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Be My Eyes Featured in U.S. Senate Committee Testimony on Overcoming Barriers to Employment for People with Disabilities

InclusionHub

Underscoring the importance of accessibility and inclusion as part of the hiring and employment process, Jenny Lay-Flurrie, chief accessibility officer at Microsoft, was recently invited to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions. Titled “Lessons Learned from COVID-19: Highlighting Innovations, Maximizing Inclusive Practices and Overcoming Barriers to Employment for People with Disabilities,” the hearing also featured Dr. Lisa Schur, a professor of Labor Studies and Employment Relations at Rutgers University; Francis A. Kineavy, a disability advocate; and Brian Dennis, a Disability Services Workforce Program coordinator for Iowa Workforce Development. In her address, Lay-Flurrie discussed key action areas related to disability employment, and outlined the current challenges facing people with disabilities in the job market. However, as might be expected for a Microsoft executive, some of the most insightful parts of her testimony dealt with the opportunities around accessible technology—during which she highlighted a number of current tools and features already in use at Microsoft. These included InclusionHub Founding Partner Be My Eyes, a free mobile app the company uses to support blind and low-vision customers through its dedicated Disability Answer Desk. Accessible Technology Use Cases In total, Lay-Flurrie’s testimony outlined the following seven key use cases for accessible technology: Improving Content Accessibility Making Accessibility Features Easy to Find Improving Remote Meeting Tools Expanding & Improving Legibility Options Creating & Improving Tools to Help Developers Identify & Mitigate Accessibility Issues Improving Awareness of Issues, Features & Etiquette Related to Accessibility & Disability Providing Support When & How People Need It (The Key Use Case for Be My Eyes) Lay-Flurrie also highlighted the need for addressing accessibility issues at scale, noting that individuals with disabilities are twice as likely to be unemployed as those without—a gap that persists even among college graduates. “I’m so glad to see these issues and potential solutions being highlighted in the Senate,” said Joe Weber, manager of Accessibility Solutions at Be My Eyes. “Around 70% of blind and low-vision people around the world are unemployed, which is a key challenge that we set out to solve with our app. Microsoft was one of the earliest adopters of our help desk solution, and we couldn’t be more proud to be part of their accessibility toolset.” Full video of the hearing can be found here. (Lay-Flurrie’s testimony begins at 39 minutes, while she also participates in a Q&A session beginning at the 55-minute mark.) Lay-Flurrie’s full written testimony—in which she mentions Be My Eyes—can be found on Microsoft’s blog. Contact Details Be My Eyes Todd Kuipers todd@bemyeyes.com InclusionHub Bryan Koegel bryan@inclusionhub.com Company Website https://www.bemyeyes.com/

February 18, 2022 09:45 AM Eastern Standard Time

Rebuilding Together and Lowe’s Provide Critical Repairs to Historic Los Angeles Homes

