The global marketing activation heavyweight just named Matt Strawn as its new Chief Growth Officer—a strategic hire aimed squarely at accelerating innovation and deepening global brand partnerships in a rapidly evolving martech landscape.

Strawn’s appointment marks a significant step in HH Global’s push for what it calls “sustainable, responsible growth,” but let’s cut through the buzzwords: this is a calculated move to stay competitive in a market where data-driven personalization, automation, and sustainability are rewriting the rules of engagement.

Who Is Matt Strawn?

If the name rings a bell, it’s probably from his decade-long run at Accenture, where he helped build Accenture Interactive—now Accenture Song—into a dominant digital agency network. That group didn’t just grow; it exploded, becoming the fastest-growing business in Accenture history and sitting atop AdAge’s Largest Digital Agency Network rankings for six years straight.

Strawn’s expertise lies in scaling marketing operations, integrating CX with digital tech, and tying strategy to measurable business outcomes. In other words, he doesn’t just talk transformation—he delivers it.

Why It Matters

Marketing services providers are under pressure. Brands want agile, tech-forward partners who can not only execute but innovate. HH Global’s business—centered around marketing execution, procurement, and creative production—depends on staying ahead of those demands. By bringing in a CGO with both the consulting chops and operational rigor of someone like Strawn, HH Global is signaling it’s not content to simply keep pace; it wants to lead.

This comes at a time when traditional agency models are being tested. In-housing trends, tighter marketing budgets, and rising expectations around ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) responsibilities have created both threat and opportunity. Strawn’s remit is to turn those pressures into strategic advantages—leveraging technology, sustainability, and global scale to win new business and grow existing accounts.

North America in Focus

The San Francisco-based Strawn will report directly to CEO Kristian Elgey, reinforcing HH Global’s executive presence in North America—a market where the company sees considerable room to scale. His addition follows a string of C-suite moves, including the hiring of a new chief HR officer, chief legal officer, and promotion of a chief client officer—suggesting the leadership bench is being deliberately deepened for a more complex era of marketing execution.

“This is more than just a title shuffle,” said Elgey. “Matt brings a global mindset and knows how to operationalize growth. That’s exactly what our clients—and the industry—need right now.”

The Bigger Picture

HH Global isn’t alone in recalibrating for growth amid a shifting martech ecosystem. Rivals like Williams Lea, Tag, and even Deloitte Digital are all leaning harder into tech and sustainability narratives. But HH Global has a particular edge: a reputation for blending creative activation with procurement efficiency—a rare hybrid that’s increasingly appealing to global brands trying to do more with less.

By elevating growth to the C-suite, the company is also echoing a broader B2B trend—one where growth strategy is no longer a function of sales alone but an orchestrated effort spanning tech, talent, data, and culture.

As Strawn himself put it: “True business growth comes from client impact, innovation, and integrity. That’s what drew me to HH Global.”

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Measured is flipping the script on how marketers plan media.

Building on its foundation in incrementality and causal Media Mix Modeling (MMM), the company has launched a major upgrade to its Media Plan Optimizer—a scenario planning engine designed to let marketers forecast real business outcomes in real time. It’s the kind of no-nonsense, data-driven tech that could finally put an end to the spreadsheet chaos and attribution guesswork plaguing media strategy teams.

At the heart of the new Optimizer is Measured’s triangulated measurement system, which fuses incrementality testing, MMM, and attribution into a single causal framework. That’s not just a mouthful—it’s a major step beyond traditional media planning, which often relies on backward-looking metrics and correlation-based models that rarely hold up under scrutiny.

From Guesswork to Ground Truth

“Today’s enterprise marketers don’t have time for guesswork or unreliable attribution,” said Measured CEO and co-founder Trevor Testwuide. “They need tools that are fast, flexible, and grounded in outcomes.”

And that’s exactly what the new Optimizer promises: the ability to simulate and plan media budgets across channels, timeframes, and KPIs—without waiting weeks for post-campaign analysis or pulling together scattered reports from different platforms.

Using diminishing response curves, the Optimizer accounts for saturation, seasonality, ad stock, and other factors that affect performance in the real world. Instead of just telling marketers what worked, it shows them what will work—and how much to spend, where, and when to reach efficiency and revenue goals.

