The Albany Gazette - Stagwell (STGW) and Microsoft Advertising Become First to Integrate Copilot Directly Into Live Media Campaigns

LONDON, UK AND CANNES, FR / ACCESS Newswire / June 23, 2026 / Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW), the challenger network transforming marketing through AI, today announced an industry-first launch of the integration of Microsoft's Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard that enables AI to securely connect to live data, tools and workflows, where the Copilot agent is embedded directly into Stagwell's global media agency Assembly's paid search operations and live campaigns. The solution demonstrates how AI can move beyond testing and support day‑to‑day marketing at scale by connecting Copilot directly to Microsoft Advertising data and systems, enabling continuous analysis, auditing and generation of client‑ready outputs.

As one of the first agency integrations of MCP at scale, this deployment creates a direct connection into Agents, allowing it to optimise and analyse within live campaigns. This launch establishes a new benchmark for how agencies can operationalise AI by connecting Agents directly to media systems, standardising workflows across markets and enabling continuous optimisation without adding complexity.

The solution has already been deployed across a global enterprise technology client, demonstrating how AI can transform paid search operations at scale. 

Key outcomes include: 

• More senior resource redirected toward strategic growth initiatives 

"Stagwell and Assembly are redefining how modern marketing organizations operationalize AI. Using M365 Copilot, Microsoft Advertising MCP, and Azure AI Foundry, they've reduced campaign audit timelines from hours to minutes while building a scalable foundation for AI-driven transformation across media and marketing," said Lydia Smyers, VP US Telco, Media & Gaming, Microsoft.  

"This is not AI as a toolset. This is AI as infrastructure, embedded into how our media segments operate in Search, and beyond, at Stagwell," said Dan Roberts, Global SVP Search at Stagwell Media Platform.  

"This work shows what happens when AI moves beyond pilots into real-world deployment," said Thomas O'Donnell, Global Agencies Director at Microsoft Advertising. "MCP enables a new generation of agents that can securely connect to the systems businesses rely on every day, unlocking entirely new ways of working." 

 This Microsoft Advertising MCP will plug into Stagwell's new media operating system, The Media Machine which launched last week.  This partnership comes after a strong year of momentum for Stagwell in AI and media following the launches of The Machine, Stagwell's agentic operating system for marketing, Stagwell Media Platform, Stagwell Search+ and Agent Cloud. The MCP-powered Copilot agent extends this vision - connecting deep craft specialism with AI execution at scale. 

About Stagwell

Stagwell is the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world's most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our specialists in 45+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

About Assembly

Assembly is Stagwell's global omnichannel media agency, purpose-built for the AI era - combining media expertise, technology, and data to deliver performance-led outcomes for global brands.With over 3,000 experts in 44 offices worldwide, Assembly delivers full-funnel solutions that help the world's most ambitious brands perform. Learn more at www.assemblyglobal.com

Contact:

Quinn Werner
[email protected]

SOURCE: Stagwell

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

(P.Davis--TAG)