YourUpdateTV

Nonprofit Rebuilding Together partnered with Lowe’s, the Official Home Improvement Sponsor of the NFL, to provide essential home repairs for community residents in Los Angeles neighborhoods including View Park, just outside SoFi Stadium, during the annual Kickoff to Rebuild event. A video accompanying this release is available at: https://youtu.be/GYbiDDQwtmY Kickoff to Rebuild, a Super Bowl-sanctioned event presented by Lowe’s, directly benefits 16 families in Los Angeles through home repairs, including roof replacements, bathroom upgrades, kitchen installations, landscaping, window repairs and fresh paint. The families include a senior struggling with mobility, a veteran on dialysis and a retired healthcare provider. Volunteers and local contractors completed the home repairs following COVID-19 safety guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, Robert Woods, a Lowe’s Home Team member and wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams, participated in the event. “At Rebuilding Together, our mission is to assist people with disabilities and low-income seniors in rehabilitating or modifying their homes,” said Zeeda Daniele, executive director of Rebuilding Together of the City of Angels. “Through Kickoff to Rebuild, volunteers, contractors and sponsors help make homes in our community safer and more accessible.” Rebuilding Together will also repair the headquarters of the Consolidated Board of Realtists, a local organization founded in 1949 that strives for democracy in housing by opening doors for Black professionals and consumers in real estate. The Board is part of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), which in 1963 secured the passage of the nation’s first state-level fair housing legislation in California. “Through our Kickoff to Rebuild events held during the past 27 Super Bowls, we’ve repaired more than 158 homes, engaged 5,000 volunteers and invested more than $5 million in communities nationwide,” said Caroline Blakely, president and CEO of Rebuilding Together. “This year, we are honored to continue preserving affordable homeownership and revitalizing communities in the Los Angeles area by providing critical home repairs at no cost to homeowners in need.” The work occurred in neighborhoods within a five-mile radius of the University of Southern California, including Baldwin Hills, Chesterfield Square, Crenshaw, View Park, Jefferson Park, West Adams, Wilshire Center, Koreatown, South Los Angeles and the western section of downtown Los Angeles. Despite years of investments into the university and public venues, these neighborhoods still face challenges including persistent generational poverty, substandard and obsolescent housing and low-paying jobs. “The houses we repaired during Kickoff to Rebuild are more than structures that can help build generational wealth, they are part of the community’s history and identity,” said Cesar Martinez, Lowe’s regional vice president. “We have proudly partnered with Rebuilding Together since 2007 and are humbled to provide our expertise in home repairs to help homeowners stay in their homes and safely age in place.” Kickoff to Rebuild is made possible by Lowe’s and Omaze. For additional information about Kickoff to Rebuild, visit rebuildingtogether.org/ktr. For more about Rebuilding Together City of Angels, visit https://rebuildingla.org/. About Rebuilding Together: Rebuilding Together is a leading national nonprofit organization with a mission to repair the homes of people in need and revitalize our communities. Each year Rebuilding Together affiliates complete about 10,000 rebuild projects. Learn more and get involved at rebuildingtogether.org. About Rebuilding Together City of Angeles: Rebuilding Together Of the City of Angels (RTCOA), located in Los Angeles, California, is a 501C3 nonprofit organization established on August 31, 2020, as an affiliate of Rebuilding Together Inc., headquartered in Washington DC. About Kickoff to Rebuild: Kickoff to Rebuild is an annual Super Bowl-sanctioned event hosted by Rebuilding Together. For the past 26 years, Rebuilding Together has partnered with the NFL in Super Bowl cities across the country, rebuilding houses and bringing together neighborhoods. Together, we have repaired more than 150 homes and engaged 5,000 volunteers during these Super Bowl events. About Lowe’s in the Community: As a FORTUNE ® 50 home improvement company, Lowe’s is committed to creating safe, affordable housing and helping to develop the next generation of skilled trade experts through nonprofit partnerships. Across every community we serve, Lowe’s associates donate their time and expertise through the Lowe’s Heroes volunteer program. For the latest news, visit Newsroom.Lowes.com or follow @LowesMedia on Twitter. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

February 17, 2022 04:55 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Velocity Global integrates Contractor Payments to its Global Work Platform

Velocity Global

Increased demand for a simple hiring solution as number of independent workers wanting to work from anywhere is on the rise Velocity Global makes hiring and managing independent contractors easy with consolidated invoicing, automated, seamless payments, and locally compliant contracts Manage all talent in one place, including contractors and employees Velocity Global, the leading provider of global talent solutions, today announced the integration of its Contractor Payments solution into its Global Work Platform ™ as the latest solution for businesses and talent to work with anyone, anywhere, anyhow. “Contractor management and payments are traditionally a cluttered time suck for both businesses and talent, but now the Velocity Global platform removes this friction,” said Eric Schroeder, Velocity Global chief operating officer. “In today’s virtual workplace, companies want to engage the best talent in any country, which adds more complexity. Our platform simplifies the process from onboarding to payments for contractors around the world. This now creates one single location for managers and talent to connect, contractors and employees alike, freeing them to focus on the task at hand - delivering results.” Businesses are increasingly turning to independent workers, a rising classification of knowledge workers. The number of full-time, part-time and occasional independent workers in the U.S. increased by 34% over just two years to 51.1 million in 2021, according to the State of Independence in America survey, and spending by businesses on contingent talent rose by 23%. “We are in a new era of work in which talent takes more control over their time, location, and how they choose to engage with their employers,” said Schroeder. “With this shift in talent comes a shift in investment from businesses to meet talent where it is. The world of work is changing quickly and we offer all of the tools for businesses and talent to engage with each other in a single, accessible platform.” Currently, most contractors face archaic onboarding processes and payment confusion, while companies face the administrative complexity of managing a distributed workforce. Velocity Global’s new Contractor Payments solution provides locally compliant contracts, consolidated invoicing, automated and seamless payments, and mobile access to solve these issues for both sides. Velocity Global’s Contractor Payments solution is now available in the company's Global Work Platform. Learn more at https://velocityglobal.com/platform/contractor-payments/ About Velocity Global Velocity Global accelerates the future of work for anyone, anywhere, anyhow. Its Global Work Platform™ simplifies the employer and talent experience through its proprietary cloud-based talent management technology, backed by personalized expertise and unmatched global scale. With talent solutions in more than 185 countries and all 50 United States, the platform combines global Employer of Record and Contractor Management to onboard, manage, and pay talent worldwide. More than 1,000 brands rely on Velocity Global to build global teams without the cost or complexity of setting up foreign legal entities or state registrations. Velocity Global was named a “Leader” in Global Employer of Record services by prominent analyst firm NelsonHall. Founded in 2014, the company has hundreds of employees across six continents. For more information visit velocityglobal.com. Contact Details Velocity Global John Hall +1 720-650-4348 news@velocityglobal.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

