Day: April 8, 2025

whats behid the rise in interim CEOs

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What’s behind the rise in interim CEOs High turnover in the C-suite and the changing needs of business are leading to more “temps” in the top job. ello and welcome to Modern CEO! I’m Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures. Each week this newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages of Inc. and Fast Company. If you received this newsletter from a friend, you can sign up to get it yourself every Monday morning.Interim leadership is on the rise in the U.S. Nearly a quarter of new CEOs named in the first two months of 2025 were hired on an interim basis, versus 8 percent in the same period last year, according to a recent report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The surge in interim leadership coincides with significant tumult in the C-suite. The Challenger report shows that 247 U.S. companies named new CEOs in February, the second-highest total for any month since the firm started tracking CEO changes in 2002. “A lot of times when a company brings in an interim CEO it’s when they’ve been caught off guard by the CEO’s departure,” says Andy Challenger, senior vice president of the outplacement firm. “It’s not part of a structured succession plan.” An interim CEO can buy a board time to conduct a thoughtful search for the right executive, especially if it feels the company needs skills that the existing leadership team lacks. Management experts say they’re also seeing companies—particularly mid-market and investor-backed businesses—hire temporary CEOs during changes such as restructuring, merger integration, or executing a new strategy. “Their expertise can be crucial to navigating complex changes that require seasoned leadership—even temporary solutions can be transformative for an organization,” says Sunny Ackerman, global managing partner of on-demand talent at Heidrick & Struggles, the executive search firmThe Temp-to-perm CEO Interim roles also can serve as a “tryout” for prospective CEO candidates. And companies can engage an interim executive while they figure out what they need in a leader. Ackerman recalls working with her team on an early-stage medical technology company that sought to replace its founder with a full-time CEO. Heidrick & Struggles brought in a life sciences consultant who had been a CEO to create a plan for market entry. The board then hired that consultant as interim CEO to execute the plan. Once they saw his operational skills and market expertise in practice, the board eventually decided to convert him to permanent CEO. Other temp-to-perm CEOs include Chipotle’s Scott Boatwright, who went from interim in August 2024 to permanent status three months later, and Lance Tucker, who last month was named CEO of Jack in the Box after a 36-day stint as interim CEO of the restaurant company. Avoid leadership limbo Companies need to be careful not to let interim leadership linger. “If [an] interim is in place too long, it may communicate the wrong message to the market and employees and create uncertainty about the future leadership of the organization and its strategy,” says Janice Ellig, CEO of executive search firm Ellig Group. “Employees and the market like certainty. They want to know who is at the helm and what direction they are headed.” And in the absence of clear guidance from the board, some interim chiefs may act like caretakers instead of leaders, causing the company to lose ground during the search for a permanent CEO. One thing’s for sure: interim CEOs aren’t going away. Ackerman notes that many of the CEOs exiting business right now are Baby Boomer and Gen X retirees who are eager to remain active by taking on interim roles, “generating a larger pool of independent talent than we’ve ever seen before,” she says.

OREO Replaces Its Trademark Blue with a Black-And-White Color Palette

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Did you know that “Oreo” is the 6th most popular name people give to black-and-white pets? You didn’t? Well, that’s understandable; not even the brand after which these animals received their names hasn’t been aware of this fact up until just recently. According to Rover.com, many pets proudly wear their names after the Mondelez-International-owned cookie brand, OREO. Unfortunately, not many of the Dubai-based Oreos are lucky enough to live with their families for the rest of their lives. Ahead of the International Homeless Animals’ Day (August 20), OREO steps in to sweeten the fate of these furry beings in the UAE (as well as the ones which are not called Oreo), hoping that it can help these four-legged friends find their forever parents. Teaming up with creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi MEA and in partnership with two of the largest pet rescues in the region — K9 Friends and Yanni Animal Welfare — the company launches the “Oreo & Friends” initiative.OREO Replaces Its Trademark Blue with a Black-And-White Color Palette“When we realized so many pets are named Oreo, we knew we had to find a way to give back. Partnering with two of the biggest rescues in the region has been an honor and we can’t wait to help some animals find the forever home they deserve,” explains Ilona Morozova, Marketing Manager, Biscuits at Mondelez International, MENA. The COVID-19 pandemic forced people to stay indoors. With their routines being disrupted, many turned to pets to seek comfort. Sadly, after the world emerged from the pandemic and people started to get back to their normal habits, the number of abandoned pets in the UAE increased. However, OREO’s playful spirit guides the brand into a creative battle against this phenomenon, tackling this crisis using its packaging.

