Originally Released On

ACCESS Newswire

Contact:

Media Contact:

Mary Landon Montgomery
marylandon@ravenpublicrelations.com

Strategy, Creativity and Shared Values Propel New Partnership Dedicated to Helping Military Members, Veterans and Their Families Navigate Today’s Financial Complexity

DETROIT, MI / ACCESS Newswire / July 7, 2026 / Today, Doner, a Stagwell (STGW) agency, announces it has been named agency of record for Navy Federal Credit Union following a competitive review. This new partnership will underpin a combined focus on brand and product marketing in service of new member acquisition, in addition to building brand affinity and loyalty, all with the objective of creating a deeper relationship with members. Navy Federal is the world’s largest credit union, a not-for-profit serving over 15 million members worldwide.

“We were looking for a partner that brought together sharp strategic thinking, standout creativity and a genuine awareness of the communities we serve as they navigate an increasingly complex financial ecosystem,” said Pam Piligian, Chief Marketing Officer at Navy Federal Credit Union. “Throughout the review process, Doner demonstrated a strong grasp on the challenges and opportunities everyday Americans, including the military and their families, are facing. We’re excited to work together to build momentum for the Navy Federal brand and carry it forward toward an even more successful future.”

As agency of record, Doner will lead creative strategy across the brand, developing solutions across Navy Federal’s portfolio of products and services, helping the brand navigate today’s evolving world of personal and business finance. The partnership will focus on strengthening Navy Federal’s connection with existing members while introducing the brand to new audiences through strategically driven creative work.

“Navy Federal Credit Union has built one of the most trusted brands in financial services by putting its members first,” said Craig Conrad, President and Chief Operating Officer at Doner. “That’s the kind of brand we’re passionate about partnering with. Our team understands the values, aspirations and everyday realities of Americans across the country, and we’re excited to help Navy Federal tell the stories that honor its legacy while inspiring its next chapter of growth.”

The appointment follows a competitive agency review that began this February and comes on the heels of Doner’s strategic alliance with Colle McVoy to form DonerColle Partners. Together, the agencies bring expanded strategy, creative, media, production and AI-powered innovation to help brands that move America build deeper relationships with the people they serve.

Doner and Navy Federal Credit Union officially begin partnering this month, with initial work expected to launch in the fourth quarter.

About Navy Federal Credit Union

Established in 1933 with only seven members, Navy Federal now has the distinct honor of serving more than 15 million members globally and is the world’s largest credit union. As a member-owned and not-for-profit organization, Navy Federal always puts the financial needs of its members first. Membership is open to all Department of Defense and Coast Guard Active Duty, Veterans, civilian and contractor personnel, and their families. Navy Federal employs a workforce of over 25,000 and has a global network of more than 380 branches. Navy Federal is contracted to operate the Overseas Military Banking Program under the authority of the Department of Defense, which provides Active Duty military servicemembers deployed overseas with access to some 60 branches and hundreds of ATMs spread across 10 countries and territories. For more information about Navy Federal Credit Union, visit navyfederal.org.

About Doner

Doner is an integrated marketing agency operating at the intersection of Modern + Main Street. We help brands earn relevance and influence decisions through strategy, creative, media, communications, commerce and production. Our clients include Stellantis (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram), Coca-Cola’s fairlife, McDonald’s, The UPS Store, Poland Spring and more.

Doner is part of DonerColle Partners, a strategic alliance with Colle McVoy built to help brands win between the coasts through integrated strategy, creative, media and AI-powered innovation.

For more information, visit doner.com and donercolle.com, and follow Doner and DonerColle Partners on LinkedIn.

About DonerColle Partners

DonerColle Partners is a newly combined Stagwell (STGW) partnership formed between leading Stagwell agencies Doner and Colle McVoy, each with 90 years of history. Grounded in a shared belief that great work comes from strong relationships, the partnership combines deep roots with modern marketing expertise across strategy, creative, media and digital, including AI-enhanced content development, insight generation and measurement.

Built for the brands that move America, DonerColle Partners blends insight, craft and innovation to help brands connect meaningfully with people and drive lasting growth. To learn more, visit donercolle.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Contact
Mary Landon Montgomery
marylandon@ravenpublicrelations.com

By: Ray Day

CONTACT:

Ray Day
ray.day@stagwellglobal.com 

We wanted to share our latest consumer and business insights, based on research from Stagwell and Allison Worldwide. Among the highlights of our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:

THE MALL COMEBACK IS REAL

Malls remain a valuable retail environment, with younger shoppers driving long dwell times, apparel leading foot traffic, and adults 25–34 delivering the highest per-visit spend, according to new research from Stagwell’s The People Platform.

