This year, we were honored to take home TV Tech’s Best in Show award and the Bitmovin EMEA Reseller Award, alongside a Sustainability Leader in Media Technology Award for our EVP of Strategic Industries, Lewis Smithingham. These accolades, paired with our recent AWS Media & Entertainment Competency achievement, reflect our commitment to helping broadcasters and media organizations tackle their biggest challenges.

But what excites us most is what these accomplishments represent: progress in solving real challenges for broadcasters and media organizations. From harnessing AI to streamline workflows to redefining video analysis with cutting-edge tools, we’re proud to be at the forefront of meaningful change. This year, we showcased solutions designed to help our clients innovate, monetize and thrive in an ever-evolving landscape. Here’s a closer look at how we, together with our partners, are shaping what’s next. 

Alongside our partners, we’re realizing the potential of AI-powered broadcast solutions.

On the show floor, we introduced NVIDIA-powered solutions with a suite of tools under NVIDIA Media2, leveraging advanced technologies like NIM microservices, Blueprints, NeMo and Holoscan for Media. These tools enable real-time audience feedback, AI-powered selective encoding and contextual content analysis for large content archives, all of which transform how our clients deliver and optimize their media experiences.

In addition, we announced a strategic partnership with Twelve Labs, integrating their innovative AI-powered vision language models into Amazon Bedrock. This collaboration is designed to address critical challenges in media and entertainment by delivering advanced video understanding capabilities. The integration provides IP holders and broadcasters with a seamless and secure way to harness AI across the entire video value chain. This advancement marks a significant step forward in leveraging AI to transform how video content is analyzed, understood and monetized. 

A trio of award wins signify progress in tackling broadcasting’s biggest challenges.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the awards that recognize our commitment to innovation and driving meaningful change in the broadcast and media industries.

First, we were honored with the Best of Show award from TV Tech, alongside our partners Verizon, NVIDIA, FanDuel and Haivision. This award highlighted our AI-driven workflow, demonstrated at the Verizon booth, that showcased how advanced video inference and private 5G network technology are transforming broadcasting workflows at the edge.

Here’s why it matters: these technologies streamline live production by automating complex tasks, like selecting the best camera angles from multi-cam feeds to optimize stream bandwidth and incorporate real-time audience feedback. For broadcasters, this means smarter workflows and faster decision-making. For viewers, it opens up more personalized and engaging experiences, like following a favorite athlete in a game or isolating key moments in a race from hundreds of angles.

Monks was also honored with the title of Bitmovin EMEA Systems Integrator of the Year. This award celebrates a partnership that brought innovative, user-centric streaming to life during Fetch’s Super Bowl Giveaway. To provide a seamless, in-app livestream—bypassing conventional platforms like YouTube or Twitch—we integrated Bitmovin’s Live Encoder, which enabled fast startup and reliable, high-quality streaming for millions of viewers. We also embedded the Bitmovin Player within the Fetch app to ensure smooth playback across a wide range of devices, while Bitmovin Analytics allowed us to monitor performance in real time and quickly optimize the experience. Through close teamwork, we developed, tested, and refined this custom player integration, ensuring that when the stream went live, viewers enjoyed uninterrupted, top-tier video quality directly within the app.

This recognition underscores the impact of combining technical expertise and close collaboration to meet the unique needs of modern content delivery. By working together to simplify complex workflows and deliver interactive, large-scale livestreams directly to audiences, we’re helping clients like Fetch push the boundaries of viewer engagement and set new standards for what’s possible in digital broadcasting.

Finally, congratulations are in order for our EVP of Strategic Industries, Lewis Smithingham, who was given the Sustainability Leader in Media Technology award by the Media Tech Sustainability Series. This award celebrates the pivotal work Smithingham and his team are doing to address one of the industry’s most pressing challenges: resource inefficiency.

Broadcasting has long relied on energy-intensive infrastructure, heavy equipment and large on-site crews. But through software-defined workflows, Smithingham’s team is helping broadcasters transition to cloud-based solutions, drastically reducing the need for energy-hungry broadcast trucks and slashing travel emissions. By leveraging platforms like AWS—often powered by renewable energy—broadcasters not only reduce their environmental impact but also gain more resilient, scalable operations. These efforts are a blueprint for how the industry can align sustainability with innovation.

Building a smarter, more sustainable future for media and entertainment.

In an industry defined by constant evolution, NAB Show offers a glimpse into what’s next—and this year, it was clear that innovation, collaboration and sustainability are driving forces shaping the future of media and entertainment. From our AI-powered solutions to our sustainability initiatives, we’re proud to play a role in addressing the challenges facing broadcasters and media organizations today.

The recognition we received at NAB reflects our commitment to solving these challenges, but it’s only the beginning. As we continue to push boundaries alongside our partners, our focus remains on delivering transformative solutions that empower our clients to create smarter, more sustainable and more engaging media experiences. We’re excited for what lies ahead and grateful to the community of innovators and partners who make this journey possible. Let’s keep building the future together.

To be more precise, achieving this competency reflects our ability to deliver scalable, cost-effective solutions that drive business agility and elevate the consumer experience. From content production to direct-to-consumer distribution and data analytics, we’ve been building impactful solutions that empower our clients to reimagine what’s possible in today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving industry. By leveraging AWS best practices, we empower our customers to modernize their operations, reduce costs and enhance scalability—all while delivering seamless, engaging experiences to their audiences.

Our transformative solutions are helping companies reshape media and entertainment.