Brian Cox Is Actually Chill in Malibu Rum’s Rallying Cry to ‘Clock Off’

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In the immortal words of Logan Roy: “Clock off!” Any fan of Succession knows that’s not what the irascible tycoon said, ever. But Brian Cox—the actor behind the legendary uber-boss—is doing a 180-degree turn from that famous hard-driving persona, fully inhabiting a breezy new role as a happy hour ambassador. Cox has signed on as one of the first celebrity endorsers for Malibu liqueur in a global campaign that shows him breaking out of the corporate rut and living his best beachside life, with an assist from an icy piña colada and vintage roller skates.  A 60-second hero ad, launching today from agency Wieden+Kennedy London and Prettybird director Tim Heidecker, shows Cox leaving an interminable meeting at 5:01 p.m. sharp. He makes the most of his after-hours freedom by blissfully skating along an outdoor boardwalk in a flamingo-pink business suit.“He’s so associated with power and work culture and not clocking off, so there’s a bit of humor and an ironic twist here, making him the perfect spokesman,” Caroline Begley, Malibu’s vice president of U.S. marketing, told ADWEEK. “This brings the message to the masses that it’s okay to enjoy me-time.” Cox—whose growing commercial CV includes Asics, Uber One, DirecTV, and McDonald’s, among others—“was really amused by the script and what we were asking him to do,” per Begley. The award-winning actor knows his salty Succession patriarch and other characters made an impression on the viewing public, but he’s not that guy, he says. “I’m all about celebrating the enjoyment of life and taking time off for the people and things that matter,” Cox said in a statement. “We all need to disconnect if we want to enjoy what life has to offer.” The ad, shot in Barcelona late last year, used a stunt double, a movement coordinator, a custom-built motorized camera rig, and visual effects to create the fancy skating sequences, per the agency. Stolen sunshine, disguised overtime The campaign drops under the ongoing “Do Whatever Tastes Good” marketing banner, with the Pernod Ricard-owned brand continuing to tout its year-round vacation mindset. With music carving out a prominent place in its marketing, as in past efforts, Malibu and W+K used the recognizable hit “Steal My Sunshine” from alt rock band Len for “Brian Cox Clocks Off.” “He’s so associated with power and work culture and not clocking off, so there’s a bit of humor and an ironic twist here, making him the perfect spokesman,” Caroline Begley, Malibu’s vice president of U.S. marketing, told ADWEEK. “This brings the message to the masses that it’s okay to enjoy me-time.” Cox—whose growing commercial CV includes Asics, Uber One, DirecTV, and McDonald’s, among others—“was really amused by the script and what we were asking him to do,” per Begley. The award-winning actor knows his salty Succession patriarch and other characters made an impression on the viewing public, but he’s not that guy, he says. “I’m all about celebrating the enjoyment of life and taking time off for the people and things that matter,” Cox said in a statement. “We all need to disconnect if we want to enjoy what life has to offer.” The ad, shot in Barcelona late last year, used a stunt double, a movement coordinator, a custom-built motorized camera rig, and visual effects to create the fancy skating sequences, per the agency. Stolen sunshine, disguised overtime The campaign drops under the ongoing “Do Whatever Tastes Good” marketing banner, with the Pernod Ricard-owned brand continuing to tout its year-round vacation mindset. With music carving out a prominent place in its marketing, as in past efforts, Malibu and W+K used the recognizable hit “Steal My Sunshine” from alt rock band Len for “Brian Cox Clocks Off.” While aiming to further cement its chill vibe, Malibu rooted the campaign in consumer insights and the rising trend of “disguised overtime.” The company, after polling 13,000 adults, found that Americans are working an average of 15 extra hours a week, totaling nearly eight extra work days a year. The average worker juggles 28 lines of communication after hours each week, adding up to more than 17 hours of unpaid overtime per month. One in five Americans reports feeling overworked, while 71% feel pressured to work overtime. The phenomenon is “wearing us down,” per Craig van Niekerk, Malibu’s vice president of marketing, noting that the “clock off” message “feels more important than ever.” The work debuts as spirits sales overall have dipped by 3% in the U.S., per IWSR’s January through July 2024 stats. Rum sales specifically dropped 5% during that period, according to the researcher. Flavored rums make up 57% of America’s rum market. Per IWSR in 2023, Malibu was the top-selling white rum-based coconut liqueur in the world, part of the $2.4 billion category led by Bacardi and Captain Morgan. The companies have introduced a number of innovations in recent years to appeal to young drinkers, including ready-to-drink cocktails that are popular with millennials and Gen Z. Malibu has a history of creating limited-edition merchandise to go along with its ad campaigns, but there are no plans yet to sell a version of Cox’s pink suit or branded skates. The idea is worth considering, though, if there’s consumer demand, per Begley Meanwhile, the brand is kicking off the summer festival season with pop-up at Stagecoach, known as Coachella’s country music cousin, happening in the desert outside Los Angeles later this month. And in May, the brand will show up at Sand in My Boots, a three-day festival in Alabama headlined by Morgan Wallen. “Brian Cox Clocks Off” will air across connected TV, digital and social channels.