February 17, 2022 07:01 AM Mountain Standard Time

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Great Place to Work® UK has just unveiled its list of the 2022 UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Wellbeing

Great Place to Work UK

Employees Have Spoken! Introducing the 2022 UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Wellbeing View the full list of 250 organisations here! To determine the list, Great Place to Work®’s culture experts analysed thousands of employee surveys, assessing people’s holistic experiences of wellbeing at work by asking employees to comment on how their company supports their: Work-life balance Sense of fulfilment Job satisfaction Psychological safety and Financial security. Evaluations also included an assessment of how well the organisation was able to deliver consistency of their employee experience across all departments and seniority levels. Top achievers Cisco UK (Super Large), Baringa Partners (Large), Slalom (Medium) and PEN Partnership (Small) each took first place in their respective categories. KEY INSIGHTS FROM GREAT PLACE TO WORK’S EMPLOYEE SURVEY “ Being better for people is better for business, especially in tough times,” explained Benedict Gautrey, Managing Director of Great Place to Work® UK. “When employees feel genuinely cared for, their loyalty, engagement and productivity improve. Happier people also become brand advocates for the business and will often go the extra mile to provide a positive experience for their clients and customers. We’re delighted to launch our first-ever UK's Best Workplaces™ for Wellbeing list in 2022, shining a light on the 250 companies who have succeeded in ensuring staff experience high levels of wellbeing across the organisation. Hopefully this recognition and acknowledgement will inspire more workplaces to do the same in years to come.” Great Place to Work® is the global authority on workplace culture. At the heart of what we do is gathering anonymous, authentic employee sentiment on whether a company is a genuinely ‘great place to work’. Each year, we survey over 10,000 organisations around the world in over 90 countries and 92 languages. Our mission is to build a better world by helping organisations become great workplaces For All™ – meaning every individual, regardless of who they are or what they do for the business. We work with and support organisations at varying stages of their journey. For more information, visit www.greatplacetowork.co.uk. Contact Details Great Place to Work® UK Claire Knights, Director of Marketing & Growth +44 870 608 8780 claire.knights@greatplacetowork.com Company Website https://www.greatplacetowork.co.uk/

February 17, 2022 05:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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GMS Drives Business Growth & Performance Excellence to Increase Market Penetration with CSG’s Future-Ready Digital Platform