Whether it’s evolving workflows for content production, streamlining media supply chains, or enhancing direct-to-consumer distribution, our solutions are designed to help customers harness the full potential of the cloud. We focus on delivering faster workflows, greater flexibility, and actionable, data-driven insights that drive success in a rapidly evolving industry.

Our AWS Media & Entertainment expertise is already delivering tangible results for leading companies. For example, we collaborated with Meta to revolutionize NBA broadcasting through immersive virtual reality experiences. Over four seasons, we enabled fans to experience more than 50 NBA games courtside in VR, complete with live commentary from NBA and WNBA champions and the ability to interact socially with friends, fellow viewers and even athletes. By leveraging a cloud-based, software-defined production workflow powered by AWS and NVIDIA, we streamlined traditional broadcasting processes, using just five cameras and a small crew to deliver stunning 8K, 60 fps footage. The result was a highly engaging and interactive way for fans to connect with the game, demonstrating how cloud-enabled workflows can redefine content delivery.

Similarly, we partnered with ITV Studios to test a modernized production workflow for ITV’s flagship morning show, This Morning. Faced with the challenge of reducing costs, improving sustainability, and enhancing creative opportunities, ITV Studios explored a hybrid cloud-based production setup with our support. We migrated key production processes to the cloud, seamlessly integrating on-site crews with a cloud-based control room. This experiment demonstrated reduced reliance on energy-intensive broadcast equipment, increased stability with built-in redundancies and improved efficiency. 

Additionally, by leveraging AWS’s 100% renewable energy-powered infrastructure, ITV Studios made significant strides toward sustainability, reducing its carbon footprint and setting an example for greener broadcast practices. Remote collaboration capabilities also unlocked new opportunities for creativity and diversity within production teams.

These projects underscore how we’re empowering companies to reimagine their workflows, reduce operational complexities, and deliver authentic, interactive and sustainable experiences. Whether enabling fans to feel like they’re court-side or helping broadcasters achieve greater flexibility and resilience, we’re committed to driving transformation across the media and entertainment industry.

Our blend of innovation and industry expertise further sets us apart.

At the heart of our approach is a commitment to cloud native agile production (CNAP), a methodology that combines the agility of cloud technology with the operational rigor of production workflows. We strive not just to support production systems in a traditional operator-focused manner but to rethink them through a cloud-native lens. This means embracing the elasticity of the cloud—the ability to spin resources up or down dynamically—and embedding efficiencies that empower businesses to move faster while optimizing costs. Having walked in the shoes of production operators ourselves, we approach these challenges with empathy, bridging the gap between operational needs and executive goals. This perspective enables us to deliver solutions that drive tangible results while addressing the unique pain points of the production ecosystem.

As a marketing and technology services business with a rich legacy in production, our roots lie in the making, tracking, and delivery of images—a core capability we’ve refined and scaled through innovations like generative AI. But our value extends far beyond content creation. By combining a deep understanding of production workflows with cloud-native principles, our technologists design and build pipelines that enable faster, more efficient content delivery, including live broadcast capabilities. This fusion of technical innovation, operational empathy, and industry expertise is what truly sets us apart.

We’re not a traditional broadcast company, but we bring the perspective of seasoned veterans who intimately understand the industry’s challenges. This enables us to lead with empathy and address pain points with the confidence and trust that comes from having walked in our clients’ shoes. 

Together, we’re building a future defined by creativity, progress and transformation.

Achieving the AWS Media & Entertainment Competency reflects our commitment to helping media and entertainment companies fully realize the potential of the cloud. This recognition underscores our ability to deliver solutions that solve complex challenges and enable meaningful progress in the industry.

Looking ahead, we’re focused on empowering our clients to respond to change, push boundaries, and create lasting impact. With every project, we aim to shape a future where innovation drives new possibilities for media and entertainment.

A new partnership that enables wide, holistic views of client data.

One of the primary challenges in implementing a customer data platform is data readiness. Many businesses struggle with fragmented data sources, messy pipelines and the difficulty of extracting actionable insights. Monks helps clients overcome these challenges by offering a structured approach to integrate, harmonize and analyze data efficiently. 

With this new partnership, our team of data architects, analysts and engineers will work to integrate the entire data supply chain, breaking down these silos and enabling a wider, more holistic view of our client’s data. Once data readiness and wide data are achieved, the Hightouch Composable platform can be applied to activate their library of pre-built integrations and start to deliver AI-powered personalized experiences.

“Our team of data architects, analysts and engineers offer services to solve this problem. Monks will work to integrate the entire data supply chain, breaking down these silos and enabling a wider, more holistic view of our client’s data,” explains Jakub Otrząsek, SVP, Data, APAC at Monks. 

“Once data readiness and wide data are achieved, the Hightouch Composable platform can be applied to activate with their library of pre-built integrations and start to deliver AI-powered personalized experiences,” he adds.

Understanding the increasingly prominent role of composable CDPs.

A composable martech stack represents a significant shift in how organizations manage their marketing technology. By leveraging a best-of-breed approach and centering the architecture around a cloud data warehouse, businesses can create a single source of truth for customer data. This unified approach not only streamlines the deployment of existing advanced machine learning models but also fosters a modular and adaptable technology ecosystem that can readily evolve to accommodate changing business requirements.

The rapid adoption of composable CDPs within the industry underscores the numerous advantages they offer. Their cost-effectiveness, ease of deployment, and ability to leverage existing technology and intellectual property make them an attractive solution for businesses seeking to optimize their marketing technology stack. As the industry continues to evolve, composable CDPs are poised to play an increasingly prominent role in shaping the future of marketing technology.