Fashion giant H&M plans to use AI clones of its human models. Not everyone is happy

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Fashion giant H&M plans to create digital clones of its models this year, raising more questions for an industry grappling with both the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on workers. H&M, one of the world’s largest clothing retailers, told CNN it plans to create 30 “digital twins” of its models this year, though it is still “exploring” how these avatars will be used. It added that it is working with others in the industry, like agencies and the models themselves, to carry out this initiative in “a responsible way.” The models would own the rights to their digital twin, “potentially work for any brand and get paid on each occasion just like on any campaign production,” the company said While this pledge to pay models for their likeness was welcomed by Paul W. Fleming, general secretary for the UK’s performing arts and entertainment trade union Equity, he told CNN in a statement that it must be “backed up by the widespread adoption of AI protections in union agreements and legislation that protects workers’ right,” of which he said few exist. “The race to ‘innovate’ in the area of artificial intelligence must also not be a race to the bottom to increase profits,” he added. “Artificial intelligence would not be possible without human artistry and labour, and humans should remain at the centre of creative endeavours.” H&M’s announcement has already sparked some backlash within the fashion industry, where the careers of many workers are already precarious. Sara Ziff, a model turned labor activist who founded the New York-based non-profit organization Model Alliance, said she had “serious concerns about the use of digital replicas without meaningful protections in place.” “In an industry that has historically been a backwater for workers’ rights, H&M’s new initiative raises critical questions about consent and compensation, and has the potential to replace a host of fashion workers—including make-up artists, hair stylists, and other creative artists in our community,” Ziff said in a statement released by the Model Alliance. H&M is not the first brand to explore using these technologies. Jeans-maker Levi Strauss & Co. announced in March 2023 that it would use AI-generated models to “supplement human models.” It later clarified that “we are not scaling back our plans for live photo shoots,” after intense criticism. In July last year, Spanish brand Mango launched a campaign generated entirely by AI to promote a new collection of its youth range. Meanwhile, influencers and models created by AI are becoming increasingly common; there was even the world’s first-ever AI beauty pageant last year.

Iris Flex’s AI Gap Study Reveals U.S. Consumers Are Embracing Voice Interaction Over Touch When Engaging with AI

