Ayodeji Razaq, Group CEO of RED and Co-Founder of The People Company, was named the 2025 Forty Under 40 Global Award Winner in the Marketing & Communications category at an exclusive ceremony held in Dubai. This prestigious recognition highlights Razaq’s bold leadership, transformative campaigns, and ability to connect brands to culture in ways that resonate deeply across audiences and markets.

Under the theme “Connecting Global Champions,” the Forty Under 40 Global Awards brought together 40 dynamic business leaders from around the world, celebrating those who are reshaping industries and setting new standards of excellence. Razaq’s award is a testament to his transformative impact in Africa’s creative and communications sector, solidifying his position as one of the continent’s most influential marketing voices.

"Winning on a global stage is more than a personal honor, it's a powerful testament to the outstanding, world-class work we do in Africa," said Ayodeji Razaq. "As marketing professionals, we are not just telling stories; we are shaping narratives that position Africa as a vibrant, strategic player in the global economy. This recognition reinforces the fact that African talent is not just rising, it’s leading the charge into a new era of business and marketing communications in emerging markets."

Leading Change in Africa’s Marketing Landscape

As Group CEO of RED, Ayodeji Razaq has revolutionized marketing and communications across Africa, crafting campaigns that blend creativity, culture, and strategic insight. His leadership has led to breakthrough moments for iconic brands and set new industry benchmarks for how brands can connect with diverse audiences.

Razaq’s work exemplifies the power of marketing grounded in cultural relevance, with campaigns that resonate deeply across African markets and beyond. His strategic foresight and innovative approach have elevated RED and The People Company, making them leaders in brand building, strategic communication, and business transformation.

Celebrating Global Leadership in Business and Marketing

The Forty Under 40 Global Awards spotlighted 40 outstanding leaders from various industries worldwide. Among the other distinguished winners were:

• Damilola Dania (Nigeria): A transformative leader at Unilever Nigeria, revolutionizing brand development and community engagement.

• Ahmed Mohsen Mohamed Sadek (UAE): A distinguished project management expert, driving transformative infrastructure projects.

• Reece Mennie (UK): An innovator in bridging traditional marketing with digital engagement strategies.

• Fiza Farhan (Pakistan): A trailblazer in sustainable entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment.

• Olufemi Oguntamu (Nigeria): A recognized leader in Brand & Business Strategy and Digital Media innovation.

• Darren Meltz (South Africa): Redefining the fine dining experience with sustainability-driven initiatives.

• Nicole Ansoni (Rwanda): A multinational entrepreneur with visionary leadership.

• Giorgi Astamadze (Georgia): A financier advancing creative business solutions with global capital.

• Harun Lone (Switzerland): A pioneer in sustainable water purification and social impact.

Africa’s Growing Influence on the Global Stage

Razaq’s win exemplifies the rising influence of African expertise in global marketing and business. Africa's innovation, youth-driven markets, and cultural capital continue to attract international attention, and leaders like Ayodeji Razaq are ensuring that the continent’s narratives are led from within.

The Forty Under 40 Global Awards ceremony, hosted at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Business Bay, Dubai, culminated a three-day event filled with business tours, networking forums, and leadership dialogues. These awards, organized by Xodus Communications, have spotlighted over 2,000 rising leaders since their inception, building a powerful global community of disruptors and changemakers.

QKS Group, a leading market intelligence and advisory firm, has released its comprehensive analysis of the global Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Platform market, predicting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.01% through 2030. The two newly published reports, “Market Share: Account-Based Marketing Platform (ABM), 2024, Worldwide & Regional Report” and “Market Forecast: Account-Based Marketing Platform (ABM), 2025-2030, Worldwide & Regional Report”, provide businesses with the strategic insights they need to navigate this rapidly evolving market.

The Next Growth Frontier for ABM Platforms

In an era where personalization and precision are paramount to cutting through the noise, Account-Based Marketing (ABM) has become an essential strategy for B2B organizations seeking to engage high-value accounts with customized experiences. Across various sectors including technology, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and professional services, businesses are increasingly adopting data-driven ABM solutions to align their sales and marketing efforts, deepen customer relationships, and accelerate revenue growth.