Why data activation means value realisation.

First-party customer data is critical for organizations because it enables them to build trust through genuine interactions and scale personalization using AI. By activating first-party data with the Monks and Hightouch partnership, businesses can make a profound impact on marketing ROI.

Monks and Hightouch help businesses achieve this by:

• Enabling highly personalized, scalable marketing strategies through seamless integration of first-party data with media sources.
• Optimizing marketing spend by analyzing campaign performance in real-time
• Identifying high-performing content and reallocating resources for maximum ROI

The partnership allows for smarter and faster decisions based on valuable insights extracted from first-party data, moving businesses “beyond data chaos into clarity.” Monks helps brands build trust through authentic interactions while leveraging AI and first-party data to scale personalization.

A perfect moment for a partnership.

For Hightouch, this represents a pivotal moment. The widespread adoption of cloud data warehouses, the wave of interest in the composable CDP approach and the immediate success of the AI Decisioning launch marks a significant turning point for the Hightouch. This confluence of factors propels Hightouch into a substantial growth phase, positioning the company at the forefront of the evolving marketing technology landscape.

“Enterprises in the APAC region are setting the global pace in adopting composable CDP and AI agents for marketing,” said Kashish Gupta, CEO of Hightouch. “Monks is the ideal partner to help Hightouch support the rapid deployment of these technologies in the region.”

Meanwhile, we have recently simplified our teams into the two pillars of Marketing and Technology Services. This simplification of our business means we are more integrated than ever, aligning our strategic team leads with our clients, and able to bring expertise and talent across the full spectrum of Marketing and Technology Service as our client’s requirements change.

The Hightouch platform also perfectly aligns with our recent launch of the Data Decisioning framework.

Let's talk data and AI.

We invite businesses to discover how our partnership with Hightouch can revolutionize their data strategies. Whether the goal is to streamline analytics, improve marketing performance, or activate your customer data, we’re here to help.

If you’re unfamiliar, the Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards celebrate standout contributions in a rapidly evolving field, highlighting organizations and solutions that leverage AI to create meaningful impact. This marks the second consecutive year that Monks has been recognized by the Business Intelligence Group for our AI expertise—be sure to check out last year’s announcement here—so I’d like to take this opportunity to share what’s changed in the past twelve months.

Driving innovation and solving challenges in scale, quality and ethics.

Last year, we launched Monks.Flow, a powerful platform that combines AI-powered tools, automation and seamless workflows to optimize every step of the campaign-building process. By integrating these capabilities, Monks.Flow empowers brands to scale campaigns, improve efficiency and reduce costs—all while maintaining creative excellence. Since its launch, Monks.Flow has addressed some of the most significant challenges in marketing operations, redefining how brands manage complexity, scale and ethics in their campaigns.

One of the more recent challenges we’ve worked through is scaling quality assurance (QA) processes to match high-volume content production. While producing hundreds of creative assets is easily achievable with AI, manually checking them for consistency and brand compliance is not. To solve this, we developed a powerful AI-driven QA tool within Monks.Flow that automates real-time checks for precision, compliance and consistency. By reducing inefficiencies and eliminating human error, this innovation has set a new standard for speed and accuracy in asset production.

But our efforts aren’t limited to Monks.Flow and its development; we’ve also helped brands overcome broader AI concerns, like its ethical use. A prime example of this is our collaboration with Dove on the Real Beauty Prompt Playbook, launched as part of the 20th-anniversary celebration of Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty. This first-of-its-kind public resource was designed to address ingrained biases in AI’s depiction of beauty. With techniques for inclusive prompting and a glossary of equitable vocabulary, the Playbook equips creators to redefine beauty standards in AI-generated content. By steering AI in a more inclusive direction, we’re helping brands like Dove foster representation and authenticity in their creative work.

Building at the forefront of AI through strategic partnerships.

Beyond solving key challenges for our clients, we’ve also spent the past year strengthening our position at the forefront of AI through transformative partnerships with some of the most innovative companies in the industry. These collaborations have allowed us to push boundaries, deliver practical solutions and empower brands to excel in an AI-driven world.

We recently made moves with NVIDIA in pursuit of these goals. Announced at NVIDIA’s recent GTC conference, we introduced the Monks Foundry, a dedicated team of engineers focused on developing and deploying custom generative AI models tailored to enterprise data and domain-specific knowledge. These models are designed to meet the unique needs of each organization, enabling them to harness AI as a bespoke solution aligned with their goals and challenges. Supporting this work is the Monks Agentic Advisory, a 50-person consulting team that collaborates with the Foundry to provide insights and cutting-edge solutions. Together, these teams are setting new standards for innovation in generative AI.

This partnership is further strengthened through deep integrations with NVIDIA’s ecosystem. Monks.Flow now connects seamlessly with platforms like NVIDIA Omniverse, NVIDIA NIM, and NVIDIA Blueprints, enabling advanced agentic AI workflows. These integrations allow brands to streamline operations, accelerate production timelines and scale their content creation capabilities with precision and speed—ensuring they stay competitive in an ever-changing landscape. 

In parallel, our partnership with Adobe underscores a shared commitment to revolutionizing the content supply chain for modern marketers. At the center of this collaboration is the launch of the Brand Model Practice, which combines Adobe’s GenStudio—a generative AI-first solution—with Monks.Flow. Together, these tools enable the creation of generative AI brand models: tailored systems that help marketers plan, create, manage, activate and measure on-brand content with speed and precision.

