Middle Georgia State University Needs Brand Strategy Partner for Multi-Campus Creative Refresh
At a Glance Buyer: Middle Georgia State University Industry: Higher education Location/markets: Georgia; residential campuses in Cochran, Eastman, and Macon, with further offerings in Dublin, Warner Robins, and online Primary scope: Market research, brand positioning refinement, messaging framework development, and creative asset development Key deliverables/channels: AAU study, competitive positioning analysis, stakeholder workshops, research report, brand positioning framework, university tagline, ad templates, billboard designs, print ad, digital display suites, story packages, photography gallery, website and social media assessment Budget: Not specified Contract type/term: Project-based engagement Key dates: Proposal deadline May 1, 2026; project period July 2026 through March-April 2027 Eligibility/must-haves: Supplier must conduct research and discovery, lead stakeholder workshops, develop strategic brand positioning, create print and digital assets, provide recurring status/results reporting, and support monthly electronic invoicing Why This Could Be Interesting Middle Georgia State University is a public university in the University System of Georgia with multiple campus locations and online offerings. It serves more than 8,800 students and is positioning this work as part of its next chapter. This is not just a creative refresh. MGA wants an agency to assess current ads, collateral, website, and social media, then use that research to sharpen brand positioning and build a more unified messaging system. The interesting signal here is the mix of strategy and production. The scope stretches from AAU research and competitive analysis to stakeholder workshops, tagline development, ad templates, story packages, and a photo library spanning five campus locations. That gives this opportunity more depth than a typical messaging assignment. It also suggests meaningful visibility across leadership, faculty, students, alumni, parents, and community stakeholders, which can make the work more influential if the agency knows how to manage complexity. Best suited for agencies with higher-ed branding experience, strong research chops, stakeholder facilitation skills, and in-house creative production across print, digital, video, and photography. Proposal deadline: May 1, 2026 Download the full RFP here.
CMO Moves – Week of April 13, 2026
Highlights Alexandra London named CMO at G2 G2 is a software marketplace and review platform used by buyers and sellers. G2 framed the hire around an AI-driven shift in how software is discovered and purchased, with trust becoming more central to decision-making. London’s remit includes finding new areas for growth and differentiation while positioning G2 as a trusted voice in the age of AI. Agency lens: This points to work around brand positioning, discoverability… 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
Adobe’s Next Marketing Chapter Takes Shape Around AI
At a Glance Interviewee: Lara Balazs, Chief Marketing Officer and EVP, Global Marketing Company: Adobe Location: San Jose, California Website: adobe.com Industry: Software for creativity, productivity, and customer experience Company Notes: Adobe is a scaled global software company with major platforms across Creative Cloud, Document Cloud, and Experience Cloud Best-Fit Agencies: Brand strategy, enterprise creative operations, AI-enabled content production, customer experien… 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
Ace Hardware Opens New Agency Paths Through Loyalty and Media
At a Glance Interviewee: Kim Lefko, Chief Marketing Officer Company: Ace Hardware Estimated Revenue: $10B Location: Oak Brook, Illinois Website: acehardware.com Industry: Hardware retail and home improvement Company Notes: Ace is a retailer-owned cooperative with more than 5,200 stores and a model that blends national scale with local store autonomy Best-Fit Agencies: Retail media, CRM and loyalty, shopper marketing, local activation, experiential retail, digital commerce So… 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 April 8, 2026
Highlights Mercury acquired Central Mercury is a banking platform built for startups. Central is an AI-native payroll and benefits platform that handles payroll, benefits, PTO, HR administration, and state compliance for founders. Mercury said payroll was a major gap in its financial operations coverage. That makes this a clear platform-expansion move, with Mercury pulling another core workflow into its own system instead of leaving it as a connected tool. Agency 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
Funding Signals – Activity Through April 7, 2026
Highlights Saronic raised $1.75B (Series D) led by Kleiner Perkins Saronic builds autonomous ships and maritime systems for defense and commercial use. The new funding is meant to scale its autonomy-first shipbuilding model and expand production capacity in Louisiana and Texas. It also supports broader development and scaled production across its autonomous vessel portfolio as customer demand grows for greater range, endurance, and payload capacity. Agency lens: Thi… 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