The Why-Now of Media Planning

In an era where marketers are held more accountable for business results than ever, this kind of causal modeling isn’t just helpful—it’s becoming necessary. The death of third-party cookies, growing pressure to prove ROI, and fractured media consumption patterns have made legacy tools look increasingly brittle.

The Optimizer’s real power lies in how it operationalizes that complexity. By connecting measurement to action, it eliminates the limbo between performance analysis and strategic planning.

Planning that once took weeks of guesswork and gut feelings? Now it’s buttoned up in minutes.

Plug-and-Play for the Enterprise Stack

Measured designed the Optimizer with enterprise-grade flexibility in mind. It integrates seamlessly into existing workflows, accepts learnings from prior campaigns, and outputs plans directly into internal BI or reporting systems.

It also plays nice with third-party or in-house Media Mix Models, letting brands use their own measurement logic while gaining the speed and usability of Measured’s front end. That’s an important move in a category where vendors often force marketers to choose between control and usability.

Market Implications

Measured isn’t alone in pushing for outcome-focused planning—competitors like Neustar, Rockerbox, and Recast are all rethinking MMM with varying levels of real-time capability. But Measured’s edge lies in its causal triangulation approach: a rare blend of incrementality, modeling, and attribution that gives marketers a fuller picture of cause and effect.

For brands spending tens or hundreds of millions across channels, the implications are huge. Not only can they optimize on the fly—they can defend budget allocations, align teams faster, and adapt to shifting priorities without starting from scratch.

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AI-native startup CRED has officially exited stealth, announcing a $15 million seed round led by defy.vc with backing from HOF Capital, Alumni Ventures, and a roster of heavyweight investors. The company’s aim? To democratize predictive intelligence at a scale that was once the exclusive domain of Wall Street.

If you’ve ever wished your CRM could act more like a hedge fund quant, this is your moment.

CRED is positioning itself as the "AI operating system" for the enterprise, merging real-time external signals with internal business data to generate ranked, contextual, and—most importantly—actionable insights. The result: GTM teams spend less time guessing and more time executing.

The Hedge Fund Brain for Every Business

Predictive intelligence isn’t new—but until now, it’s been locked away behind armies of data scientists and expensive infrastructure. What’s different today is the convergence of three factors: exploding datasets, LLM breakthroughs, and cheap compute.

CRED’s platform plugs into a company’s CRM, MAP, and other systems, audits and enriches data in real time, and overlays it with dynamic market signals—like hiring surges, ad spend shifts, and funding events. The engine then delivers intelligent scores, real-time alerts, and personalized recommendations. Think: churn risk, upsell opportunity, ICP scoring—all ranked, timed, and ready to act on.

Need to build a high-intent outbound list based on live market triggers? Done.
Want to auto-prioritize sales outreach the moment a prospect shows intent? Already happening.
Looking to integrate this into your existing stack? That’s the whole point.

Why It Matters

Companies like Salesforce, Gong, and 6sense have built empires on sales and marketing intelligence. But where CRED differs is in scope and execution. It doesn’t just analyze behavior—it fuses external signals with proprietary synthetic data to predict what comes next, and automates action across the customer lifecycle.

While competitors often stop at “insight,” CRED keeps going—right into execution. The platform includes a built-in outreach tool and integrates directly with existing workflows, so reps can go from insight to email without toggling tools.

This positions CRED as not just a predictive dashboard, but a revenue orchestration engine. According to founder and CEO Jon Carr-Harris, the platform has already generated over $100 million in revenue and $20 million in cost savings for users—before the company even launched publicly.

Enterprise Traction, Sports & Beyond

In stealth, CRED quietly landed 25 large enterprise clients, including the Golden State Warriors, UTA, and the PGA. These customers have used the platform to automate over 10,000 hours of manual data work per month and unlock consistent double-digit revenue growth.

Its initial beachhead in Sports & Entertainment is now just the beginning. With fresh capital, CRED plans to expand into broader verticals, grow its go-to-market muscle, and double down on R&D, particularly in proprietary data models and LLM capabilities.

