By
Kaitlyn Schembri
Contributor, Koalifyed
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With the advent of social commerce, influencers have never been more important. Global sales driven by social commerce will triple to $1.2 trillion by 2025. At the same time, user-generated content is on the rise, accounting for 39% of weekly media hours consumed by Americans. We’re living in the age of nano-influence, driven by the professionalization of the Creator Economy and brand investments in social commerce.
In the old days of influencer marketing, celebrity partnerships were strong drivers of top-of-funnel marketing. A-listers like Betty White gave brands wide-ranging exposure. No wonder brands lead with celebrities at the Super Bowl; on a stage with a hefty price tag, leveraging talent with a built-in fan base makes sense. Salesforce’s recent Big Game ad with Matthew McConaughey was a memorable callback to his 2014 hit “Interstellar.” It likely did little to drive conversion when it aired but drove conversation for days afterward.
With the rise of social commerce and performance measurement, creators boast an enviable position in today’s brand marketing playbook. In-app social marketplaces that let consumers shop the entire funnel on Instagram and TikTok mean the power of a single influencer post holds more weight than ever before. Consumers no longer need to see your website to make a sale – and it’s likely they don’t want to!
Nano-influencers are today’s driver of commerce. TikTok, more than any other platform, is driving this trend. Over the past two years, TikTok has democratized the digital world, allowing creators to reach a large audience on the app without a substantial following (and, in some cases, hardly any following at all). The algorithm prizes discovery over drudgery, priming niche content and creators with fewer than 10K followers to capture eyeballs (and results).

In this landscape, nano influencers are an authentic way for brands to connect with consumers. Frequently the tastemakers and thought leaders of their niche communities, they command the respect of small but mighty followings. Consumers are more likely to view them as friends than other-worldly celebrities, adding trust and engagement. Studies have shown that while 3% of consumers would consider buying a product in-store if promoted by a celebrity, that number jumps to 60% for a nano-influencer.
Dunkin’ recently tapped into various influencers with fewer than 50,000 followers to power its latest “coffee-first” campaign. Analysis showed nano-influencers generated higher engagement rates, with an average engagement rate of 5.2%. Dunkin’ succeeded in organically growing a support base for its coffee ambitions.
Nano influencers also can help brands drive a positive impact on diversity & inclusion. Being purposeful in curating your influencer marketing partnerships can ensure your brand does its part in platforming diverse perspectives. Consider how nano-influencers from yet-unengaged segments might supplement your core marketing activities for major product launches. Launching a new foldable exercise bike for the WFH generation? Consider partnering with TikTok influencers who produce content on career acceleration for P.O.C. talent. You never know what content may come of the effort!
As nano influencers proliferate marketing campaigns, it’s critical brands have agile, scalable solutions for influencer marketing management. Creators should be natural extensions of the marketing team. Investing in the right tech to reach, negotiate, and communicate with them is essential for success in this era of super-charged social commerce.
When leveraging the power of nano influencers, do not overlook the vetting process. Brand safety controls are key in the wild west of today’s platform-fragmented internet, as is closely managing influencer spending. Many marketers fall prey to the hidden costs of fake follower bots on their influencer efforts, which threaten to diminish a campaign’s chances of success and harm trusted influencer relationships. Bot detection is vital to ensuring brands are getting the complete picture. At Koalifyed, we leverage our platform’s built-in S.N.I.F.F. technology to help brands reach a higher R.O.I. for their influencer marketing investments.
We hear success stories every day from brands utilizing nano-influencers to hit their marketing KPIs. We predict the gap between the brands who invest in this strategy versus those who don’t will only widen in the coming years as platforms double-down on social commerce development and authentic brand marketing remains a priority for consumers.
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BY
Christine McDermott
VP, Veritas/Meat & Produce
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This piece is part of series on Social Commerce, Influencer Marketing, and the Creator Economy.

A decade ago, brands looked to influencer agencies to connect with the ‘who’s who’; today, they come to us to wield the transformative power of social influence through their entire marketing stack. As part of the agency that felt so strongly about the term “influencing the influencers” that we trademarked it, I am keenly aware that influencer marketing long predates the current hype that social media has generated around the industry. When we look at the prioritization of influencer marketing in today’s marketing mix, it’s no longer considered a nice to have but rather a core component of brand planning.
It wasn’t always this way, though. This has provided a fascinating opportunity to watch the shift in the marketplace from a client service perspective. In today’s creator-centric economy, brands require influencer marketing agency partners to keep apace the transformation in this space.