This partnership has already earned recognition, with Media.Monks being named runner-up for the Adobe Firefly Partner Award, an accolade that celebrates the most innovative applications of Adobe’s generative AI technologies. 

Partnering to push the boundaries of AI-powered creativity.

Winning the "case race" in today’s fast-paced marketing landscape requires more than just keeping up—it’s about staying ahead by leveraging the best tools and technologies. Through our collaborations with industry leaders like Google and Meta, we’ve not only delivered breakthrough results for brands but also helped push the boundaries of what their AI solutions can achieve. These partnerships have allowed us to explore the full potential of their platforms, driving innovation and showcasing what’s possible when AI meets creativity.

For Forever 21, operating in a fast-paced, trend-driven space, our challenge was to produce high volumes of lifestyle ad imagery to fuel growth. Using Monks.Flow, we combined existing photography with AI-generated seasonal backgrounds and text overlays, creating hundreds of ad variations tailored for Meta’s Advantage+ campaigns. This streamlined approach not only reduced production time but also optimized delivery using Meta’s AI-powered algorithms, resulting in improved conversion rates, higher average order values and validated ROI.

Similarly, Hatch, a wellness brand known for its Restore smart sleep assistant, faced growing pressure to deliver fit-for-format content across platforms like YouTube and Meta-owned channels. By combining our creative expertise with Google’s Gemini, we developed high-performing videos and dynamic animations that doubled their click-through rates and reduced acquisition costs. These AI-powered workflows helped Hatch scale their output while maintaining authenticity, easing the burden on their creative teams—and were highlighted by David Wadhwani, President of Digital Media at Adobe, during the Adobe Summit keynote as an example of how agencies are helping brands create more effective content.

Shaping what’s next in AI-driven solutions.

As we celebrate these two AI Excellence Awards, it's amazing to see how far we’ve come in the past year. From launching innovative solutions like Monks.Flow to forging transformative partnerships with industry leaders like NVIDIA, Adobe, Google and Meta, we’ve consistently pushed the boundaries of what’s possible with AI. These efforts not only solve complex challenges for our clients but also help shape the future of marketing by redefining creativity, efficiency and scalability through AI-driven solutions.

Looking ahead, we remain committed to staying at the cutting edge of AI innovation and focused on delivering impactful, measurable results for brands worldwide. Watch this space—who knows what we can accomplish together in the next year.

A milestone in our data-driven journey.

In today’s dynamic and complex markets, we recognize that data is the backbone of strategic decision-making. However, raw data alone isn’t enough—it must be gathered, cleaned and transformed into actionable insights at speed. This is easier said than done. Many enterprises struggle with fragmented data sources, messy pipelines and the challenge of drawing meaningful insights.

Without a structured approach, it’s easy to miss valuable insights while juggling data from ad platforms, CRM systems, web analytics tools and internal databases. That’s why we teamed up with Funnel: to offer a streamlined solution to integrate, harmonize and analyze data efficiently, empowering businesses to make faster, data-driven decisions. Together, we help businesses:

• Seamlessly integrate data from multiple sources without manual effort.
• Clean and structure data efficiently, reducing errors and inconsistencies.
• Generate real-time insights for proactive decision-making.

A partnership that enhances how we show up to our clients.

When we talk about efficiently organizing and analyzing data, we’re really talking about making smarter decisions, tackling ongoing challenges and uncovering new opportunities for growth. Our partner with Funnel makes this possible in three key ways: saving valuable time to focus on deeper insights, offering greater control over media reporting and empowering highly personalized, scalable marketing strategies. Let’s dive into each of these.

An Orchestration Partner in smarter marketing.

Successful marketing orchestration across the full breadth of business units, markets, internal teams and external partners demands a lot of time and expertise. As the Orchestration Partner to global brands, my team at Monks is changing the economics of advertising—centralizing content production, paid media and owned channel activation, and data analytics to deliver outcomes (not overhead) for faster and smarter marketing with more cost-efficiency. With Funnel’s technology, we seamlessly centralize data, freeing up valuable time to extract deeper insights and drive more impactful decisions.

Driving insights with Glass Box Media.

Partnering with Funnel enhances transparency by giving greater control over media reporting, unifying all channels and delivering clear, actionable insights to drive growth. This aligns with our Glass Box approach—ensuring clients always know where their media is, why it’s there and how it impacts their business.

Personalization at scale creates Real-Time Brands.

With consumer skepticism at an all-time high, brands are wise to prioritize building trust through genuine interactions while using AI and first-party data to scale personalization. Funnel seamlessly integrates first-party data with media sources, enabling highly personalized, scalable marketing strategies—proving impact while keeping a human touch at the core. "Having Monks as a certified Funnel Solution Partner is an exciting step forward." says Adam Stead, Director of APAC at Funnel. "Their expertise in data analytics combined with our technology empowers businesses to take full control of their data."

In summary, our partnership with Funnel helps clients optimize performance and drive sustainable growth. By leveraging data science and automation, businesses can:

• Optimize marketing spend by analyzing campaign performance in real-time.
• Identify high-performing channels and reallocate resources for maximum ROI.
• Leverage predictive analytics to forecast future trends and stay ahead of competitors.

Let’s talk data.

Achieving Funnel Solution Partner Certified status is a proud moment for us, cementing our position as leaders in data-driven transformation. It reflects our commitment to innovation and excellence in analytics. As we look ahead, we are excited to continue collaborating with Funnel and exploring new ways to push the boundaries of data analytics—through advanced automation, AI-powered insights and innovative reporting solutions.