The AI Race to Action

With LLMs reshaping the landscape of business intelligence, timing is everything. The market is quickly shifting from dashboards and analytics tools to "actionable AI" platforms—a category where vendors must deliver not just insight, but outcomes.

CRED is staking its claim in that next generation of tools: platforms that don’t just interpret data but act on it. Think of it as the connective tissue between signal and strategy, between insight and execution.

Its main challenge now? Scale. As startups like Reprise, Mutiny, and even enterprise incumbents like Adobe and Salesforce beef up their predictive engines, the real differentiator will come down to how quickly these insights can drive automated, intelligent action across fragmented stacks.

CRED’s bet is that its “AI-native” architecture and hedge-fund-style modeling give it the edge—and investors are buying in.

As Carr-Harris puts it, “Just like in science fiction, we can finally start to predict the future.”

Time will tell. But for now, CRED has stepped out of stealth with a war chest, traction, and a sharply defined mission: to make predictive intelligence the standard, not the exception, in enterprise operations.

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When it comes to digital ads for consumer packaged goods (CPG), the hard truth is that only 18% of consumers buy after seeing an ad. AdAdapted thinks it can do better—not by shouting louder, but by giving shoppers more choices.

The adtech company just launched Add-It™ Pathways, a new format designed to reflect the way consumers actually shop online: unpredictably. Instead of forcing a single call-to-action, Pathways offers a modular set of CTAs that brands can customize to match where a shopper is in their buying journey.

It's a simple idea that could pack a serious punch: Give users a range of interactive options like See Recipes, Add-to-Cart, or Watch Video, and let them decide how to engage. The result? A "choose-your-own-adventure" experience that doesn’t just promote a product—it builds a relationship.

Why This Matters in a Shifting CPG Landscape

Shopping behavior has become increasingly fragmented. Thanks to inflation, price-consciousness is up, loyalty is down, and shoppers are switching brands, channels, and habits at record pace. Consumers might discover a product while watching a recipe video, but wait until a deal shows up in a circular before buying.

AdAdapted’s Pathways format acknowledges this complexity and adapts the ad experience accordingly. Brands can now choose from a suite of CTA options tailored to different goals, such as:

• Brand Awareness: Watch Video, See Recipes, Where to Buy

• Conversion: Add-to-Cart, Save to Phone, Shoppable Recipes

• Value Seekers: Local Deals, See Recipes, Coupon Links

The format also works across various campaign types—from new product launches to targeted promotions—and plugs into AdAdapted’s broader platform for pre-shop intent and retail integration.

“Brands often miss the mark by offering just one way to engage,” said Molly McFarland, co-founder and CRO of AdAdapted. “With Pathways, we’re letting consumers choose how they want to connect with a brand—when they’re ready and how they’re comfortable.”

How It Works

Pathways isn’t just about slapping on a few more buttons. The tech is built to be modular and flexible, allowing brands to:

• Configure CTAs based on campaign goals or product category

• Tailor experiences for different audience segments

• Reduce friction between awareness and purchase moments

• Capture intent signals across platforms and devices

It’s a move toward smarter, context-aware advertising—something the CPG industry has been lagging behind on while DTC and retail media networks surge ahead with personalization and automation.

With traditional display ad performance declining and retailers like Walmart and Kroger investing heavily in shoppable media and connected commerce, AdAdapted’s Pathways is a clear attempt to bring agility and personalization back into the hands of CPG advertisers.

The Bigger Picture: Flexibility is the New Funnel

The traditional marketing funnel is cracking. Linear pathways from awareness to purchase have given way to chaotic, multi-touch journeys shaped by algorithms, influencers, and real-world constraints like price and availability.

Add-It™ Pathways plays into this trend by abandoning the one-size-fits-all CTA and letting the consumer self-select how—and when—they engage. And for marketers, that means better alignment between ad spend and actual behavior.

For now, the product looks like a strong value-add for CPG brands trying to cut through the noise with flexibility, relevance, and smarter intent capture. It’s not just another ad format—it’s a tool for navigating the new chaos of CPG commerce.