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Consumers are twice as more likely to speak to their car dashboards and smart home devices (56%) than use touch (31%), according to a study conducted by Iris Flex. Four in 10 talk to their apps (37%) or type (40%). Voice competes head-on with tactile choices across AI-powered systems. The shift toward voice as a preferred interface opens pathways for advertisers, device makers and publishers to engage intuitively with consumers. “As our voice interactions with AI evolve, advertisers can unlock new possibilities by aligning their strategies with consumer preferences,” notes Idil Cakim. Opportunities for Advertisers and Publishers: Idil Cakim, Founder and CEO of the research company Iris Flex™, points to additional signals of innovation: “Voice-first audiences present a steppingstone toward building credibility with AI-generated messaging.” While only 18% of U.S. adults find AI-driven advertising reliable, AI ads resonate with: The convergence of voice interfaces and the audio content ecosystem presents opportunities: 1- Audio engagement: Voice-command technology streamlines audio consumption, from playing podcasts on smart speakers to switching radio stations in cars. This frictionless access boosts engagement, giving audio publishers with smart speaker and drive-time audiences a competitive edge. 2- Short purchase cycle: Advertisers can tailor their ads, pairing content with voice-based commands. For example, a podcast listener might hear a voice-activated call to action such as, “Say order now.” 3- Voice-first environments: Brands can amplify both reach and relevance by crafting content and ads optimized for devices and retail, hospitality, travel and healthcare related locations. “As our voice interactions with AI evolve, advertisers can unlock new possibilities by aligning their strategies with consumer preferences,” adds Cakim. Methodology: The AI Gap Study is an online survey conducted by Iris Flex in partnership with TestSet, a leading provider of consumer insights data, in February 2025. It is based on a nationally representative sample of n=1,003 U.S. adults (P18+). The sample is census-balanced on age, gender and region metrics.

NP Digital Bolsters Its End-to-End Marketing Capabilities with the Acquisition of Yodel Mobile

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NP Digital, a leader in end-to-end digital marketing, has announced a strategic agreement to acquire Yodel Mobile, the 2024 App Growth Awards App Marketing Agency of the Year. This acquisition enhances NP Digital’s mobile app marketing capabilities and significantly expands its team in London. Founded in 2007, and based in the UK, Yodel Mobile has been a pioneer in the mobile app marketing industry, with a proven track record of delivering results for brands like Tinder, UKTV, and B&Q. The integration will double NP Digital’s London office size and bring advanced mobile expertise to its U.S. and international clients. People spend more than 100 billion hours on mobile apps each year, and apps have a 157% higher conversion rate than mobile websites. App marketing gives brands a powerful opportunity to engage users throughout their journeys, and Yodel Mobile’s comprehensive services (app store optimization (ASO), user acquisition and expert consultancy) specifically drive mobile transformation. NP Digital has seen consistent growth in its mobile marketing solutions, driven by client demand for app optimization and app store search strategies. Yodel Mobile’s award-winning solutions will enhance NP Digital’s ability to launch, scale and transform the app experience for clients. “This acquisition reaffirms our commitment to clients by investing in solutions to help them succeed in an increasingly mobile-first world as the expectations of consumers around personalized experiences increase and in-app experiences deliver on that promise,” said Mike Gullaksen, CEO of NP Digital. “Ninety percent of mobile internet usage is spent in apps; integrating the expertise of Yodel Mobile into our portfolio empowers us to help brands thrive with cutting-edge app growth strategies and take advantage of new opportunities.” NP Digital’s international presence has expanded rapidly, with new offices across Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Latin America (LATAM). By combining its global reach and comprehensive digital marketing solutions with Yodel Mobile’s app expertise, the agency is well-equipped to support clients in finance, travel and hospitality, wellness, education and e-commerce. “Yodel Mobile has established itself as an industry pioneer through their work with some of the world’s most recognized brands, and they have become one of the foremost thought leaders in the app marketing space,” said Mark Fagan, managing director of NP Digital EMEA. “Yodel and  NP Digital’s coming together, reinforces our dedication to helping our clients meet consumer needs as they navigate this AI-influenced world of digital marketing. We are thrilled to welcome Mick (Rigby) and their amazing team into NP Digital and expand our offering for our clients globally.” “Joining NP Digital is an exciting opportunity to bring our mobile growth strategies to more brands worldwide,” said Mick Rigby, founder and CEO of Yodel Mobile. “NP Digital’s Marketing philosophies match ours, and we share a commitment to service, innovation, performance-driven strategies and measurable client growth, and this partnership enables us to deliver more comprehensive solutions with even greater impact.” This is the most recent international acquisition in a series of upcoming merger-and-acquisition (M&A) initiatives planned for 2025. In 2024, NP Digital also announced acquisitions of APAC digital marketing agency SearchGuru and Canada-based creative branding agency Rebl House.