CSG

LONDON, February 17, 2022 – CSG ® (NASDAQ: CSGS) enables today’s leading companies with game-changing technologies that drive dynamic customer experiences and business growth. Today, Global Message Services (GMS), the international messaging service provider for mobile operators and communications platform provider for enterprises, uses CSG’s integrated digital wholesale platform to boost efficiency and scale its business to add more value for customers. With CSG's technology at the heart of its operations, these gains empower GMS's overall performance, drive new growth, and enable access to the strategic person-to-application market. “At GMS, we aspire to deliver impactful value that sparks growth for more than 900 mobile partners as we continue our journey to become the leader for trusted and transparent messaging worldwide,” said Oleksandr Panov, Chief Financial Officer, GMS. “CSG’s leading revenue management and integrated digital wholesale platform provides the versatility to deliver best-of-breed services to GMS customers and partners. With CSG, we have modernised the way we collect data from the network and injected the agility and scalability we need to react to emerging business opportunities quickly." With CSG’s solution, GMS transforms how it connects the mobile messaging ecosystem while advancing its traffic processing performance to provide more flexible billing cycles. The improved performance system means GMS can drive more dynamic growth for its B2B partners, increase market penetration, and seamlessly scale as its business grows into the digital future. “Few markets are as competitive as wholesale telecom, and with players and partners constantly in flux, ambitious messaging service providers, like GMS, need agility to adapt and develop as fast as the market,” said James Kirby, CSG SVP and head of EMEA. “CSG’s digital wholesale platform enables GMS to accelerate its digital transformation and leverage the flexibility and scalability it provides to future-proof its business and enter new markets. We look forward to supporting GMS on this journey and helping to extend its industry leadership for trusted and transparent messaging worldwide.” CSG's digital wholesale platform empowers communication service providers to take the complexity out of wholesale relationship management and seamlessly manage and scale at pace with increasing transaction volume growth. The platform helps the world's leading brands capture, store, and process customer usage events of any kind. The platform also unifies processes across networks to reduce costs without compromising quality, increases efficiency, and scales digital service offerings to participate and prosper in the digital economy. Part of CSG’s Revenue & Customer Management solutions suite, CSG Digital Wholesale is the world's most widely deployed and proven partner management technology. Through comprehensive billing, mediation, and revenue management, the wholesale platform helps companies optimise efficiency, protect and improve interconnect margins, and deliver extraordinary customer experiences. CSG has a long-standing track record of delivering innovative wholesale solutions in disciplines such as trading, routing, QoS assurance and billing and settlement. The company has been twice recognised with Frost & Sullivan's Global Stratecast CSP Monetization Interconnect & Settlement Market Leadership Award. # # # About CSG CSG is a leader in innovative customer engagement, revenue management and payments solutions that make ordinary customer experiences extraordinary. Our cloud-first architecture and customer-obsessed mindset help companies around the world launch new digital services, expand into new markets, and create dynamic experiences that capture new customers and build brand loyalty. For 40 years, CSG’s technologies and people have helped some of the world’s most recognizable brands solve their toughest business challenges and evolve to meet the demands of today’s digital economy with future-ready solutions that drive exceptional customer experiences. With 5,000 employees in over 20 countries, CSG is the trusted technology provider for leading global brands in telecommunications, retail, financial services, and healthcare. Our solutions deliver real world outcomes to more than 900 customers in over 120 countries. To learn more, visit us at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. About Global Message Services GMS is an international messaging service provider for Mobile Network Operators and a communications platform provider (CPaaS) for Enterprises worldwide. GMS brings the mobile messaging ecosystem together by providing a single access point for messaging traffic exchange between mobile operators and enterprises. As a trusted partner of mobile operators, GMS enables their messaging business by optimizing P2P and P2A interworking while enhancing enterprise A2P messaging traffic management for revenue growth. For enterprises, GMS’s communications platform (CPaaS) enables brands to unify customer communications via a single API and self-service platform, making it simple to send and receive messages orchestrated across multichannel touchpoints - including SMS, Push, Viber, WhatsApp, and RCS. GMS is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland, with regional offices worldwide. To learn more, visit GMS at gms-worldwide.com and connect with GMS on LinkedIn and Facebook. Copyright © 2022 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names which are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contacts: Kristine Østergaard Public Relations +44 (0)79 2047 7204 kristine.ostergaard@csgi.com John Rea Investor Relations +1 (210) 687-4409 john.rea@csgi.com Contact Details Kristine Østergaard +44 7920 477204 kristine.ostergaard@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

February 17, 2022 01:08 AM Eastern Standard Time

Smart Notifications Take Gold in New Research on Top Customer Journeys and Channels