From Impressions to Engagement
In the days of blogs and burgeoning social media channels, the most significant opportunity influencers afforded was the chance to reach new audiences. The focus was almost exclusively on maximizing the number of impressions from influencer content. Guaranteed organic reach and high blog readership provided cost-effective ways for brands to reach audiences that otherwise may never have interacted with them. The deep relationships that influencer marketing agencies held with influencers were critical to obtaining the best earned and paid opportunities for our brand partners and allowed for agility in influencer placements.
As social channels moved into the spotlight, accounting for more media hours consumed across generations, the focus shifted to engagement. The goal was to measure the attention content could generate through authentic connection with audiences in an increasingly competitive digital world. With this, we saw the rise of micro and nano influencers who built strong relationships through two-way communication with their audiences, maintaining consistently high engagement. Trusted recommendations from the right influencers could bring your brand into the consideration set for your target audience. Dedicated audiences of nano influencers also provided an opportunity to access niche consumer segments that otherwise would be challenging for brands to find. Our key to success was pairing the right influencers with our brands, ensuring alignment on values and demographics.
The Creator Economy
Today, getting the right message to the right person at the right time has never been more critical – or more difficult as the consumer ecosystem becomes increasingly sophisticated. New channels and content formats provide evermore opportunities to attract and engage new and existing audiences with relevant content. Moving influencer marketing from a single tactic to a full-funnel approach creates a new world of opportunity for brands, while at the same time raising countless new considerations. With all these factors to contend with, the role influencer marketing agencies take on has never been more critical. Today’s influencer marketing agency partners must help clients navigate this ever-changing world by:
- Going beyond the numbers: As data-driven marketers, it can be attractive to make decisions based solely on the immense data we now have at our fingertips. While these are fundamental parts of our discovery and vetting processes, we believe it’s equally important to review the qualitative elements of an influencer agreement: alignment with brand values, the types of social conversations creators drive among their followings, and, importantly, any content or connections that may increase brand risk.
- Capitalizing on available technology: Today’s digital tools provide capabilities that aid every step of the process: diving deep into audience demographics, reviewing years of content to ensure brand safety, authenticating audiences to remove bot traffic, and analyzing results. The available options can also be overwhelming. Here, the right mix of talent (agency experts with a deep understanding of the landscape) with technology (digital SaaS and DaaS tools) can supercharge campaign results.
- Keeping human connection at the center: True influence is built on strong connections between agencies and influencers and influencers and their audiences. Authentic connection is essential, from the relationships we build to the content we create.
- Letting creators be creative: Our influencers are partners in the creative process, not simply another outlet or a channel to distribute brand messages. Influencers know their audiences better than anyone. Leaning into their insights and creativity will lead to more authentic content and experiences that resonate. True partnerships with influencers allow for co-creation and collaborations that can excite and convert.
- Researching and reviewing: Due to the steady growth of influencer marketing, we now have a wealth of research to help inform and guide everything from partnership models to accurate approaches for optimizing reach. Every campaign is an opportunity to test, learn, and then review performance to better optimize results in the future.
There has been a tremendous acceleration in influencer marketing growth and investment. When done well, it works. When we examine the transformation of influencer marketing and the creator economy in just a few short years, it becomes clear that more evolution is to come. Leaning on agency partners with deep knowledge of the discipline, facility with the technology tools driving efficiency through the space, and authentic relationships with influencers will help brands get the most out of this fast-moving space.
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By Barbara Evans, Managing Partner, Mediaplus
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NFTs – short-term hype or a serious, lasting trend? One thing at least is certain: Hardly any other topic is currently shaking up the digital world as much as non-fungible tokens, or NFTs for short. Whether it’s the crypto scene, the games market, the art world or the music world – everyone wants to participate in the latest digital gold rush. The NFT market was worth around $44 billion U.S dollars in 2021 (Chainalysis Inc.), rivaling the global art and antiques market, which generated sales of around $50 billion U.S dollars in the same period. No wonder marketers are interested in the technology. Read on for a short explainer on the phenomenon.
WHAT ARE NFTS (NON FUNGIBLE TOKENS)?
Non-fungible means “not arbitrarily replaceable”, i.e., they are individual pieces that cannot be duplicated. The term typically refers to digital assets such as images, videos, animations, audio pieces or graphics. NFTs take on the function of a digital certificate of authenticity and ownership, making the associated digital file a unique and uniquely identifiable asset – which is also quite forgery-proof: each NFT is given an individual ID and stored on a blockchain as a record that can be viewed online.
