Redbrick, a tech company known for building and acquiring high-growth digital businesses, has acquired Quartz, a pioneering digital news publisher, and The Inventory, a consumer product media company, from G/O Media. This strategic move underscores Redbrick’s intent to reshape the future of media by integrating innovative business models and AI-powered personalization.

The financial terms were not disclosed, but the acquisition is already being hailed as a forward-looking play in a time when traditional media models are being disrupted by emerging technologies and shifting consumer expectations.

Quartz Joins a Tech-Forward Media Ecosystem

The addition of Quartz brings renewed momentum to Redbrick’s media division. Known for its global business journalism and innovative digital experiences, Quartz now becomes a foundational piece in Redbrick’s evolving media strategy.

This acquisition is part of Redbrick’s broader plan to create a future-ready media portfolio that:

• Prioritizes direct audience relationships

• Enables personalized content delivery across channels

• Builds a sustainable, advertiser-friendly ecosystem

Tobyn Sowden, CEO of Redbrick, emphasized the importance of innovation:

“The only way to survive and thrive is by embracing the advancements in innovation to connect and engage with audiences.”

Media Reinvention: Redbrick’s Strategic Approach

Redbrick’s interest in Quartz and The Inventory reflects its commitment to reinvention in digital publishing. The company has already made notable strides in media innovation with the launch of Digital Entrepreneur, an interactive magazine that debuted in 2024 to help entrepreneurs thrive in the new economy.

Key aspects of Redbrick’s media strategy include:

• Audience-first engagement: Building loyal, direct relationships with readers.

• Multi-platform delivery: Ensuring presence across devices, apps, and digital channels.

• AI-powered experiences: Enabling intelligent personalization and content recommendations.

• Smarter monetization: Offering non-intrusive, high-performance ad formats.

Unlocking New Value Through Integration with Paved

Quartz will immediately benefit from another of Redbrick’s recent acquisitions: Paved, a newsletter advertising platform. With Paved’s premium ad marketplace, Quartz can now tap into a high-value roster of advertisers including Uber, DoorDash, and Salesforce.

Benefits of Integration:

• Access to Paved’s 1 million+ opt-in subscribers

• Streamlined newsletter monetization

• Better alignment between premium content and premium advertising

This enhances Quartz’s existing newsletter strategy and creates additional revenue pathways in a challenging media landscape.

A Strong Editorial Legacy Meets a New Chapter

Quartz has built a decade-long legacy of delivering insightful, global business news. Its editorial leadership sees this transition as a major opportunity.

“Today marks a new chapter for Quartz,” said Dan Hirschhorn, Editor-in-Chief. “The way we connect with audiences is evolving, and Redbrick is the right partner to help us lead this transformation.”

Under Redbrick’s leadership, Quartz will retain its editorial voice while benefiting from deeper integrations in a tech-first ecosystem.

The Broader Redbrick Portfolio: A Media & Tech Powerhouse

With this acquisition, Quartz becomes part of a powerful lineup of Redbrick companies designed to empower creators, marketers, and media professionals:

• Animoto – Video production made simple for businesses and creators.

• Delivra – Scalable email and SMS marketing for personalized outreach.

• Duplex – AI-driven news syndication and content discovery.

• Leadpages – Conversion tools and landing pages for sales enablement.

• Paved – Newsletter advertising platform.

• Shift – A productivity-focused “power browser” for modern professionals.

This portfolio gives Redbrick the operational backbone to support next-gen media ventures while remaining rooted in personalization, sustainability, and high performance.

Reimagining Media for the AI Age

Redbrick’s acquisition of Quartz and The Inventory is more than just a portfolio expansion — it’s a strategic move to redefine digital publishing in the age of AI, data, and personalization. As consumer habits evolve and technology reshapes engagement, Redbrick is positioning itself as a catalyst for innovation in the media world.

By aligning trusted editorial voices like Quartz with powerful advertising and personalization tools, Redbrick is building a future where media is smarter, more direct, and more sustainable.

Oxford Road, the world’s leading audio and podcast advertising agency, has partnered with Edison Research, a respected authority in media research, to release a groundbreaking white paper titled “What is a Podcast?: Preserving its Essence, Structuring for Expansion.” The study sheds light on a critical identity crisis within the podcasting industry—one that threatens its future scalability and commercial potential.