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RingCentral is rewriting the rules of business communication with the general availability of its AI Receptionist™ (AIR) — an AI-powered voice agent that’s now serving more than 2,000 organizations across healthcare, finance, real estate, and more. It’s not just answering calls. It’s driving strategic outcomes, 24/7.

Described by RingCentral as a “digital employee”, the AI Receptionist combines generative AI, contextual understanding, and dynamic call handling into a single, seamless solution that installs in minutes, needs no IT support, and delivers immediate ROI.

Voice AI With a Business Brain

Unlike legacy IVRs or basic virtual assistants, RingCentral’s AI Receptionist isn’t a gatekeeper — it’s a frontline operator. It answers questions, understands context, routes calls by name or intent, blocks spam, and even sends follow-up texts. It's available at a fraction of the cost of a human receptionist — just $39 per month per license, including 100 minutes of use.

“This is voice AI that adapts, evolves, and delivers value from day one,” said Kira Makagon, President & COO of RingCentral. “It’s not just a better first impression. It’s a strategic shift — from cost center to growth driver.”

What It Delivers:

• Instant activation – No IT required. AIR scrapes your website to learn key info and goes live within minutes.

• Customizable greetings & voices – Align caller experience with brand identity.

• Context-aware routing – Transfers based on names or inquiry types, even outside the business phone system.

• Multi-location & language support – Manage multiple offices with custom settings and route calls in both English and Spanish (beta).

• HIPAA compliance – Secure for healthcare use, including patient data protection.

• AI-powered call analytics – Identify FAQs, streamline responses, and optimize routing with one click.

Real Businesses, Real Impact

From medical offices to financial services firms, AIR is already making measurable impact:

• 93% of calls handled autonomously at Integral Recruiting Services, saving 12 hours/month and reducing staffing costs.

• $3,000/month saved at Big Think Capital, replacing a human receptionist with a 24/7 AI that never takes a break.

• 10% workforce reallocated and improved CX reported by early adopters in construction and real estate.

Pamela Sutton, Office Manager at Four Seasons of Angel Fire, shared how the tool reclaimed 8 hours of her weekly time, allowing her to focus on strategy and growth.

A Glimpse Into the Future: Agentic AI

RingCentral isn’t just playing catch-up with AI — it’s aiming to lead the next evolution. AIR represents a new category of "Agentic AI" that can interpret intent, make decisions, and execute tasks with human-like discernment. It’s more than a reactive tool — it’s proactive, intelligent, and business-aware.

Industry analyst Zeus Kerravala put it best:

"This is the AI frontline every modern business needs — conversational, efficient, and human-grade.”

With usage-based pricing, turnkey setup, and enterprise-grade intelligence, RingCentral AI Receptionist™ makes world-class voice automation available to businesses of any size — no IT team or budget bloat required.

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Optimove, the pioneer of Positionless Marketing, has partnered with leading iGaming technology provider EveryMatrix to launch a new real-time marketing integration that empowers operators to act instantly on player behavior—without technical dependencies.

This integration allows joint clients to stream real-time event data from EveryMatrix directly into Optimove’s marketing hub, enabling automated, hyper-personalized campaigns triggered by key player actions like deposits, withdrawals, or gameplay.

“This is Positionless Marketing in action,” said Motti Colman, VP Revenue, Gaming at Optimove. “We’re removing the traditional bottlenecks—analysts, developers, manual processes—and letting marketers move at the speed of the player.”

Why It Matters for iGaming Operators

The iGaming space is becoming increasingly competitive, and operators must engage players in the right moment with relevant content. The new integration enables:

• Welcome bonuses triggered immediately after a player’s first deposit

• Session abandonment alerts to re-engage players in real-time

• Instant loyalty rewards based on gameplay milestones

The result? Faster execution, increased engagement, and higher lifetime value per player.

“This adds tremendous value for our operator partners,” said Kevin Furlong, Group CPO at EveryMatrix. “Combining our powerful iGaming infrastructure with Optimove’s real-time capabilities allows clients to create deeply personalized player experiences—at exactly the right time.”

