STAGWELL INC - STGW STOCK NEWS

PRophet, an AI-powered PR and influencer software company, has appointed Subir Kotwal as Executive Vice President of U.S. Sales. Kotwal brings over 20 years of experience in enterprise sales and strategic partnerships, previously serving as Vice President of Sales at Cision where he earned the President's Club Award seven times.

In his new role, Kotwal will lead go-to-market strategies across sales, customer success, and partnerships, focusing on accelerating enterprise adoption and U.S. market expansion. This appointment follows PRophet's recent acquisition of UNICEPTA, enhancing its capabilities in media intelligence and predictive media pitching.

Kotwal holds a Master's in public relations from the University of Westminster and has worked across Mumbai, London, and New York. His appointment aims to strengthen PRophet's position in AI-driven communications technology, particularly following its recent expansion through acquisitions of UNICEPTA, LEADERS, and influencermarketing.ai.

The Harris Poll and Page Society's global study reveals a concerning trust deficit in business, with only 26% of respondents expressing confidence in businesses' ability to positively impact society. The research, surveying over 15,000 adults across 14 global markets in 2024, shows significant regional variations, from 14% confidence in Japan and Italy to 48% in Saudi Arabia.

The study identifies six key areas for trust rebuilding: economic stability, workforce development, corruption addressing, environmental issues, technological innovation, and mental health. Regional priorities vary, with most countries prioritizing economic stability, while some nations like France focus on income and gender equality.

A parallel study of Chief Communication Officers (CCOs) highlights 2025 risks including ESG/DEI backlash, polarization, potential Trump policy changes, and geopolitical challenges. The research emphasizes generational differences, with Gen Z showing higher expectations than Boomers on various social issues.

Assembly, a global media agency under Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), has appointed Jill Kelly as North America CEO, effective February 3, 2025. Kelly succeeds Valerie Davis and will report to Global CEO Rick Acampora.

Kelly joins from EssenceMediacom, where she served as CEO and led the agency's strategic vision. Her previous roles include Global Chief Marketing Officer at GroupM and leadership positions at Publicis Groupe. She is recognized for her industry leadership, winning accolades including AdAge Leading Woman in 2023 and AdColor Legend in 2022.

The appointment follows Assembly's recent launch of STAGE AI, their proprietary technology leveraging artificial intelligence for media strategies. Kelly will focus on scaling technology solutions, enhancing media capabilities, and deepening client partnerships while driving innovation and collaboration.

PRophet, an AI-powered PR software suite, announced a groundbreaking integration of influencer discovery features within its 'Taylor' platform. This industry-first development allows users to simultaneously discover and pitch to both social media influencers and journalists in a single workflow.

The integration with influencermarketing.ai enables brands to identify relevant influencers across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and podcasts, providing metrics like audience quality scores and engagement rates. The update responds to changing media consumption trends, with Pew Research showing 20% of Americans now getting news from social media influencers.

Over the past 18 months, PRophet has expanded significantly through the acquisition of LEADERS and UNICEPTA, growing to nearly 600 staff across four continents and nine cities. The company has received multiple industry awards, including PRovoke Media's Innovation SABRE in 2023 and 2024, and a 2024 Webby Award.

Allison Worldwide has announced the addition of six new senior leaders across multiple practice areas to enhance its global client communications support. The new appointments include expertise in Corporate Affairs, Crisis Management, Data Analytics, Strategic Communications, Automotive, Public Affairs, and Earned Media.

The new leaders are: Ellen Barry as Managing Director of Corporate Affairs, Kiersten Fries as Chief Strategy Officer, Aaron Kokoruz as Senior Vice President of Earned Media Relations, Rebecca Lindland as Managing Director of Automotive, Robyn Patterson as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, and Tony Sardella as Managing Director of Data and Predictive Analytics.

According to Ray Day, Allison Worldwide executive chair and Stagwell vice chair, this expansion aligns with the company's focus on client success, future-focused innovation, and building world-class expertise.

Assembly, a Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) agency, has launched STAGE AI, an enhanced version of its proprietary operating system STAGE. The new AI-powered platform is integrated at the core of the operating system, delivering insights with improved speed and precision while streamlining workflow processes.

Key features include an AI-powered 'Brand Monitor' providing real-time insights into upper funnel brand performance and optimization capabilities for digital commerce customer journeys. Early results show a 30% improvement in campaign relevance for targeted audiences. The platform aims to provide clients with efficiency at scale while prioritizing incrementality to drive measurable business impact.

STAGE AI distinguishes itself by incorporating artificial intelligence as a foundational element rather than an add-on feature, focusing on delivering outcomes that directly impact client growth through improved data processing speeds and automated optimization.

HUNTER and KWT Global are merging to form an integrated communications firm under the HUNTER banner, as announced by Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW). The combined agency will have nearly 400 people across offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and London.

The merger strengthens HUNTER's consumer verticals in financial services, travel, and hospitality while expanding its corporate, crisis, and B2B capabilities. HUNTER has shown double-digit growth for five consecutive years, while KWT Global has doubled in size over the past three years.

The combined entity will be led by an all-female C-Suite, with Grace Leong as CEO, Gigi García Russo as Chief Transformation Officer, Gabrielle Zucker as Global Chief Client Officer, and Samantha Turtle as Chief Operating Officer. The executive leadership team is 90% female.

Forsman & Bodenfors, part of the Stagwell (STGW) network, has appointed Justine Armour as its new Global Chief Creative Officer. The Swedish-founded creative agency, known for iconic campaigns like 'Epic Split' for Volvo Trucks and 'Wow No Cow' for Oatly, brings Armour's nearly three decades of industry experience to strengthen its creative offering across nine offices.

Armour joins from FIG, where she served as Partner and CCO. Previously, she made history as the first female Chief Creative Officer at Grey New York in over 105 years. Her career includes positions at prominent agencies like 72andSunny, Wieden+Kennedy, and Saatchi & Saatchi. Initially based in New York, she will relocate to London later in 2025.

The appointment aligns with Forsman & Bodenfors' strategy to expand its global creative presence. Armour's track record includes recognition at major award shows and listings in prestigious industry rankings such as Adweek's Creative 100 and AdAge's Leading Women.

California voters show strong support for S.B. 54, with 81% backing the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, according to a new survey by The Harris Poll. The study reveals that 63% of voters prefer expanding recycling infrastructure over eliminating single-use plastic (27%).

The survey, which polled 1,005 registered California voters, highlights that 56% understand mechanical recycling alone cannot meet the state's S.B. 54 targets. Notably, 65% of voters recognize that different chemical recycling methods have varying impacts, and 71% value products made with recycled plastic.

Voters particularly support methanolysis technology, which enables repeated recycling of common plastic packaging waste into new materials. The technology promises to reduce CO2 emissions compared to new plastic production or traditional recycling methods, while helping to address plastic waste challenges.