As podcasting evolves from a niche medium into a mainstream multi-billion-dollar industry, confusion around definitions, inconsistent metrics, and fragmented platforms are creating serious barriers for advertisers and stakeholders. The white paper calls for a unified approach to defining podcast content and introduces a framework to standardize measurement across the ecosystem.

The Identity Crisis in Modern Podcasting

Despite its meteoric rise, podcasting is at a crossroads. The traditional definition of a podcast—an audio-first, on-demand medium—has blurred with the rise of video-driven experiences on platforms like YouTube and Spotify.

Findings from the Oxford Road–Edison Research report include:

• 72% of Americans aged 12+ believe that video discussions on YouTube, when also available in audio form, qualify as podcasts.

• Advertisers face barriers to investing due to:

  • Vague or inconsistent definitions of what constitutes a podcast.

  • Fragmented platforms and reporting mechanisms.

  • Inadequate attribution and analytics.

• The convergence of audio and video formats has eroded clarity around podcast identity, undermining both advertiser confidence and long-term monetization.

Why a Clear Definition Matters

To pave the way for sustainable growth and restore clarity, the report proposes updated working definitions of podcasting:

Podcast :

"An on-demand audio-driven program featuring episodic content across wide-ranging themes and formats. Traditionally delivered via open RSS and conversational in nature, it can include platform-based distribution and is commonly supplemented by video."

Video Podcast :

"An episodic, on-demand program centered on spoken-word content, where synchronized visuals meaningfully shape the experience."

These refined definitions serve to:

• Acknowledge the hybridization of formats.

• Preserve the audio-first heritage of podcasting.

• Create clarity for listeners, creators, and advertisers alike.

By separating audio podcasts from video podcasts, the industry can better align content formats with measurement methodologies and audience expectations.

Measurement: The Next Big Bottleneck

Advertisers are eager to invest in podcasting but are held back by the lack of standardized metrics. Currently, podcast measurement varies wildly across platforms, limiting visibility into true performance.

The report advocates for:

• Open Measurement Protocol for Podcasting (OMPP)
  A cross-industry framework for interoperable, privacy-compliant analytics.

• Standardized taxonomy
  Common language for defining podcast formats, distribution types, and engagement metrics.

• Cross-platform attribution
  Tools that allow advertisers to see ROI across both open RSS and closed platforms like Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

These recommendations mirror successful industry-wide efforts in digital display and connected TV advertising, suggesting that podcasting could follow a similar trajectory if key players align on common standards.

Industry Collaboration: A Call to Action

Oxford Road and Edison Research are not acting in isolation. The white paper synthesizes:

• A nationally representative survey of over 4,000 U.S. listeners.

• In-depth qualitative interviews with podcast fans.

• Insights from 30+ media executives featured on the Media Roundtable podcast.

The message is clear: without unified standards, podcasting’s commercial future is at risk. But with collaboration, transparency, and modernization, the industry could unlock billions in untapped advertising potential.

“Podcasting has reached a pivotal moment where its next phase of growth depends on how clearly we define and measure it,” says Dan Granger, CEO of Oxford Road and Veritone One.

Preserving the Power, Unlocking the Potential

The white paper by Oxford Road and Edison Research is more than a research report—it’s a roadmap for redefining and revitalizing podcasting in an age of media convergence. By advocating for:

• Clear content definitions

• Privacy-safe, interoperable measurement

• Industry-wide collaboration

The authors aim to protect what made podcasting powerful—its intimacy, accessibility, and diversity—while opening new doors to monetization and global reach.

The future of podcasting won’t be shaped by technology alone, but by the shared commitment of creators, advertisers, platforms, and audiences to bring clarity to the medium.

Sotavento Medios, a respected digital marketing agency based in Singapore, has announced a strategic pivot that signals a new phase in its growth. Previously known for offering premium white-label SEO services to agencies across the globe, the company is now extending its services directly to private clients and businesses.

This shift marks a significant milestone as Sotavento Medios looks to deepen its client relationships, increase transparency, and provide organizations with unfiltered access to its SEO expertise. By removing the intermediary agency layer, the company aims to streamline service delivery, reduce costs for end clients, and deliver even more measurable SEO outcomes.