Non-fungible tokens are traded in cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum. The value of such a digital certificate can sometimes rise to astronomical heights, depending on whether it is a sought-after collector’s item or not. For example:
- In the spring of 2021, for example, the first tweet ever sent by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey on March 21, 2006, was auctioned off as an NFT for $2.9 million.
- The first source code for the World Wide Web by Tim Berners-Lee changed hands as an NFT for $5.4 million.
- An NFT from the legendary CryptoPunk series, which helped to trigger the hype surrounding tokens, achieved the fabulous price of almost 24 million dollars.
- The most expensive NFT traded so far is the digital artwork “The Merge” by the artist Pak, which fetched $91.8 million in December 2021.
HOW ARE NFTS BEING USED IN MARKETING?
The uses vary across industry.
- AUCTIONS
- Just before Christmas, for example, Vodafone auctioned off the first SMS sent via the British mobile company’s network in 1992. The telco giant donated the proceeds – 132,000 euros – to a good cause. The PR effect was far greater: more than 3,500 articles on the campaign were published worldwide in online alone, generating around two billion contacts. Coca-Cola was probably also concerned with the positive PR effect: In the summer of 2021, the beverage manufacturer auctioned four multisensory NFT collectibles for International Friendship Day, which could be experienced and used in different ways. The bright red “Coca-Cola Bubble Jacket Wearable,” for example, can be “worn” on the Decentraland 3D virtual reality platform by the avatar of the user who unlocked it. The “Sound Visualizer,” on the other hand, is designed to give an acoustic experience of enjoying an ice-cold Coke, from the fizz of an opening Coke bottle to the refreshing taste. The NFT auction raised a total of more than $ 575.000, which Coca-Cola donated to Special Olympics International.
- TRANSFERING BRANDS INTO THE METAVERSE
- Adidas Originals recently launched its first NFT collection under the slogan “Into the Metaverse.” The tokens give owners exclusive access to special products and experiences designed by Adidas in cooperation with NFT pioneers Punks Comic, Gmoney and Bored Ape Yacht Club, who are well-known in the scene. The roughly 30,000 NFTs, worth a total of more than $22 million, sold out in a matter of hours – even though the “physical” goods – a hoodie, tracksuit, and orange beanie – won’t be released until later in 2022. The digital counterparts of these are to be worn by NFT owners ins in the blockchain game “The Sandbox,” where Adidas has purchased a plot of land for its NFT community.
- INVESTING IN NFT ASSETS
- Nike is also heavily involved in the NFT business. In 2019, Nike patented the “CryptoKicks” system. Here, the sporting goods manufacturer wants to link limited shoes with a digital asset and “breed” new shoes virtually, which are then produced in real life. Finally, at the end of 2021, the company announced the acquisition of the world’s leading NFT producer RTFKT, which specializes in the design of exclusive digital sports shoes and sneakers.
WHAT SHOULD BRANDS WATCH OUT FOR AS THEY EXPERIMENT WITH NFTS?
The business of non-fungible tokens is not without its pitfalls. With the explosion of interest in the technology, the risk of crypto crime is also increasing. Wash trading is also becoming increasingly common in the NFT market — meaning the owner of a digital asset artificially drives up the price of an NFT through continuous buying and selling.
Additionally, there are questions about the ecological impact of NFTs. Blockchain can consume an enormous amount of energy and leave a large CO2 footprint. Both the production of an NFT and its sale on the blockchain require the computing power of thousands of computers. Brands for whom sustainability is key to positioning could face reputational issues with the use of NFTs.
WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR BRANDS NOW?
It has always been the task of strong brands to be pioneers in emerging technology to drive new dimensions of the consumer experience. For brands whose identities are predicated on being challengers, or strong bridges believe this will also be the case in the area of Web 3.0, that of NFTs. Especially for a brand like Nike, whose essence is to build strong bridges to the popular culture of the new generation again and again, or even to be a cultural core itself, NFTs offer chances and opportunities to build ties that are truly “non-fungible”.
WHERE DO I GO NEXT?
Explore Stagwell’s content series on NFTs to learn more about:
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Dyversity joins Doner Partners Network to meaningfully expand multicultural marketing services spanning advertising, research & analytics, shopper, content production, media, XM, Influencer and PR

TORONTO, April 1, 2022 – Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) today announced the acquisition of Dyversity Communications, a leading multicultural full-service marketing agency in depth, breadth, and size based in Canada. Dyversity specializes in Chinese and South Asian communications, with additional expertise in over 20 other languages including Filipino, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.