The growing complexity of buying cycles demands a shift from broad-based marketing to more targeted, account-centric engagement strategies. ABM allows enterprises to focus their resources efficiently, driving pipeline velocity, increasing deal sizes, and ultimately achieving measurable impact.

Market Insights from QKS Group’s Report

• Global and Regional Market Analysis: In-depth analysis of worldwide and regional ABM platform adoption trends, competitive landscapes, and future growth projections.

• Competitive Benchmarking: A comparative analysis of leading ABM vendors, highlighting their market positioning and key differentiators.

• Industry Adoption Trends: Insights into the sectors investing most heavily in ABM solutions and the reasons behind this shift.

• Technology Disruption & AI’s Role: How AI, automation, and advanced analytics are driving the transformation of ABM platforms, enhancing productivity, reducing operational costs, and improving targeting precision.

Market Leaders & Competitive Landscape

The report profiles key players in the ABM space, including:

• 6sense

• Demandbase

• Dun & Bradstreet

• Informa TechTarget

• Jabmo by Expandi Group

• Leadspace

• Madison Logic

• N.Rich

• Rollworks by NextRoll

• Salesforce

• Terminus by DemandScience

• Zoominfo

These vendors are at the forefront of the ABM revolution, driving innovation and reshaping the future of B2B marketing through advanced technologies and personalized engagement strategies.

Strategic Insights for ABM Vendors

The insights from QKS Group’s latest analysis provide critical information for CEOs, CFOs, and CSOs of ABM solution providers. Understanding emerging market demands and pinpointing the key differentiators between vendors will be crucial for fine-tuning go-to-market strategies and ensuring that platforms deliver seamless integration, data-driven targeting, and measurable outcomes that empower revenue teams and support long-term growth.

As account-centric engagement becomes a top priority for B2B enterprises, vendors that can offer AI-driven personalization, improved integration, and greater scalability will be best positioned to lead the market.

Sovrn, a leading publisher technology platform, has introduced Commerce Audiences, a cutting-edge offering designed to enhance advertiser targeting and optimize consumer engagement. This product brings together Sovrn's extensive affiliate software tools, which serve over 4,000 publishers and creators, with the reach of the Sovrn Exchange, which connects to more than 500 million daily active consumers.

By leveraging this powerful combination, Commerce Audiences enables advertisers to access real-time shopping intent signals based on purchase behavior, online engagement, and contextual insights. This innovation allows advertisers to target consumers who are actively shopping and showing clear intent to make a purchase, enhancing the efficiency of their marketing efforts.

Eliminating Data Challenges with Direct Sourcing

Sovrn’s direct sourcing approach sets Commerce Audiences apart from traditional advertising solutions. By bypassing intermediaries, Sovrn ensures that the data is timely, accurate, and of high resolution, providing advertisers with clearer and faster insights into consumer behavior. This approach eliminates concerns over data signal loss, staleness, and high intermediary fees, resulting in faster identification of consumer purchase intent and more effective targeting.

The Scale Behind Sovrn's Commerce Audiences

With Sovrn’s affiliate tools powering more than $3 billion in retail spend across categories like consumer electronics, fashion, home and garden, and more, the company captures a wealth of data that drives Commerce Audiences. Sovrn also monitors over three billion daily visits via search-referred traffic across 50,000 websites, further enhancing the precision of its audience targeting.

"Commerce media is expected to hit $158 billion this year, with 20% of advertising spend now driven by addressable purchase behavior," said Walter Knapp, CEO of Sovrn. "Commerce Audiences is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this trend because of our ability to capture real-time data with high resolution. This offering will revolutionize how advertisers and publishers target consumers, providing a more efficient, cost-effective path to reach potential buyers."

Streamlined Solutions for Better Outcomes

When combined with media from the Sovrn Exchange, Commerce Audiences consolidates multiple data flows, allowing advertisers to achieve better results at a lower cost and faster time-to-market. By streamlining this process, Sovrn enhances the efficiency and precision of targeted advertising campaigns.