• 81% of mall shoppers visit more than once a month, underscoring the mall’s continued role in regular consumer routines.
• Reasons to visit other than for shopping include socializing (21%), exercise (14%), services (8%) and passing time (5%).
• Shoppers ages 25–34 spend an average of $296 per visit, the highest of any age cohort.
• Gen Z mall-goers spend 2.6 hours per visit on average, the longest dwell time of any age group. The average mall trip lasts 2.12 hours.
• 65% of mall visitors shopped at a clothing store, making apparel the mall’s biggest traffic driver.
• 51% of visitors who went into a clothing or accessories store made a purchase, a strong conversion rate for the category.
• The mall remains more than just a shopping destination, as 46% visited the mall to eat at a restaurant or in the food court.
• See also: People are Tracking Spending More Closely — Should You?

GLP-1 STIGMA LINGERS

GLP-1 use is widespread in both the U.S. and UK, yet attitudes remain divided between seeing the drugs as a legitimate health tool and a cosmetic shortcut, according to new research from HarrisX and Allison.

• 24% of Americans and 16% of Brits say they have used a GLP-1 medication, and another 23% of Americans and 30% of UK adults say they are open to or actively considering taking one.
• Half of Americans say using GLP-1s for weight loss is a responsible health choice, compared with 37% of Brits.
• At the same time, 50% of Americans and 63% of Brits say using GLP-1s is a shortcut.
• Nearly three quarters of Americans and 78% of Brits believe too many people are using GLP-1s for cosmetic weight loss.
• Two thirds of Americans and 55% of Brits say GLP-1 use is socially acceptable.
• Among current users, 64% of Americans and 51% of Brits say they are open about taking the drugs.
• Roughly half in both countries say creator conversations help reduce stigma around GLP-1 use.

MANUAL WORK EATS UP THE WORKDAY

While most enterprises have adopted AI, many employees still spend significant time moving data, reconciling reports and redoing work because core systems remain disconnected, according to our Harris Poll data with Workday.

• 1 in 5 workers lose at least seven hours a week moving information between systems.
• 81% of enterprise decision-makers say leaders spend significant time moving information between systems, and three quarters say leaders also spend significant time reconciling conflicting data or reports.
• Despite the friction, 97% still rate their day-to-day work experience positively, suggesting the issue is more about systems than morale.
• Globally, 43% of employees say they have busy-but-unproductive days often or very often. In the UK, that rises to nearly 60%.
• In HR, 70% report spending significant time redoing work due to system issues, the highest rework burden of any function.
• In finance, 1 in 5 say AI has accelerated work without improving results, the highest rate of any function.
• Even so, 70% of operations respondents say AI has reduced their time on tasks, the highest of any function.

AI ISN’T THE BOSS

Both hiring managers and workers still see clear limits on where AI should replace human involvement, based on a survey from Harris Poll and Express Employment Professionals.

• 9 in 10 U.S. hiring managers say AI will never replace the need for actual employees at their company.
• 92% say their company is committed to preserving a human element in the workplace.
• The top functions where companies most often prioritize people over AI are Human Resources (59%), Customer Service (57%), Ethics and Compliance (47%), Information Technology (43%) and Sales (39%).
• 82% of hiring managers and 76% of job seekers say crisis situations or emergencies should still involve people.
• Hiring managers also want people involved in reviewing applications and selecting candidates for interviews (79%).
• 77% of hiring managers say humans should remain the first point of contact for customer issues or questions.
• See also: 73% of On-Site Employees Are Frustrated with Their Workspace

ICYMI: In case you missed it, check out the thought-leadership and happenings around Stagwell making news:

• The game is 90% offense for communications pros who need to be data-led, digital-first and future-focused (Ray Day, Allison and PRWeek) 
• The Pulse of Cannes reveals what really made an impact during 2026’s International Festival of Creativity (Stagwell Marketing Cloud and Allison)
• Mobile-first preferences are rewiring consumer expectations for corporate payouts (National Research Group)
• Listeners are turning to YouTube for audio more than any other platform (Harris Poll)
• 6 International Cities Seeing the Biggest Surge of Americans Relocating Right Now (Harris Poll)

Originally Released On

ACCESS Newswire

Contact:

Media Contact:
Lena Petersen

pr@stagwellglobal.com

Stagwell’s cross-network model offers the creative ambition and marketing capabilities an enterprise technology provider demands.