As we celebrate this milestone, we invite businesses to discover how Monks and Funnel can revolutionize their data strategies. Whether you’re looking to streamline analytics, enhance marketing performance, or gain deeper insights, we’re here to help.

Ready to unlock the full potential of your data? Let’s talk!

Our journey with Adobe has been one of collaboration and growth as an Adobe Platinum Solution Partner. Earlier this year, we further strengthened this partnership by launching the Brand Model Practice, utilizing Adobe Firefly—a pioneering generative AI-first solution. This integration allows marketing teams to swiftly plan, create, manage, activate and measure on-brand content, all streamlined through our AI-first managed service, Monks.Flow. By enabling brands to fast-track their AI transformation, we optimize their entire content supply chain with generative AI capabilities.

Central to our recognition at Adobe Max is our work using Adobe Firefly, an innovative generative AI tool that seamlessly transforms text inputs into stunning visual content. By integrating Firefly into our workflows, we've unlocked new efficiencies and creative possibilities, empowering brands to craft compelling digital narratives with unparalleled speed and innovation. In celebration of being named a runner-up for the Adobe Firefly Partner Award for Best Creative, let’s delve deeper into how Firefly continues to revolutionize the way we deliver value to brands.

Adobe Firefly powers our ability to generate high-impact visual content for any brand.

One of the standout features we leverage is Adobe Firefly's text-to-image generation, which enables us to create compelling visuals for brands whose business models defy traditional imagery. For instance, we've utilized this technology to develop visual content for a financial services brand, whose services don’t naturally lend themselves to conventional visuals. By transforming text prompts into vivid imagery, we effectively convey unique brand narratives in engaging and innovative ways.

Adobe Firefly’s generative fill feature is another vital tool in our creative toolkit. It enables us to separate and expand image layers, a critical function for adapting designs across diverse digital channels. This seamless transformation into various aspect ratios and the addition of animations ensure that ads grab attention on social media feeds and display placements. As Hannah Terjanian, our Group Director of Performance Creative, explains, this feature is particularly valuable for brands aiming to create impactful, motion-rich assets.

But it’s the integration of Firefly into the Adobe Creative Cloud suite where the magic truly happens. By working within this ecosystem, our team can efficiently refine photo details according to brand guidelines and performance targets. The seamless accessibility of Firefly within tools like Photoshop and Illustrator means that our creatives can incorporate its capabilities without disrupting their workflow, fostering innovation and enabling us to deliver exceptional results quickly.

Enhance cross-functional collaboration by bridging creative and strategic disciplines.

By leveraging Adobe’s innovative tools, we’ve been able to unlock significant benefits for brands, particularly high-growth ones that face resource constraints. Many of these brands can't afford the cost of live image and video asset production, and stock imagery often fails to differentiate them from competitors. By utilizing Adobe Firefly and Monks.Flow, we can help these brands produce unique, on-brand imagery both affordably and swiftly, getting in-market within days rather than weeks.

An additional advantage is the ease of gaining buy-in from cross-functional stakeholders. Ad approvers, who may not be designers themselves, often struggle to visualize concepts without fully produced assets. Firefly enables us to create working versions of ads early in the process, offering concrete examples for stakeholders to engage with, thus preventing wasted resources and aligning team visions more effectively.

As Victoria Milo, our SVP of Global Media, Solutions & Emerging Technologies, told Campaign recently, “What AI is doing is forcing the disciplines to actually come together,” she added. “That is where we are getting maximum output for any of our clients.” These features from Firefly allow us to strengthen these cross-disciplinary teams.

Accelerated production cycles with Adobe Firefly drive creative innovation and efficiency.

Our use of Adobe's tools also significantly reduces the time lost to the revisions process. With tangible drafts in hand, rather than mere concepts, feedback can be addressed almost instantaneously. For instance, when a client requested the removal of a component from a seasonal campaign, Firefly facilitated rapid updates across all images in minutes. Utilizing Adobe Creative Production Solutions, we can transition from concept to approved design in less than half the typical revision time.

This accelerated production of mockups and finished designs also allows us to offer clients a broader array of creative options, fostering productive brainstorming sessions, rapid testing and improved performance. We’ve been able to unlock 96% faster versioning of banners to be used across channels and devices with the help of Firefly, while the Substance 3D collection has enabled us to build 3D assets 70% faster than before.

Finally, the enhanced feedback cycle benefits both clients and our teams. As Terjanian points out, “The entire team is that much more motivated to keep designing new iterations when we can see how our last designs impacted the client’s KPIs. This also benefits our clients because the feedback loop is more effective, ultimately improving their ROI.”

Achieve unmatched personalization and performance with high-volume assets.

Finally, all these tools have helped us solve the crucial challenge of building the volume of assets needed—often totaling more than 300—to get the most accurate insights and results out of platform algorithms, the subject of a session that I participated on at Adobe MAX this year. With Adobe Firefly, we empower brands to meet these demands efficiently, transforming what was once a costly challenge into a streamlined process—a process that has delivered impressive results like a 66% in return on ad spend and an 80% boost in click-through rates.

This capability is especially transformative for SMB's, enabling them to compete at a larger scale. By automating asset creation and adapting content across formats, we help brands personalize their approach while reducing costs, providing them with the agility to respond to market demands swiftly.

As an Adobe Platinum Partner, we drive creativity and innovation for brands in the AI era.