The acquisition rapidly scales the Doner Partners Network’s multicultural capabilities across its Canadian assets – namely DonerNorth, Veritas, and Meat & Produce (M&P) – by adding best practices for existing clients and doubling down on more progressive ways to centralize multicultural insights and expertise as part of the offering. The Doner Partners Network (DPN) is one of four integrated networks within Stagwell that bridge complementary specialist marketing services for powerful collaborations across client work.
“I am so honoured to welcome Dyversity into our Network and learn from their expertise,” says Krista Webster, Vice-Chair of DPN and President & CEO of Veritas Communications and M&P. “Dyversity’s team were pioneers in spearheading growth in the burgeoning ethnic markets in Canada, at a time when few considered it. Now, they are the leader in one of the fastest growing segments in North America. As a challenger network with offices all over the world united by a mission to transform marketing, it only makes sense for Stagwell to bring Dyversity into the mix.”
Dyversity has a storied history in Canada with over two decades of award-winning work servicing all sectors from banking and telecommunications to consumer-packaged goods and real estate. With over 30 experts, Dyversity provides clients 360-degree marketing services, including strategy, creative, research & analytics, and traditional and digital media.
As part of the Doner Partners Network, Dyversity Founder Albert Yue, will continue leading the agency as CEO and focus on setting the pace for multicultural marketing in Canada with the added support of a best-in-class global network.
“I am so proud of growing Dyversity into Canada’s largest and longest standing ethnic marketing agency, but that still accounts for a very modest number of Canadian brands’ total marketing spend,” says Yue. “I knew when I met Krista and the Stagwell team that we could take this agency to an even more special place together. With their wind in our sails, this will be a game changer for cultural marketing overall.”
“As the Industry continues to demand more diversity in communications, it wasn’t going to be satisfactory to me to ‘lip service’ our promise to clients with temporary solutions,” added Webster. “We needed a true change agent embedded in our network and Dyversity was the best fit in terms of caliber of clients and agency culture.”
In collaboration with other award-winning Stagwell agencies within Canada like DonerNorth and Veritas, Dyversity is well-positioned to drive multicultural marketing success as a key feature for the country’s leading blue-chip brands. Additionally, the agency will now benefit from Stagwell’s engineering and technology talent, numbering over 1200 worldwide, as well as original SaaS and DaaS products supporting marketing transformation within the Stagwell Marketing Cloud.
“We’re eager to welcome Dyversity to Stagwell as we continue to evolve our offering of transformational marketing services,” added Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO, Stagwell. “Dyversity sets a high bar for excellence in multicultural insights that aligns with our data-driven approach to shaping culture through the work we do for brands.”
Once Dyversity establishes itself within DPN Canada, Webster says the opportunity to scale expertise into the US through Doner and the Stagwell global network is on the horizon.
About Doner Partners Network. Doner Partners Network is a mix of award-winning US, Canadian and UK based B2C and B2B marketing agencies within Stagwell that are the best-in-class in the cities they originate – from Toronto to LA, New York to London, Detroit to Minneapolis. Agencies include Doner, DonerNorth, Yamamoto, Veritas, Meat & Produce and KWT Global.
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.
For more information, please contact:
Brandon Dixon
347-636-5807
pr@stagwellglobal.com
Bora Caglayan
647-920-2201
caglayan@veritasinc.com
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Larry joins leadership team alongside chair John Boiler and chief financial officer John Pyne

LOS ANGELES, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Constellation, a group within Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW) announces Zakiya Larry as Global Chief Communications Officer as the network expands and bolsters business offerings. She joins the leadership team with John Boiler, Constellation chair and Creative Co-Chair of 72andSunny, and John Pyne, Chief Financial Officer. Larry is the first woman, Millennial and Black professional to join the leaders at the helm of the global collective.
Constellation is a formation of best-in-class marketing services agencies spanning data, insights, creativity, technology and experiential that deploys itself to maximize clients’ biggest opportunities and solve their toughest business problems at scale. The Constellation solution is bespoke for each challenge and tailored to deliver maximum impact with peak efficiency.
The Constellation collective includes the following Stagwell agencies: 72andSunny, Instrument, Brand Citizens, Crispin Porter Bogusky (CP+B,) Hecho Studios and Redscout. The leaders of these companies sit on the operating council of Constellation.
