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JBL, bol and Funnelboost win EMAS Awards 2026. 11 June 2026 The winners of the EMAS Awards 2026 were announced today during the DDMA Email Marketing Automation Summit (EMAS). Harman EMEA Consumer Lifestyle Division (JBL) won the Email Marketing Automation Excellence Award, Eveline van Hal of bol was named Young Talent of the Year, and Funnelboost took home the title in the Battle of the Agencies. The EMAS Awards annually recognise the most inspiring achievements in email marketing, CRM and marketing automation. According to Judith Oude Sogtoen, Managing Director of DDMA, this year's winners demonstrate the continued evolution of the industry: "This year's winners show just how mature our industry has become. Organisations are using data, technology and automation in increasingly sophisticated ways to build meaningful customer relationships. At the same time, we see a new generation of professionals bringing fresh ideas and energy that will help shape the future of email marketing and marketing automation." The jury was impressed by the quality of entries. The independent jury was chaired by Milou Steenvoorden (ING). "As a jury, we were truly impressed by both the quality and the energy within the industry this year. Marketing automation is clearly evolving towards mature, always-on customer journeys, while new talent is already making an impact and pushing the industry forward. The winners demonstrate exactly that: not only strong results, but also new ways of thinking and working by bringing strategy, data and execution together from the very beginning. It gives us great confidence in the future of the profession." Email Marketing Automation Excellence: Harman EMEA Consumer Lifestyle Division (JBL). The Email Marketing Automation Excellence Award goes to Harman EMEA Consumer Lifestyle Division (JBL) for the case The JBL Customer First Strategy: Using Intent-Based Segmentation. According to the jury, the case demonstrates that successful marketing automation is not only about technology, but also about adaptability, perseverance and organisational alignment. During a complex platform migration and rebranding process, the team managed not only to maintain customer communications but to fundamentally improve them. The transition towards an always-on lifecycle strategy, combined with smart use of first-party data, scalable processes and continuous optimisation, ultimately convinced the jury. * Catawiki * Sunweb group Young Talent of the Year: Eveline van Hal (bol). The Young Talent of the Year Award goes to Eveline van Hal, Marketing Automation Expert at bol. The jury praised her ability to bring together multiple stakeholders within a complex organisation while maintaining a clear vision for communication and automation. Her combination of strategic thinking, stakeholder management and execution makes her one of the most promising young professionals in the field. The other nominees were: * Wout Jansen (Merkle) * Sharon van Arum (Pets Place) Battle of the Agencies: Funnelboost. The winner of the Battle of the Agencies 2026 is Funnelboost. In this competition, Funnelboost, Merkle and Yellowgrape developed an email campaign for this year's client, Pink Gellac. The agencies presented their concepts live on stage during EMAS. JoeYee Tang, Head of CRM at Pink Gellac: "This was a fantastic experience. Three agencies, one brief and three completely different interpretations. That difference in approach made it especially valuable because you only truly discover what works when you test ideas side by side. The outcome was surprising and reminded us that small choices can have a major impact. We will certainly apply elements from the winning email in future campaigns and flows." About the EMAS Awards The EMAS Awards are an initiative of DDMA and are presented annually during the Email Marketing Automation Summit (EMAS), the leading event for email marketing and marketing automation in the Benelux. About DDMA DDMA is the largest marketing and data industry association in the Netherlands. EMAS represent a network of more than 360 brands, non-profits, agencies, technology providers and publishers that use data responsibly for marketing, service and sales. Customer data strategies don't fail, they just don't deliver. I talk to a lot of marketing and CRM leaders in the Netherlands. Different companies, different sectors, different stages of maturity. But somewhere in almost every conversation, the same thing comes up. It usually sounds something like: EMAS has invested in t... Beyond prompts: how AI is evolving from content generator to email operating system. How do marketing teams use AI in emails? It's mostly about subject lines, copy, and sometimes images. Well, it's a great starting point that saves time, but it introduces the next problem: Your headlines, CTA copy, or imagery may be decent, but does AI see the... Email marketing automation that actually works. How email marketers automate smarter: 8 proven campaign types, 7 real-world examples, and practical steps to build your own strategy. Email marketing automation is one of the most effective ways to reach your customers at the right moment and AI has made it...