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / June 30, 2026 / IBM today appointed Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW), the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI, as its lead creative partner. Stagwell’s Code and Theory and Anomaly will work together as a single, unified creative force, together providing world-class brand and campaign creativity.

Working alongside IBM, Code and Theory and Anomaly will help evolve the “Let’s Create Smarter Business” campaign across channels and geographies. Stagwell’s technology-forward operating model ensures the creative work stays connected, consistent and moving at the speed IBM’s business demands.

Jonathan Adashek, SVP Marketing and Communications at IBM: “At IBM, we believe that innovation happens at the intersection of human ingenuity and technological capability. Code and Theory and Anomaly bring the creative and strategic strength we need, along with modern tools and an operating approach that will help us move faster, work smarter and deliver more connected experiences.”

Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO of Stagwell: “What this moment demands is creative force and operational precision simultaneously, at the speed the market now requires. Code and Theory and Anomaly bring the full range of what that takes, and operating as one team, under one accountability structure, they will deliver it. The convergence of the C-Suite is where this partnership lives, and that’s where IBM will win.”

Stagwell’s first work with IBM is expected in August 2026.

Originally Released On

ACCESS Newswire

Contact:

PR Contact:
Quinn Werner
pr@stagwellglobal.com

The integration of Microsoft MCP connects Copilot directly to live campaigns, moving AI from pilot to production

LONDON, UK AND CANNES, FR / ACCESS Newswire / June 23, 2026 / Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW), the challenger network transforming marketing through AI, today announced an industry-first launch of the integration of Microsoft’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard that enables AI to securely connect to live data, tools and workflows, where the Copilot agent is embedded directly into Stagwell’s global media agency Assembly’s paid search operations and live campaigns. The solution demonstrates how AI can move beyond testing and support day‑to‑day marketing at scale by connecting Copilot directly to Microsoft Advertising data and systems, enabling continuous analysis, auditing and generation of client‑ready outputs.

As one of the first agency integrations of MCP at scale, this deployment creates a direct connection into Agents, allowing it to optimise and analyse within live campaigns. This launch establishes a new benchmark for how agencies can operationalise AI by connecting Agents directly to media systems, standardising workflows across markets and enabling continuous optimisation without adding complexity.

The solution has already been deployed across a global enterprise technology client, demonstrating how AI can transform paid search operations at scale. 

Key outcomes include: 

• More senior resource redirected toward strategic growth initiatives 

“Stagwell and Assembly are redefining how modern marketing organizations operationalize AI. Using M365 Copilot, Microsoft Advertising MCP, and Azure AI Foundry, they’ve reduced campaign audit timelines from hours to minutes while building a scalable foundation for AI-driven transformation across media and marketing,” said Lydia Smyers, VP US Telco, Media & Gaming, Microsoft.  

“This is not AI as a toolset. This is AI as infrastructure, embedded into how our media segments operate in Search, and beyond, at Stagwell,” said Dan Roberts, Global SVP Search at Stagwell Media Platform.  

“This work shows what happens when AI moves beyond pilots into real-world deployment,” said Thomas O’Donnell, Global Agencies Director at Microsoft Advertising. ”MCP enables a new generation of agents that can securely connect to the systems businesses rely on every day, unlocking entirely new ways of working.” 

 This Microsoft Advertising MCP will plug into Stagwell’s new media operating system, The Media Machine which launched last week.  This partnership comes after a strong year of momentum for Stagwell in AI and media following the launches of The Machine, Stagwell’s agentic operating system for marketing, Stagwell Media Platform, Stagwell Search+ and Agent Cloud. The MCP-powered Copilot agent extends this vision – connecting deep craft specialism with AI execution at scale. 

About Stagwell

Stagwell is the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI. 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 45+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

About Assembly

Assembly is Stagwell’s global omnichannel media agency, purpose-built for the AI era – combining media expertise, technology, and data to deliver performance-led outcomes for global brands.With over 3,000 experts in 44 offices worldwide, Assembly delivers full-funnel solutions that help the world’s most ambitious brands perform. Learn more at www.assemblyglobal.com

Contact:

Quinn Werner
PR@stagwellglobal.com

Originally Released On

ACCESS Newswire

Contact:

PR Contact:
Kenneth Hein
kenneth.hein@codeandtheory.com

Consider this: top-tier franchises now manage 80 to 150+ brand partners and publish across 13+ owned channels at a posting cadence 13x the cross-industry average, all with four-to-10-person creative teams.

