Crain Communications vs Emerald

Agency Reviews Move Beyond CMO's Office

An opinion piece by Robyn Freye published on August 19, 2026, observes that agency-of-record (AOR) reviews are increasingly led by non-marketing stakeholders. The author notes that in recent pitches the person running the room was not the chief marketing officer, reflecting an expanding C-suite decision tree. The article frames this as a structural shift in who controls agency selection and review processes, with implications for how agencies interact with broader corporate stakeholders during pitches.

• Robyn Freye authored an opinion article titled 'The AOR review has left the CMO’s office'.
• The article was published on Ad Age on 2026-08-19.
• The author reports that in her last four pitches the person running the room was not the chief marketing officer.

What Gen Z Wants From Brands Amid Self-Management

An Ad Age opinion piece by Reid Litman argues that to remain relevant with Gen Z, brands should build ecosystems — experiences, communities, rituals and moments — that help this cohort manage constant self-management pressures. The article highlights Gen Z tensions such as financial anxiety, large shopping habits, and simultaneous AI adoption and distrust, and suggests brands should design offerings people genuinely want to join. The piece appears on Ad Age (Crain Communications) and was published on August 6, 2026.

• Article published on Ad Age on 2026-08-06.
• Author: Reid Litman.
• Argument: Brands should create ecosystems (experiences, communities, rituals, moments) that Gen Z wants to join.

TBWA Refreshes Global Visual Identity, Emphasizes Human Touch

TBWA unveiled a refreshed global visual identity on Aug. 4, 2026, centered on handcrafted designs and a stronger “human touch.” The rollout comes eight months after TBWA was named one of Omnicom’s three major networks following Omnicom’s acquisition of Interpublic Group. The article announcing the rebrand was written by Tim Nudd and published on Ad Age (Crain Communications) on Aug. 4, 2026. The change positions TBWA’s creative identity around artisanal visual elements rather than signaling any operational or organizational update beyond its earlier emergence within Omnicom’s network structure.

• TBWA unveiled a refreshed global visual identity on Aug. 4, 2026.
• The new identity is centered on handcrafted designs and emphasizes a human touch.
• The refresh follows TBWA emerging as one of Omnicom’s three major networks eight months earlier, after Omnicom’s acquisition of Interpublic Group.

Apollo Funds Complete Acquisitions of Emerald and Questex

Read the Press Release.

Apollo Funds Complete Acquisitions of Emerald and Questex, Creating a Scaled, B2B Experiential Events and Media Platform Positioned to Drive Sustained, Long-Term Growth

Announces Additional Executive Leadership Team Appointments