Smartly Named a Leader in Creative Advertising Technologies 2024 Analyst Report

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NEW YORK Smartly, the leading AI-powered adtech company, has been recognized as a leader in The Forrester Wave™: Creative Advertising Technologies, Q4 2024. According to the Forrester evaluation, “Smartly strategically unifies workflows to produce, personalize, and measure creative, negating various point solutions.” “To us, this recognition validates our unwavering dedication to providing creative advertising technology that fuels the success of all stakeholders in the advertising ecosystem,” said Laura Desmond, CEO, Smartly. “We believe our placement as a leader in the Forrester Wave underscores our commitment to transforming advertising with AI-driven technology that unifies creative, media, and intelligence for high-impact results.” Smartly Creative, the company’s creative technology suite, enables brands to produce, personalize, and power full funnel intelligent creative at scale, delivering the volume of assets marketers need, at the velocity consumers expect — all while maintaining brand governance. With its predictive and generative AI technology, the platform generates 1 billion creative variants daily, ensuring that campaigns are relevant and engaging. Shaping the Future with Intelligent CreativeIn the report, Smartly received the highest scores in the strategy and current offering categories among all evaluated companies and the highest possible scores in the innovation and vision criteria. Smartly offers a comprehensive suite of tools for creative automation, dynamic creative optimization, and media management, enabling marketers to streamline their workflows and deliver results such as 3.3x faster campaign set up, optimization, and reporting, 5.5x ROAS, and 42 minutes saved every hour. Findings on Smartly from The Forrester Wave™: Creative Advertising Technologies report: About SmartlySmartly is the AI-powered advertising technology company transforming ad experiences for brands and their consumers. Our comprehensive advertising platform seamlessly integrates the capabilities of media, creative, and intelligence to power more than 800 billion impressions and generate more than 300 billion creatives annually, delivering tangible business outcomes for brands and advertisers. We are the only company managing creative and media for 700+ brands worldwide and $5B in ad spend across the largest media platforms, including Facebook, Google, Instagram, Pinterest, Snap, and TikTok. Our end-to-end technology, unmatched access to media platforms and exceptional customer service help Fortune 500 brands to reach and engage consumers and learn what performs best. Visit Smartly.io to learn more. Source Businesswire

eTrigue Launches AI-based ‘Lead Insights’ to Help Channel Marketers & Sales Teams Close more Opportunities