Early Adoption and Partnerships

Commerce Audiences has already garnered significant interest from key players in the advertising industry. Leading companies like Simpli.fi, Basis, and tvScientific have signed on as launch partners to bring this innovative solution to their advertising clients.

"Simpli.fi has been looking for a Commerce Media solution that moves beyond major retailers," said Jeff Callison, SVP of Business Development at Simpli.fi. "We immediately saw the potential in Sovrn's affiliate data, which enables us to target consumers who are ready to make a purchase. We anticipate significant success with Commerce Audiences, as it provides a more efficient path to the right consumers."

Expanding Sovrn’s Suite of Cutting-Edge Products

The launch of Commerce Audiences is just the latest in a series of innovations from Sovrn. In January, the company also introduced AI-generated Product Recommendations, expanding its suite of affiliate commerce solutions. Sovrn remains committed to advancing advertising, commerce, data solutions, and signal technologies to deliver top-tier products for publishers, creators, and advertisers alike.

Simpli.fi, the leading Advertising Success Platform known for providing programmatic advertising and workflow software to agencies, brands, and media companies, has been nominated for the 2025 Dick Reed Awards. This marks Simpli.fi’s fifth consecutive nomination, cementing its position as a leader in B2B marketing and innovation.

The Dick Reed Awards, hosted by Just Global, celebrate the best and brightest in the B2B marketing industry, honoring those who are reshaping the landscape through transformative leadership and meaningful relationships.

Simpli.fi Shortlisted in Two Categories for 2025

Simpli.fi was recognized in two major categories for the 2025 awards:

1. Channel Advancements & Innovation – Programmatic: Simpli.fi, in partnership with B2B data provider Bombora, was nominated for its cutting-edge integration that has revolutionized the digital marketing landscape. The platform’s innovative solutions in precise targeting and advanced tools are helping B2B companies better understand and reach their audiences.

2. Commitment to Excellence – Omnichannel: Kevin Dwyer, Senior Performance Analyst at Simpli.fi, was nominated for his exceptional contributions to delivering consistent results in omnichannel marketing. Dwyer’s role in executing and optimizing campaigns, along with his proactive efforts to improve performance, has strengthened relationships with partners like Just Global and contributed to the company’s success.

A History of Excellence

Simpli.fi’s nominations at the 2025 Dick Reed Awards reflect its ongoing commitment to excellence in the AdTech space. Since its launch in 2020, Simpli.fi has been recognized every year, including four consecutive nominations for Strategic Partner Agency of the Year. Last year, Simpli.fi also received nominations for Most Collaborative Company, Most Collaborative Individual, and Unsung Hero.

“We are honored to be recognized in two categories at the 2025 Dick Reed Awards,” said Frost Prioleau, Co-Founder and CEO of Simpli.fi. “This recognition speaks volumes about the expertise of our team and our strong partnerships with leaders like Bombora, as well as our consistent commitment to delivering exceptional results for our clients.”

Revolutionizing B2B Marketing with Bombora

Simpli.fi’s contextual solution, created in partnership with Bombora, is a future-proof way to target the right audiences. Bombora’s Data Cooperative allows brands, agencies, and publishers to gain a holistic view of an account’s research and consumption behavior, empowering companies to make data-driven decisions and reach prospects across the buyer’s journey and activation platforms.

Data Decisions Group (DDG), a leader in data-driven marketing and analytics solutions, is pleased to announce the expansion of its executive leadership team with the appointments of Michael Hannay as Chief Revenue Officer, Brian DiMarino as Senior Vice President of Sales, and Bill Ochs as Vice President of Sales.

This strategic leadership expansion is aimed at driving DDG's continued growth and enhancing the company's ability to deliver innovative solutions to brands and agencies looking to leverage data and analytics for more effective marketing campaigns.

