NEW YORK, July 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Opus Intelligence – the AI-powered marketing operating system founded by Beats by Dre CMO and Apple marketing leader Omar Johnson, and Sundial Media & Technology Group, the parent company of ESSENCE, Refinery29, and AFROPUNK, today announced a transformative strategic partnership that will redefine how brands connect with audiences - at the speed of culture.
The orchestration of Sundial's 100+ combined years of community knowledge and cultural authority with Opus's cutting-edge Tribal Knowledge AI platform, powers the industry's first truly scalable engine for cultural intelligence – democratizing access to deep, actionable insights to power how our brands authentically engage consumers at scale.
"We're combining Sundial's over 100 years of cultural relevance and deep consumer connection with the world's first culturally-relevant AI platform to deliver work that's not just fast—but deeply human. There's never been a platform like Opus – trained by executives, artists and creatives to connect the dots between creative ideas, consumers and products based on deep Tribal Knowledge of successful campaigns. It's a revolution in both the AI and media industries," said Omar Johnson, Opus CEO and former marketing architect of Beats by Dre. "We hit the cultural cues and signals that generic AI misses. It's a fundamental leap for media and marketing."
"For decades, Sundial has been the trusted source for understanding the voices, values, and influence of the communities driving conversation and commerce," said Kirk McDonald, CEO of Sundial Media & Technology Group. "This partnership with Opus represents a transformative leap—bringing together our deep proprietary intelligence with the precision of AI to redefine how brands move in real time, giving marketers a new standard: relevance rooted in authenticity and built for impact."
At the heart of this collaboration is a focus on consumers who have long driven decisions across every category—women. Women influence over 85% of all consumer purchasing decisions, from home and healthcare to travel, business, and lifestyle. She is the Chief Influence Officer in households and communities alike, yet remains under-recognized and underserved in marketing investments. By centering her lived experience and cultural context, Sundial and Opus are addressing a gap that has left billions in brand value untapped, in ways that generic generative AI overlooks.
This partnership reflects a shared commitment to helping brands maximize the speed, precision, and efficiency of their media investments in a fragmented media landscape—shifting from broad impressions to real-time resonance. By fusing emotional fluency with data-driven accuracy, they are moving beyond traditional media planning toward dynamic, community-centered activation. This approach replaces guesswork with actionable insight, enabling brands to better understand mindsets, values, and behaviors—not just demographics. The result: a smarter, faster, and more culturally relevant way to connect with the consumers shaping today's economy.
About Opus Intelligence
Opus Intelligence is the world's first AI-native Tribal Knowledge Marketing platform, founded by Omar Johnson, former CMO of Beats by Dre and VP of Marketing at Apple. Johnson – named Adweek Brand Genius and Business Insider's "Most Innovative CMO" – brings proven category-creation expertise from Nike, Beats, and Apple to this partnership. Opus Intelligence already powers campaigns for Fortune 100 brands and sports team franchises. Opus blends machine learning with deep cultural expertise to power marketing campaigns and audience insights for leading global brands, redefining how authentic tribal knowledge fuels marketing automation. For more information, visit www.opusintelligence.com.
About Sundial Media & Technology Group: Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG) is a human connections company — the signal powered by culture, scaled by technology, and built for community. SMTG connects, elevates, and empowers the most influential consumer segment in the market: HER, the Chief Influence Officer. With over 100 years of community knowledge and insights, SMTG is redefining the media model into a next-generation platform. Powered by proprietary intelligence and AI technology, it activates an ecosystem that scales HER influence and economic power. Its portfolio includes some of the most iconic, purpose-driven brands and experiences shaping culture today—ESSENCE (Girls United, ESSENCE Studios, ESSENCE Festival of Culture™), Refinery29, AFROPUNK, Beautycon™ (including NaturallyCurly), the Global Black Economic Forum, the Academy for Advancing Excellence, and the New Voices Fund. Through storytelling, products, and platforms, SMTG delivers the tools and technology to shape the future of media, commerce, and community—on HER terms.
Media Contacts:
Opus Intelligence: [email protected]
Skai Blue Media for Sundial Media & Technology Group: [email protected]
SOURCE Sundial Media & Technology Group
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