CSG

CSG ® (NASDAQ: CSGS), the leader in innovative customer engagement, revenue management and payments solutions that make ordinary customer experiences extraordinary, today released its 2022 State of the Customer Journey report. Drawing on over 10 billion customer journey interactions, the research found that companies reached their customers through an ever-broadening mix of digital channels, finding increasingly sophisticated ways to connect with their customers at scale. The report highlighted the efforts of global brands to deepen levels of engagement with their customers by shifting focus away from sales and customer acquisition toward long-term loyalty and customer goodwill, both at and after the point of sale. As such, use cases like smart notifications and digital customer service became vitally important and made significant gains during socially distant times, with consumers now expecting these instant interactions online or in-store. Top takeaways from this year’s research include: Smart notifications take customer journey gold as top channel: With the world moving faster than ever, brands embraced “micro-moments” to capture customers’ attention at the right time and in the channels they already use. Case in point: smart notifications accounted for more than 50% of journey interactions and took the top spot as the number one customer journey use case in 2021. Notably, SMS texts presented a unique opportunity for immediacy, engagement and personalization. CSG found that SMS notifications increased by almost 1,000% year over year, and for good reason: 90% of messages are read within 3 minutes. Voice and SMS make a powerful 1-2 punch: It turns out consumers still want to “phone a friend,” as total phone calls increased in volume by 290%, with inbound calls accounting for 31% of total calls in 2021. This trend highlights the growing importance and value of intelligent automated phone system technologies like interactive voice response (IVR), which can better understand customer needs and offer more self-service options for faster resolution. Like voice, SMS saw a big increase in adoption, with overall message volume more than quadrupling year over year (304%). As businesses adapt to notifying consumers in real-time, whether to confirm a delivery or provide a fraud alert, SMS will soon become a requirement to compete. Email makes a rebound: Despite the rumors heard year after year, email is not dead. Email interactions grew steadily since last year’s report (+145%). It triumphed as the most popular channel for journey interactions for customer notification, onboarding, digital customer service and acquisition. Email’s scalability and low technical requirements for personalization continue to make it a powerful “must-have option” for any company’s digital channel mix. Journey interactions rise across the board, across industries: Financial services: Timely, accurate communication is especially important when it comes to managing and protecting our wallets. To meet this expectation, financial services institutions became the ambassadors for channel mix diversity, with 40% more variety in their communication channel delivery than other industries. Not only are banking customers being kept better informed, but banks are building greater trust and confidence with their customers, which will lead to more business down the road. Interestingly, phone channels reigned supreme, accounting for 69% of digital customer service interactions. Telecommunications: The telecom industry also had a lot to gain from channel diversification. Communications service providers (CSPs) got savvier with their channel mix (+36% than average) to retain customers long-term while also pursuing innovative ways to acquire new subscribers. In a highly competitive market, CSPs can ensure current customers are happy by making their experiences simple and easy. On the acquisition front, CSPs need to leverage sophisticated segmentation and analytics to show that they know what future customers are looking for, and then be able to adapt their communications and interactions in real-time to deliver value even before the customer signs up. Retail: Retail brands are mastering the channels they’ve used for years — on average tapping two — but are now standing out in other ways. They are broadening ways for customers to interact with the brand, whether through e-commerce with convenient upsell suggestions during checkout (the digital version of snacks in the checkout line) or hybrid options like buy online, pick-up in store (BOPIS). Overall, the opportunity to create the best journeys in retail will come from increasing everyday value-add and orchestrating transactional messages through the most intelligent journey workflows possible. “Winning with customer journeys is quite straightforward: be where your customers are,” says Mark Smith, VP of digital engagement solutions at CSG. “If it’s across six channels, your brand should have a uniquely enticing presence in each, but also ensure you offer consistent value and experience. The goal, especially after the hardships of the pandemic, is to uplift your customer and elevate the experience they have with your brand in the most proactive, predictive and personalized way possible. This digital transformation shift is here to stay, and businesses are realizing the benefits of digital communications that are intelligently coordinated, as evidenced by the expanding channel mix and rise in smart notifications.” Methodology CSG tracked more than 10 billion customer journey interactions in 2021 through its customer journey orchestration platform, a component of CSG Xponent™. CSG defines a customer journey interaction as an instance where an API triggers an action to be taken on a channel within the customer journey. New this year, CSG supplemented its journey orchestration data with data from voice and messaging channels (U.S. only), also spanning 2021, with 2020 volumes for comparative reference. Read CSG’s full analysis, findings, and recommendations in the global industry report: State of the Customer Journey 2022. About CSG CSG is a leader in innovative customer engagement, revenue management and payments solutions that make ordinary customer experiences extraordinary. Our cloud-first architecture and customer-obsessed mindset help companies around the world launch new digital services, expand into new markets, and create dynamic experiences that capture new customers and build brand loyalty. For over 40 years, CSG’s technologies and people have helped some of the world’s most recognizable brands solve their toughest business challenges and evolve to meet the demands of today’s digital economy with future-ready solutions that drive exceptional customer experiences. With 5,000 employees in over 20 countries, CSG is the trusted technology provider for leading global brands in telecommunications, retail, financial services and healthcare. Our solutions deliver real world outcomes to more than 900 customers in over 120 countries. To learn more, visit us at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2022 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names which are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contacts Tammy Hovey Global Public Relations +1 (917) 520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com John Rea Investor Relations +1 (210) 687-4409 john.rea@csgi.com Contact Details CSG Tammy Hovey +1 917-520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

