Press Release
Share this
Affinity wins two awards at CJ Excellence Awards 2026
California, September 18, 2026: Affinity Global announced it won both categories it entered at the 2026 CJ Excellence Awards: Publisher of the Year for VEVE & SitePlug by Affinity, and Best Channel Expansion & Activation Strategy for its work with Expedia Group.
The awards were presented at CJU 2026, CJ’s flagship annual event, which this year marked 25 years of the CJU community and brought together more than 1,000 leaders from across the global performance partnership industry.
According to CJ, the 2026 Excellence Awards received record interest and the strongest quality of entries to date, with submissions independently evaluated by an external panel of industry judges.
“Winning both categories, we entered is a meaningful milestone, but what matters most is what it represents; more than a decade of building technology, publisher relationships and advertiser trust within the CJ ecosystem,” said Bharat Sharma, COO and Co-Founder of Affinity Global. Publisher of the Year
The Publisher of the Year award recognizes Affinity’s contribution to the CJ ecosystem through VEVE and SitePlug — reflecting the company’s scale and commercial performance, its publisher and supply partnerships, its technology and optimization capabilities, and its ability to open new acquisition opportunities for advertisers. Rather than honoring a single campaign or product, the award positions Affinity’s wider business as a driver of the performance marketing ecosystem.
The Best Channel Expansion & Activation Strategy
The Best Channel Expansion & Activation Strategy award centers on Affinity’s work with Expedia Group, which sought to diversify customer acquisition across six travel brands beyond paid search and social, while continuing to operate on a pay-for-performance basis.
Affinity activated two complementary channels: VEVE, which reached travelers earlier in their journey through browser and device placements, and SitePlug, which captured high-intent consumers closer to the point of decision through search, deal-discovery and other intent-led placements. Affinity optimized the program across publishers, placements, geographies, days and ad formats, redirecting budget toward the sources generating the strongest commercial results, allowing Expedia Group to activate additional publishers without compromising overall performance.
Results from our campaign in 12 months –
- 78% increase in active publisher placements
- 92% increase in qualified monthly traffic
- 350% increase in VEVE display sales
- 400% increase in VEVE conversions
- More than 26x in booking value for every dollar paid to publishers
One Network, Every Touchpoint
VEVE and SitePlug now come together through Affinity, connecting advertisers with consumers across search, browsers, OEM devices, content, coupons, mobile, CTV, in-app environments and emerging AI-led surfaces.
For advertisers and agencies, the wins demonstrate that newer commerce environments can deliver measurable growth alongside established performance channels, giving brands access to incremental audiences, a blend of discovery-led and high-intent channels, first-party signals owned at the source, CJ-compatible measurement across the customer journey, transparent and verified inventory, and performance-based commercial models that reduce dependence on a limited number of acquisition channels.
For browsers, OEMs, content publishers, coupon partners, mobile platforms, CTV partners and other supply providers, the recognition validates the role their inventory can play in measurable commerce — helping them connect with advertiser demand, demonstrate the commercial value of their audiences, monetize premium and emerging placements, and diversify demand across advertisers, industries and formats.
About Affinity:
Affinity Global is developing privacy-first infrastructure that pushes past today’s limits and opens up new opportunities for publishers and advertisers beyond the walled gardens. As a global AdTech company operating across 10+ markets in Asia, the US, and Europe with a team of over 500 experts, Affinity helps publishers discover better ways to monetize and enables advertisers to reach the right audiences through new touchpoints.
NucleusLinks Launches Product Feeds to Close Affiliate Commerce Data Gap
Chicago, August 14, 2026: NucleusLinks, the affiliate marketing software platform built within the Affinity ecosystem, today announced the launch of Product Feeds, a product data infrastructure layer designed to help affiliate publishers standardize, enrich, and activate merchant data at scale.
Affinity expands its business in Germany and opens an office in Paris
Affinity is significantly expanding its business in the DACH region. Through its platform mCanvas, a leading provider of high-impact mobile and CTV advertising experiences, the company is filling several key roles at its Berlin location. With the opening of a new office in Paris, Affinity is also accelerating its European expansion.