From Behind the Curtain to Center Stage

For years, Sotavento Medios operated primarily in the B2B white-label space, delivering robust SEO strategies that other marketing agencies rebranded and resold to their own clients—often at higher price points. This discreet model built the company’s reputation among industry insiders as a dependable and results-driven partner.

Advantages of the new direct-to-business model include:

• Elimination of intermediaries: Clients now receive services directly from the source.

• Greater accountability and transparency: With no third-party agency acting as a filter.

• Improved communication and collaboration: Clients can now consult with the SEO experts themselves.

• Potential cost savings: Direct engagement may lower costs for businesses that previously paid agency markups.

Jeremy Lee, Founder of Sotavento Medios, shared his thoughts:

“This shift allows us to work more closely with businesses and provide them with the same level of expertise and transparency that we’ve offered through our white-label partnerships. It’s an exciting opportunity to make a direct impact.”

Delivering SEO with Transparency and Precision

Transparency has long been one of Sotavento Medios’ defining traits, and its new business model strengthens that commitment.

What sets Sotavento Medios apart in a crowded SEO landscape?

• Daily Ranking Reports: Clients receive up-to-date email notifications or access real-time dashboards to monitor keyword performance.

• Client-Centric Dashboards: Businesses can track SEO progress with full visibility into KPIs, backlink growth, and traffic sources.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Actionable insights help clients tweak their digital strategies in real time.

• No Black Box Tactics: All strategies are explained and tailored to the client’s goals, ensuring trust and alignment.

This transparency-first approach is especially relevant in an era where businesses are wary of vague digital marketing promises and require hard data to justify investments.

Empowering Businesses in a Competitive Digital Economy

With this operational pivot, Sotavento Medios is not just expanding its client base—it is embracing a mission-driven approach to SEO. The company is positioning itself as a trusted advisor for businesses navigating complex search engine dynamics.

The agency’s direct services offer:

• Custom SEO strategies aligned to industry-specific challenges.

• Scalable solutions for startups, SMBs, and large enterprises.

• Global campaign management, with localization options for Southeast Asia, the U.S., and Europe.

• Performance marketing integration, including PPC and content marketing support when needed.

By evolving its go-to-market strategy, the company aims to democratize access to high-quality SEO services and empower more businesses to compete effectively online.

A Strategic Leap Toward Greater Impact

Sotavento Medios’ decision to transition from a pure white-label SEO provider to a direct service agency represents more than just a business expansion. It reflects a deep commitment to transparency, client empowerment, and operational excellence.

As the agency builds closer relationships with end clients and provides real-time performance tracking, it is poised to make a stronger and more meaningful impact on the businesses it serves. This move not only broadens Sotavento Medios’ market reach but also elevates its role from silent partner to visible growth enabler.

Businesses seeking reliable, transparent, and high-performing SEO solutions now have direct access to a partner that has quietly powered digital success for years—and is finally stepping into the spotlight.

In a bold move to support advertisers facing rising costs and economic uncertainty, SonobiTV, a high-performance connected TV (CTV) marketplace, has launched its new Strategic Tariff Advertising Packages. These programmatic guaranteed deals offer deeply discounted, fixed-rate advertising access across top-tier streaming inventory.

With new U.S. tariffs reshaping cost structures across sectors—from automotive to fashion to retail—brands are increasingly reevaluating their media strategies. SonobiTV's initiative aims to offer financial predictability, campaign efficiency, and scale at a time when all three are in high demand.

Built for Brands Facing Tariff Pressures

The advertising market is not immune to the broader economic climate. As import duties and inflation ripple through supply chains, marketers are under pressure to maintain visibility while also tightening budgets. SonobiTV’s response? Tariff-proof media buying through locked-in rates and premium CTV access.

Features of the Strategic Tariff Advertising Packages include:

• Locked-In Pricing: Rates remain fixed throughout the campaign window, protecting media budgets from market volatility.

• Programmatic Guaranteed Deals: Buy with confidence, knowing inventory is pre-secured and performance-optimized.

• Vertical-Specific Support: Special packages tailored for impacted verticals like automotive, fashion, and retail.

