Wisconsin State Fair Park Seeks Marketing + Advertising AOR for $1.3M Annual Spend
At a Glance Buyer: Wisconsin State Fair Park (WSFP) via State of Wisconsin DOA-CAPS Industry: Live events/public venue (state fair + motorsports + year-round events) Location/markets: West Allis, WI; Milwaukee/Madison/Green Bay; Rockford + Chicago, IL; nationwide motorsports fanbase Primary scope: Brand strategy, marketing, and advertising services (single awarded contractor) Key deliverables/channels: Brand strategy + research; media planning/buying (Linear + Connected TV, radio, print, OOH, digital, paid search, social); content + social support; email + SMS; influencer; video/photo production; reporting/analytics (incl. ROAS) Budget: Approx. $1.3M marketing/advertising base budget (FY24–25); budget not established for contract period (costing uses an estimated ~$750K–$1.2M annual range) Contract type/term: Services contract; initial 3-year term with up to three 1-year renewals (mutual agreement) Key dates: Q&A Round 2 due Mar 6, 2026, 3:00 PM CT (responses Mar 13, tentative); proposal deadline Apr 2, 2026, 1:00 PM CT; presentations May 4–8, 2026 (tentative) Eligibility/must-haves: Execute paid social/media buys; collaborate with WSFP in-house team for approvals; provide campaign analytics/reporting (incl. ROAS) and Q4 comprehensive evaluation; dedicated account manager; weekly meetings/calls + quarterly in-person meetings in West Allis; attend Wisconsin State Fair at least 2 days; support e-newsletters, content creation, and artist messaging for entertainment Why This Could Be Interesting Wisconsin State Fair Park (WSFP) in West Allis is the home of the Wisconsin State Fair and other signature events, including Milwaukee Mile racing. The organization is focused on keeping the Fair a must-attend summer destination while growing engagement and revenue year-round. WSFP is hiring a single partner for brand strategy, marketing, and advertising services—spanning research and positioning, media planning and buying, and performance-driven digital support. The scope blends paid social and PPC with email and SMS, influencer programs, content support, and video/photography production, with an emphasis on driving people to WSFP sites and ticket offers. What makes this one worth a look: it’s a multi-year relationship (three-year initial term with renewal options), and the stated marketing/advertising base budget was about $1.3M in recent fiscal years. WSFP also expects a full-funnel media mix—Linear + Connected TV, OOH, radio, print, paid search, and social—with clear measurement (including ROAS) and platform-by-platform reporting. Because WSFP’s in-house team leads core creative, the winning agency functions as a strategy + media + execution partner, and should be comfortable with hands-on collaboration, quarterly in-person meetings in West Allis, and on-site support during the Fair. Best suited for integrated agencies with strong media buying, paid social, reporting/analytics, and event marketing chops. Proposal deadline: April 2, 2026, at 1:00 PM CT Download the full RFP here.
M&A Signals – Deals Announced Through February 18, 2026
Highlights Seismic acquired Highspot Seismic sells revenue enablement software for GTM teams. Highspot is a sales enablement platform for content and readiness. The companies say they are combining two leading platforms to help revenue teams perform amid more complex GTM work. For buyers, the combined story will need to be simple and specific about how strategy connects to execution at scale. Agency lens: Expect tight work on brand architecture, unified messa… Get Unlimited NextBigWin Access Subscribe to become a NextBigWin Pro member and get access to all our exclusive content. Turn access and intelligence into your next big client win. Already a member? Login Subscribe to NextBigWin Pro
Funding Signals – Activity Through February 17, 2026
Highlights Anthropic raised $30B (Series G) led by GIC and Coatue Anthropic builds Claude, a frontier AI model used by enterprises and developers. This round supports frontier research, product development, and expanded infrastructure. With more compute and product investment, Anthropic is reinforcing its push to win larger enterprise workloads through deeper integrations and wider availability across major cloud platforms. Agency lens: Expect demand for enterprise positioning, cloud partner co-marketing, and technical content that helps buyers understand where Claude fits into real workflows. Press release Runway raised $315M (Series E) led by General Atlantic Runway makes AI tools for generating and editing video, and is now investing in “world models” to power new products. The capital will help pre-train the next generation of models and expand adoption across industries beyond media and advertising. As competition intensifies in video and