Funding Signals – Activity Through February 3, 2026
Highlights Waymo raised $16B (Series D) led by Dragoneer Investment Group, DST Global, and Sequoia Capital Waymo builds autonomous driving technology and operates driverless ride-hailing. The company framed this round as a shift from proving the tech to scaling it commercially. It also tied the raise to expanding fleet capacity and hiring to meet rising ride demand. Agency lens: As Waymo expands into more cities, it will likely need sharp launch communication… 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
UC Law SF Hiring Digital Marketing Agency for HPL Program With $175K–$225K Budget
At a Glance Buyer: University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (UC Law SF) Industry: Higher education (law school/graduate program marketing) Location/markets: San Francisco, California; national reach implied (program visibility and reputation) Primary scope: Digital marketing strategy, execution, and optimization for the Master of Health Policy & Law (HPL) program Key deliverables/channels: Multi-channel paid campaigns (Google, Bing, Meta/Instagram/Faceb… 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
Office of the Governor of Texas Hiring Tourism PR + Influencer Marketing Across Asia Region
At a Glance Buyer: Office of the Governor of Texas (Travel Texas program) Industry: Tourism/destination marketing (public sector) Location/markets: Asia Service Region (primary: India, Taiwan; secondary: Japan, Korea; other markets as directed) Primary scope: Tourism public relations & marketing services (PR-led, with social and promotions) Key deliverables/channels: Media relations + pitching, press releases/kits, influencers, social strategy/content, consumer promotio… 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
SUNY Fredonia Digital Marketing Partner for $250K Annual Paid Media and Creative Production
At a Glance Buyer: State University of New York at Fredonia (SUNY Fredonia) Industry: Higher education (public university) Location/markets: Fredonia, New York; campaign markets not specified Primary scope: Digital advertising strategy, creative development, and media placement/campaign management Key deliverables/channels: Omnichannel media plan; paid search/social/video/programmatic; ad creative (static/video/vertical); GA4 + conversion tracking; real-time dashboard; month… 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
Tarleton State University Wants A Five-Year Sponsorship and Digital Advertising Revenue Partner
At a Glance Buyer: Tarleton State University Industry: Higher education (public university) + NCAA Division I athletics Location/markets: Stephenville, TX; plus Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan, and online audiences Primary scope: Manage campus sponsorships/digital advertising + exclusive athletics & rodeo multimedia rights Key deliverables/channels: Sponsorship sales + activation; TV/radio; in-venue and game-day assets; social/digital; digital signage; guest Wi-Fi/5G; reporting;… 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
Pace Seeks Marketing AOR for Creative + Media Buying and Transit Campaigns
At a Glance Buyer: Pace, The Suburban Bus Division of the Regional Transportation Authority Industry: Public transit/transportation (bus + paratransit) Location/markets: Northeastern Illinois Primary scope: Marketing and advertising services (AOR) Key deliverables/channels: Creative + media strategy; ability to meet regular deadlines + emergency requirements; specialized capabilities (digital, social, events, PR, multilingual writing) Budget: ~$4M/year anticipated advertising budget Contract type/term: Not specified Key dates: Pre-bid meeting: Feb 6, 2026, 10:00 AM CT; questions due: Feb 13, 2026, 2:00 PM CT; proposal deadline: Mar 13, 2026, 2:00 PM CT Eligibility/must-haves: Must register in Pace iSupplier Portal; submit signed AI certification; provide public-sector-relevant case histories (at least two) Why This Could Be Interesting Pace, the Suburban Bus Division of the Regional Transportation Authority, is hiring a full-service advertising agency of record for marketing and advertising services. This RFP reads like a true “do-the-work” account: you’re expected to propose creative strategies and marketing activities that show an understanding of Pace’s organizational strategies, then execute against deadlines Pace sets—sometimes on an emergency basis. What makes it notable is the breadth of capabilities Pace wants to see in one partner: digital marketing, social media, event execution, public relations, and in-house writing in languages other than English with culturally appropriate creative. If you’ve built an integrated shop that can move from strategy to production without handoffs, this is the kind of scope that can stay busy. Best suited for agencies with integrated creative + media capabilities, public-sector experience, and proof you can handle formal process and scrutiny (with relevant case histories). Proposal deadline: March 13, 2026, at 2:00 PM CT. Download the full RFP here.
Meta’s Incrementality Push Creates New Measurement Partnership Openings
At a Glance Interviewee: Alex Schultz, CMO & VP Analytics Company: Meta Location: Menlo Park, California Industry: Consumer technology and advertising Company Notes: Ads across a “Family of Apps,” plus longer-horizon bets like Reality Labs Best-Fit Agencies: measurement and experimentation, creative production at scale, lifecycle and growth, brand and trust communications, marketing ops and automation Source: CMO Confidential Podcast The Big Picture Meta … 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
Snap’s AR-First Playbook Signals New Creative Tech Demand
At a Glance Interviewee: Grace Kao, Chief Marketing Officer Company: Snap Inc. Website: https://www.snap.com/ Industry: Consumer camera + messaging platform with digital advertising and AR tooling Company Notes: Snap is the parent company of Snapchat, with an ad-led model and a growing Snapchat+ subscription revenue stream Best-Fit Agencies: Brand strategy, performance media, creator partnerships, AR/creative tech studios, B2B platform marketing, measurement, and a… 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
CMO Moves – Week of February 2, 2026
Highlights Nakul Goyal named CMO at CARFAX CARFAX is a vehicle history report company that also runs an automotive marketplace. Goyal was promoted after more than nine years as VP of Growth. He says his focus has been scaling consumer reach through product-led growth and performance marketing, and he’ll now lead the broader marketing organization to drive growth for both dealers and consumers. Agency lens: Expect a tight blend of performance marketing and product-le… 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
M&A Signals – Deals Announced Through January 28, 2026
Highlights Capital One acquired Brex — Deal value: $5.15B Capital One is a major U.S. bank with a large consumer and commercial footprint. Brex is an AI-native spend and payments platform known for corporate cards, expense management, and automation. Capital One said the deal expands its business payments footprint and accelerates its strategy to build technology-driven payments. Brex said the combination pairs its product and payments expertise with Capital One’s s… 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