To address this, Stagwell’s Code and Theory today announced the Content Operating System for Sports – an intelligent content operating system purpose-built for sports organizations. Powered by Adobe CX Enterprise, the solution gives teams and leagues a single managed system to meet content obligations at portfolio scale: on-brand, rights-cleared and informed by performance at every step.

The solution addresses three structural mismatches in sports content operations today: volume demands outpace team capacity, governance can’t keep pace with publish windows, and what worked last season isn’t captured in any system that informs the next.

The Content Operating System for Sports places intelligence and governance at the point of creation. It generates content from real triggers, sponsor obligation windows, fan segment behavior, game moments, and fixture events, rather than from a blank brief.

The result: sponsor obligations get fulfilled across the entire portfolio, fan content reflects who fans actually are and game-day reactions move from being a herculean effort to simply being an operational rhythm.

The Content Operating System for Sports leverages Adobe’s CX Enterprise technologies including Adobe GenStudio, which powers the agentic content supply chain-enabling Adobe and third-party agents to create, assemble, and optimize content at scale, configured for sports, through a data framework that structures content operations for the speed of sports. Its engine is a workflow library tuned to the sports content cadence of sponsor activation, fan engagement and team localization. The Content Operating System for Sports also leverages Adobe CX Analytics to deliver actionable insights for optimizing campaigns, targeting the right audiences, and connecting every media touchpoint to ROI.

Code and Theory operates the system alongside the customer’s in-house team. A small, dedicated group of full-stack, AI-fluent engineers embeds inside the customer’s organization to run and continuously refine the system day-to-day: strategy, technology and sports domain expertise — all in one team. The customer gets infrastructure that improves season after season rather than a deployment that gets handed off after launch.

The Content Operating System for Sports is the second solution between Code and Theory and Adobe’s Partner Solutions group. The first, the Creative Intelligence System, brings customer intelligence into the creative process early so teams can test and refine messaging and concepts before work is finalized and released.

Michael Treff, CEO of Code and Theory, says: “Code and Theory has spent more than a decade inside professional sports organizations, learning how this work operates at portfolio scale. The Content Operating System for Sports productizes that work, and the Adobe partnership is what lets us deliver it as durable infrastructure rather than another engagement. We’re committing to operate alongside our customers season after season.”

About The Code and Theory Network

The Code and Theory Network is the only technology and creative network built on a 50/50 balance of engineers and creatives. Part of Stagwell, it offers a global footprint and the capability to work across the entirety of the customer-facing journey – and implement the technology that powers it. The network includes Code and Theory, Kettle, Instrument, Left Field Labs, Truelogic, Create Group, and Current. Clients include Amazon, JPMorganChase, Microsoft, NBC, NFL, and Yeti. For more, visit codeandtheory.com.

Media Contact
Kenneth Hein
kenneth.hein@codeandtheory.com

Originally Released On

ACCESS Newswire

Contact:

PR Contact:
Quinn Werner
pr@stagwellglobal.com

An AI-native operating system for media developed by GALE – where 20+ intelligent agents plan, buy, optimize, and report across every major platform, with humans in control at every decision gate

NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / June 19, 2026 / Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW), the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI, today announced the launch of The Media Machine, a full lifecycle agentic media operating system. The Media Machine accelerates optimization, maximizes media investment efficiency, and drives higher-quality audience engagement across platforms. It blends automation and human expertise at every stage of the process by leveraging over 20 intelligent agents that operate across the entire system. Stagwell’s GALE led development of The Media Machine in collaboration with media agency Assembly and Stagwell Media Platform.

Building on the launch of The Machine in January 2026, Stagwell’s agentic operating system for marketing, The Media Machine extends this vision into media. The Machine enhances the data systems and tools marketers already use, including Figma, Slack, Teams, Adobe, and performance dashboards, eliminating the need to adopt new closed-system software.