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SAN JOSE, Calif., April 7, 2025 / the company behind Lead Accelerator, the popular digital partner marketing platform, has today announced the launch of its new AI enhancements, AI Lead Insights. The new AI enhancements are designed to help companies, and their channel partner sales teams, revolutionise how they rapidly target, manage and convert business leads and prospects using invaluable, real-time background and intent data. AI Lead Insights enriches prospect lead information with comprehensive background, company, and messaging that allows channel sales teams to quickly engage with prospects through personalized communication. Powered by Amazon GenAI and Anthropic Claude, eTrigue AI Lead Insights locates and summarizes prospect backgrounds, business social media, news sites and company websites, accelerating the journey from campaign launch to booked/closed sales. Not only do eTrigue’s Lead Insights deliver enhanced Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) with profiles that customers and their partners can understand and prioritize to boost efficiency; it also allows communications to be tailored to the lead’s particular needs and interests. The result is more confident, informed salespeople and faster conversions.   “For sales enablement, eTrigue has always accelerated the marketing/sales process for channel partners by delivering leads at scale. With the launch of Lead Insights, eTrigue is providing the real-time nuggets of information that are needed to have the right conversations with prospects,” said Jeff Holmes, CEO at eTrigue. “We know from MIT Research that 50% of buyers go to the vendor that replies to their query first, and prospects are eleven-times more likely to engage if sales follow-up is carried out within five minutes. Despite this, 57% of companies fail to contact leads for over a week. This makes rapid response essential, but it must also be informed and intelligent if it is to result in a sale.”   Enriching lead data  Lead Insights is powered by generative AI including Anthropic Claude on Amazon Bedrock and works in tandem with eTrigue’s Lead Accelerator platform. Once digital marketing campaigns are deployed, Lead Insights gathers and provides sales teams with in-depth background information on the skill set, professional history and social media insights of the inbound lead, along with useful data on their company, recent corporate announcements and their competitors. Armed with this abundance of meaningful information, sales reps have the knowledge to follow-up with more confidence. eTrigue Lead Insights answers one of the most commonly asked questions by sales reps: ‘How do I follow up with a lead?’, providing them with the prospect and company insights, call script, suggested conversation starters, and context on the prospect.  In addition, a detailed dashboard provides an overview of each inbound query, how often they have engaged with the marketing campaign and specific assets, and a record of campaign-related communications and queries.   Monitoring campaign success to the Sales Representative Level By arming the channel sales team, Lead Insights is also designed to help companies understand how timely their channel partners are responding to their marketing campaigns.  Marketing and Sales departments can track leads and opportunities identified, the number of leads that are pending and their likely value and see a record of the average response time on a partner-by-partner, sales-rep-by-sales-rep basis.  “Our customers invest significant dollars in campaigns to support their partners, while the channel works hard to act on and maximize the leads produced,” continued Holmes. “Lead Insights is designed not only to maximize the chances of conversion by allowing reps to follow up with confidence, and keep a close record of responses, but also to help companies understand where extra support, or training, might be needed. Sales reps know who to focus on first, and how to prioritize their follow-up.”  Discussing Through-Channel Marketing Automation (TCMA) platforms, Jay McBain, Chief Analyst – Channels, Partnerships & Ecosystems at Canalys said: “For partners, TCMA platforms enable teams with the resources to be successful, simplify through-marketing and co-marketing initiatives, and optimize partners’ limited sales and marketing resources. AI enables these platforms to automate content generation and campaign execution tasks, such as personalized content creation, campaign execution, content and marketing recommendations, better lead scoring and customer journey mapping – leading to even more effective and efficient partner marketing.” The eTrigue platform and Lead Accelerator program are trusted by companies including AWS, Red Hat, NVIDIA, SAP, Shopify, Palo Alto Networks, and Watchguard to name a few. Lead Insights is now available as an add-on service to Lead Accelerator. It enhances the platform which is widely used to create and run co-marketing campaigns for partners, simply, quickly and at scale. The company’s turnkey service provides content, campaign buildout, platform and all program management, ensuring partners can focus on lead follow-up and sales.  About eTrigue Corporation eTrigue is a leading provider of marketing-as-a-service capabilities and marketing automation SaaS products that accelerate the way marketing and sales teams generate qualified leads and close sales. The DemandCenter marketing automation platform is consistently rated as easiest to use and helps marketers build more successful demand generation programs quickly. For more information please visit www.etrigue.com or call +1-800-858-8500 (+1.408.490.2900). eTrigue, DemandCenter, Intelligent Demand Generation and Marketing Automation for the Rest of Us are trademarks or registered trademarks of eTrigue Corp. SOURCE eTrigue

