VI Marketing and Branding (VI), a leading full-service marketing firm, dominated the 2025 American Advertising Awards, securing 40 prestigious honors, including:
Best of Show – ‘Routes’ Campaign
Best Integrated Campaign – ‘Find Yourself in Oklahoma’
People’s Choice Award – ‘Oklahoma State Parks Water Bottle’ Campaign

Recognized Excellence Across Multiple Categories

VI’s award-winning work covered digital marketing, social media, branded content, and integrated campaigns, earning:
24 Gold ADDYs
9 Silver ADDYs
4 Bronze ADDYs

Honored clients include the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (OTRD), Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), and the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline.

Creative Strategy That Delivers Results

"Winning 40 awards, including three Judges' Choice honors, is a testament to our team's creativity, strategy, and dedication," said Tim Berney, CEO of VI Marketing and Branding. "These awards reflect not only our outstanding creative work but also the passion and collaboration behind every campaign we execute."

About the American Advertising Awards

The ADDYs is the largest and most prestigious advertising competition, with 40,000+ entries annually across local markets. The 59th annual Oklahoma City Ad Club Awards, hosted by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), celebrated the very best in advertising excellence.

VI continues to push the boundaries of strategic creativity and integrated marketing—solidifying its reputation as an industry leader.

Sinclair has become the first broadcast media company to implement real-time AI-powered translation for local newscasts, making news more accessible to Spanish-speaking audiences.

Now Live in Four Markets

The first-of-its-kind test is rolling out in:
Baltimore (WBFF)
San Antonio (KABB)
West Palm Beach (WPEC)
Las Vegas (KSNV)

Viewers in these regions can now access Spanish-language newscasts live, in real time, ensuring they stay informed with accurate translations of breaking news, weather updates, and community reports.

A Commitment to Innovation & Accessibility

"At Sinclair, we are committed to leveraging innovative technology to expand access to local journalism," said Rob Weisbord, COO & President, Local Media. "By implementing live AI translation, we’re breaking down language barriers and ensuring more viewers can engage with Sinclair’s trusted news coverage."

Partnership with Deeptune AI

Sinclair partnered with Deeptune, a leader in generative AI language technology, to power this initiative.

"This collaboration is a major step in making critical news accessible to diverse communities while demonstrating responsible AI deployment in media," said Tim Lupo, Founder & CEO of Deeptune.

Sinclair’s AI-Driven Future

Sinclair has been at the forefront of AI adoption since 2024, previously utilizing AI translation for:
“Petko Unfiltered” (Tennis Channel International expansion)
Hurricane Milton coverage at WPEC

The company is also a member of Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) and Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), reinforcing its commitment to responsible AI usage. Additionally, Sinclair established SAIF – Sinclair AI Forum to drive AI governance and compliance across its media network.

The Future of AI in Local News

This pioneering move sets a new standard in broadcast media, ensuring linguistic inclusivity and broader community engagement. As AI evolves, Sinclair remains committed to responsible innovation, making local news accessible to all.

LTK is redefining the creator experience with a brand-new consumer app, shifting from shopping-only to a video-first platform designed for discovery, connection, and engagement.

Find and Follow Creators Near You & Worldwide
Personalize Your Feed by Interests & Location
Connect with Friends & See Who They Follow
Engage with Creators via Chat & Activity Updates

A New Era for the Creator Economy

With the creator economy projected to reach $500B by 2027, creators are shaping trends and consumer behavior more than ever. As social platforms become interest-based, LTK is bringing back community-driven experiences where users can curate their feeds and connect meaningfully.

"We’ve rebuilt the LTK app from the ground up to deliver what consumers want and what creators need—connection, discovery, and a seamless way to engage with content."
— Amber Venz Box, Co-Founder & President of LTK

Features of the New LTK App

The Watch Tab: A video-only feed showcasing creators near you and worldwide, making it easier to discover trending content in fashion, beauty, fitness, travel, and more.

The Home Tab: A curated experience where you control your feed—scroll through content only from creators you follow, explore Daily Drops, and click into dedicated creator profiles.

The Profile Tab: Personalize your LTK presence, manage favorite creators, posts, and products, and soon, add friends to see who they follow.

The Activity Tab: Stay updated with real-time notifications on creator posts, messages, price drops, and sales. Engage with creators directly through chat and reactions.

All-New Creator Editing Suite
LTK is also upgrading the LTK Creator app with new video editing tools, making content creation easier than ever:
Splice, trim & edit videos seamlessly
Add text overlays & stickers to enhance content
Use filters & effects for aesthetic consistency
Record & insert voiceovers for deeper storytelling
Music integration (coming soon!) for engaging video content

A Social-First Platform Built for Creators & Consumers

With this transformation, LTK is bridging the gap between discovery, commerce, and community. Whether you're a content creator looking to grow your audience or a consumer searching for curated inspiration, the new LTK app is your go-to destination.

Snapchat, in collaboration with VaynerMedia and Realeyes, has unveiled The Modern Brand Guide: Creating Scroll-Stopping Content on Snapchat, a research-driven playbook for optimizing video ads on the platform.

What the Study Found:
Authentic, native content generated 19% more positive emotions & held attention 13% longer
Product-focused content increased ad recall by 17%
Snapchat’s branded AR lenses drove 40% higher brand recognition & 32% higher recall
"Edutainment" ads boosted purchase intent by 17%
Partnering with Snap Stars increased ad attention by 33%

7 Best Practices for Engaging Snapchat Content

Leverage UGC: User-generated content fosters authenticity & relatability
Partner with Snap Stars: Collaborate with Snapchat’s top creators for wider reach
Use AR Lenses: Sponsored Lenses significantly boost brand recall & engagement
Hack Traditional Formats: Think beyond standard ad placements to capture attention
Blend Education & Entertainment: "Edutainment" drives longer engagement & higher conversions
Align with Passion Points: Tailor content to interests like fashion, sports, food, & entertainment
Prioritize Strong Branding: Maintain clear, consistent brand visuals throughout content

Why This Matters

With 850 million users, Snapchat remains a dominant platform among Gen Z & young millennials. Brands that fail to adapt their content strategies for native engagement risk missing a huge opportunity in the evolving digital ad landscape.