Sound United launches the next generation of Denon X-Series AVRs. Sound United, now part of Harman, which itself is part of Samsung, announced on Thursday that it is launching the next generation of the well-regarded Denon X-Series AV receivers - the AVR-X2900H and the AVR-X3900H. The company says these models are targeted at the advanced AV enthusiast who wishes to push their systems to higher performance levels, as well as the custom integration community who seek products with advanced calibration options, flexible configuration capabilities, and deeper control. Learn all about these new Denon X-Series AVRs... The ink was barely dry on the agreement for Harman to acquire popular audio products company Sound United, parent company of Denon, when, without skipping a beat, the company launched the new Denon AVR-S980H audio video receiver (AVR). That receiver's goal was to make great home theater "approachable," the company said. Now, just one month after that, comes another significant announcement from Sound United as it launches two new, higher-performance AVR options into the market, the AVR-X2900H and the AVR-X3900H. Denon's X-Series is all about taking performance, flexibility, and capabilities to an even higher plateau, and these new models clearly embrace and exhibit that goal. Denon X-Series: for those who take their sound seriously. Denon's X-Series has always been about uncompromised performance. With its newest additions to the series, Strata-gee has gone further by combining expanded room calibration capabilities with adaptable system designs to deliver enhanced audio quality and greater flexibility for people who take their sound seriously. Lyle Smith, Sound United President At the heart of these new Denon X-Series models from Sound United is the company's renowned, intensive focus on sound quality. Denon says these models both feature updated and upgraded internal components, with a superlative high-performance 32-bit multi-channel DAC (digital to analog converter) architecture that delivers more precise imaging, sparkling high frequencies, and "more confident" low frequency energy. Fidelity to Denon's core sonic philosophy. To ensure fidelity to the company's core sonic philosophy, each of these models was developed and tuned at its respected Shirakawa Audio Works in Japan. A process, the company says, that is guided by "the timeless philosophy of the Denon Sound Master." At Denon, "tuning" is a blend of both carefully collected electronic performance measurements by precision test gear, combined with careful listening by highly trained and experienced human ears to confirm the company's signature vivid and spacious sound quality. It's a process that recognizes that high-performance gear is a blend of both art and science. New X-Series models come with Audyssey Room Correction built-in and Dirac Live available. Interestingly, Denon offers end-users two forms of correction technology - one built-in and another available as an option. Built into each model is the well-known and highly reliable Audyssey room correction technology. Audyssey, the company says, offers fast and reliable calibration for balanced, immersive sound with minimal setup. For those seeking to upgrade their calibration standard with even more control and precision, Denon X-Series AVRs offer an optional upgrade to the latest Dirac Live calibration standard. NOTE: Dirac Live room correction requires a separate license purchase and additional fee. Availability and upgrade options may vary by model. A deeper dive into the Denon AVR-X2900H. Denon's new AVR-X2900H is a great jumping-off point for anyone seeking to move beyond their initial startup or entry-level soundbar or budget AVR-based system. First of all, it offers users an upgraded audio performance, such as 7.2 channels of solid 95 w/ch power, high-resolution audio support, Dolby Atmos & DTS:X surround for a totally immersive cinema experience, and robust HDMI connectivity for secure transfer of digital A/V signals preserving end-to-end performance quality. And second of all, it also delivers some great upgraded features not generally found in lower-level systems. Features like Audyssey Silver room correction built-in, with an available optional upgrade to the spectacular Dirac Live room correction technology for those who need even more adjustability. Also included is technology to enhance your video game playing experience, such as Variable Refresh Rate, Auto Low Latency Mode, and AMD FreeSync. Denon delivers superior sound quality & exceptional video performance. You may think of superior sound quality as you seek out Denon products, but they also deliver an exceptional video performance, as well, with support for high-resolutions of 4K and 8K with pass-through. Also on board are both Dolby Vision and HDR 10+ for amazing color, contrast, and brightness. Add to this HDMI connectivity with both ARC (audio return channel) and eARC (enhanced audio return channel) for enhanced usability. Finally, Denon has also included its popular HEOS wireless multi-source, multi-room capability, allowing you to easily set up and stream top services throughout your home. You can have the same source playing in two rooms, or two different sources - one in each space - at your option. A deeper dive into the Denon AVR-X3900H. You might say the Denon AVR-X3900H, big brother to the X2900, is stepping up to the big time in AV home entertainment. It is the go-to choice for more sophisticated home entertainment/home cinema solutions, where more power, more precision, and more scalability is indicated. Strata-gee jump up from the X2900's 7.2 channels to the X3900's 9.4 channels and a full 11.4 channels of processing for your more intensive installations. Power is rated at 105 watts/channel over the 9 channels in the 3900 with 4 independent subwoofer outputs, a significant upgrade over the 95 watts/ channel over 7 channels with 2 subwoofer outputs in the 2900. Clearly, the AVR-X3900H has big things in mind. Users have two top Room Correction technologies to choose from. Another example of the step-up in features and performance available in the X3900 is in the available room correction technologies. In the case of the X3900, you not only get the upgraded Audyssey Platinum tuning technology like in the X2900 (which has a simpler Audyssey Silver system built-in)...but users can opt to add support for Dirac Live Room Correction, Bass Control, and Active Room Treatment (ART is Dirac's latest and greatest innovation), which are available as optional upgrades. Systems that employ all of the available Dirac technologies will bring truly advanced, professional-grade room correction capabilities to the X3900 system performance. The X3900 also offers users more surround modes, including IMAX Enhanced and AURO-3D in addition to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X as in the X2900. It also offers 360 Reality Audio technology based on Sony's 360 Spatial Sound technology, which places individual sounds such as voices and instruments anywhere in a 360-degree spherical sound field. Select specifications comparison between the AVR-X2900H and AVR-X3900H. A premium streaming experience. Both the X2900 and X3900 are powered by Denon's HEOS multiroom audio platform and support Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay 2, and can access top music and podcast streaming services such as TuneIn Internet Radio, Spotify, Qobuz, and more. As a result, end-users can stream high-resolution music throughout the home - and even group rooms together or play different sources in different spaces via an easy-to-use app. Also available on these new X-Series AVRs is the ability to optionally use Denon Home 200, 400, and 600 wireless, powered speakers as wireless rear surrounds. This capability is not available at launch, but will become available via a future firmware update. Pricing and availability. The new Denon AVR-X2900H has an MSRP of $1349 (USA) / $1799 (Canada). The new Denon AVR-X3900H has an MSRP of $1849 (USA) / $2499 (Canada) Both of these new Denon X-Series AVRs are available beginning today, March 14, 2026 through Denon.com and from authorized Denon dealers worldwide.