At the core of The Media Machine is an advanced media-specific operating layer that enables a seamless end-to-end workflow through a fully integrated operating system. Beyond supporting basic task execution, it enables agentic buying and a more connected process across the full funnel, extending and complementing Stagwell’s existing media stack. The operating system integrates directly with leading ecosystems including across Google’s GMP products, Meta, Microsoft & LinkedIn, TikTok and The Trade Desk, enabling planning and activation across channels within a single workflow. A unified ID graph powers audience-first planning from brief to activation, while advanced modelling continuously updates performance insights to drive smarter decisions. The recently launched Stagwell Search+ also integrates into the platform, adding a layer of LLM share of ranking enabling a measurable output of how the end state media solution accelerates a brands LLM visibility.

“The launch of The Media Machine marks a major step forward in Stagwell’s media strategy,” said Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO of Stagwell. “Along with our investment in The Machine and our agentic targeting system with Palantir, The Media Machine moves us toward a next-generation media model powered by AI across the full campaign lifecycle.”

Slavi Samardzija, Global Chair of Media & Commerce at Stagwell, added, “The Media Machine is first of its kind industry application, that goes beyond planning, into extensive automation of cross-platform activation, from campaign and line-item creation to always-on algorithmic investment reallocation. Our teams can now act with agility and speed, connecting every signal and delivering better outcomes for clients, while keeping humans firmly in control of every critical decision.”

The Media Machine brings tremendous benefits to brands when measured against traditional planning, investment and optimization processes. Core benefits of The Media Machine include:

• A New Agency Model for Growth: The Media Machine enables the creation of a new agency model that changes the traditional team structure, integrates orchestration talent, unlocks differentiated commercials models and creates new ways of working. This new balance of technology, structure and talent will allow marketers to act faster by combining precision with creativity and innovation to deliver growth.

“Built by our media practitioners with deep activation expertise, The Media Machine was designed to solve the fundamental limitations that arise when conversational layers are bolted onto legacy tools,” said Brad Nunn, Managing Director, Media at GALE. “It offers a deep, robust foundational layer with extensive customization options, empowering each agency and brand to define and shape its most successful version.”

This solution also comes after a strong year of momentum for Stagwell in AI and media following the launches of Stagwell Media Platform, Stagwell Search+ and Agent Cloud.

About Stagwell

Stagwell is the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonise the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our specialists in 45+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

Contact:
Quinn Werner
PR@stagwellglobal.com

By: Ray Day

CONTACT:

Ray Day
ray.day@stagwellglobal.com 

We wanted to share our latest consumer and business insights, based on research from Stagwell and Allison Worldwide. Among the highlights of our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:

AMERICANS TRUST PHONE PRIVACY TOO MUCH

Americans deeply trust calls and texts for sensitive communication – and many misunderstand how much control they have over privacy, according to our Harris Poll research with Cape.

• 81% trust phone calls for sensitive communication, while 76% trust SMS, 76% trust email and 74% trust voicemail.
• 59% do not know that turning off location settings does not stop all forms of location tracking, while 37% incorrectly believe it does.
• 58% do not know their phone number can be transferred to another device without their permission in a SIM-swap attack.
• Four in 10 don’t know that mobile service providers can share personal information – such as contact information and usage data – with other companies for marketing and other purposes.
• 65% say they are interested in switching to a mobile provider with stronger privacy and security protections, including 74% of Millennials, 69% of Gen X, 65% of Gen Z and 55% of Boomers.

CREDIT CARD ADDICTION

With high inflation and interest rates, household debt is growing – and revolving credit cards are a growing concern, according to our Harris Poll research with NerdWallet.

• The biggest year-over-year increases in American debt include mortgages (up 3.02%), auto loans (up 2.62%), student loans (up 1.66%) and revolving credit cards (up 1.64%).
• Revolving credit card debt has been on the rise since 2021, and 47% who currently have revolving credit card debt say it will increase this year.
• 49% of consumers say carrying revolving credit card debt is normal.
• 26% with revolving credit card debt (26%) say they generally only make the minimum payment each month.

MORE THAN GOALS DRIVING WORLD CUP

While current World Cup excitement is real, the conversation drivers of risk, politics and cultural flashpoints are as intense as the game itself, according Stagwell’s Marketing Cloud Kick It Up! report.

• 72% of total World Cup visibility is driven by geopolitics, athlete activism and host-nation readiness.
• 89% of coverage around human rights and surveillance is negative, while 31% of geopolitics coverage is negative.
• Meanwhile, 68% of coverage around local soccer pride is positive, and 56% of sustainability coverage is positive.
• 39% of coverage around tourism uplift is positive.
• Consumers with household incomes above $100,000 over-index on World Cup familiarity and regard, with men 30–45 who earn more than $100,000 being a core audience.
• See also: Fans say World Cup ticket prices deserve a red card

WHAT DOES SUMMER TASTE LIKE?