As we reflect on our journey with Adobe, being recognized as a runner-up for the Adobe Firefly Partner Award for Best Creative underscores the transformative power of our partnership. Adobe Firefly has not only revolutionized our creative processes but has also empowered our clients to achieve extraordinary results with agility and innovation. Our collaboration with Adobe allows us to offer cutting-edge solutions that are accessible to brands of all sizes, ensuring they stand out in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Looking forward, we are excited to continue harnessing the potential of Adobe’s tools, driving creative excellence and innovation. By doing so, we remain committed to supporting our clients in crafting compelling narratives that resonate with their audiences, ultimately enhancing their brand impact and return on investment.

As S4 Fellows, we've had the unique privilege of rotating through different teams within the organization, gaining invaluable exposure to the diverse career paths available in the dynamic world of digital advertising and marketing. This experience has allowed us to connect directly with industry leaders, absorbing their expertise and gaining insights that are shaping the trajectory of our careers. The networking and mentorship opportunities have not only deepened our understanding of the industry but have also equipped us with the skills and confidence to pursue impactful careers. Collaborating across teams and exploring a wide range of possibilities has truly prepared us to emerge as the next generation of leaders in this ever-evolving field. Check out the landing page for more insights on the program here.

Now that you know more about the program, we’d love for you to get to know us better!

Behind the Voices: Introducing Our Fellows and Their Stories

Keep up with the S4 Fellowship Program!

Applications for the 2025 recruitment cycle have closed, but we encourage you to watch this space. Stay connected and informed by following our company’s social media platforms—your go-to hub for the latest updates, insights, and inspiring stories. In the meantime, you can learn  more about the S4 Fellowship on our dedicated landing page.

Starting today, Media.Monks will transition its services into two fully synchronized Practices: Marketing services and Technology services, both powered by Monks.Flow, the industry leading, AI-powered, intelligent marketing and workflow platform. These offerings will be underpinned by a consulting group that will offer end-to-end services ranging from strategy to implementation. Effective immediately, Media.Monks also becomes simply Monks, marking a significant milestone in its evolution as a business and setting the stage for future growth and innovation beyond media.

“Many of today’s agencies are wrestling with the pace of change in a world profoundly transformed by technology. It's always been our ambition to disrupt the legacy model and today marks another important milestone in that journey,” says Sir Martin Sorrell, S4 Capital Founder and Executive Chairman. “With this shift in the way we deliver our services to market, we are better able to help clients transform the economics of their businesses and are well-positioned to develop and define the future of our industry.”

Monks' nine capabilities will remain in place, now focused in just two Marketing and Technology offerings, enabling clients to accelerate revenue growth, transformation and automation, while outpacing their competition:

• Marketing services will encompass a comprehensive suite of creative, content, media, social and data-driven marketing solutions, leveraging the Monks’ award-winning capabilities in storytelling, audience engagement and performance marketing to deliver outcomes that resonate with consumers and drive measurable results.

• Technology services will concentrate on the company’s technology, user experience, product engineering, data, digital transformation and consulting services. It will focus on robust digital infrastructures, next-gen digital products and consumer experiences and advanced data and analytics solutions that empower clients to navigate and thrive in the digital age.

A number of our senior Practice, capability and regional leaders wanted to comment on these important changes:

“This evolution reflects our unified cross-discipline teams, who bring the grit and the diversity of thought needed to help our clients accelerate growth and navigate the transformation of operating models,” says Scott Griset, EVP Consulting.

“Our aim is to simplify and accelerate the possibilities of technology and creativity for our clients and that starts with streamlining our offerings and identity,” says Brady Brim-DeForest, CEO, Technology services.

The new Monks brand emphasizes the cross-vertical and end-to-end capabilities offered by an integrated portfolio of services designed to maximize client revenue growth, innovation and reach.

“By dropping ‘media’ from our name, the new operating brand more accurately represents our integrated global team, unified expertise and diverse communities,” says Kate Richling, Chief Marketing Officer.

“Our refreshed brand embodies our team's synergy and versatile skills, committed to crafting impactful solutions for our clients’ challenges,” says Michelle McGrath, SVP Data.

“Our most innovative, impactful work has been powered by the intersection of our core teams and technology. Now, we have a brand that is reflective of that core ethos to carry us and our clients, into the next phase of evolution,” says Victoria Milo, SVP Media Solutions and Emerging Technology.

The Monks brand also emphasizes the dedication of our approximately 7,600 people to their craft.

“Placing a focus on the talent behind the work, the evolved Monks brand is designed for transparency and people—particularly in the age of AI—signalling the importance of having ambitious innovators in your corner for seamless implementation of emerging technologies,” says James Kinney, Chief People Officer.

“Our new name puts a spotlight on our talent, who excel in blending diverse specializations and cultures with a shared ambition to change the world,” says Deborah Heslip and Laura Davis, Co-Chief Client Officers, Marketing services.

“To be a Monk is to champion empathy, transparency, and diversity, driving us to create human-centric solutions for clients who are eager to authentically carve their place in culture,” says both Wesley ter Haar and Bruno Lambertini, Co-Chief Executive Officers, Marketing services.

Organizational and reporting structures to support the new services model will launch in 2025.

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In partnership with Cannes Lions, this contest showcases emerging talent globally. Open to employees with up to seven years of industry experience, participants join in pairs to compete across multiple categories. Three teams will earn a trip to Cannes, with one standout team gaining the additional honor of attending the prestigious Creative Academy.

The contest includes three categories that explore creativity in different ways:

• Film: Deliver cinematic stories for screens of all sizes, featuring elements like original concepting, scriptwriting, visual treatments, film treatments, shooting, directing, editing, VFX, post—and everything in between.
• Innovation: Turn visionary, future-facing ideas into reality using the latest in emerging tech and formats, resulting in groundbreaking experiences and new possibilities.
• Interactive: Go beyond the mundane while putting the audience at the heart of every moment, giving them the opportunity to immerse themselves in compelling, transformative digital experiences.

