Connect with us

Technology

Rokt Leaders Join Wayne Gretzky and executives from Fanatics, Lowe’s, Southwest Airlines and Mastercard to Discuss Leadership, Commerce Media and AI at Advertising Week New York 2026

Published

on

Eight sessions across Advertising Week and The Female Quotient Lounge brought Rokt together with leaders from companies including Block, e.l.f. Beauty, American Airlines and FOX One.

NEW YORK, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Rokt, the leading ecommerce company using machine learning and AI to make the shopping experience more relevant to each customer, participated in eight panel discussions during Advertising Week New York 2026 (AWNY), held at The Penn District this week. Rokt leaders joined executives from leading retail, financial services, travel and media companies to discuss how businesses can grow revenue, earn customer trust and adapt to changes in how people discover brands. Four of those sessions took place on AWNY’s main stages, while the other four were part of The Female Quotient Lounge programming on site.

“Businesses want to grow revenue from the customer relationships they’ve worked hard to build. That depends on making each interaction relevant to the customer,” said Jon Humphrey, SVP & GM of Rokt Ads. “As AI changes how people discover brands and make decisions, relevance becomes even more important. The opportunity is to help customers find something they value and give them a reason to return.”

One of the week’s most anticipated moments came on Wednesday, when Humphrey joined NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky and Tucker Kain, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer at Fanatics, Inc., on the Great Minds Stage for a conversation about leadership. The session followed Fanatics’ recent decision to select Rokt to deliver AI-powered relevance for sports fans around the world.

Elsewhere in the program, Rokt leaders sat alongside executives from Lowe’s, Citi, Mastercard, e.l.f. Beauty and American Airlines, among others. Many of the discussions centered on how companies outside retail can build commerce media businesses, with other sessions taking up AI’s growing influence on where and how people discover brands.

Rokt’s sessions on Advertising Week New York Stages:

Beyond the Brand: Building Partnerships Across an Entire Ecosystem (Marketplace Stage, Monday, October 5). Laura Cosgrove, SVP of Retail Partnerships at Rokt, and Lauren Copland, Ecosystem Partnership Lead at Block, discussed the evolution of the Rokt and Afterpay partnership and what it would take to extend it across Block’s wider portfolio, which includes Square, Cash App and TIDAL.. Arielle Feger, Senior Analyst, Media Content at EMARKETER, moderated.The New Revenue Line: What Customer Attention Is Actually Worth (Media Stage, Tuesday, October 6). Erica Few, Head of FinServ Partnerships at Rokt, joined Elyse Blouin, Vice President & GM of Lowe’s Media Network and Dylan Lonergan, Head of Sales at Citi Commerce Media, to look at what building a commerce media business requires once it moves beyond retail. Kerry Flynn, media reporter at Axios, moderated.Building the Decision Engine for Agentic Marketing (Innovation Stage, Wednesday, October 7). As AI takes on a larger role in media decisions, Rokt’s Jon Humphrey sat down with Olivia Kory, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at Haus, and Annie Leanse, Senior Director, Subscriber Acquisition & Brand Media Marketing at FOX One, to discuss why attribution alone falls short and how incrementality and experimentation can inform those choices. AdExchanger reporter James Hercher moderated.Skating to Where the Puck Is Going: The Great One on Leadership (Great Minds Stage, Wednesday, October 7). Wayne Gretzky reflected on decades spent as a player, owner, coach and broadcaster in a conversation with Tucker Kain of Fanatics and Jon Humphrey of Rokt.

Rokt executives also spoke on the following panels in Female Quotient Lounge at AWNY on Tuesday, October 6:

The Trust Advantage: Why Confidence Wins. Maggie Carney, Vice President of Customer Success at Rokt, spoke with Nili Klenoff, EVP of Mastercard Commerce Media; Christie Sclater, SVP of Global Marketing at Clinique; and Cass Zawadowski, Executive Creative Director of Global Brand at Lyft, about how companies earn credibility as AI changes the way people judge brands. ADWEEK’s Chief Brand and Community Officer Jenny Rooney moderated.The Discovery Economy: Winning Before the Search. Allison Repetto, Vice President of Customer Success, Retail at Rokt, joined Sabrina Callahan, SVP, Chief Digital & Marketing Officer of Southwest Airlines and Diana Tomasetti, Senior Director, Brand & Product Marketing of Carnival Cruise Line, to unpack how consumers now find brands through AI assistants, creators and communities long before they search. Debra Aho Williamson, Founder and Chief Analyst at Sonata Insights, moderated.Cultural Gravity: Why Some Ideas Pull People In. Laura Cosgrove returned for a second session alongside Laurie Lam, Chief Brand Officer at e.l.f. Beauty, and Haley Paas, SVP of Media, Marketing Effectiveness & Agency Management at Verizon, examining why certain brands and ideas hold an audience long after launch. Luz Corona, Executive Director of Content at The Clios, moderated.The Media Shift: Following Audiences Wherever They Go. Nicolina Duhs, Head of Retail Partnerships at Rokt, discussed how brands reach audiences whose attention is spreading across more platforms with Lauren Gabriele, VP, Enterprise Business Development at TripleLift; Leslie Lee, VP of T-Mobile Advertising Solutions; and Jacs Wyatt, MD, Global Advertising at American Airlines. Brittany Thompson, VP, Head of Global Enterprise Innovation at Condé Nast moderated.

About Rokt

Rokt is the global leader in ecommerce, unlocking real-time relevance in the moment that matters most—The Transaction Moment™. Rokt’s AI Brain and Ecommerce Network powers billions of transactions connecting hundreds of millions of customers, and is trusted to do this by the world’s leading companies including Live Nation, Fanatics, Macy’s, AMC Theatres, PayPal, Uber, Hulu, Albertsons and HelloFresh. Headquartered in New York City, Rokt has offices across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. To learn more, visit Rokt.com.

Media Contact

Tarana Mehta – SVP Marketing
tarana.mehta@rokt.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rokt-leaders-join-wayne-gretzky-and-executives-from-fanatics-lowes-southwest-airlines-and-mastercard-to-discuss-leadership-commerce-media-and-ai-at-advertising-week-new-york-2026-302902785.html

SOURCE ROKT Pte. Ltd.

Continue Reading

Technology

GoDaddy Inc. to Announce Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results on Thursday, October 29, 2026

Published

on

By

TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GoDaddy Inc. (NYSE: GDDY) will release financial results for the third quarter of 2026 on Thursday, October 29, 2026, after the U.S. stock market closes.

Following the news release, GoDaddy management will host a live webcast at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which will be available on GoDaddy’s Investor Relations website at https://investors.godaddy.net. To participate, please register here.

Following the webcast’s completion, a recording will be available on GoDaddy’s Investor Relations website.

About GoDaddy
GoDaddy, the world’s largest domain name registrar, helps millions of entrepreneurs globally start, grow, and scale their businesses. People come to GoDaddy to name their idea, build a website and logo, sell their products and services and accept payments. Airo®, the company’s agentic operating system for small businesses, helps entrepreneurs get their idea online, run their business day-to-day and grow through an integrated identity, presence and commerce experience. GoDaddy’s expert guides are available 24/7 to provide assistance. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com.

Source: GoDaddy Inc.

© 2026 GoDaddy Inc. All Rights Reserved.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/godaddy-inc-to-announce-third-quarter-2026-financial-results-on-thursday-october-29-2026-302902966.html

SOURCE GoDaddy Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

OMNICOM MEDIA AND REMBRAND PARTNER TO SCALE IN-CONTENT ADVERTISING ACROSS PREMIUM STREAMING

Published

on

By

First-to-market capability brings together Acxiom, Omni, and Rembrand’s VISTA platform, with access to premium inventory from major media partners

NEW YORK, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Omnicom Media, an Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) Connected Capability, and in-content advertising platform Rembrand are partnering to bring in-content advertising into the mainstream media mix with a first-to-market capability that enables brands to identify, plan, and activate in-content placements across first-look premium streaming inventory from multiple major media companies.

The partnership provides OM’s Content Collective – the group’s branded content center of excellence – first-mover access to Rembrand’s AI-powered VISTA platform, which scans publisher content to identify scenes that can be monetized by insertion of in-content advertising. Using AcxiomRealID™ and direct integrations with major streamers, brands can identify the most relevant content for a given audience. Pairing this intelligence with Rembrand’s VISTA platform, brands unlock a more systematic and scalable way to find relevant programming and activate against those opportunities across participating streaming partners.

Historically, in-content advertising has been managed through bespoke partnerships and individual content integrations. The new capability brings those opportunities into a common planning framework, giving media teams visibility across participating publishers and allowing in-content placements to be considered alongside broader media investments.