simulation, Runway’s broader product and go-to-market expansion signals a bigger push into new use cases and customer segments. Agency lens: With expansion into new products, industries, and GTM hiring, look for needs in category messaging, product marketing, and PR for partnerships and launches. Press release Talkiatry raised $210M (Series D) led by Perceptive Advisors Talkiatry is a full-stack psychiatry provider group that directly employs psychiatrists and serves patients through its platform. The round funds its next phase of growth, including scaling its provider group and expanding partnerships with health systems and insurers. Those relationships can quickly reshape how mental health care is contracted, marketed, and adopted at scale. Agency lens: Expect work tied to healthcare credibility—provider brand, partner marketing with health systems, and clear messaging for payers and members. Press release Apptronik raised $520M (Series A-X) Apptronik is an AI-powered robotics company building a humanoid robot called Apollo for use in industries like manufacturing and logistics. The funding accelerates Apollo’s development and expands commercial and pilot deployments globally. As pilots turn into enterprise rollouts, buyers and partners typically want clearer proof points, use-case stories, and a tighter narrative around outcomes. Agency lens: As deployments broaden, look for needs in enterprise storytelling, launch PR, sales enablement, and a website that explains pilots and use cases clearly. Press release Inertia Enterprises raised $450M (Series A) led by Bessemer Venture Partners Inertia is developing a commercial fusion energy program based on inertial confinement fusion. The financing supports two tracks: building a high-power laser system for its Thunderwall approach and creating a production line to mass-manufacture fusion-fuel targets. Shifting from validation toward a phased commercialization roadmap raises the stakes for credibility with partners, policymakers, and future customers. Agency lens: Expect needs in high-trust messaging—brand positioning, stakeholder communications, and partner narratives that translate complex technology into clear outcomes. Press release All Funding Signals
Ontario International Airport Authority Multichannel AOR With Media Buying and Full Creative Production
At a Glance Buyer: Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) Industry: Aviation/Airport (public agency) Location/markets: Ontario, CA; Inland Empire; Southern California/Los Angeles DMA and beyond Primary scope: Strategic Advertising and Creative Agency of Record Key deliverables/channels: Research + annual strategy; creative development; media planning/buying (digital, broadcast, OOH, paid social, print, linear/CTV, emerging); video/photo; collateral; environmental/ter… Get Unlimited NextBigWin Access Subscribe to become a NextBigWin Pro member and get access to all our exclusive content. Turn access and intelligence into your next big client win. Already a member? Login Subscribe to NextBigWin Pro
Arkansas Department of Health Seeks Statewide Tobacco Prevention Media Campaign Partner
At a Glance Buyer: Arkansas Department of Health (Office of Health Communications; Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program) Industry: Public health (state government) Location/markets: Arkansas statewide; all Arkansas media markets; meetings in Little Rock as requested Primary scope: Develop and implement a comprehensive statewide tobacco prevention and cessation media campaign Key deliverables/channels: Strategy + annual media plan; creative development/testing/pro… Get Unlimited NextBigWin Access Subscribe to become a NextBigWin Pro member and get access to all our exclusive content. Turn access and intelligence into your next big client win. Already a member? Login Subscribe to NextBigWin Pro
UT San Antonio Seeks Creative Services and Branding Support for NSCC Stakeholder Outreach
At a Glance Buyer: The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) — National Security Collaboration Center (NSCC) Industry: Higher Education Location/markets: San Antonio, TX; South Texas and beyond Primary scope: Strategic communications, creative services, and Drupal web support for NSCC (multiple service pools) Key deliverables/channels: Strategic frameworks + exec comms coaching; branding/graphic design collateral; Drupal web design/dev/maintenance; accessibility … Get Unlimited NextBigWin Access Subscribe to become a NextBigWin Pro member and get access to all our exclusive content. Turn access and intelligence into your next big client win. Already a member? Login Subscribe to NextBigWin Pro
Arizona Department of Administration Statewide Marketing AOR With $185M Recent Agency Spend