“This collective is unified by the shared ambition to create a more integrated and powerful resource that will enable clients to access world-class talent from every discipline on their greatest challenges,” said John Boiler, Chair of Constellation. “We’re thrilled to welcome Zakiya who brings the expert skills and passion to unleash our story and amplify our impact on the industry.”
Larry, a longtime communications executive, entrepreneur and journalist, will develop and oversee a comprehensive internal and external communications strategy for Constellation that will support and help guide business goals and the client experience. This includes oversight of media relations, corporate responsibility, social media, crisis, business and executive communications, and live event productions. She will also oversee strategic communications planning and execution for Constellation’s ecosystem of six agencies and businesses that have a combined employee number of 3,000 and an international footprint including the U.S., Amsterdam, Australia, Brazil, Netherlands, Singapore and U.K.
Prior to joining Constellation, Zakiya led a boutique strategic communications firm that specialized in elevating brands through strategic public relations, crisis mitigation, DEI competency development and coaching for media and public speaking. Her clients included global leaders and international brands. Her work has garnered no less than a dozen national and international awards including two International Hermes Creative Awards, two National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Salute to Excellence Awards and multiple Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) awards. She is an honors graduate from an HBCU, Texas Southern University, and is a member of the PRSA, NABJ, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
“I am excited to help advance the vision and work of Constellation and our family of companies,” said Zakiya Larry, Global Chief Communications Officer, Constellation. “This group and its vision reflect so much of my core: precision, collaboration, creativity, mutual care and respect for the whole person, and doing good while leading well. After nearly 20 years in communications, I believe this is the right formula for making a lasting impact for our clients and in the world. I’m all in.”
Ever expanding, the Constellation added two new agencies to the collective at the end of 2021 and will announce further details within the second quarter of 2022.
ABOUT CONSTELLATION
Constellation is a formation of best-in-class agencies within Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW) across marketing services from data, insights, creativity, technology, and experiential that deploys itself to seize clients’ biggest opportunities and solve their toughest business problems.The collective includes: 72andSunny, Instrument, Brand Citizens, Crispin Porter Bogusky (CPB,) Hecho Studios and Redscout.
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
comms.la@72andSunny.com
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Stagwell is the challenger network built to transform marketing, deliver excellence for the world’s most ambitious brands by connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology. That’s why Stagwell loves SXSW, which is all about the intersection of technology, innovation and culture – a great fit for a global company committed to transforming marketing, content, and experiences.
Here’s a roundup of Stagwell showed up at SXSW, what we learned, and what it means for marketers:
The 5 Things You Missed at SXSW
From NFTs and the evolving Web3 landscape to the transformative power of digital audio, Stagwell’s experts share the top five trends and brand takeaways from SXSW 2022.
Get Smart with Matt Maher
Stagwell contributor Matt Maher provided “Get Smart” videos throughout the week, making sure those watching from home didn’t miss a single thing, and that those on the ground could keep up with the hours of programming SXSW put forward this year.
Matt brought his experience as a marketing and technology expert to bear, sifting through the flash to determine which of the new trends and technology have staying power – and how marketers should be parcing them to make the most of every platform.
MATT’S KEY SXSW 2022 TAKEAWAYS:
- THIS WAS NFT’S YEAR AT SXSW but most brands haven’t fully connected the dots to turn NFTs into a sustainable, relevant, brand-building moment. Look to the Doodle x Shopify activation for the most successful implementation.
- CONTENT CREATION ISNT A NUMBERS GAME ANYMORE – from gaming to Instagram, it’s more important to have a dedicating following of 10k than an apathetic community of a million.
- THE METAVERSE CONVERSATION IS MORPHING from enthusiasm to skepticism as it runs against ongoing tech debates – data, privacy and the psychological impact on users over time. We havent’ written it off yet, but brands have some big decisions to make before jumping in.
Matt walks us thorugh all this in more in his Get Smart series from the festival, check them our below and on the Stagwell @ SXSW YouTube playlist.
Stagwell’s on the Ground Recap with Nick Fuller
Why brave the Austin heat (or cold, as it was this year) when you have digital transformation expert Nick Fuller, Managing Partner of Digital Transformation at Stagwell, on the ground to make sense of it all for you? He’s our sherpa for all things technology x marketing, and his takeaways from a weekend on the ground show a bias towards first-mover advantage when it comes to all things Web3. There is also a new interpretation of the age old question of authenticity – whether its in creator partnerships or buy-in on new tech platforms, there’s a huge upside for brands who are operating with a clear vision of their message and where they fit in the market.