“This offering is built specifically for verticals most impacted by tariffs,” said Miles Dennison, SVP of Direct Demand at SonobiTV. “Advertisers are looking for cost certainty and dependable results, and that’s exactly what SonobiTV provides.”

Premium Supply, Proven Tools, and Flexible Execution

SonobiTV’s latest offering goes beyond just cost control. It delivers access to high-performing inventory, precision targeting, and white-glove support.

What advertisers get with the new CTV packages:

• Curated Inventory Access
  Partnering with over 2,000 premium publishers, SonobiTV ensures that every ad appears in brand-safe, high-quality environments—from streaming TV apps to network-backed OTT channels.

• Boost Technology for Optimization
  SonobiTV’s proprietary Boost technology analyzes real-time performance signals to automatically optimize campaigns for the best possible return on ad spend (ROAS).

• Custom Campaign Strategy
  The managed service team works directly with agencies and brands to tailor each campaign based on audience segments, creative goals, and industry nuances.

• Flexibility Across Objectives
  Whether the goal is brand awareness, multicultural engagement, or direct response, packages can be tailored accordingly—without the need to overspend or overextend.

Economic Volatility Calls for Media Stability

As businesses brace for price increases, advertising efficiency becomes non-negotiable. SonobiTV’s tariff ad packages empower marketers to maintain their media momentum, despite budget pressures.

Why this matters for brands:

• Stability in planning – Predictable pricing simplifies quarterly or annual planning.

• Reduced risk – Market swings won’t disrupt ad delivery or cost structure.

• Performance accountability – Advanced optimization tools and white-glove support reduce waste and improve outcomes.

This initiative helps advertisers avoid panic-driven budget cuts and continue engaging audiences during a critical period for brand trust and loyalty.

A Smart Response to Market Disruption

SonobiTV’s Strategic Tariff Advertising Packages are more than just a pricing model—they’re a strategic safeguard for brands navigating unpredictable economic terrain. By blending cost stability, high-quality inventory, and performance-first tools, SonobiTV delivers a solution that keeps advertisers in control and on budget—even as tariffs and inflation complicate the landscape.

With curated packages available now for key verticals and the backing of Sonobi’s robust CTV infrastructure, advertisers don’t have to choose between impact and affordability—they can have both.

In an era where attention is scarce and creative saturation is at an all-time high, creative quality has emerged as the single most powerful lever in marketing performance. Recognizing this, Creative Score officially launched on April 4th - offering a game-changing AI solution that empowers marketers to optimize their existing assets rather than generate new ones.

Designed for B2B, B2C brands, and agencies of all sizes, Creative Score blends AI, behavioural science, and neuro-linguistic programming to analyze, score, and provide enterprise-grade recommendations that elevate asset performance. It's not just another AI copywriter—it's a creative optimizer that’s here to redefine how businesses evaluate and enhance their marketing.

What Is Creative Score and How Does It Work?

Creative Score is a diagnostic and improvement platform for marketing assets. Whether it’s an ad, a landing page, a pitch deck, or an email, the tool evaluates and offers precise feedback on how to turn a good asset into a best-in-class one—in just 90 seconds.

Here’s what users receive after uploading an asset:

1. A Score out of 100
   Reflects the asset's performance across 200+ scientific indicators aggregated into a single Creative Score.

2. In-depth Attribute Analysis
   Covers 10 critical categories including:

   • Eye-tracking analysis

   • Headline and copy performance

   • Visual and content cohesion

   • Application of behavioural science and neuro-linguistic programming

   • Emotional resonance and persuasion potential

3. Enterprise-Level Recommendations
   Actionable insights designed to enhance clarity, engagement, trust, and conversion rates—regardless of asset type.

Why Creative Score Matters Now More Than Ever

Creative excellence has always been a driver of results—but recent data proves its commercial potential:

• A Meta 2022 study found that Creative Quality drives 1.2 to 1.7x higher sales.

• NCSolutions revealed that creative contributes 49% of incremental sales—more than double what most marketers estimate.

Yet most businesses struggle to deliver consistent creative quality due to budget constraints, limited expertise, or complex approval workflows. Creative Score bridges that gap by democratizing world-class creative diagnostics and recommendations—making them accessible, fast, and cost-efficient.