We took a look at how much people care about their summer fruits and vegetables, using data from The Harris Poll and Instacart.

• Every state has a favorite: Vermont over-indexes on corn at 40% above the national average. Maine leads the country on heirloom tomatoes.
• New Mexico likes peaches more than any other state (83% above the national average), followed by Utah (+45%), Arizona (+42%) and South Dakota (+37%).
• Overall, Americans have strong feelings about peaches: 35% say a perfectly ripe peach beats any other summer dessert, and 26% like to eat them at room temperature – and say refrigerating a peach is a crime.
• Watermelon is the Southwest’s unofficial side dish – led by Nevada (36% above the national average), Texas (+35%), Wyoming: (+25%) and California (+24%).

ICYMI: In case you missed it, check out the thought-leadership and happenings around Stagwell making news:

• Media relations is having a Route 66 moment (Allison)
• A Quarter of Gen Z Is LGBTQ+. Your Brand Is Ghosting Its Own Future (Harris Poll)
• More Canadians journey south of the border for the second month in a row (Harris Poll)
• The UK is a country united on the past, but divided on the future (Harris Poll)
• AI Has a Flatness Problem: Can Agents Solve It? (National Research Group)

By: Ray Day

CONTACT:

Ray Day
ray.day@stagwellglobal.com 

We wanted to share our latest consumer and business insights, based on research from Stagwell and Allison Worldwide. Among the highlights of our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:

PARENTS ARE STILL PAYING THE BILLS

Many Americans still depend on family support, and 1 in 5 doubt they ever will become financially independent, according to the 2026 Planning & Progress Study by Harris Poll and Northwestern Mutual. 

• 42% of U.S. adults still rely on previous generations for financial support.
• Reliance is especially high among younger adults, with more than half of Millennials and about 1 in 4 Gen Zers reporting it.
• On average, Americans say they have achieved or expect to achieve financial independence at age 37.
• Fewer than 1 in 3 Americans plan to leave an inheritance behind. Among those who do expect to leave one, the average inheritance is below $50,000.
• See also: Young Americans say parenthood now feels like a choice between family and financial security

HALF WATCHING THE WORLD CUP

Half of Americans plan to watch at least one World Cup match on TV, streaming or social media during the next several weeks, according to our Harris Poll research.

• 52% say hosting major international sporting events in North America is making them more interested in sports they would not normally follow.
• 51% say they have noticed brands sponsoring or advertising around the World Cup.
• 50% hope their favorite brands are involved with the tournament in some way.
• See also: How “beyond the broadcast” engagement strengthens sports fandom
• See also: America’s Surge in Soccer Fandom

MEN ARE GOING FOR A GLOW-UP

Men’s grooming routines have become the next frontier in beauty, as more men view skincare as part of their overall wellness journey, based on our Harris Poll data.

• Nearly a fifth of men (18%) say beauty/skincare spending would be the hardest to cut back this summer.
• Half of Gen Z and Millennials (48%) would still buy a favorite skincare product even with a price tag of $100.
• With an annual estimated 8% growth, forecasts predict men’s skincare will hit $16 billion by 2032 and men’s grooming products as a whole $276 billion by 2030.

SUMMER JOB GHOSTING SEASON

Job applications have a new worry this summer: In addition to a rising number of job seekers who say they never hear back from applications, a growing trend is a “ghost position” – an online listing from companies with no immediate intention to fill it or for a job that does not exist at all, based on our Harris Poll and other research.

• 53% of applicants assume they will not receive any response from a company after applying.
• Up to one third of all job postings are assumed to be fake.
• Ghost postings are said to be phantom listings to collect resumes in reserve, create an illusion to their workforce that help is on the way and even portray an appearance of company growth.
• Several lawmakers are pushing for legislation to crack down on phantom postings.
• See also: 4 in 5 believe careers in creative fields are undervalued

LGBTQ+ SEE BRANDS PULLING BACK

LGBTQ+ consumers are paying close attention to whether brands stand by their values when support gets tested, according to new Inclusive Insights research from Harris Poll.