Driving the Future of Marketing with Stagwell
Marketing moves fast – and we’re ahead of the curve. On Monday March 14, Stagwell held an invite-only event at Circuit of the Americas, the US’ first and only purpose-built F1 track, to give this industry’s saviest competitors a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The day started with a panel featuring Bennett Richardson, President of Protocol, Gayle Troberman, CMO of iHeart Media and Sally Shin, Chief Strategy Officer at UnitedMasters, discussing the future of audio marketing. They touched on core themes unearthed by Stagwell’s March Marketing Frontier on the Future of Audio, including the power fo audio and a connective device and the untapped potential of audio as an avenue for first-party data collection.
The group then broke up to make some noise themselves, rotating through a half-day racing school taught by the legendary Skip Barber Racing School. In no time, our marketing pros became driving pros, learning the fundementals for open-wheel race car driving from Skip Barber instructors who among them boasted half a dozen top-place finishes in racing classes across the board. It was an unforgettable day, and a reminder of why pushing the limits and moving quick can transformt he way you see a problem – and see the world.
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Recognition for 72andSunny, Anomaly, Assembly, Doner, and YML ties Stagwell with holding company giants for recognition in the annual list of best advertising agencies worldwide
NEW YORK, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), the challenger network built to transform marketing, today celebrates five agencies which have been honored in the Ad Age 2022 A List & Creativity Awards: 72andSunny, Anomaly, Assembly, Doner, and YML. The 2022 accolades reflect a breakout year of digital, creative, and purpose-driven work from Stagwell’s network on behalf of leading brands Kaiser Permanente, Tinder, Etsy, Nike, Johnson & Johnson, and more.
The A List & Creativity Awards are an annual recognition of the best global advertising agencies for “game-changing creativity, bold leadership, and the ability to point the industry in new directions.”
2022 award highlights include:
- STANDOUT AGENCY for 72andSunny after another breakthrough year of transformative client work for the N.F.L., Etsy, and Tinder, and a strong pipeline of global client wins which include United Airlines.
- #9 A LIST AGENCY OF THE YEAR for disruptive global strategy, innovation and creative shop Anomaly, who took on an expansive 26 new business assignments in the U.S. in 2021, including Jimmy John’s, Netflix, Oculus, Denny’s, Amazon Corporate, and Dunkin’. Ad Age also celebrated the breadth of Anomaly’s ‘creativity’ and investment in original IP, including Obie, a fertility and pregnancy app, and Lets Get FR.EE which aims to drive social change via the largest equity-focused, purpose-driven music festival in the US.
- PURPOSE-LED AGENCY OF THE YEAR for Assembly, Stagwell’s flagship global omnichannel media agency, whose dedicated Impact unit and global talent community drove purpose as a strategic priority for client and internal initiatives, including Nike’s Move to Zero campaign. Assembly is the first-ever winner in the category, which was introduced in this year’s program.
- STANDOUT AGENCY for Doner, whose mix of consumer insights and creativity at the “corner of Modern & Main Street” drove an impressive roster of new client wins in Travelocity, Bloomberg, and Cue Health, among others, and helped brands including Jeep, Johnson & Johnson and Coca Cola’s Core Power tap into the power of key cultural moments to advance their market position.
- CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AGENCY OF THE YEAR for YML, Stagwell’s digital product and design agency, which has helped brands such as Kaiser Permanente, Polestar, YETI, and Thrive Market gain an edge by transforming their experiences to meet consumers’ new digital needs. YML is the first agency to win the accolade, which was introduced in this year’s program.
“Our A-List showing this year validates what Stagwell is all about: harmonizing the art and science of marketing to drive big transformations, unmistakable cultural impact, and powerful client results,” said Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO, Stagwell. “Again, the outsized impact of our network shows in the breadth of work recognized across the A-List. Despite currently accounting for a small chunk of the global ad market, we’re tied with legacy giants several times our size for recognition as the one of most creative networks out there.”
About Stagwell Inc
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:
Beth Sidhu
202-423-4414
beth.sidhu@stagwellglobal.com
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Stagwell agency recognized for its content-centric campaigns, brand partnerships and premium brand entertainment
LOS ANGELES, March 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Creative agency Observatory is named to Fast Company‘s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2022, making this the third year in a row that the Emmy-, Cannes Lions Grand Prix-, and Sundance award-winning agency has earned a spot on the prestigious list.