Radar Report #005 – Week of April 6, 2026
7 Accounts Showing Buying Signals Each week, the Radar Report highlights companies showing signals of potential marketing investment. These moments often lead organizations to reassess agency relationships and growth initiatives. For agencies looking for new business opportunities, Radar Report surfaces companies likely preparing to invest in marketing and brand. 7. Cents Cents’ $140 million Series C signals a company moving from category traction into scaled market expansion across software, payments, hardware, and customer experience. Trigger Cents raised $140 million in a Series C led by Sumeru Equity Partners. The company said the funding will support AI product development, customer experience investment, product expansion, distributor and operator partnerships, and new payments infrastructure. Why This Matters This looks like a scale-up moment. The company is investing across product, support, partnerships, and infrastructure at the same time, which usually signals a push to widen category leadership and accelerate adoption in a fragmented SMB market. That often creates pressure to sharpen positioning, prove category authority, and support more complex go-to-market execution. Agency Opportunity Category positioning Product marketing Partner marketing Customer lifecycle marketing Corporate communications Smart Outreach Angle Lead with ideas for turning category leadership into a stronger growth narrative across operators, partners, and investors as Cents expands beyond core platform adoption. Company Context Cents provides software, hardware, and payments tools for laundromats, dry cleaners, and related laundry operators. It serves an essential but historically under-digitized SMB category. 6. University of Maryland Global Campus University of Maryland Global Campus’ external CMO hire points to a likely push to sharpen brand strategy, enrollment marketing, and communications across a large higher education institution. Trigger University of Maryland Global Campus appointed Daron Rodriguez as SVP and Chief Marketing and Enrollment Officer. He joined externally. Why This Matters External senior marketing and enrollment hires often signal a willingness to rethink how brand, student acquisition, and communications work together. In higher education, that can point to increased focus on market positioning, enrollment growth, and message clarity across a broad audience base. Agency Opportunity Brand positioning Enrollment marketing Audience segmentation Creative and messaging strategy Corporate communications Smart Outreach Angle Lead with a perspective on how a large higher education brand can connect enrollment growth, audience targeting, and message clarity without creating disconnected campaigns across programs and audiences. Company Context University of Maryland Global Campus operates in higher education. Its scale suggests meaningful complexity across brand, enrollment, and communications efforts.
Global Website Platform Rebuild (Private Introduction)
We are supporting a selective introduction between the Chief Marketing Officer of a global organization and a small number of agencies with experience building large-scale, multi-region digital platforms. Our role is to identify and introduce a limited number of highly relevant partners based on fit, experience, and alignment with the scope. What We Can Share (At a High Level) The organization operates globally across 70+ countries and 12,000+ local entities The business fo… 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
Ocean County Multi-Media Advertising Opportunity With Countywide Department Support
At a Glance Buyer: County of Ocean Industry: Public sector/county government Location/markets: Ocean County, New Jersey; campaign targeting based on geographic reach and audience demographics Primary scope: Multi-media advertising platforms for website, mobile, outdoor, digital, streaming, radio, television, billboard, and social media placements Key deliverables/channels: Media planning and placement, campaign flight schedules, targeting strategy, performance reporting, geo… 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
North Carolina Department of Public Safety Invites Marketing Agency Partners for Multi-Channel Support
At a Glance Buyer: North Carolina Department of Public Safety (DPS) Industry: Public sector/public safety Location/markets: North Carolina Primary scope: Prequalification for marketing, advertising, and public relations services on an as-needed basis Key deliverables/channels: Market research, creative services, print, billboards, websites, social media, video, audio, script writing, account management, reporting, advertising, SEO, media buying, print production, copywriting… 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
