among the insights from this year’s study:

• DOWN ACROSS THE BOARD: 63 of the 89 companies (or 71%) see a decline of half a point or more. Only 15 companies (17%) see an improvement of  half a point or more. 2024 is the lowest number of companies with an “excellent” score in a decade.
• WORST YEAR SINCE BEFORE COVID: Reputation scores are their lowest levels since pre-COVID. The average score of the 100 companies this year is 72.8, down from 74.1 last year and 74.2 in 2022.
• TOP DECLINE REASONS: Top reasons for declining reputations include: companies not doing enough to keep prices fair from inflation (26%); poor ethical behavior related to unfair pricing and passing along costs or suppressing wages/lack of hiring despite profit-making (20%); and too much focus on cultural issues not important to consumers (18%).
• CANCELING BUSINESS OVER INFLATION: 66% of Americans recently have stopped doing business with a company because of unreasonably high prices, and 59% have gone elsewhere due to falling quality.
• WHAT BUSINESS SHOULD DO: To improve reputation, Americans believe companies should: be more focused on keeping prices fair during inflation (53%); improve product quality, safety and consumer satisfaction (48%); and pay good wages while promoting economic growth through job creation (48%) – rather than ESG (23%), AI (13%) or taking proactive stances on societal or culture issues.

The Axios Harris Poll 100 is based on a survey of nearly 25,000 Americans in a nationally representative sample conducted January through March. The two-step process starts fresh each year by surveying the public’s top-of-mind awareness of companies that either excel or falter. These 100 “most visible companies” are then ranked by a second group of Americans across the seven key dimensions of reputation to arrive at the ranking. If a company is not on the list, it did not reach a critical level of visibility to be measured.

For information on all companies and their ranking on the 2024 Axios-Harris Poll 100, or to purchase an in-depth analysis of a company’s reputation, click here.

About The Harris Poll
The Harris Poll is one of the longest-running surveys in the U.S., tracking public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963. It is now part of Harris Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm that delivers social intelligence for transformational times. We work with clients in three primary areas: building 21^st century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. Our mission is to provide insights and advisory to help leaders make the best decisions possible. Learn more by visiting www.harrispoll.com and follow Harris Poll on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Axios
Axios is a digital media company launched in 2017. Axios – which means “worthy” in Greek – helps you become smarter, faster with news and information across politics, tech, business, media, science and the world. Subscribe to our newsletters at axios.com/newsletters and download our mobile app at axios.com/app.

About Stagwell
Stagwell is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 10,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com .

Contact:
John Gerzema
jgerzema@harrispoll.com  

Ray Day
ray.day@stagwellglobal.com 

“Americans always want to hear from the candidates directly and make up their own minds,” said Mark Penn, Co-Director of the Harvard CAPS / Harris poll and Stagwell Chairman and CEO. “The race is still open, which reinforces why the candidates should be going after the undecided independents, rather than their own bases.”

MOST VOTERS WANT PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

• 69% of voters say they have made up their minds on who they will vote for; 44% of Independents, 30% of Democrats and 22% of Republicans are still weighing the choices.
• 79% of voters want Biden and Trump to debate each other.
• 71% think the debates should include third-party or independent candidates that clear a viable threshold, such as RFK, Jr.
• 54% think debate microphones should automatically cut off when a speaker’s time elapses (Democrats and Independents: 60% each; Republicans: 44%).

WITH INFLATION AS TOP ISSUE, ECONOMIC OUTLOOK DIVERGES BY RACE

• Inflation is far and away the most important issue to voters personally, 25 points higher than immigration, the second choice.
• 52% of Hispanic voters and 42% of Asian voters say their personal financial situation is getting worse, while 49% of Black voters (a plurality) say their personal financial situation is improving.
• Biden’s approval is 53% among Hispanic voters, 66% among Black voters and 37% among Asian voters.

BIDEN’S ISRAEL POLICY IS UNPOPULAR

• Biden’s job approval on the Israel-Hamas war dropped to 36%, his lowest.
• 57% believe Biden should continue to provide Israel with weapons even if it enters Rafah (Democrats: 48%; Republicans: 64%; Independents: 58%).
• 53% think Biden’s Israel policy is being directed by perceived domestic politics, not just what’s best for U.S. national interest in a safe and secure Israel (Democrats: 38%; Republicans: 65%; Independents: 56%).

MOST AMERICANS SUPPORT APPROPRIATE PUNISHMENTS FOR CAMPUS PROTESTERS

• 79% of voters believe student protesters should be removed from college campuses through detainment or arrest if they become violent or damage university property (ages 18-24: 64%; ages 65+: 92%).
• 78% believe public university officials who choose to discipline these student protesters are taking necessary action to stop public safety threats, not violating their right to free speech and public assembly (ages 18-24: 66%; ages 65+: 90%).