Who Will Benefit from Creative Score?

Creative Score is not a one-size-fits-all tool. It’s tailored to serve different segments with unique challenges:

1. Small B2B & B2C Companies

Lack of time, budget, and specialized skillsets often limit smaller businesses from producing high-quality marketing. Creative Score transforms good teams into elite performers, empowering them with science-backed feedback and clear next steps.

2. Large B2B Enterprises

In complex B2B environments, every touchpoint matters—from pitch decks to follow-up emails. A poorly designed sales asset could mean the loss of a six-figure deal. Creative Score ensures each asset in the funnel is optimized for performance.

3. Large B2C Brands

When managing 7-figure ad budgets, massive creative libraries, and 100+ marketing staff, inconsistency is the enemy. Creative Score:

• Ensures brand alignment

• Reduces the risk of off-brand or underperforming content

• Shortens sign-off cycles by offering objective creative assessments

4. Marketing Agencies

Agencies often rely on junior staff, making creative consistency hard to maintain. Creative Score functions as an objective brand guardian, enabling even entry-level team members to deliver enterprise-quality work while cutting internal review cycles.

Creative Score’s Feature Stack: AI Meets Psychology

Creative Score isn’t just about algorithms—it’s infused with decades of marketing research and psychological insights.

Here's what powers the platform:

• Eye-Tracking Analysis
  Evaluates where users' attention lands first and whether it’s aligned with messaging priorities.

• Creative Score (0–100)
  A holistic metric derived from 200+ data points, offering a snapshot of creative strength.

• Content Analysis
  Assesses headline effectiveness, copywriting quality, and overall visual appeal.

• Persuasion Analysis
  Measures emotional impact, storytelling strength, and ability to influence action.

• Psychological Analysis
  Evaluates trust signals, conversion potential, and how well behavioural science and NLP principles are embedded in the asset.

Creative Quality Is No Longer a Luxury - it’s a Competitive Advantage

Creative Score has arrived at the perfect moment. As businesses compete in cluttered, noisy channels, creative quality is the new growth driver. But until now, achieving it has been labor-intensive and expensive.

Creative Score changes that equation. In under two minutes, any business—regardless of size—can receive objective, expert-level insight that turns ordinary assets into exceptional ones. It’s not about replacing creativity, but rather supercharging it with data, science, and actionable intelligence.

Whether you're a startup founder, marketing director, or agency lead, Creative Score provides a smarter way to create assets that convert, engage, and outperform.

The 2025 SMARTIES™ Awards, one of the marketing industry’s most prestigious honors, is officially open for entries. This year’s program calls upon brands, marketers, and agencies to showcase campaigns that push the boundaries of creativity, harness technology, and deliver measurable business outcomes.

As the pace of change in marketing accelerates, the SMARTIES™ Awards continue to recognize the work that not only adapts to transformation—but drives it. With a renewed focus on AI-driven marketing, data-powered personalization, and omnichannel engagement, the 2025 edition sets the stage for showcasing how the best in marketing are shaping the future.

What Sets the SMARTIES™ Awards Apart?

The SMARTIES™ Awards are more than just a trophy. They spotlight marketing innovation at scale, bridging performance with creativity. Winners are not only celebrated but also earn a place in global performance rankings, elevating their reputation across the industry.

Benefits of Winning:

• Global Industry Recognition
  Campaigns are featured in WARC 100’s global rankings, RECMA media agency scores, and MMA’s SMARTIES Business Impact Index.

• Benchmark of Excellence
  Winning entries are held up as best-in-class case studies, influencing global marketing standards.

• Influence Beyond the Campaign
  Recognition extends to clients, agencies, media partners, and technology providers that collaborated to achieve measurable success.

Focus Areas for 2025: Marketing at the Edge of Innovation

The 2025 SMARTIES™ are aligned with the latest shifts in marketing strategy and execution. Entries will be evaluated based on their effectiveness in the following core focus areas:

• AI-Powered Campaigns
  How artificial intelligence is being used for smarter targeting, automation, optimization, and personalization.

• Data-Driven Creativity
  The intelligent fusion of creative storytelling with data insights to enhance consumer resonance and response.

• Omnichannel Excellence
  Seamless, unified brand experiences across touchpoints—from mobile and digital to in-store and voice assistants.