Real-Time Marketing, Real-World Impact

The collaboration reflects a growing industry demand for agile and responsive marketing automation. With real-time campaign triggers powered by EveryMatrix data, Optimove clients can now eliminate campaign delays and execute contextual player journeys instantly.

Marketers can deploy these personalized flows independently, without needing analysts or engineering resources—true to Optimove’s Positionless Marketing vision.

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Vantage, the leading orchestration platform for retail and commerce media, has announced the appointment of Nick Hinsley as Vice President of International Operations. The strategic hire underscores the company’s growing global momentum and commitment to expanding its international footprint.

“Nick’s deep experience in retail media and SaaS, paired with his track record of global growth, makes him the ideal person to lead our expansion beyond North America,” said Aran Hamilton, CEO of Vantage. “His leadership will be instrumental in helping us deliver value at scale to our growing customer base.”

A Proven Leader in Retail Media Growth

Hinsley brings over two decades of commercial and go-to-market leadership in SaaS, marketing technology, and media. In prior roles at Lexer and Zitcha, he led initiatives across customer acquisition, revenue expansion, and omnichannel media monetization — helping major retailers and brands unlock new revenue streams via audience-led advertising and loyalty data activation.

At Vantage, he will lead efforts to:

• Build international strategic partnerships

• Expand the platform’s reach in key global markets

• Support retailers seeking to unlock the value of their first-party data

“Vantage has consistently impressed me with how it’s simplifying and scaling retail and commerce media,” said Hinsley. “I’m excited to join the team and help extend our impact across global markets at this pivotal time.”

Global Demand Meets Platform Innovation

As more retailers around the world seek to capitalize on the rise of retail media networks, Vantage is uniquely positioned to support them with a platform designed for scalable monetization, automation, and data-driven decision-making.

This appointment signals a strong next chapter for Vantage’s global growth, delivering on its vision to empower retailers worldwide with the tools to monetize their media assets and first-party data with speed and precision.

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Monetate, the leading AI-driven personalization platform, has officially acquired SiteSpect, a pioneer in zero-flicker A/B testing, to deliver the industry’s first unified platform for enterprise-grade personalization, experimentation, and optimization.

This bold move positions Monetate as the only solution able to seamlessly combine client-side and server-side testing with intelligent, real-time personalization in a single, scalable, and secure platform — designed to meet the needs of today’s most complex digital organizations.

“We’re building the future of experience orchestration,” said Steve Maher, CEO of Monetate. “This is a leap forward not just for Monetate, but for the entire industry. We’re enabling brands to move from reactive optimization to proactive experience design—powered by AI, rooted in strategy, and executed at scale.”

Reinventing Experience Optimization with Agentic AI

This acquisition advances Monetate’s mission to enable hyper-personalized, context-aware experiences across the entire customer journey. The combined platform will:

• Triple engineering capacity, accelerating innovation cycles

• Deliver zero-flicker testing performance for enhanced UX

• Integrate agentic AI to drive real-time decision-making

• Offer HIPAA-ready, PCI-compliant, and GDPR-aligned deployments for regulated industries

Key Capabilities of the Unified Platform

• Real-Time Hyper-Personalization: Leverages behavioral, contextual, and historical data to deliver individualized content at every touchpoint

• Seamless Experimentation: Combines the agility of client-side with the power of server-side testing without compromising performance

• AI-Native Architecture: Designed for transparency, explainability, and compliance from the ground up

• Omnichannel Experience Delivery: Personalization across web, mobile, email, call centers, and in-store

• Enterprise-Grade Security: Built for high-stakes industries like healthcare and financial services

“This is not a retrofit — it’s a reinvention,” added Maher. “Together, we’re creating a future-proof solution to help brands not only meet customer expectations, but to anticipate and exceed them.”

Accelerating Growth and Market Impact

With Monetate growing over 30% annually, and backed by public and private investors managing over $400B in assets, the acquisition of SiteSpect amplifies its market reach and vertical depth — especially in sectors demanding advanced data protection and deployment flexibility.

The new platform will help global brands future-proof their digital experience strategy with AI-powered personalization, latency-free testing, and strategic guidance — all in a unified solution built for the next era of enterprise marketing.

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