NO FRONTRUNNERS FOR TRUMP VP

• Voters’ top picks for Trump’s VP among politicians who have endorsed him are Ron DeSantis (12%), Tim Scott (9%) and Vivek Ramaswamy (8%).
• Ramaswamy, Scott, and Marco Rubio were the top choices who Republican voters said would make them more likely to vote for Trump.

The May Harvard CAPS / Harris poll survey was conducted online within the United States on May 15-16, 2024, among 1,660 registered voters by The Harris Poll and HarrisX. Follow the Harvard CAPS Harris Poll podcast at https://www.markpennpolls.com/ or on iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. 

About The Harris Poll & HarrisX

The Harris Poll is a global consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. It works with clients in three primary areas: building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. One of the longest-running surveys in the U.S., The Harris Poll has tracked public opinion, motivations, and social sentiment since 1963, and is now part of Stagwell, the challenger holding company built to transform marketing.

HarrisX is a technology-driven market research and data analytics company that conducts multi-method research in the U.S. and over 40 countries around the world on behalf of Fortune 100 companies, public policy institutions, global leaders, NGOs and philanthropic organizations. HarrisX was the most accurate pollster of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

About the Harvard Center for American Political Studies
The Center for American Political Studies (CAPS) is committed to and fosters the interdisciplinary study of U.S. politics.  Governed by a group of political scientists, sociologists, historians, and economists within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, CAPS drives discussion, research, public outreach, and pedagogy about all aspects of U.S. politics. CAPS encourages cutting-edge research using a variety of methodologies, including historical analysis, social surveys, and formal mathematical modeling, and it often cooperates with other Harvard centers to support research training and encourage cross-national research about the United States in comparative and global contexts. More information at https://caps.gov.harvard.edu/.

CONTACT: 
Sarah Arvizo
pr@stagwellglobal.com 

The announcement comes as Nexxen launches the Nexxen Data Platform, building and expanding upon its proprietary data management platform. The platform provides an enriched ecosystem in which brands can securely and effectively input data of their choosing (first-party, contextual, second-party and more) to augment their audiences with Nexxen’s unique data assets and proprietary applications including contextual audience discovery tools. The availability of automatic content recognition (“ACR”) data through the platform enables advertisers to better understand viewability patterns and optimally allocate spend across linear and digital TV.

Various capabilities of the partnership are made possible through Nexxen’s proprietary unified identity graph. The solution, which will be broadly accessible through the Nexxen Data Platform, will combine and deduplicate multiple identifiers into a merged graph to enable increased scale, frequency capping and better targeting and attribution at the person and household level. The unified graph will also help advertisers address changes in privacy and identity, including cookie deprecation.

“As Stagwell grows our assets and pipeline within the media ecosystem, this partnership with Nexxen is a win-win for clients,” said Mark Penn, chairman and CEO, Stagwell. “Clients of the Stagwell Marketing Cloud can leverage the Nexxen Data Platform, specifically Nexxen’s proprietary identity graph and Stagwell’s clean room capabilities, to effectively maximize their campaigns with unified and comprehensive views of valuable audiences across touchpoints and devices, in a privacy-compliant manner.”

“Emerging technology like the Nexxen Data Platform is enriching advertisers’ knowledge of consumers and improving engagement, enabling a shift from exclusively buying media to buying against audiences, and it is driving better results,” said Ofer Druker, CEO, Nexxen. “Our important partnership with Stagwell brings advanced data solutions to top tier brands around the globe, and will grow in incremental layers of innovation and value as we put data at the core of Nexxen’s strategic roadmap.”

About Stagwell Inc. 
Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com

About Stagwell Marketing Cloud
Stagwell Marketing Cloud (SMC) is a marketing-focused, AI-enablement platform built for the modern marketer. Born out of Stagwell’s (NASDAQ: STGW) network of award-winning marketing agencies, SMC’s technology empowers marketers to drive business impact by giving them intuitive tools equipped with proprietary, actionable data. SMC’s portfolio of solutions powers strategic consumer research, communications, and media activation for brands worldwide by leveraging technology such as generative and predictive artificial intelligence, shared augmented reality, and more. Get your head in the cloud at www.stagwellmarketingcloud.com

About Nexxen 
Nexxen empowers advertisers, agencies, publishers and broadcasters around the world to utilize video and Connected TV in the ways that are most meaningful to them. Comprised of a demand-side platform (DSP), supply-side platform (SSP), ad server and data management platform (DMP), Nexxen delivers a flexible and unified technology stack with advanced and exclusive data at its core. Our robust capabilities span discovery, planning, activation, measurement and optimization – available individually or in combination – all designed to enable our partners to reach their goals, no matter how far-reaching or hyper niche they may be. For more information, visit www.nexxen.com

Nexxen is headquartered in Israel and maintains offices throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia-Pacific, and is traded on the London Stock Exchange (AIM: NEXN) and NASDAQ (NEXN).