• 81% of LGBTQ+ consumers say brands have pulled back support in the last two years.
• 84%  lose trust in brands that back away from causes or communities.
• 89% of LGBTQ+ consumers say they trust brands more when support is consistent over time.
• 90% say brands should treat LGBTQ+ consumers as a valuable audience, not just a social issue.

ICYMI: In case you missed it, check out the thought-leadership and happenings around Stagwell making news:

• Sport Beach reveals final athlete line-up and schedule for Cannes Lions 2026 (Stagwell)
• Crypto becomes hot-button election issue (Harris Poll)
• Unreliable childcare is a mental health issue (Harris Poll)
• Summer is the season that breaks working parents (Harris Poll)
• How should you meaningfully incorporate AI into your daily workflow? (Allison and Ray Day)
• Jamie Dowd named Allison’s new Global President, Health + Wellness (Allison)

Originally Released On

ACCESS Newswire

Contact:

PR Contact:
Maggie Axford
pr@stagwellglobal.com

“I’m honored to join The Wall Street Journal Leadership Institute’s CPO Council alongside such an accomplished group of people leaders,” said Howley. “This is an incredible opportunity to engage with thought leaders in the talent space and ensure Stagwell remains at the cutting edge of how we attract, develop, and retain world-class talent. As the workplace continues to evolve, collaboration and the exchange of ideas across industries are more important than ever – and I’m proud to bring those insights back to a company that is already pushing the boundaries of what great looks like.”

As Chief People Officer at Stagwell, Howley brings more than 20 years of experience leading people strategy. At Stagwell, she has helped shape a high-performing culture defined by top talent across creative, technology, and AI, positioning the network to attract, develop, and retain the best people in the industry.

Prior to joining Stagwell, Howley served as Executive Vice President, Managing Director, People Team, North America at BCW Global, where she led the integration of North American teams following the merger of Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe. Earlier in her career, she was EVP of Human Resources at Cohn & Wolfe in a global role, during which time the agency earned repeated recognition as a “Best Place to Work” from organizations including PRWeek, PRNEWS, Ad Age, and Crain’s New York Business. In 2012, Howley became the first HR professional recognized in PRWeek’s 40 Under 40 list.

For more information on The Wall Street Journal Leadership Institute’s CPO Council and its members, visit https://leadershipinstitute.wsj.com/cpo/

About Stagwell

Stagwell is the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI. 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 45+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

Media Contact

Maggie Axford
PR@stagwellglobal.com

Originally Released On

ACCESS Newswire

Contact:

PR Contact:
Quinn Werner
pr@stagwellglobal.com

Sil will oversee global product development and media activation for Stagwell Media Platform

NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / May 12, 2026 / Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI, today announced the appointment of Dru Sil as Global Product Managing Director of Stagwell Media Platform, effective immediately. Reporting to Matt Adams, Global CEO of Stagwell Media Platform (SMP), Sil will lead the development, execution, and strategy of SMP’s product suite. In this role, he will oversee global media activation as well as product development and integration across Stagwell.

Sil brings more than 15 years of commerce and product experience across startups and global agency networks. Recently, he served as Global Commerce Product Lead at Annalect within Omnicom. Prior to that, Sil held multiple roles across Omnicom and WPP in product strategy, partner co-development, and marketing science, where he developed solutions for brands including Diageo, Dyson, General Mills, Kimberly-Clark, Jaguar/Land Rover, PepsiCo, TJ Maxx, Tyson Foods, and Unilever.

The appointment follows a year of strong momentum for Stagwell including the launches of Stagwell Search+ and The Machine earlier this year. In July 2025, Stagwell established Stagwell Media Platform, a centralized team of global media, technology, and data investment experts led by Matt Adams, designed to optimize trading and investment products and deliver media activation solutions for Stagwell’s global client base.

Matt Adams, Global CEO of Stagwell Media Platform, said, “Dru is an exceptional talent, and his technology and business strategy background uniquely positions him to build and scale our global product suite. He will play a critical role in advancing product development and integration across our media solutions, creating a clear competitive advantage for our clients.”

Dru Sil, recently appointed Global Product Managing Director of Stagwell Media Platform, added, “Stagwell is at the forefront of agentic product solutions, and I am excited to work with Matt and the broader team to bring this product suite to life worldwide. The network is perfectly positioned to operate at the speed and scale required in today’s media and technology landscape, driving both innovation and growth for our clients.”

About Stagwell 

Stagwell is the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI. 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 45+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com. 

Contact:

Quinn Werner
Stagwell
PR@stagwellglobal.com