February 16, 2022 06:35 AM Mountain Standard Time

Stagwell’s (STGW) Assembly Unveils Fresh Brand Identity

Assembly

Global omnichannel agency Assembly has launched a refreshed brand identity to reinforce the agency’s worldwide scale and dynamic, collaborative nature, while signaling the next era of growth. The new identity, designed by creative media consultancy and fellow Stagwell agency, GALE, will be represented globally across the more than 30 markets Assembly serves, uniting our 1,500+ talent network under a focused vision. The brand refresh comes shortly after the combination of ForwardPMX and Assembly in September 2021, a move that cemented the group’s position as the flagship media asset within Stagwell ’s global portfolio. Since the combination, the agency has strengthened our integrated full-service media offering, while expanding into more comprehensive business, data, and technology consulting services, including the continued buildout of our proprietary technology and data solutions platform, STAGE. All of this has culminated in the agency taking on more scaled, global AOR engagements for leading brands. “We’ve looked inward to find change and fuel growth within our own business, and in evolving the brand, we’re moving confidently into a space where our Assembly of data, talent, and tech can deliver a leading set of solutions for the best brands in the world,” said James Townsend, Global CEO of Assembly and Global CEO of Stagwell Media Network. The visual identity plays intentionally with bold, bright colors to humanize and create a sense of accessibility, while also exploring an expanded palette and photography style that reflects the rich diversity of the talent within Assembly and the consumers our clients serve. “Our vision was to reinvigorate the most iconic elements of the former Assembly brand while also leaning further into a visual story that would be intrinsically connected to how we deliver our work,” said Sara Pollack, VP of Marketing at Assembly. “This new brand further solidifies our common purpose and an identity which connect us, no matter where we are in the world.” Assembly has also placed significant emphasis on Impact, both in our efforts led internally by staff around the world, as well as through more dynamic partnerships and innovation in sustainable media, making the agency a key consultative partner to clients navigating their own sustainability agendas in media and beyond. The rebrand effort offered an opportunity for a different kind of collaboration between Stagwell agencies Assembly and GALE, the latter of which has been known for transforming brand identities and challenging perceptions through storytelling and media for the likes of MilkPEP, H&R Block, Chipotle, and Truth Initiative. “Media today is more than data and targeting. It’s also about both culture and collaboration. With this rebrand we wanted to create something that leaned into those two ideas in an energetic, dynamic, and attention-grabbing way,” said Winston Binch, Chief Brand and Experience Officer at GALE. Binch continued, “The big idea here really is the logo change. The original Assembly logo had the “/” on the left side of the “+.” We flipped it. Through this simple change, we’ve created a logo that is inherently more open and inclusive. Assembly is all about collaboration, and we felt that it needed to be conveyed through the logo itself. Great branding is all about the details.” “Our network is designed to transform marketing and the Assembly-GALE team designed a strong new brand that reflects that ambition,” said Beth Lester Sidhu, Chief Brand and Communications Officer at Stagwell. “Assembly’s new identity is a great representation of the brand’s ability to deliver the best in media and beyond.” Assembly’s new brand identity is complemented by the full relaunch of the agency’s website at www.assemblyglobal.com. ABOUT ASSEMBLY: Assembly is made of the ingredients of the modern agency, bringing together data, talent, and technology to deliver a connected set of solutions for media + more to the best brands on the planet. We’re home to more than 1,500 of the industry’s top talent, who bring unmatched global omnichannel media expertise + data, technology, and business consulting capabilities that help brands find the change that fuels growth. Assembly is a proud member of Stagwell, the challenger network built to transform marketing. Visit www.assemblyglobal.com for more information. ABOUT GALE: GALE is a Creative Media Consultancy, with data at the core. With expertise in business strategy, CRM, loyalty, brand storytelling, performance marketing, experience design and media, GALE creates marketing systems and communications that grow businesses. GALE delivers strong business outcomes for its partners in automotive, QSR, retail, gaming, entertainment, telecom and more. Founded in 2014, the agency currently has offices in New York, Singapore, Toronto, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, London, Austin and Bengaluru. In 2021, GALE was named Data & Analytics Agency of the year on the Ad Age A-List. For information on GALE, its customer data platform Alchemy™ and its consumer research capability ASK GALE, visit: https://gale.agency/. ABOUT STAGWELL: Stagwell is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 10,000+ specialists in 20+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com. Contact Details Assembly Sara Pollack, VP of Marketing +1 917-438-4922 sara.pollack@assemblyglobal.com Company Website https://www.assemblyglobal.com/

February 16, 2022 08:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

Spotlight Sports Group and Advance Local Announce Groundbreaking Sports Betting Monetization Partnership