Michael Hannay: A Seasoned Leader in Revenue Growth

Michael Hannay brings over 30 years of experience in the data marketing industry. His proven track record of managing revenue growth and building high-performance teams will play a crucial role in driving DDG's go-to-market strategy, client acquisition, and expansion into new industry verticals. As Chief Revenue Officer, Hannay will be instrumental in aligning DDG’s revenue generation efforts with the company's ambitious growth plans.

“I’m honored to join DDG and collaborate with such an exceptional team,” said Hannay. “The company’s values and client-focused approach resonate deeply with me. I’m looking forward to helping DDG reach new heights by driving innovation and delivering exceptional results for clients.”

Brian DiMarino: Strengthening National Sales and Partnerships

Joining as Senior Vice President of Sales, Brian DiMarino brings extensive experience in enterprise sales and strategic partnerships. His leadership will support the company’s national sales and partnership strategies, ensuring DDG remains at the forefront of data-driven marketing solutions. DiMarino’s experience will be pivotal in advancing DDG’s sales efforts and expanding its market reach.

Bill Ochs: Leading Sales for Core Data Offerings

As Vice President of Sales, Bill Ochs will focus on leading DDG’s sales efforts targeting list brokers and ad agencies for the company's core data offerings. With a strong background in data-driven solutions, Ochs is well-positioned to deliver high-response rate audiences to DDG's clients, ensuring that brands and agencies achieve optimal marketing outcomes.

CEO Mike Hail’s Vision for the Future

“We are excited to welcome Michael, Brian, and Bill to our leadership team,” said Mike Hail, CEO of Data Decisions Group. “Their combined experience and expertise will be crucial as we execute our strategic vision and continue to expand our presence in the data-driven marketing space. This investment in top-tier talent reflects our commitment to delivering measurable results and ongoing innovation for our clients.”

A Continued Commitment to Growth and Innovation

These new appointments reflect DDG’s commitment to driving innovation and expanding its leadership position in the data marketing and analytics sector. As DDG continues to grow, the company will focus on attracting top talent to further strengthen its ability to deliver powerful insights and impactful marketing solutions for its clients.

Cision, a global leader in media intelligence and communications solutions, has announced the sale of its Help A Reporter Out (HARO) platform to Featured.com. The move marks a strategic shift as Cision focuses its resources on enhancing its core products: CisionOne, Brandwatch, and PR Newswire (PRN).

Originally launched in 2008 and acquired by Cision in 2014 through its merger with Vocus, HARO has long been a go-to service for connecting journalists with expert sources. However, as part of its long-term strategy to streamline operations and prioritize innovation in its key platforms, Cision has decided to divest the HARO platform.

Strategic Focus on Core Products

With this sale, Cision reaffirms its commitment to advancing its core product suite, which includes CisionOne, a next-generation media intelligence platform, Brandwatch, a leader in consumer intelligence and social media management, and PR Newswire, the world’s largest press release distribution network.

“We are focused on advancing our core platforms, which are central to delivering powerful, integrated communications solutions for our customers,” said Jim Daxner, Chief Product Officer and Head of Strategy at Cision. “The sale of HARO allows us to redirect our efforts and resources toward enhancing CisionOne, Brandwatch, and PRN, which are crucial to helping communications professionals measure and manage media impact effectively.”

HARO's Transition to Connectively and Sale to Featured.com

In 2024, HARO was rebranded to Connectively as part of Cision’s broader strategy. Despite the rebranding, Cision decided to discontinue the platform, leading to the decision to sell it to Featured.com. The company found Featured.com to be a strong partner, well-aligned with the values and mission of the HARO platform, ensuring a seamless transition for the users of the service.

Cision's Future Direction

The divestiture of HARO allows Cision to focus on next-generation solutions in media intelligence and social media management. As part of this strategic shift, Cision will continue to innovate within its existing platforms, providing comprehensive solutions for PR professionals and communications experts. The company's continued focus on core platforms will strengthen its position in the market, driving growth and innovation in the communications technology space.

TripleLift, a leader in digital advertising and innovative ad formats, has released a comprehensive report titled "100 Years of Television", celebrating the centennial of television’s first public demonstration. This landmark anniversary commemorates John Logie Baird’s historic demonstration at Selfridges department store in London, which changed the landscape of global culture and created one of the most powerful advertising mediums.