Circana Launches Liquid Mix, an AI-Powered Self-Service Marketing Mix Platform

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CHICAGO – April 8, 2025 – Circana, LLC, a leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior, announced today that it is launching Liquid Mix™, a groundbreaking self-service marketing mix platform. Designed to empower brands of all sizes, Liquid Mix solution provides marketers with rapid, actionable insights to optimize marketing budgets like never before. “Marketing mix has always been critical for guiding strategic decisions, but too often, barriers like cost, time, and technical complexity have prevented brands from fully realizing its value,” said Yeimy Garcia Smith, senior vice president of Global Measurement at Circana. “Liquid Mix removes those barriers, offering brands an innovative self-service solution. Not only is it faster and more accessible, but Liquid Mix remains rooted in Circana’s trusted, industry-leading data, ensuring brands never have to compromise on quality and granularity. The future of marketing mix is flexible, and with the addition of Liquid Mix to our Circana portfolio, we now offer a faster, more accessible solution tailored to meet the diverse needs of our clients.”  Revolutionizing Marketing Mix ModelingThe Liquid Mix AI-powered self-service platform addresses long-standing challenges in traditional marketing mix approaches. Historically resource-intensive, slow, and primarily accessible to flagship brands, marketing mix modeling has often been out of reach for smaller businesses or non-core brands. Liquid Mix solution changes the game by delivering on-demand, AI-powered insights that are fast, accessible, and user-friendly. With Liquid Mix, Circana’s trusted store-level, point-of-sale (POS) data serves as the foundation, ensuring marketers no longer need to choose between accuracy and speed. Key attributes include: Designed for Brands of All Sizes Whether businesses are new to marketing mix modeling or looking for flexible approaches to meet their measurement needs, Liquid Mix has them covered. The Liquid Mix AI-powered self-service platform delivers a powerful, streamlined, and scalable solution, serving as either a stand-alone solution or part of a larger strategy to measure and plan your marketing investments. Brands using the Liquid Mix solution can expect results grounded in Circana’s comprehensive data ecosystem, which integrates marketing, trade, macroeconomic factors, pricing, distribution, and competition. Historical studies show that in the first year of adoption of Liquid Mix, brands can generate up to a 45x return on their investment in the solution.  AvailabilityThe AI-powered Liquid Mix platform is making its debut during Circana’s Growth Summit, taking place April 7-9 in Orlando, Florida. The platform’s launch is slated for the summer of 2025 for U.S.-based clients, as well as U.K., France, and Italy in EMEA. Germany is expected to follow later this year. Marketing Mix Solutions That Evolve with Clients To meet clients where they are, Circana provides adaptable solutions designed to grow alongside clients’ needs. Circana works collaboratively to recommend the most effective approach for each brand, whether it is through the Liquid Mix solution, consultant-led marketing mix solutions, or a hybrid total portfolio strategy. Combining flexibility, expertise, and tailored recommendations, Circana delivers strategies that align with each client’s unique goals.

Helsinki joins the UK as it ditches its last coal power plant

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After already shutting down the Hanasaari B power plant two years ago, Helsinki will now rely entirely on alternative energy sources to meet its ambitious climate goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 – two decades ahead of the EU’s own target. By retiring the Salmisaari plant, Helsinki is hoping to slash its carbon dioxide emissions by 30% compared to the previous year. In 2022, coal still fuelled 64% of the municipal energy utility Helen Ltd’s district heat production. With both Hanasaari and Salmisaari closed in the space of just two years, the Finnish capital has already reduced its CO2 emissions by a total of 43%. Nationally, these closures will lower Finland’s overall emissions by around 5%. Helen Ltd’s new approach to energy production in Helsinki will be electrified and carbon-neutral, relying on heat pumps, electric boilers, energy storage and sustainably sourced bioenergy for heat, while power will come primarily from wind, nuclear, hydro and solar. This transition is already under way, with projects like Europe’s largest electric boiler plant and one of the world’s largest heat pumps. Hydrogen is also a high priority, including Helen’s 3H2 – Helsinki Hydrogen Hub, scheduled to start production in 2026. “The closing of the coal-fired energy plants is an important and historical change for Helsinki, Finland and, ultimately, the whole planet. Cities the world over have assumed a leading role in the fight against climate change. Helsinki wants to be a bold forerunner, on both a national and global level. The fact that we have been able to resolutely move forward with our plans to shut down coal-fired power plants in our city is a strong indicator of our determinedness in this area,” says Juhana Vartiainen, Mayor of Helsinki. “With regard to Helsinki’s direct climate emissions, we have made particularly good progress towards our goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 in terms of heating and electricity consumption. Shutting down the operations of the Salmisaari coal power plant is a really important step and a much-needed major deed. However, our determined work towards emissions reductions will not stop here, as our objective is to be net zero by 2040, and from there on we will strive towards carbon negativity,” points out Deputy Mayor Anni Sinnemäki. UK is also coal-free as of September 2024 Helsinki now joins the UK in consigning coal to the history books, after Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station – the country’s last coal facility with a 2GW capacity – closed in September 2024. Having seen 25 of its coal plants either close or convert to alternative fuels since 2000, the UK became the first G7 nation to go fully coal-free, nearly a century and a half after opening the world’s first coal power plant in 1882. By agreeing to end reliance on coal power by 2035, the other G7 nations are also embracing the green transition. Ratcliffe-on-Soar’s decommissioning – taking around two years to complete – mirrors the changes in Helsinki, with both cities focusing on cleaner energy sources and innovative technologies/

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