• Consumer-Centric Strategy
  Innovations that prioritize customer value, emotional connection, and long-term loyalty.

SMARTIES™ 2025 Award Categories and Entry Tracks

To recognize marketing excellence at various levels and across geographies, SMARTIES™ 2025 is structured into two key entry tracks:

1. SMARTIES™ X Global Awards

The highest tier of recognition, awarded to campaigns demonstrating world-class strategy, execution, and results.

2. Regional SMARTIES™ Awards

Celebrate standout work within specific global regions:

• Asia Pacific

• North America

Both tiers are evaluated by senior brand marketers, agency leaders, and media executives who assess each submission on innovation, creativity, and performance metrics.

Award Categories and Honors

In addition to Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards across campaign categories, SMARTIES™ also recognizes outstanding organizations and individual achievements:

Top Honors Include:

• Advertiser of the Year

• Agency of the Year

• Publisher/Media Company of the Year

• Enabling Technology Company of the Year

• Best in Show

These awards highlight entities that consistently demonstrate vision, impact, and innovation across their marketing operations.

Dates and Submission Details

• On-Time Entry Deadline: July 3rd, 2025

• Late Submission Deadline: (TBD; early entries encouraged for full consideration)

• Eligibility Period: Work must have been launched or executed between July 2024 – June 2025.

Judging Criteria:

Entries will be scored based on:

• Strategy & Objective Alignment

• Creative Execution

• Innovation

• Business Impact & Results

A rigorous panel of industry experts and senior marketing leaders will conduct a transparent and standardized evaluation.

How to Participate

Whether you're a startup with a bold breakthrough campaign or a global agency executing cross-market innovation, SMARTIES™ 2025 invites you to share your story. Submitting an entry means gaining visibility among top industry leaders, benchmark recognition, and the chance to influence the marketing standards of tomorrow.

Visit: www.mmaglobal.com/smarties to enter your campaign.

SMARTIES™ 2025 — Where Impact Meets Innovation

In today’s marketing world, good isn't good enough. To truly stand out, campaigns must combine bold ideas, cutting-edge technology, and measurable performance. That’s exactly what SMARTIES™ celebrates.

As Rohit Dadwal, CEO of MMA Global APAC and Global Head of SMARTIES™ Worldwide, notes:

“With marketing landscapes shifting rapidly, SMARTIES™ remains the gold standard for recognizing groundbreaking work that not only delivers measurable impact but also redefines industry best practices.”

SMARTIES™ 2025 is your opportunity to lead the change—by showing how marketing, when done right, can move industries, businesses, and people.

In a strategic move to enhance its social and influencer capabilities, Ruder Finn, one of the world’s largest independent global communications and integrated marketing agencies, has announced two senior hires. Sara Record and Annie Highfield join the firm’s Digital Integration Group (RF DIG) as Senior Vice President and Group Vice President of Social & Influencer Strategy, respectively.

The additions reflect Ruder Finn’s continued investment in data-driven, culturally relevant, and platform-native marketing strategies, especially in an era where influencer and social activations are critical components of brand engagement.

Leadership Aligned for Growth in Digital

Both Record and Highfield will report to Eric Petersen, EVP and Head of Digital, who joined the firm in November 2024 and reports directly to CEO Kathy Bloomgarden.

“I’m thrilled to welcome both Sara and Annie to the Digital Integration Group at Ruder Finn,” said Eric Petersen.

“They bring a depth of diverse, data-informed experience that is increasingly important as more of our clients look to integrate social and influencer strategies into their core communications plans.”

Meet the New Hires Driving Social Innovation

Sara Record – SVP, Social & Influencer Strategy

Bringing over 15 years of influencer and social media marketing experience, Record will lead senior-level strategic counsel across Ruder Finn’s U.S. accounts. Her background spans a range of influencer activations—from nano-creators to top-tier celebrities—with a strong specialization in:

• Healthcare and Pharma
  Deep experience leading influencer initiatives in highly regulated industries such as pharma, biotech, and medical devices.

• Multicultural Marketing
  Known for inclusive programming that authentically resonates with diverse audiences.

Record’s ability to combine storytelling with data and behavioral insights will help clients evolve from one-off campaigns to long-term community-driven engagement.