Television's Evolution: A Century of Innovation

The report provides an in-depth analysis of television’s journey from its experimental beginnings to becoming a dominant digital powerhouse. It highlights key moments throughout history that reshaped TV advertising and how it continues to evolve today. The report also examines the rise of Connected TV (CTV), which is rapidly becoming a fully digital medium, offering new opportunities for advertisers, publishers, and viewers.

"Television has undergone a remarkable evolution from Baird’s mechanical demonstrations to today’s streaming-first environment," said Andrew King, GM and Product Lead, CTV at TripleLift. "The question for the future is whether TV will evolve into an infinite library of creators like YouTube or remain a curated, lean-back experience with a strong brand identity."

Insights from TripleLift's Report

The report explores TV's transformation across several pivotal eras, including the rise of the broadcast model in the 1950s, the cable boom of the 1990s, and today’s streaming-dominated landscape. Leading industry experts like Rino Scanzoni, former GroupM chief investment officer, Scott Schiller, former NBCU sales executive, and Tracey Scheppach, CEO of Matter More Media, provide in-depth analysis throughout the report.

Findings:

• Digital Transformation: TV is rapidly becoming a fully digital medium, with streaming set to account for 100% of TV consumption within the decade, unlocking new capabilities for advertisers and presenting fresh challenges.

• Creative Revolution: The future of advertising will see AI and automation driving more dynamic, personalized, and interactive ad experiences. Creative strategies will be increasingly tailored to individual user preferences.

• Commerce Integration: Shoppable TV experiences are expected to grow in importance, though standardization and seamless user experiences will remain key hurdles for the industry.

• Performance Orientation: With advertisers demanding more measurable outcomes, TV is shifting from being purely an awareness medium to focusing on performance-driven metrics. Upfront deals based on performance are expected to rise.

TripleLift's Role in TV’s Digital Future

As the Creative SSP, TripleLift is well-positioned to help advertisers navigate the future of television. The company is focused on developing innovative formats that blend the emotional appeal of TV with the precision and interactivity of digital media. This combination offers better experiences for consumers and improved outcomes for brands.

"We are at the forefront of creating better experiences for both brands and consumers," said Bill McLaughlin, Vice President-Head of CTV Sales at TripleLift. "By blending the emotional power of TV with the precision of digital advertising, we’re helping to craft a more effective future for advertisers."

JWP Connatix, a leading video technology and monetization platform, has announced that its comprehensive video hosting and streaming solutions are now available in AWS Marketplace. This expansion enables businesses to seamlessly scale their video delivery and monetization strategies, leveraging Amazon Web Services' (AWS) secure and robust infrastructure to optimize viewer experiences worldwide.

Scalable and Secure Video Streaming with AWS Integration

JWP Connatix has developed an integrated orchestration layer on top of AWS Elemental Media Services and Amazon Cloudfront CDN, enabling companies to easily host, manage, and monetize their video content. This advanced workflow delivers a scalable streaming platform that supports over 15 billion video views per month and serves thousands of customers globally.

The platform provides businesses with the ability to monetize their content via both subscription-based models and advertising. The inclusion of Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) and contextual demand for both live and Video-on-Demand (VoD) content further enhances JWP Connatix’s offering.

Trusted by Leading Brands

Companies like ITV and Trilogy Digital Platform's TBN+ already trust JWP Connatix to support their video business. Now, with the platform’s availability in AWS Marketplace, more companies can take advantage of this comprehensive video solution, streamlining procurement processes, optimizing costs, and offering secure, reliable video delivery to audiences globally.

Seamless Integration for Global Video Delivery

“We’re excited to bring our best-in-class video platform to even more businesses through AWS Marketplace,” said Jenn Chen, Chief Revenue Officer of JWP Connatix. “By combining the power of AWS's global infrastructure with our dynamic video technology, we’re enabling businesses to scale their video strategies and grow revenue through a single, seamless platform.”