"Snapchat is redefining its role in the algorithm-driven video wars, and brands that don't adapt will miss a massive opportunity."
— Peter Chun, EVP, Global Head of PAC, VaynerMedia

QueBIT, a leader in analytics-driven business planning, has announced a strategic partnership with Vena, a top-tier enterprise planning platform built to harness Microsoft 365. This collaboration aims to redefine financial and operational planning, blending Excel’s flexibility with advanced automation and analytics.

Why It Matters
Businesses often struggle with disjointed planning processes—this partnership bridges the gap by offering a familiar yet powerful solution for financial planning, forecasting, and scenario analysis.

What This Partnership Delivers

Seamless FP&A – Automate budgeting, forecasting & reporting while retaining Excel’s flexibility
Cross-Department Collaboration – Build unified plans that align teams across functions
Advanced Scenario Planning – Use data-driven models to prepare for business shifts
Workflow Modernization – Reduce manual processes with real-time automation

Expert Insights
"Planning should be smart, accessible, and intuitive. Our partnership with Vena empowers organizations to drive better results using tools they already know."
— Gary Quirke, QueBIT

"We’re excited to collaborate with QueBIT to enhance planning and analytics, enabling businesses to make smarter, faster decisions while keeping Excel at the core."
— Shaun Jansen, Vena

Why It’s a Big Deal
With automation, real-time data integration, and advanced analytics, businesses can reduce complexity, enhance decision-making, and accelerate growth—without abandoning the trusted Excel ecosystem.

This partnership redefines enterprise planning—helping organizations strategize smarter & scale faster.

HighByte®, a leader in Industrial DataOps, has unveiled HighByte Intelligence Hub 4.1, introducing Callable Pipelines—a game-changing Industrial Data API Builder that allows users to create custom API endpoints to interact with industrial data sources.

What’s New in Version 4.1?

Industrial API Builder – Build custom API endpoints for industrial data
Native Integration with Aspen InfoPlus.21 – Enhanced connectivity for manufacturing
Amazon S3 Tables Support – Improved cloud data access
Granular Audit Logging – Ensures compliance for regulated industries
Enhanced File Connector – SFTP, directory reads, character decoding & metadata extraction
Pipeline Debug Tool – Test & troubleshoot pipeline stages in real time

Expert Insights
"The API Builder is a critical step for industrial companies looking to implement Edge AI and reliable data access at scale."
— Aron Semle, CTO, HighByte

"With enhanced audit trails, MES connectivity, and historian integration, HighByte is enabling manufacturers to standardize and scale their data architectures seamlessly."
— Paul Power, CEO, Deep Digital Solutions Group

Why It Matters
Industries like life sciences, oil & gas, and manufacturing are rapidly adopting Industrial DataOps to enable real-time decision-making and regulatory compliance. HighByte Intelligence Hub 4.1 empowers companies to integrate, contextualize, and standardize data across OT & IT environments effortlessly.

A New Era of Scalable, Secure, and Compliant Industrial Data Solutions.

Skydeo, a leader in predictive audience data, has launched Skydeo Audience Manager (SAM)—a game-changing platform that helps brands, agencies, and platforms discover, activate, and optimize high-performance audience segments across social, mobile, CTV, and programmatic advertising.

Why SAM Matters

Instant access to 30,000+ predictive audience segments powered by 1.4 trillion data points
AI-driven precision—enhancing audience targeting & reducing wasted ad spend
Seamless activation across multiple digital advertising platforms
Omnichannel efficiency—social, programmatic, CTV, and mobile targeting in seconds
Improved campaign performance with real-time audience insights

Industry Leaders on SAM’s Impact

"We developed SAM to eliminate inefficiencies in audience targeting, providing a cross-platform system of record that makes campaign execution smarter, faster, and more effective."
— Mike Ford, CEO, Skydeo

"SAM is a game-changer—helping brands find & connect with the right audience effortlessly, so marketing teams can focus on strategy."
— Jennifer Peters, Director of DTC & Ecommerce, Olly

Driving AI-Powered Audience Intelligence
With AI and predictive analytics playing a critical role in personalization and automation, SAM supplies high-quality behavioral datasets to enhance machine learning models for:

Smarter audience segmentation
Higher engagement rates
More efficient campaign execution

Skydeo is redefining audience intelligence. 

Casey Hendrick has been appointed as the next CEO of United Direct Solutions, effective April 1, 2025. He succeeds Tom Clines, who will step down after 33 years of service, transitioning to the Board of Directors.

Hendrick’s Vision for UDS

Expanding data analytics & predictive modeling for targeted marketing
Enhancing omnichannel communication strategies to serve diverse industries
Continuing innovation in direct mail & marketing solutions

Statements from Leadership

"I have full confidence in Casey’s ability to lead UDS into the future. His passion for innovation and commitment to clients make him the perfect choice."
— Tom Clines, Outgoing CEO

"I am honored to take on this role and build on UDS’s legacy of excellence, growth, and creativity."
— Casey Hendrick, Incoming CEO

With 15 years at UDS and 25 years in the industry, Hendrick is set to lead UDS into its next phase of innovation and client-focused solutions.