Spotlight Sports Group

Spotlight Sports Group to provide select Advance Local Media Outlets with Local-Market-Specific Sports Betting Platforms; Advance Local’s Total Daily US Audience Exceeds 50 million Consumers through 12 Websites Nationwide; Partnership Already Live with Syracuse.com, NYUP.com, SILive.com, MLive.com Spotlight Sports Group (SSG), a world-leading technology, content and media company specializing in sports betting and fantasy sports, has announced a significant new partnership with U.S. media powerhouse Advance Local. The partnership will see Spotlight Sports Group provide national and localized sports betting content, including games, sports betting tools and latest scores, and integrated affiliation tools each customized to maximize SEO and revenue for a number of Advance Local markets. The partnership between Spotlight Sports Group and Advance Local is already live in New York through Syracuse.com, NYUP.com and SILive.com; in Michigan on MLive.com and, OregonLive.com is launching in Q1, 2022. Advance Local, one of the largest U.S. local media companies, serves over 50m people daily through digital and print media, and operates 12 digital websites with highly engaged audiences following local and national sports content. Spotlight Sports Group’s turnkey sports betting solutions will provide Advance Local’s audience with sports betting sections on their favorite local news websites, including: Feature articles for both casual and regular sports bettors Free bets and offers pages Scoreboards & betting tools with latest odds Custom-made sports betting event guides Smart content modules and free-to-play games “We are proud to be partnering with Advance Local as our teams align on a vision of content-rich, localized sports betting experiences that are more than just creating clickbait,” commented Rick Wolf, SVP, Spotlight Sports Group. "The addition of a turnkey sports betting content platform, uniquely tailored to each local market, will give fans in Syracuse, for example, access to highly localized sports betting content, tools and engagement that makes the games more fun to watch. We are excited to roll out localized versions of our partnership across multiple Advance Local outlets, and seeing the investment made by Advance Local into Spotlight Sports Group repaid in new revenue, and a deeper sports experience for their audiences.” Advance Local VP of Sports Betting & iGaming, Howard Kamen, said “Spotlight Sports Group provides national and local content to drive engagement, but creating community with games and tools to make sports fans smarter is the exciting part of this partnership. Spotlight Sports Group has relationships with regulated sportsbook operators in multiple states which means they are doing the heavy lifting, enabling us to concentrate on our audience and their needs.” In addition to turnkey sports betting platforms, Spotlight Sports Group’s partner offerings include the provision of betting intelligence and data, smart content modules, and the creation and activation of digital games. The betting intelligence offering provides partners with a targeted betting experience directly to their audiences, or through affiliated partners, that delivers customized editorial content in over 70 different languages. Smart content modules are powered by Spotlights Sports Group’s state-of-the-art content engine, Superfeed, which utilizes best-in-class AI, expert tipping advice and data analysis to further deepen the conversations with sports betting audiences. Finally, Spotlight Sports Group can provide partners with self-service free-to-play games that help build customer marketing databases, and consumer engagement tools that increase contact points with audiences. Each of the four core Spotlight Sports Group solutions are tailored to meet the specific goals of partners, and all are designed to increase revenue, audience engagement and growth. For more information on Spotlight Sports Group please visit SpotlightSportsGroup.com ABOUT SPOTLIGHT SPORTS GROUP Spotlight Sports Group (owned by Exponent Private Equity) is a world-leading technology, content and media business specializing in sports betting and fantasy sports. Evolved from the Racing Post Group, Spotlight Sports Group engages millions of people directly through Racing Post, Pickswise, Fantasy Alarm, Free Super Tips and myracing. The company also has decades of experience in powering growth and conversion for the world’s biggest sportsbooks and media companies, delivering best-in-class technology and expert scalable content experiences in more than 70 languages. ABOUT ADVANCE LOCAL Advance Local, one of the largest media groups in the United States, operates the leading news and information companies in more than 20 cities, reaching more than 55 million people monthly with its quality journalism and community engagement. Never resting on our laurels, our company is built upon the values of Integrity, Customer-First, Inclusiveness, Collaboration, and Forward-Looking. Always innovating and evolving, our mission is to strengthen and empower the communities we serve. Advance Local Media Groups include MLive Media Group, Advance Ohio, Alabama Media Group, NJ Advance Media, Advance Media NY, MassLive Media, Oregonian Media Group, Staten Island Media Group, PA Media Group; Headline Group, Advance 360, a marketing agency specialized in the education, healthcare, and travel industries; and ZeroSum, a leader in software, marketing, and data science focused solely on the auto industry. Visit Advance Local at www.advancelocal.com. Contact Details Red Knot Tom Webb +1 512-952-9369 tom@redknotcomms.com Company Website https://www.spotlightsportsgroup.com/en_us/