Fast Company’s 2022 list honors businesses that have evolved to meet the needs of their consumers in an ever-changing world. In 2020, 2021 and now 2022 Fast Company has ranked Observatory as one of the 10 most innovative companies globally in the advertising sector for “fulfilling the promise of branded content” and creating campaigns that attract and engage audiences, rather than interrupt them.
The Fast Company article stated: “The term ‘branded entertainment’ has been applied to everything from a 30-second commercial to a TikTok ad, but few agencies specialize in seamlessly blending brand goals with actual entertainment that people want to watch like Observatory.” Observatory joins the company of Wieden+Kennedy, TBWA/Chiat-Day and Droga5, who are among the few agencies that have made the list three times or more.
“Wow, a three-peat! What validation for ‘The New Upper Funnel’ – a model we’ve been committed to since we first reimagined CAA Marketing in 2006, then doubled-down on when we spun out of CAA to become Observatory in 2018,” said Jae Goodman, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Observatory. “Our work to create content-centric campaigns, brand partnerships with culturally-resonant intellectual property, and premium brand entertainment was once complementary to traditional ad campaigns. Today that work is at the center for the world’s leading brands, many of whom we’re lucky to call Observatory clients.”
Observatory is in its third year of working alongside Nike to establish its premium entertainment studio Waffle Iron Entertainment and is currently working with Corona, Old Navy, a leading CPG company, and other brands, to build premium content studios of their own. In addition to multiple active projects in development and post-production, Waffle Iron Entertainment debuted The Day Sports Stood Still, which The Guardian named the documentary one of “eight of the most anticipated documentaries of 2021” and HBO’s first-ever distribution of a film funded in partnership with a brand.
In 2021 Observatory’s client base grew by 60 percent with key new business wins including Treasury Wine Estates’ entire 19 Crimes portfolio, Blue Bunny, a Fortune 200 financial services firm, a major American sports league and the entertainment division of one of the leading CPG companies. Old Navy, Chipotle, and Corona have also returned as clients.
Some of Observatory’s most notable work of 2021 focused on sustainability. A decade after Chipotle’s award-winning film featuring Willie Nelson covering Coldplay’s “The Scientist,” Observatory once again teamed up with Nexus Studios to craft a stop-motion animated tale of hope and optimism for the future of family farmers, this time with Kacey Musgraves reimagining another Coldplay classic, “Fix You.”
The two-minute, 20-second film was broadcast on TV on Thanksgiving Day in its own commercial pod — a first-ever — during the NFL’s Raiders versus Cowboys game on CBS. The film resonated with many, earning 11.1 million views on YouTube, 27.2 million views on TikTok and was the highest social engagement ever for any piece of Chipotle branded content or ad.
Fast Company‘s editors and writers sought out the most groundbreaking businesses across the globe and industries. They also judged nominations received through their application process.
The World’s Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company‘s signature franchise and one of its most highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. It provides both a snapshot and a road map for the future of innovation across the economy’s most dynamic sectors.
“The world’s most innovative companies play an essential role in addressing the most pressing issues facing society, whether they’re fighting climate change by spurring decarbonization efforts, ameliorating the strain on supply chains, or helping us reconnect with one another over shared passions,” said Fast Company Deputy Editor David Lidsky.
For the second year in a row, to coincide with the issue launch, Fast Company will host its Most Innovative Companies Summit on April 26–27. The virtual, multiday summit celebrates the Most Innovative Companies in business, and provides an early look at major business trends and an inside look at what it takes to innovate in 2022. Fast Company‘s Most Innovative Companies issue (March/April 2022) is available online here, as well as in-app form via iTunes, and on newsstands beginning March 15. The hashtag is #FCMostInnovative.
ABOUT OBSERVATORY
Observatory is a 4x Emmy, 4x Cannes Lions Grand Prix, and Sundance-winning agency for the content era, building brands and driving business results through campaigns that attract and engage audiences rather than interrupt and annoy them. Honored as a Fast Company 2020, 2021, & 2022 World’s Most Innovative Company, Observatory is a global full-service creative ad agency with deep roots in entertainment. Starting in 2006 as CAA Marketing (a division of Creative Artists Agency), the agency became independent in late 2017 with backing from Stagwell Inc. Observatory does not publish its client list. A range of work is available at www.observatoryagency.com.
ABOUT FAST COMPANY
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com.
ABOUT STAGWELL INC.
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.
