ESPN Journalist Holly Rowe, Former Twitter Top Sports Exec TJ Adeshola to Join

NEW YORK and CANNES, France, May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), the challenger network built to transform marketing, announced its second round of talent and brand partners joining programming at Sport Beach following the first announcement last month. The network’s flagship venue at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2023 (Cannes Lions), Sport Beach is built for brands, platforms and athletes to tap into the cultural zeitgeist of sport and explore the power of fandom.

Four award-winning agencies come together under the most iconic CP+B banner.

NEW YORK, April 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Today, four award-winning agencies within Stagwell (STGW) have combined forces under CP+B, accelerating its positioning as the agency for modern growth audiences. MMI, Vitro and Observatory will come together within the iconic CP+B banner across North America, adding a collection of new capabilities to create an integrated creative powerhouse.

The refreshed CP+B comes in response to the demands of modern marketers who are seeking simplicity, integration, and breakthrough creativity. The trio of agencies enhances CP+B’s ability to deliver on those needs through additional centers of excellence in paid and performance media and marketing, content and audience insight and analytics.

“For the past six months, we’ve been reviewing our portfolio of brands in response to the growing demand for integrated solutions that perform across creative, media, and communications,” Global CEO Brad Simms said, “This move reclaims CP+B’s transformational DNA, and integrates MMI’s media and performance marketing, Vitro’s boutique creative and Observatory’s branded entertainment capabilities.”

Under the leadership of Simms, CP+B has continued its growth trajectory since August 2022 with a suite of new client partners, including Dropbox, Old Dominion Freight Line, Plackers, Nasonex, adding to its existing portfolio anchored by Buchanan’s Scotch Whisky. The new 300+ strong agency brings media, creator and digital at scale to those brands and opens new avenues of growth and integrated storytelling for the existing roster of brands, including Amazon, Marriott, Procter & Gamble, and 19 Crimes.

Maggie Malek, formerly the CEO of MMI, has been appointed President, North America, reporting to Simms. Malek has held a number of progressive roles within MMI, most recently leading the agency as CEO since 2019. Under her leadership, the agency has achieved notable growth, client success, staff retention and repeated recognition as a best place to work.

“CP+B earned a reputation as an industry disruptor with iconic campaigns that redefined what ‘creative’ looked like,” Malek said. “As the forces around us spark new technologies, channels, and demand for integrated solutions, it’s invigorating to marry CP+B’s innovative creative spirit with complementary talent and capabilities across media, branded entertainment, content and creator marketing. Breaking through for brands requires the melding of performance and possibility. Our new CP+B team can do that like few others in the industry, and I’m eager to showcase what working with us can unlock for brands.”

“Maggie is the perfect partner for this next chapter for CP+B. Her ability to set a clear vision and drive it to fruition is one of her superpowers. She cares about her people and has a fearless drive to deliver measurable impact and value for her clients,” Simms added.

Rounding out the North American leadership team is:

Josh Braithwaite, Chief Creative Officer, North America (currently in this role)
Tom Sullivan, Chief Growth Officer, North America (formerly CEO of Vitro)
Brendan Shields-Shimizu, Chief Innovation Officer, North America (formerly CEO of Observatory)
Laura Eder, Chief Operating Officer, North America (formerly COO of MMI)

“CP+B is the original challenger brand and core to the fabric of Stagwell. I’ve said it before and will say it again: we believe in the CP+B brand and with talented leaders like Brad and Maggie at the helm, I’m confident the future of CP+B is bright,” Stagwell Chairman and CEO Mark Penn said. “Throughout the network, we continue to find ways to support our agency brands in their growth trajectory while building more seamless solutions for clients to help the modern marketer win.”

About Crispin Porter + Bogusky
CP+B has offices in North America, London and São Paulo. CP+B has been named Agency of the Decade by Advertising Age and Agency of the Year 13 times in its history. CP+B is also the only agency to have won the Cannes Titanium Grand Prix three times. www.cpbgroup.com 

For more information, contact: lindsay.bennett@galepartners.com

SOURCE Stagwell Inc.

THE PUBLIC CONTINUES TO TAKE THE REPUBLICANS’ SIDE ON DEBT NEGOTIATIONS

INDICTMENT STRETCHES TRUMP’S PRIMARY LEAD BUT DESANTIS CONSIDERED A REAL CHALLENGE 

NEW YORK and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) today released the results of the April Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll, a monthly collaboration between the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard (CAPS) and the Harris Poll and HarrisX.

The percentage of Americans who think the country is on the wrong track has ticked back up to 62% as President Biden’s approval remains at 43%. With default looming ever closer, 65% of voters want Congress to raise the debt ceiling only with restraints on future spending. The poll also includes public opinion on crime and ESG. Download key results here.