More information is available on the Nexxen Data Platform at www.nexxen.com/nexxen-data-platform

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “can,” “will,” “estimates,” and other similar expressions. However, these words are not the only way Nexxen identifies forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding the benefits associated with the Nexxen/Stagwell partnership, and Nexxen’s products and platforms including the Nexxen Data Platform and proprietary identity graph. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause Nexxen’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from its expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: negative global economic conditions; global conflicts and war, including the current terrorist attacks by Hamas, and the war and hostilities between Israel and Hamas and Israel and Hezbollah, and how those conditions may adversely impact Nexxen’s business, customers, and the markets in which Nexxen competes. Nexxen cautions you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of these factors, and other factors that could cause actual results to vary materially, interested parties should review the risk factors listed in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov) on March 6, 2024. Any forward-looking statements made by Nexxen in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, and Nexxen does not intend to update these forward-looking statements after the date of this press release, except as required by law.

Nexxen, and the Nexxen logo are trademarks of Nexxen International Ltd. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word “partner” or “partnership” in this press release does not mean a legal partner or legal partnership.

Media Contact
Sarah Arvizo
pr@stagwellglobal.com 

Recognizing that news is the foundation of a thriving democracy and a critical marketing vehicle, Stagwell is launching a series of ‘Future of News’ studies and events to fuel discussions on the importance of advertising in news.

Stagwell’s inaugural research for the series examines the concept of brand safety—the measures taken to ensure a brand’s advertisements don’t appear alongside content that could potentially harm that brand’s reputation. Because the current approach to brand safety disproportionately hurts the news industry, Stagwell created a study to determine the real impact of ad adjacency.

The groundbreaking survey reveals that ads placed adjacent to news topics such as politics, inflation and crime perform as effectively as those placed next to business, entertainment and sports stories.

“Our research shows brands shouldn’t fear advertising on news—but rather relish it.  News junkies, who make up 25% of Americans, are one of the most valuable yet under-tapped marketing audiences,” said Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO of  Stagwell. “Instead of feeding the vicious cycle of news demonetization that hurts quality journalism the most, advertisers should kickstart a virtuous cycle of investing in news that allows brands to reach valuable audiences and gives quality news content the financial stability it needs to thrive.”

Additional findings include:

• Among Gen Z, the average purchase intent for brands whose ads were placed next to high-quality news articles on the Middle East conflict was 65%, compared to 66% for inflation and 67% for crime—differences that are statistically insignificant. Purchase intent was 69% for sports (widely considered a ‘safe’ news topic) illustrating a minimal four percentage point difference between the ‘riskiest’ and ‘safest’ topics.
• Among more affluent American households, the average favorability ratings for brands whose ads were placed next to high-quality, yet political news articles on former President Trump and President Biden were each 72%—just two percentage points less than brands whose ads were placed next to a non-political entertainment story.
• Among moms, the average purchase intent for brands whose ads were placed next to articles on inflation (a potentially negative story), and business (a more neutral story) were each 70%, showing no difference between the two. Purchase intent was only two percentage points less for brands whose ads were placed next to a news story about crime with the words “subway shooting” in the title—words that get blocked as a matter of course with today’s brand safety practices.

“Brand safety considerations have become prevalent in the media and marketing industries, but they require serious scientific evaluation and more rigorous metrics to assess whether brands really face dangers from news adjacency,” said Dritan Nesho, CEO of HarrisX, which conducted the study. “Our study shows clearly and repeatedly that ads next to news content that is currently considered ‘not brand safe’ performs on par with ads next to what is currently considered ‘brand safe.'” 

Stagwell is committed to initiating data-driven discussions with advertisers about their investment in news. This topic and more will be discussed at tonight’s inaugural Future of News summit which will be held at Stagwell’s global headquarters in New York.

Interested parties can request a copy of the research here. For additional questions, please contact hello@stagwellglobal.com. 

Methodology

The Future of News Study was conducted among 49,990 U.S. adults from March 29 to April 19, 2024. HarrisX, a Stagwell company, conducted the quantitative survey-based online interviews. The sampling margin of error is +/-0.44% for the total study.

The survey data was weighted to a nationally representative sample of American adults across key demographics, including age, gender, region, race/ethnicity, education, income. Click here to read the full methodology.

About Stagwell
Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

About HarrisX
HarrisX is a leading global research consultancy that regularly conducts major market research, public policy polling and social science studies and consulting engagements in more than 40 countries around the world. It is a proud member of Stagwell Global (STGW). Learn more at www.harrisx.com.

Contact:
Kara Gelber
pr@stagwellglobal.com