The collaboration is rooted in a fundamental shift in consumer behavior. Omnicom Media’s recent research, From Tuned Out to Leaned In: How to Combat Ad Avoidance, found that 65% of U.S. consumers avoid advertising to some degree, whether by skipping, scrolling, muting, or ignoring ads. As consumers use subscriptions, apps, AI, and other tools to exert greater control over their media experiences, brands need new ways to reach people without creating another interruption.

Additionally, commissioned research conducted by Omnicom Media’s Partner Intelligence team in collaboration with Rembrand evaluated the effectiveness of in-content advertising, finding that, when paired with traditional video ads, perceptions of premium content amplify the performance of ICAs, driving a 5.5 times impact on message recall, and a 4x increase in both purchase intent and perceptions of the brand as premium.

“Our research identified how quickly consumers actively or passively disengage when advertising feels intrusive or overly repetitive,” said Megan Pagliuca, Chief Product Officer, Omnicom Media. “To address this, we have launched new capabilities in streaming to address negative reach, improve relevance and measurability of traditional brand experiences, and now we are complementing these with a first of its kind data driven, scalable approach to in-content advertising.”

How It Works

The capability connects four stages:

Audience matching: Acxiom audience segments are matched with streaming viewership data to identify shows, movies, and genres that best index with a target audience.Inventory mapping: Relevant programming is matched against in-content advertising opportunities available through VISTA.Inventory expansion: Additional content can be onboarded through established processes with participating streaming partners when relevant opportunities are not yet available.Activation: Brands deploy in-content placements against selected audiences and programming across participating publishers.

The result is a way to put brands directly into content consumers have chosen to watch, while providing greater visibility into in-content supply across publishers.

“In-content advertising has always offered brands the opportunity to show up within content people have actively chosen to watch,” said John Sedlak, Chief Revenue Officer, Rembrand. “Our collaboration with Omnicom Media makes those opportunities easier to identify, plan and activate across premium streaming, bringing a new level of scale and consistency to the category.”

Applications range from an automaker placing a new model in relevant programming across a streamer, using Acxiom in-market auto segments to reach shoppers who routinely avoid traditional ads, to a beverage brand appearing in top-indexing summer programming during key seasonal purchase periods. Retail brands can similarly use in-content placements to directly connect exposure to the path to purchase.

Summing up the response to-date from clients who have been briefed on the new capability, Jillian Davis, Director of Marketing Technology for Auto Trader and Kelly Blue Book parent company Cox Automotive said, “We’re always eager to leverage new, scalable and organic ways to reach our customers within premium content.”

CONTACT:  isabelle.gauvry@omc.com

ABOUT OMNICOM MEDIA
Omnicom Media, an Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) Connected Capability, is the world’s largest global media management network. Powered by the Omni Intelligence Platform, Omnicom Media agencies leverage $75.6 billion in billings, 47,000+ specialists across 70+ markets, and the industry’s most powerful portfolio identity, commerce, and intelligence assets to design dynamic Growth Ecosystems that enable the world’s most ambitious businesses to grow faster and smarter. The Omnicom Media portfolio includes global media agency brands OMD, PHD, Initiative, Hearts United and UM; core Omnicom Integrated Media offerings Acxiom, the world’s premier identity solution, and the Flywheel end-to-end commerce solution; and specialty services across the cloud consulting, creator, financial, healthcare, and sports & entertainment categories.  For more information visit omnicommedia.com

ABOUT REMBRAND
Rembrand is the leading In-Content Advertising platform, using AI to seamlessly integrate brands into video content. The company’s technology provides a non-intrusive and engaging advertising experience for viewers while delivering increased brand awareness and improved engagement for advertisers. Rembrand works with a vast network of global content owners and media companies to deliver unparalleled reach and scale for its brand partners.  For more info, visit www.rembrand.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/omnicom-media-and-rembrand-partner-to-scale-in-content-advertising-across-premium-streaming-302902897.html

SOURCE Omnicom Media

Continue Reading

Technology

Equifax Reports Accelerated Adoption of VantageScore® 4.0 Across the Mortgage Industry

Published

on

By

Nearly 2,000 Mortgage Lenders Implementing Modern, Alternative Data-Driven Scoring Model; Equifax Extends $1 VantageScore 4.0 Pricing through the End of 2028 to Drive Industry Adoption, Homeownership Affordability, and Cost Savings

Nearly 2,000 mortgage lenders and resellers are taking advantage of the Equifax offer of free VantageScore® 4.0 credit scores with paid legacy scores, and more than 165 lenders are exclusively using VantageScore 4.0 at the $1 price for certain types of loans.Equifax maintains $1 VantageScore 4.0 mortgage credit score pricing through the end of 2028 to expand industry adoption, reduce loan acquisition costs, and drive potential $1 billion in industry cost savings.Equifax continues to enhance the value of mortgage solutions by delivering The Work Number® Report Indicator and additional alternative data including telco, pay TV and utilities attributes alongside the Equifax mortgage credit report at no additional cost.