“Donald Trump has parlayed an unprecedented indictment into a consolidation of party support while Biden’s numbers remain weak, but many Americans are still very open to a moderate independent candidate,” said Mark Penn, Co-Director of the Harvard-CAPS Harris Poll and Stagwell Chairman and CEO. “As Americans get more pessimistic about the economy again, the 2024 election may hinge on which party can put cultural issues to the side and focus on the core economic issues.”

VIEWS OF THE ECONOMY WORSEN AFTER 3 MONTHS OF IMPROVEMENTS

• Partisanship determines Americans’ view of the economy: 30% of voters overall say the economy on the right track, but 54% of Democrats think so compared to 12% of Republicans.
• 52% of voters think their personal financial situation is getting worse.

INDICTMENT STRENGTHENS TRUMP WITH REPUBLICANS AS DESANTIS FADES BUT IS NOT OUT

• 50% of voters, up 4 points from last month, now think a Trump trial will help his candidacy.
• 61% of voters believe Trump will ultimately be acquitted.
• In an open GOP primary Trump extends his lead to 55% support, with DeSantis falling to 20% support. In a head-to-head primary against DeSantis, Trump extends his lead to 61%.
• But 58% of Republican voters say DeSantis is ready to give Trump a “real challenge” for the Republican nomination.

VOTERS THINK A BIDEN SECOND TERM MEANS PRESIDENT HARRIS

• 63% of voters think Biden would not be able to finish a second term if reelected.

THE PUBLIC CONTINUES TO TAKE THE REPUBLICANS’ SIDE ON DEBT NEGOTIATIONS

• 66% of voters think the U.S. government has too much debt and 55% think the government is spending too much.
• When told the national debt is $31 trillion, 65% of voters want Congress to raise the debt ceiling only with restraints on future spending.
• 81% of voters, including 81% of Democrats and 86% of Republicans, support returning the country to a balanced budget.

CRIME CONCERNS BECOME LESS PARTISAN AS VOTERS WANT STRICTER PROSECUTION

• 86% of voters think crime is a serious issue right now and 48% think crime and safety are getting worse in their own communities.
• 60% of voters, including 52% of Democrats, think police today are afraid of doing their jobs.
• 58% of Americans, including 43% of Democrats, think big city district attorneys are pulling back from prosecuting violent offenders sufficiently.
• Voters most blame rising crime in American cities on the worsening economy (23%) and prosecutors who don’t enforce the laws (22%).

REGULAR AMERICANS AREN’T FAMILIAR WITH ESG

• 64% of voters have not heard of ESG investing.
• Americans are split on ESG strategies: after being given the definition, 52% of voters think investment managers have a duty to prioritize returns above all else rather than the option to consider climate and ESG concerns.

The April Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll survey was conducted online within the United States from April 18-19, 2023, among 1,845 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/.

SOURCE Stagwell Inc.

Stagwell Global Affiliate Partner Coconuts Media Supported In-Market Research

NEW YORK and JAKARTA, Indonesia, April 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — National Research Group (NRG), a global insights leader at the intersection of technology, content and culture, today released “Exploring Indonesia,” the second research installment of its “Capstone Series,” a first-of-its-kind exploration into the culture, content and technology driving leading-edge global growth markets. Conducted with Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) Global Affiliate Network partner Coconuts Media, a leading alternative media company representing Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, the study examines the consumer behaviors, tech adoption, content preferences and other attitudes that are shaping Indonesia.

“Indonesians consider themselves a hospitable nation: honest, respectful, and family/community-conscious, with 84% residing in a multi-generational households, and we see that reflected in the trends of our research,” said NRG SVP, Content & Strategy Sushma Panchawati. “For tech and media companies that are attuned to these attributes, Indonesia’s mobile-first practices and appetite for global content provide a wide platform for entering the market, predicted to be one of the top 5 largest global economies by 2050.”

“As Southeast Asia’s largest economy with a population 270M strong, of which 60% are below 30 years of age, Indonesia’s rise in urbanization and consumer spending power is a force to be noticed by the world stage,” said Stagwell Managing Director, Asia-Pacific Randy Duax. “For global brands to be part of this growth story that is helmed by a tech and social media-savvy Indonesian generation – that in particular has an urban-empowered female consumer – brands must authentically mirror the trust and consumer understanding of local brands by bringing integrated online-offline experiences to earn wallet share.”

“Working on the Capstone Series has allowed us to really delve into the diverse nature of our audience in Indonesia; in fact, this is one of the most extensive deep dives into the country’s culture, people and digital consumption habits,” said Coconuts Media Managing Editor, Indonesia Andra Nasrie. “Global media, tech and entertainment companies will discover that Indonesia is a great place for investment due to its digital aptitude which permeates nearly every facet of daily life. This is a future top world economy and the opportunity to support Indonesians is here and now.” 