“Influencer marketing continues to evolve. It’s no longer about isolated posts, but sustained storytelling,” said Record.

“Ruder Finn’s Digital Integration Group is the perfect environment to help brands lead that evolution.”

She is based in Orange County, California.

Annie Highfield – GVP, Social & Influencer Strategy

With over 13 years of experience crafting social brand strategies, Highfield joins Ruder Finn from Yum! Brands, where she served as Head of Social and Influencer for KFC U.S. Her expertise includes:

• Food & Beverage, CPG, and Tech Brands
  Driving culturally resonant, bold brand moments for major consumer names.

• Data-Informed Creativity
  Known for building performance-driven programs that prioritize audience insights and cultural fluency.

Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Highfield is enthusiastic about joining a team focused on innovation and real-world impact.

“What drew me to Ruder Finn was its digital-first mindset and passionate team,” said Highfield.

“Together, we’ll develop strategies that connect brands with culture in a way that’s measurable, meaningful, and bold.”

Elevating Digital with Influencer-First Thinking

The appointment of Sara Record and Annie Highfield signals Ruder Finn’s intent to elevate its influencer and social marketing services—ensuring clients benefit from platform-specific thinking, cultural intelligence, and data-powered execution.

As the firm continues to integrate influencer marketing more deeply across campaigns, these hires are expected to help shape the future of social strategy at Ruder Finn and beyond.

In a groundbreaking move for the live production and broadcasting industry, Vizrt, a global leader in real-time graphics and live production solutions, has announced a new partnership with Zoom, the enterprise communications powerhouse. The collaboration brings native Zoom integration to Vizrt’s TriCaster product line, simplifying remote contribution and enabling more immersive, efficient, and professional live broadcasts.

This integration offers content creators a powerful, future-forward solution at a time when the demand for high-quality hybrid production tools is surging—especially as Skype approaches its end of life.

Streamlining Remote Contribution for the Next Era of Production

The newly introduced integration allows TriCaster users to seamlessly incorporate Zoom participants into their live workflows. By embedding Zoom’s capabilities directly into TriCaster’s remote production ecosystem, Vizrt enables:

• Simplified Remote Guest Management – Easily bring in speakers, guests, or contributors from anywhere via Zoom.

• High-Quality Video Feeds – Support for multiple remote participants in full 1080p resolution.

• Enhanced Production Agility – Reduce technical complexity while increasing creative possibilities.

"We are not just solving a challenge—we're unlocking new possibilities for more creative, inclusive, and interactive productions," said Rohit Nagarajan, CEO, Vizrt.

“Our collaboration with Zoom marks the beginning of an exciting shift in the industry.”

Meeting the Needs of Today’s Creators—and Tomorrow’s

As hybrid and remote content creation becomes the norm across industries—from broadcasting and education to enterprise and events—the Vizrt–Zoom partnership aims to democratize professional broadcasting capabilities.

"The native integration of Zoom into the TriCaster is a huge step forward in modernizing professional broadcasts," said Andy Carluccio, Head of Innovation at Zoom.

“This empowers production teams to bring multiple remote participants into their shows reliably and with stunning visual quality.”

Leveraging Zoom’s Meeting SDK, TriCaster users now gain direct access to remote feeds with enterprise-grade reliability, supporting real-time collaboration and immersive visual storytelling.

Unlocking a New Dimension in Live Production

With this integration, creators and broadcasters can tap into advanced production tools including:

• AR/VR-Enhanced Content – Deliver immersive visual experiences.

• HTML5 Graphics Overlays – Tailor real-time data visuals and branding elements.

• Enterprise-Ready Workflows – Scalable, cloud-capable, and future-proofed broadcasting infrastructure.

This partnership also responds to a growing need for platform-agnostic, high-quality solutions in a post-Skype production landscape, delivering next-generation remote contribution workflows at the push of a button.

Professional Broadcasting, Made Accessible

Vizrt and Zoom’s collaboration represents more than a technology integration—it’s a shared vision for inclusive, flexible, and visually compelling content creation. As hybrid and remote productions continue to rise, this partnership delivers the tools content creators need to engage audiences, elevate storytelling, and streamline professional live broadcasts across sectors.