For more information, contact:
Michelle McSorley
Sweat + Co
michelle@sweatandco.com
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By Lindsay Hong, Chief Operating Officer, Locaria
CONTACT
hello@stagwellglobal.com
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Marketing Frontiers is a new series from Stagwell exploring the methods, mediums, and messes modern marketers will grapple with over the next decade as they chart transformation in the discipline. This March, Stagwell is exploring Audio.
TL;DR:
Audio provides disproportionate opportunities to gain cut-through in certain markets and demographics. Localization is the gateway to both accessing the best global content for US consumers, and scaling US brands worldwide.
With no images to aid understanding, successful audio localization has to be high quality, and still requires a human touch.
Approach localization the same as global media planning.
Recent research has shown a renaissance in the popularity of audio content amongst U.S. consumers, with younger segments finding audio more trustworthy than other digital channels. Additionally, as the popularity of shows such as Squid Game has recently shown, consumers in the U.S. have a growing appetite for international content. As brands shore up their global content properties in the coming years, the key to meeting the demand for international and multicultural audio content will be a smart approach to localization.
Engaging US audiences with the best creative work emerging overseas
The US audience benefits from a wealth of high-quality domestic content, produced with big budgets and starring global talent. When seeking impactful international content in this mature environment, the uncomfortable truth is that all creative markets are not equal.
Some markets have prioritized creative industries and are stronger sources for new video and audio content. The focus the South Korean government has put on creative industries as a source of regional influence since the Korean War has contributed to the success of Squid Game. The global content market is huge. As brands look to shore up their international content properties in the coming years, starting with content from markets that have already proven their creative skills in cinema could provide quick wins. For example: in Europe, Germany, France, and the UK are well known for their cinematic prowess, while the Nordic countries offer opportunities with their noir genre. Further afield, India (Bollywood) and Nigeria (Nollywood) already produce English language content, requiring less adaptation for the US.
Once great content has been found, adapting it for US audiences requires linguistic skills and deep cultural understanding. Editorial decisions have to be made in partnership with localization to ensure the original language’s drama, romance, or humor is not lost in translation. Collaborative workflows between creative and production talent are essential for making efficient adaptation decisions. Building audience data into that process can reduce subjectivity, speed up the process and reduce controversy around localization choices.
Leveraging US content to reach international audiences
While US consumers are seeking international content, authentic American stories can also play well globally. In the race to develop an audio content universe, brands should consider tapping into the expansive body of compelling U.S. podcasts and localizing them for international reach.
It’s important to note that audio content, unlike video, provides no visual aids to the consumer to support understanding, so high quality localization is even more important. Developments in AI technology and improvements in home recording equipment are reducing costs and speeding up audio localization, unlocking global audiences. However, as most creative content still requires human intervention and editorial agreement, brands should apply a targeted approach. By investing in localization where brands can have the most impact and utilizing a variety of methodologies to deliver local language content, costs can be controlled. So which markets offer the greatest opportunities to engage audiences with series like Serial or Smartless?
When it comes to the percentage of internet users consuming podcasts:
- Sweden, Norway and Denmark all over-index. The Nordics offer a wealthy consumer base, and a less competitive marketing environment than other European and English-speaking markets, providing attractive opportunities for growth.
- Spanish is becoming the second universal language for podcasting. In 2021, Mexico had a higher podcast penetration than most of Europe. Localizing to Mexican Spanish has the added benefit of offering deeper engagement with US Hispanic audiences.
Lastly, English-speaking markets can be a quick win, but to have real resonance and stand out from the competition, brands should adapt content to local English versions. They should also look at adapting content such as track listings or summaries and consider offering supplemental information explaining certain terms. This makes audiences feel better understood and drives loyalty.
Key Takeaways
- Audio provides disproportionate opportunities to gain cut-through in certain markets and demographics. Localization is the gateway to both accessing the best global content for US consumers, and scaling US brands worldwide.
- With no images to aid understanding, successful audio localization has to be high quality, and still requires a human touch. Locaria’s ISO-certified global network of highly skilled talent ensures messages have impact in any market, and protect your brand from embarrassing mistakes.
- Approach localization the same as global media planning. With an approach similar to media planning, Locaria’s content analysts ensure efficient global scaling of content across all channels, based on business objectives, and respecting budgets.
Learn more about how Locaria can help you scale your content globally here.
—
Locaria is a pioneering multilingual content activation agency which specializes in supporting in-house marketing and e-commerce teams, media agencies and creative production houses. We build linguistic solutions to scale content and campaigns internationally, while carefully balancing efficiency, effectiveness, creativity and quality.
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