Exploring Indonesia: Key Findings

• In mobile, they trust: Cost-effective Android products released since the mid-2010s have made smartphone ownership accessible across income levels – in 2022, 75.4% of respondents owned a smartphone, with 92% on Android.
• Super-apps: Apps like Grab and Gojek that consolidate services (e.g. finance, messaging, ride share, food delivery) are a unique phenomenon. In the country, 96% are familiar with both.
• Gaming: The Indonesian gaming market is ranked 1^st in Southeast Asia and 17^th in the world, with the local gaming sector growing 37% annually (Indonesian Gaming Association). Of these, 88% use a smartphone to play.
• Cash is king, with mobile pay close behind: While cash makes up 49% of payments, mobile wallet transactions (33% of payments) are diverse, with the most popular uses including mobile recharge, fund transfers, family/friends reimbursement, and investing.
• Paid streaming is for the wealthy: With limited high-quality internet access, paying for streaming is a luxury that has not trickled down to lower-income or rural populations; 69% of low-income Indonesians do not subscribe to any services.
• Fifty-seven percent of respondents list lower cost options/tiers as the top reason to pay for a new service
• Sports fandom goes “all out”: Indonesians express excitement and support for their favorite teams on TV and social media in sheer numbers.
• Sixty percent of men watch live sports on TV or streaming services weekly
• According to Safenet Indonesia Co-founder Damar Juniarto, “To have the highest ratings for TV in Indonesia you have to have sports channels – especially football, and second you must cover badminton. It’s about national pride, they also connect with the national league.”
• Move over, Netflix? Vidio is “really, really Indonesian,” but Western services are fast learners: Investment in live sports broadcasting, including access to FIFA World Cup and the Premier League, as well as local content has made Vidio the fastest-growing streaming service in Indonesia
• Affordability is another plus, with plans starting at less than $2 USD – a metric not associated with Western services
• That said, younger streamers (under 35) demand variety in their content, with 59% saying it’s “very important” a service has new, relevant content to watch, something Vidio may have trouble keeping up with compared to its Western competitors
• K-Dramas are critical: A variety of streamers have tapped into the “K-Wave” of growing popularity around Korean dramas (“Drakor”), which makes up 51% of Indonesians’ favorite streaming genres in movies, and 48% on TV.
• Short-form social reigns: Ranked the no. 1 entertainment activity, Indonesians turn to social media most (30%) over music (17%), streaming movies or TV (15%), or watching an online short-form video (13%), when they have a short period of time.
• Instagram is the most frequently used social media app, while TikTok is quickly outpacing Twitter – 61% use TikTok multiple times a day vs. Twitter (55%). Seventy-nine percent use TikTok to view entertaining content, while 72% of Twitter users visit to keep up with news.
• About 8 in 10 Indonesians watch short-form content daily, consuming an average of 14.6 hours of online video content a week.
• YouTube: Still the fan favorite: The platform Indonesians enjoy using most – by a wide margin – YouTube is used by 84% of Indonesians weekly for their entertainment needs, primarily to watch how-to tutorials (28%), comedy content (28%), and sports (23%).
• YouTube also outperforms top streamers on leading attributes such as ease of use and content variety, affordability, diverse representation, and for teaching positive lessons.

Boundaries and guardrails

• Explicit content is unwelcome: Pornography and nudity is banned in all entertainment – along with platforms such as Vimeo and Reddit – while nearly three-quarters of Indonesians would refuse to watch or be less likely to watch a new film with LGBTQ+ themes.
• Podcasters, such as PODKESMAS, a comedy talk show, and other online content creators are the ones who push the boundaries with controversial discussions on sexuality, drugs and religious taboos.
• Crypto is surging, despite being banned as a form of payment: 1 in 4 currently trade/invest in crypto; with more than 14M crypto users in the country, it surged 300% over the pandemic.
• Women are more open to content that pushes the boundaries of gender roles, such as not wearing hijabs on TV and playing important job roles.

NRG’s planned upcoming Capstone Series research markets include Argentina (Q1 2023), Saudi Arabia (Q2 2023), Thailand (Q3 2023), and Turkey (Q4 2023).

Study Methodology
NRG conducted an online survey in November 2022 among a nationally representative sample of 5,005 internet-enabled Indonesian consumers aged 16-64. Quantitative fieldwork was enhanced by integrating expert interviews with five in-market academic, media, and tech interviews as well as six in-depth interviews with Indonesian consumers. 

About National Research Group
National Research Group is a leading global insights and strategy firm at the intersection of entertainment and technology. Rooted in four decades of industry expertise, the world’s leading marketers turn to us for insights into growth and strategy for any content, anywhere, on any device. Working at the confluence of content, culture and technology, NRG offers insights for bold storytellers everywhere. To learn more, please visit www.nationalresearchgroup.com, and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Coconuts Media
Coconuts is Asia’s leading alternative media company. Our mission is to inform and entertain by telling true stories that matter to our audience through a wide portfolio of publications and in-house studios. Each month, we reach an audience of millions across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong through digital, print, audio, and video. Our passions are simple and unwavering: journalism, the media industry, and telling the untold stories of our region.

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 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:
Sarah Arvizo
pr@stagwellglobal.com