ATLANTA, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Equifax® (NYSE: EFX) today announced a significant milestone in mortgage scoring modernization, with nearly 2,000 lenders taking advantage of free VantageScore® 4.0 credit scores with paid legacy scores from April 2026 through September 2026, including a 230% increase in VantageScore 4.0 credit scores pulled between April 2026 and August 2026 for mortgages. This accelerated mortgage lender adoption follows Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) approval of VantageScore 4.0 for use in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgages. Mortgage lenders are rapidly embracing this modern scoring model and Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) governed alternative data not included in traditional credit reports to expand access to credit and drive housing affordability for millions of Americans.

“Our AI technology helps borrowers see their best loan options in minutes. With lenders now able to choose their credit score model, we added VantageScore 4.0 as one of the scoring models we use, giving us more flexibility in how we evaluate applicants, while keeping the experience quick and easy,” said Magesh Sarma, Chief Operating Officer, AmeriSave Mortgage Corporation.

Equifax is maintaining $1 VantageScore 4.0 mortgage credit score pricing through the end of 2028 to expand adoption, reduce loan acquisition costs, and drive a potential $1 billion in cost savings for the industry and consumers from the cost difference among score providers.

“The landmark decision by FHFA Director William Pulte and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner to open VantageScore 4.0 for use across both conventional and FHA-insured loans has advanced homebuying into a new era of credit scoring competition that drives greater performance and cost savings for both lenders and consumers,” said Mark W. Begor, CEO of Equifax. “We are seeing strong momentum across the mortgage sector as lenders rapidly adopt VantageScore 4.0 to drive better decisioning and expand access to credit.”

More data drives better decisions
VantageScore 4.0 utilizes up to 24 months of trended data and incorporates alternative data, such as rental, utility, and telco payment histories, providing lenders with a more comprehensive view of borrower creditworthiness without adding additional risk. The model provides deeper financial insights that can deliver a 20% lift in originations and generate credit scores for consumers with thin credit files.

“The strong industry adoption has been driven by years of preparation by our teams to ensure that VantageScore 4.0 could be accessible to all lenders, allowing them to effectively test and evaluate the score through their processes,” said Joel Rickman, General Manager and SVP of U.S. Mortgage and Verification Services at Equifax. “Equifax is deeply committed to supporting the mortgage industry and the consumers we serve, especially as we navigate the most difficult mortgage market in decades. We view our role in expanding homeownership as a vital responsibility while delivering significant savings to consumers and the mortgage industry.”

Equifax remains the only Nationwide Consumer Reporting Agency to provide alternative data insights – such as payment histories for telco, pay TV, and utilities – alongside tri-merge consumer credit reports for the mortgage market at no additional cost to lenders. Equifax also empowers lenders with early access to an employment indicator through its suite of The Work Number® Report Indicator solutions at no additional cost including:

The Work Number® Report Indicator for Mortgage: Streamlines underwriting workflows by providing an indicator of whether data from The Work Number is available on the applicant

For more information about Equifax mortgage solutions and VantageScore 4.0, please visit our website.

ABOUT EQUIFAX INC.
At Equifax (NYSE: EFX), we believe knowledge drives progress. As a global data, analytics, and technology company, we play an essential role in the global economy by helping financial institutions, companies, employers, and government agencies make critical decisions with greater confidence. Our unique blend of differentiated data, analytics, and cloud technology drives insights to power decisions to move people forward. Headquartered in Atlanta and supported by nearly 15,000 employees worldwide, Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. For more information, visit Equifax.com. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tiffany Smith for Equifax 
mediainquiries@equifax.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/equifax-reports-accelerated-adoption-of-vantagescore-4-0-across-the-mortgage-industry-302902982.html

SOURCE Equifax Inc.

Continue Reading

Trending