Cision Wins 2026 MarTech Breakthrough Awards for Social Listening, Press Release Distribution, and AEO

Brandwatch named "Social Listening Solution of the Year," while PR Newswire secures top honors for "Press Release Distribution Company of the Year" and "AEO Platform of the Year"  

CHICAGO, Aug. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cision, a global leader in consumer and media intelligence, today announced that two of its brands, Brandwatch and PR Newswire, have together earned three major category honors in the 2026 MarTech Breakthrough Awards. 

The annual awards program, which attracted thousands of nominations from over 15 countries, recognized Cision's portfolio for driving innovation across the modern communications and marketing technology landscape: 

• Brandwatch Consumer Intelligence was named "Social Listening Solution of the Year," recognized for helping marketers transform fragmented social data into clear, actionable audience insights. 
• PR Newswire was named "Press Release Distribution Company of the Year," validating its evolution from a trusted wire network into a comprehensive Multichannel Amplification™ campaign platform. 
• PR Newswire Amplify™ secured "AEO Platform of the Year" for its built-in Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) features that help communicators understand and optimize their brand footprint in the AI search era. 

These wins mark the fifth, sixth, and seventh MarTech Breakthrough Awards Cision brands have earned over the past four years, highlighting the company's commitment to delivering AI-driven, end-to-end media and consumer intelligence solutions. 

Transforming Social Data Into Confident Action 

Brandwatch aggregates and analyzes data from more than 100 million online sources, enabling marketing teams to cut through digital noise, track fast-moving audience signals, and make smarter decisions. 

"Our recent Marketer of 2026 Report revealed that only 25% of marketers feel they truly understand their audiences, and that is exactly the gap Brandwatch is built to close," said Guy Abramo, Chief Executive Officer at Cision. "This recognition reflects our team's continuous effort to help marketers move from fragmented social data to clearer audience understanding and more confident execution." 

Explore all of Brandwatch's award-winning social intelligence solutions 

Modernizing Distribution and Driving AI Search Visibility 

Since its launch in September 2025, PR Newswire Amplify™ has redefined press release distribution by helping PR and communications professionals reach wider audiences while ensuring discoverability across generative AI systems. With features like the Press Release Score and the AEO & GEO Brand Report (powered by Trajaan, a Cision company), Amplify enables teams to evaluate and elevate their brand's AI footprint, and get their stories seen by the audiences that matter most. 

"Winning these awards is a tremendous honor and a testament to our team's dedication," Abramo added. "These wins celebrate our commitment to maintaining our 70-year legacy as the leading press release distribution service while helping our customers stay ahead of the curve in the AI search era with powerful innovations in Amplify." 

Explore all of PR Newswire's award-winning distribution and AEO capabilities 

Industry Validation 

Now in its ninth year, the MarTech Breakthrough Awards honor top companies and technologies shaping the future of global marketing technology. 

"Brands today face disjointed workflows, pressure to produce multichannel content, and the urgent need to evolve from traditional SEO strategies to GEO and AEO," said Steve Johansson, Managing Director at MarTech Breakthrough. "PR Newswire has transformed press release distribution into an intelligent, AI-powered platform purpose-built for modern communicators. Likewise, Brandwatch delivers meaningful clarity in an increasingly fragmented social landscape. Both solutions truly embody the spirit of the Breakthrough Awards." 

To learn more about Cision's award-winning media and consumer intelligence solutions, visit www.cision.com 

About Cision  

Cision is the global leader in consumer and media intelligence, engagement, and communication solutions. We equip PR and corporate communications, marketing, and social media professionals with the tools they need to excel in today's data driven world. Our deep expertise, exclusive data partnerships, and award-winning products, including Trajaan, Brandwatch, CisionOne, and PR Newswire, bring together signals from search, social, and media so teams can better understand what's happening, shape the conversation, and amplify their impact. Over 75,000 companies and organizations, including 84% of the Fortune 500, rely on Cision to make better decisions and achieve their goals.

Media Contact:  
Cision Public Relations  
[email protected]