So, what creative challenge were they trying to solve? This year, the brief focused on a fictional beauty and skincare brand called TriVitalize. The mission: build an innovative and social-first campaign to launch a new line of sustainable, luxury shower products, with the goal of recapturing market share and shelf space.

Interestingly, all three winning teams were from Latin America, with two teams from Brazil and one from Argentina. Juan Orlievsky and Julia Calvo won in the Film category for a campaign that plays on the “shower thoughts” phenomenon; while Everton Souda and Thiago Assunção won in the Innovation category with the “feelings translator,” an AI-powered technology that turns customer testimonials into beautiful, synesthetic works of art.

But the top win went to Hitamara Tamizou and Matias Marcossi in the Interactive category. Their project, “My Side of the Mirror,” is a clever take on self-affirmations inspired by the insight that women criticize themselves on an average of four times a day. Realizing that feeling good about yourself while looking in the mirror can often be a challenge, their concept centers around an AI-powered app that features a personalized digital double, based on the user’s likeness and voice, that greets them with messages of affirmation.

We had a chance to speak to Hitamara and Matias to learn more about their winning concept and how it came to be. Read below to peek behind the scenes into the creative process.

What were your initial impressions of the brief, and how did that lead to the beginning stages of developing your concept?

Matias: First of all, we found it a little challenging to work with a brand that is fictional, because you don’t have previous information of how the brand communicates with the public. So the challenge begins there.

We started by doing our research, which was pretty easy because we had a lot of material based on the struggles that women face through their lives. As a transgender person, I remember those struggles very well—and now I have new ones. So, the first thing was to think about this fictional brand and how we could bring them to life in a way that spoke to those struggles.

Hitamara: I say myself in those statistics about women criticizing themselves. So this work means a lot to me, because I not only saw myself within it but could participate in discussions that help solve those challenges and support women by building the self-confidence that they usually lack. That focus on confidence, for me, helped shape the creative idea.

Matias: Next, we tried to think how we could universalize that experience. We are both based in Brazil, so a lot of our initial thinking focused on that experience—but given the fact that this is a global brand, we had to think of how we could connect with women everywhere.

Universalizing the idea for “My Side of the Mirror” grew from the trope of fantasy and fairy tales that are well known across different cultures. For example, you see the queen in Snow White ask, who’s the most beautiful woman in the world? And it’s not her; it’s Snow White. We wanted women to be able to seek approval from themselves through self-affirmation.

You mentioned research, and your concept draws heavily on insights and statistics. What were you looking for when embarking on the research phase?

Hitamara: A lot of our research focused on the experience of Black women in particular, as they make up a significant portion of our population in Brazil. But while our finished concept is focused on fun and self-confidence, we were initially thinking around heavier themes like harassment and the lack of safety women feel, because in order to have the opportunity to take care of yourself, you have to make it home first. In Brazil, many women face harassment on the street.

Matias: We thought a lot about external issues like harassment and violence, but realized that we were creating more fear rather than finding solutions. This prompted us to look internally at what we can change within ourselves, seeking positive solutions to more personal challenges like self-confidence.

You had a diverse range of personas in mind when developing your concept. How did their particular needs influence your creative approach?

Matias: This goes back to what I said before about universalizing the experience. The personas were a very important part here, because while the creative idea is designed to appeal to everyone, how people engage with it can be very different. How does someone in the Deaf community see themselves, how might a blind person feel their skin differently?

We didn’t have a star at the center of the campaign; it’s about putting the focus on yourself. I think brands should do more of that strategy—instead of hiring a famous musician, how can we allow the consumer to be at the center of the experience? Many people with disabilities, for example, never see themselves in a beauty campaign, but we can change that. And focusing on a minority doesn’t limit the appeal, either; it creates empathy for everyone, because empathy is a universal feeling.

Did the experience of participating in the contest give you the chance to use skills outside of your day-to-day roles?

Matias: As a copywriter, representing and expanding upon the idea through copy was routine. But for the real clients that we work with, the brand is already well defined in terms of its visuals and overall look—so we have a limited range sometimes when it comes to producing really big ideas like this one.

Hitamara: I am a motion graphic designer, but in this work, I was able to take on the role of an art director. Like Matias said, real brands often have their design language and visuals laid out, so I was excited to have the opportunity to develop all the visual aspects of the fictional brand and its campaign—and I love working with Matias! This opportunity really encouraged me to do my best and to show my creativity. When we finished the project, I felt really proud of what we accomplished.

In addition to the AI-powered experience, your pitch also touches on making the experience shareable on social and using that to hijack toxic beauty trends. Could you discuss that aspect of the work?

Matias: Effectively using social media is key for a young brand, especially on channels like TikTok where it’s easy to go viral with the right content. Still, social media harbors a lot of toxic content that shapes how we perceive ourselves, so we thought, let’s hack that to deliver a positive message to people who need to see it most. Our concept prioritizes an organic strategy to social rather than a paid one, thinking that that approach would make the message more appealing and relevant to our audience.

Your work takes a very socially purposeful approach to the use of AI. AI is a technology that inspires both excitement and unease; what’s your take on its use and potential in marketing?

Matias: I see AI as a powerful tool to change self-perception. I have a bunch of ideas that involve AI now, especially when related to the trans community. I think it has the power to amplify connections, but for that we need to develop a very responsible and empathetic vision for it. We are trying to make that here, not just with “My Side of the Mirror,” but in other ways that we use AI.