At a Glance Buyer: Arizona Department of Administration (State Procurement Office) Industry: Government/public sector Location/markets: Arizona statewide Primary scope: Statewide marketing, advertising, and public relations services via task orders Key deliverables/channels: Integrated plans; media planning/buying (TV/radio/print/OOH); digital/social/streaming & influencer; creative & production; website dev/maintenance (WordPress or site builder) + accessibility; PR/crisis comms; events; research; analytics/reporting Budget: Not specified (as-needed usage; no guaranteed spend) Contract type/term: Mandatory statewide contract(s); task-order/as-needed; 12-month initial term with extensions up to a 5-year maximum aggregate term Key dates: Pre-Offer Conference: Feb 26, 2026, 1:00–2:00 PM Arizona Time. Proposal deadline: Mar 25, 2026, 3:00 PM Arizona Time Eligibility/must-haves: Submit via Arizona Procurement Portal (APP); meet accessibility expectations (ADA + WCAG 2.2 Level AA); multicultural focus (including translation when required); dedicated account/project manager; proof-of-performance reporting; bill in 15-minute increments; fingerprint clearance card for certain personnel (as applicable) Why This Could Be Interesting The State of Arizona, through the Arizona Department of Administration’s State Procurement Office, is establishing mandatory statewide contracts for marketing, advertising, and public relations services that eligible agencies can use statewide. This is a bench-style, task-order program: agencies can bring in contractors for projects ranging from a few hours to several months, based on program need and funding. The base term is 12 months, with extensions allowed up to a 5-year maximum aggregate term, and the State may make one or more awards. Work is issued on an as-needed basis, with no spending guarantee. The upside signal is scale plus breadth. The RFP notes that prior contracts were used by 30+ agencies (including Tourism and the Lottery), and that total marketing services spend from 2022–2025 was $185 million. The scope spans integrated planning, traditional and digital media (including streaming/video, audio, and influencer), creative and production, email/CRM support, PR including crisis communications, events, and research—plus website development/maintenance with WCAG 2.2 Level AA accessibility and WordPress or site-builder backend access, with deliverables treated as work for hire. Best suited for agencies with public-sector process, measurable reporting, and accessible, multicultural-ready delivery (including translation when required). Proposal deadline: March 25, 2026, at 3:00 PM Arizona Time Download the full RFP here.
CMO Moves – Week of February 16, 2026
Highlights Ariel Kelman named President & CMO at AMD AMD builds high-performance computing and AI solutions for data centers, embedded systems, PCs, and gaming. Kelman steps in as AMD expands its portfolio and aims to accelerate momentum in high-performance and AI markets. He’ll oversee brand, communications, events, developer relations, and go-to-market strategy to sharpen storytelling and deepen engagement across the technology ecosystem. Agency lens: This rol… Get Unlimited NextBigWin Access Subscribe to become a NextBigWin Pro member and get access to all our exclusive content. Turn access and intelligence into your next big client win. Already a member? Login Subscribe to NextBigWin Pro
OpenAI Marketing Signals as Adoption Shifts to Brand Building
At a Glance Interviewee: Kate Rouch, Chief Marketing Officer Company: OpenAI Estimated Revenue: $20B+ annualized revenue for 2025 (reported) Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA Website: Openai.com Industry: AI research and deployment Company Notes: Marketing is shifting from viral growth to planned brand building Best-Fit Agencies: Brand strategy, integrated creative, media planning and buying, performance growth, PR and corporate affairs, developer marketing Source: Breaki… Get Unlimited NextBigWin Access Subscribe to become a NextBigWin Pro member and get access to all our exclusive content. Turn access and intelligence into your next big client win. Already a member? Login Subscribe to NextBigWin Pro
BNI Global’s Digital Modernization Agenda Takes Shape
An analysis of the executive conversation and our research, surfacing the priorities and opportunity lanes agencies can leverage to win new business. At a Glance Interviewee: Heather McLeod, Chief Marketing Officer Company: BNI Global Location: Charlotte, NC Website: https://www.bni.com Industry: Referral networking and business community, franchise-led model Company Notes: Global member network with weekly chapter meetings and a structured referral process Best-Fit Agencie… Get Unlimited NextBigWin Access Subscribe to become a NextBigWin Pro member and get access to all our exclusive content. Turn access and intelligence into your next big client win. Already a member? Login Subscribe to NextBigWin Pro