Affinity Joins AdCP as Founding Member to Bring Enterprise Native Supply into Advertising’s AI Future
Press Release Share this Affinity Joins AdCP as Founding Member to Bring Enterprise Native Supply into Advertising’s AI Future Affinity to contribute towards agentic standards
TCL FFalcon Partners with Affinity to Offer Programmatic Ad Access Across its Smart TV Ecosystem in 160+ Countries
Press Release Share this TCL FFalcon Partners with Affinity to Offer Programmatic Ad Access Across its Smart TV Ecosystem in 160+ Countries New York, 7th
Affinity acquires Affilizz
Press Release Share this Affinity acquires Affilizz to strengthen AI-powered affiliate monetization worldwide French company Affilizz, known popularly for its AI-driven shopping widgets that power
CJ Excellence Awards 2026
California, September 18, 2026: Affinity Global announced it won both categories it entered at the 2026 CJ Excellence Awards: Publisher of the Year for VEVE & SitePlug by Affinity, and Best Channel Expansion & Activation Strategy for its work with Expedia Group.
Affinity Global Named AdTech of the Year at the Advertising Awards Asia-Pacific 2026
Affinity Global won the Grand Prix for AdTech of the Year at the inaugural Advertising Awards Asia-Pacific, taking five trophies for campaigns across Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.
Affinity Wins 10 Awards at The Great Indian BFSI & Fintech Awards 2026
mCanvas and VEVE won ten awards between them at the 6th edition of The Great Indian BFSI & Fintech Awards, across campaign and individual categories for India’s leading BFSI brands.
mCanvas Wins Three Awards at the Connected TV Asia Awards 2026
mCanvas has won two Gold and one Bronze at the Connected TV Asia Awards 2026, India’s only awards dedicated to Connected TV advertising, for campaigns with Sebamed, Dr. Fixit and LIC.
mCanvas Wins Four Awards at the DIGIXX Summit & Awards 2026
mCanvas won one Gold, two Silver and one Bronze at the 10th edition of Adgully’s DIGIXX Summit & Awards, for campaigns across India and Thailand.
Affinity Wins 10 Awards at the MOBEXX Summit & Awards 2026
mCanvas and VEVE won ten awards between them at the 9th MOBEXX Summit & Awards in New Delhi, recognising campaign work across India, Indonesia and Singapore.
Is Commerce Media Advertising’s Next Performance Channel?
Commerce media is rewriting digital advertising combining first-party data and closed-loop measurement in marketing campaigns. Here is what marketers and publishers need to understand in 2026.
Your Layout, Your Rules: How Affinity Helps Publishers Monetize Without Disruption
Monetization is a team sport, and to succeed, you need the right players on your side, working together. For digital publishers today – whether you’re an internet browser, utility app, OEM, or a niche content platform, the challenge isn’t about content quality. It’s about monetization. More specifically: how do you scale premium brand demand globally, without building a complex and costly in-house sales team?
Are We The Last Generation Of Search Marketers?
For decades, search marketing was built around that behaviour. But that behaviour is starting to change. AI is shifting search from a list of links to a more conversational experience.
Agentic AI Will Redefine Advertising – Context Will Make It Work
Advertising is entering a new era where competitive advantage will come not from more data, but from better context. As AI systems evolve from passive tools into autonomous decision-makers, they are giving rise to agentic AI, systems that can automate and unify advertising channels and how decisions are made across them.
Rethinking IPL Advertising: From single-screen reach to multi-screen relevance
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has evolved into far more than a sporting event. For brands, IPL represents one of the most valuable opportunities to connect with audiences at scale. However, something fundamental has changed in recent years; IPL is no longer a single screen experience.
How to Scale Global Brand Demand without Building an In-house Sales Team
Monetization is a team sport, and to succeed, you need the right players on your side, working together. For digital publishers today – whether you’re an internet browser, utility app, OEM, or a niche content platform, the challenge isn’t about content quality. It’s about monetization. More specifically: how do you scale premium brand demand globally, without building a complex and costly in-house sales team?