For example, we can use generative AI to aid in representation; if I type “transgender person” as a prompt and keep pressing enter, it’s going to show me a different result every time. That can teach people that we can’t be put in a box; you may have expectations about my body, but there are infinite ways we can express ourselves.

Hitamara: As an art director and motion designer, AI can be incredibly helpful throughout the creative process, but there are ethical concerns as well. Artists are afraid of their style being stolen, and there’s a similar discussion to be had about the risk of cultural appropriation in AI’s output. So while I’ve relied on AI a lot to optimize and amplify my own work, I don’t forget or shy away from those moral or ethical concerns. It’s a powerful tool, but it comes with responsibility.

Finally, your prize for winning the contest is a trip to Cannes. How does it feel?

Matias: I couldn’t sleep in the days following the announcement that we won! I was really, really excited. It’s a great opportunity, especially as a transgender person; you don’t see a lot of us in the industry, so bringing that representation to such an important place is almost like a duty.

Prior to my time at Media.Monks, I was a teacher, but decided to switch careers in search of better working conditions. So, this is a message for all the people out there like me that you can do it as well. You have such great ideas—it is achievable.

Hitamara: I had originally studied chemistry, so I made a big change in my career as well. Media.Monks is the first agency that I’ve worked at, and I’ve been here for almost three years. During that time, I’ve found it to be a great place for talent development. Winning NextUp.Monks is like a dream—I’m living a dream.

Finally, we would also like to congratulate our Silver and Bronze winners.

Interactive, Silver:

• Leah Zhao, Creative Technologist
• Ed Lee, Developer

Interactive, Bronze:

• Rodrigo Escobedo, AV Social Developer
• Carlos Cravioto, AV Social Developer

Film, Silver:

• Santiago Cifuentes, Motion Graphics Designer
• Felipe Chavez, Art Director

Film, Bronze:

• Sergio Cardozo, Designer
• Alejandra Gonzalez, Designer

Innovation, Silver—which includes a tie between two teams:

• Eyleen Camargo, Art Director
• Kyara Ortega, Copywriter
• Mariana Ramirez Feijoo, Art Director
• Evelyn Su Pérez Islas, AV Developer

Innovation, Bronze:

• Grace Tankersley, Copywriter
• Diana Backer, Senior Creative

This recognition is a significant one to our team. Being listed by AdExchanger, a leading voice in programmatic advertising and data-driven marketing tech, underscores our role as leaders who push the boundaries of digital marketing. Tom Burchill, Director of Programmatic at Monks, calls out in response to our win: "In a banner year for industry change in programmatic, so much testing and pivoting has gone into staying one step ahead. This win is validation that the massive effort that has gone into adapting as a team is recognized, and most importantly serves as further assurance that we're doing great work for our clients.”

I’m thrilled to see our full-funnel media approach resonate in the market, and with clients.  Programmatic is a bridge for all forms of digital media, and creates a critical nexus point for many challenges and evolutions in the digital ad landscape. This often leads brands to struggle to stand out with consumers in the attention economy while also holding every media dollar accountable (which will keep getting fuzzier when third-party cookies are eventually deprecated). Each year, we've strived not just to meet, but exceed expectations by leveraging cutting-edge technology and creative solutions that drive real growth and efficiency for the brands we work with.

Custom-fit solutions pave the way for success.

We attribute our client results to our integration of robust AI solutions within our global model and our flexible, client-specific service options. This approach allows us to help brands significantly enhance ROI, leverage their first-party data for personalized and relevant consumer touchpoints, and take full control of media delivery processes by transforming their in-house teams. Essentially, we're not just running campaigns; we're revolutionizing how programmatic media can elevate customer interactions and brand growth, when it’s informed by unified measurement, creative, and audience data.

Our approach to programmatic media buying values transparency and quality above all else. This model gives us the tools to identify how and where programmatic media buying will drive overall business growth for our clients, and has been core to our approach since our first win in 2020, under the MightyHive name. Nate Roberts, VP Media Operations, puts it perfectly: “We pride ourselves on not only meeting the moment, but also meeting our clients where they're at. Our flexibility has always been a hallmark of our team, bridging gaps for clients to create a modern and effective marketing infrastructure. Even more so now compared to when we first made the list five years ago, we're able to deliver flexible, integrated services on a global scale, and adapt our delivery models over time to meet changing client needs & industry shifts.”

With brands and our partners, we’re hand-in-hand on the road to victory.

We’re proud of the tremendous success we’ve driven for clients in many verticals—everything from increasing full-funnel digital footprints across Connected TV platforms to integrating AI for creative generation and optimization. And I must mention, none of this would be possible without our fantastic partners like Google’s DV360, The Trade Desk, Amazon DSP, StackAdapt among others. These collaborations enhance our service offerings ensuring that our clients always have access to the best tools and tech available.

If you’re looking to advance your programmatic media buying, we have an upcoming webinar with StackAdapt about leveraging programmatic strategies for B2B businesses. It's going to be packed with valuable takeaways!

This continuous recognition from AdExchanger motivates us ever more to keep innovating and shaping the future of programmatic advertising; as Tom Burchill notes, “our team is constantly exploring, testing, and committed to learning. We put a deep emphasis on understanding the 'why's' and 'how's' to find true efficiency for our clients—that is why we can be confident in our ability to produce real results for brands, despite changes in the programmatic landscape.” Here’s to many more years of pushing digital boundaries.