February 16, 2022 08:01 AM Eastern Standard Time

Winter Skin Care & Beauty Tips

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/IH8D0yadno Winter weather can wreak havoc on your skin and hair. Between all the dry, chapped and cracked skin, and frizzy or damaged hair, this is the time of year to pay extra attention to self-care and beauty routines. During the colder months, the American Academy of Dermatology Association (ADD) recommends adding moisture into your skin. All skin types need moisture, as lower temperatures, hot indoor air, and dry air everywhere can disrupt the skin’s barrier. It’s the season to focus on all areas of self-care from head to toe. Healthy hair and moisture go hand in hand — no matter the time of year. There are some surprising ways to help keep your locks healthy and looking their best as winter winds snag and tangle hair, which can lead to breakage and split ends. Foley has come up with a four-step plan to help people look and feel their best during the colder months. MORE MOISTURE: One way to counter the effects of dry air is with a daily moisturizer. Foley recommends OLEHENRIKSEN Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturizer. It is a daily vegan and nutrient-rich moisturizer that quickly doubles hydration, visibly boosts elasticity, improves the look of fine lines and wrinkles, and protects your skin’s moisture barrier from harsh winter elements. This moisturizer is packed with potent ingredients inspired by skin’s building blocks—such as amino acids, peptides, ceramides, and collagen—to bring moisture, bounce and resiliency back to all skin types. Foley says it “Melts into your skin. This balm-to-gel texture delivers rich hydration… an unexpectedly lightweight feel perfect for protecting dry winter skin.” For more information, go to olehenriksen.com. Direct link: https://www.sephora.com/product/ole-henriksen-strength-trainer-peptide-boost-moisturizer-P479339?skuId=2547917&keyword=olehenriksen%20-%20strength%20trainer%20peptide%20boost%20moisturizer Social media handles: @olehenriksen MORE HAIR CARE: Healthy hair and moisture go hand in hand. Foley has found that there are some surprising ways to help keep your locks looking their best in the winter. One brand the beauty expert highlights is Maui Moisture Heal & Hydrate + Shea Butter Hair Mask, saying, “This is a refreshing and restorative vegan hair care line developed with Aloe Vera as the first ingredient for a hydrating and healthy base for curls.' The brand’s creamy hair mask is formulated with shea butter, coconut oil, and macadamia oil which work to deeply quench, nourish and repair dry, damaged curls and strands while helping minimize split ends. Foley recommends using the product as a leave in treatment on wet hair to deeply condition strands if locks are feeling extra dry, adding, “I love it, it has a soft and sweet scent. Although it’s thick and creamy in appearance, it doesn’t feel heavy and glides nicely onto your hair.” For more information, go to mauimoisture.com Direct link: Maui Moisture Heal & Hydrate + Shea Butter Hair Mask & Leave-In Conditioner Treatment to Deeply Nourish Curls & Help Repair Split Ends, Vegan, Silicone-, Paraben- & Sulfate-Free, 12 oz - Walmart.com Social media handles: @mauimoisture HYDRATE DELICATE SKIN: Cold and dry weather can damage softer skin. Foley says, “Our lips are a very thin and delicate. The cold months zap them of much-needed moisture, often leaving them dry and irritated.” The beauty expert says people can keep their lips hydrated all-day (and all-naturally!) with the #1 organic lip balm in the U.S—eos 100% Natural Shea Lip Balms. Foley points out that, “eos blends flavors that are almost good enough to eat with super-moisturizing ingredients for delicious lip balms that you’ll want to swipe on again and again.” This brand’s balms are made with USDA Certified Organic, sustainably-sourced shea butter and hydrating coconut & jojoba oils for long-lasting hydration and soft, smooth lips. Foley adds, “I can’t get over how soft my lips are! It feels like smoothness in a stick!” For more information, visit evolutionofsmooth.com, Target and Walmart. Direct link: https://evolutionofsmooth.com/collections/100-natural Instagram: @ eosproducts FEEL & LOOK YOUR BEST: Foley admits personal style is unique, but the weather can make it difficult at times. “I’m always searching for ways to help people look and feel their best. However, I’m really excited by a new hydrating concealer that is perfect for winter months.” A sister launch to the viral Good Apple Skin-Perfecting Foundation Balm, KVD Beauty is back with their latest launch, Good Apple Lightweight Full-Coverage Concealer. Foley says this new concealer delivers lightweight full coverage with extreme long wear staying power and is packed with ultra-concentrated InterLace Pigments for crease resistance, and maximum vibrancy. She adds, “It’s formulated with hydrating ingredients, such as apple extract and raspberry stem cells, and is available in 32 inclusive shades. You’re going to love how it feels and looks!” For more information, go to KVDVeganBeauty.com. Social media handles: @KVDbeauty Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

February 15, 2022 03:54 PM Eastern Standard Time

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