• Mediabistro, which has served more than 16,000 employer customers, transforms its 25-year-old media job board into a modern platform with new intelligent features for employers

• Debuts Playbook, a platform curating 435+ creative and technology tools that helps professionals map the right mix of human talent and software to each step of their process

• Launches the Media Innovation Index, measuring the velocity and direction of tool innovation across creative, marketing, and design

BRISTOL, CT / ACCESS Newswire / March 3, 2026 / Media and creative professionals are hearing that technology is coming for their jobs. There's an optimistic counterpoint: writers, designers, and producers can now do better, more ambitious work than ever before. The challenge is adapting to an environment where content is unlimited and taste, perspective, and a unique creative voice matter more than ever.

CognoGroup, Inc. (OTC:CGNO) today announced two launches built for that moment: a fully modernized Mediabistro job board with new intelligent features for employers, and Playbook, a platform tracking 435+ creative and technology tools that helps professionals figure out the right combination of people and software for every step of their work.

Mediabistro's new Media Innovation Index, powered by Playbook's product discovery, measures how quickly new tools are entering each creative discipline, and where professionals, hiring teams, and investors should be paying attention. For example, Image Generation receives an 85% automation exposure score, with Graphic Design receiving 75%, and CMS & Publishing receiving 50%.

A Rebuilt Mediabistro

The relaunch begins with a rebuild of the Mediabistro application. The new system launches with intelligent features for employers, including automated job description drafting and a streamlined employer dashboard, with expanded capabilities for jobseekers to follow. The rebuilt platform is designed for faster development, with major feature updates planned throughout 2026.

Creative professionals are actively rethinking their skills, roles, and career paths. A trusted, industry-specific place to find the right opportunity matters more than it has in years. Mediabistro's rebuilt platform serves hiring across journalism, digital media, content creation, marketing, advertising, design, public relations, video production, and entertainment.

For companies posting jobs, new subscription tiers augment per-post pricing: Starter ($199/month for one active listing), Boutique ($349/month, up to 3 active listings), Growth ($799/month, unlimited postings), and Enterprise (custom, including ATS integration and dedicated support).

Playbook: Mapping Creative Processes to the Right Mix of People and Tools

Launching alongside the rebuilt platform, Playbook is a curated guide and workflow-mapping tool for creative professionals. It currently tracks 435 tools across 28 categories, including editorial production, visual and motion design, video and audio, marketing analytics, campaign management, and content creation.

Playbook starts with the creative process. Professionals describe their work in plain language, like "produce a short documentary for a non-profit client" or "build a monthly content calendar with SEO and social distribution." Playbook's Stack Advisor responds with a step-by-step workflow, typically four to eight stages, with a specific mix of human talent and tools recommended for each step. Each stage is classified by nature: work that's purely human, work that's human with tool assistance, or work that's fully automated. Every shareable recommendation includes a plain-language explanation of why that combination fits.

For example, a video producer entering "produce a short documentary for a non-profit client" receives a six-stage workflow: research and interviews (human), transcription (automated), script and narrative structure (human), rough cut editing (human with tool assistance), color grading and sound mixing (automated), and final review and client delivery (human). Each stage includes specific tool recommendations and an explanation of why that combination fits the project.

Software vendors can list their tools on Playbook for free, with enhanced profiles at $49/month and featured placement at $149/month.

"Creative professionals know their process better than anyone. What they need are the right resources to match people and tools to each step," said Miles Jennings, CEO of Mediabistro. "That's what Playbook does. It respects the creative process first and layers in product discovery. And with the rebuilt Mediabistro, they have a single place to find work and navigate what comes next."

The Media Innovation Index

As Playbook catalogs tools and tracks adoption, it produces a live picture of where new development is concentrating across the creative economy. Mediabistro is publishing these findings as the Media Innovation Index, a scoring system that measures automation exposure by creative category and updates as new tools enter the market.

Media Innovation Index, March 2026: Automation Exposure by Creative Category

Source: Mediabistro Media Innovation Index, March 2026. Full index at https://playbook.mediabistro.com/industry-trends.

The index updates as new tools are added and adoption data is gathered, giving professionals and industry observers a running read on where the creative technology landscape is heading.

Together, the rebuilt Mediabistro platform, Playbook, and the Media Innovation Index give media and creative professionals a single destination to find work, build their process, and stay ahead of a changing industry.

About Mediabistro

Mediabistro is the leading job board and career development destination for media and creative professionals. Founded in 1999, Mediabistro has spent 25 years connecting journalists, copywriters, editors, designers, strategists, and producers with career opportunities and the tools that advance their work. Through its job board, editorial content, and Playbook, Mediabistro serves a community of hundreds of thousands of media professionals worldwide. Mediabistro is a CognoGroup company.

About CognoGroup, Inc. (OTC:CGNO)

CognoGroup, Inc. is a technology company focused on building and operating platforms that enhance human capability. The Company invests in digital businesses that support learning, professional growth, and personal development in a rapidly changing global economy. Learn more at cognogroup.com and view latest presentations at: https://www.cognogroup.com/presentations.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expected capabilities and features of the rebuilt Mediabistro platform and Playbook, planned feature updates throughout 2026, the Company's ability to attract and retain employer customers and creative professionals, the expected utility of the Media Innovation Index, and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, risks related to market conditions, the Company's ability to execute its product and growth strategy, user adoption of new platform features and Playbook, competition in the online recruitment and creative tools markets, the accuracy and relevance of automation exposure scoring, regulatory and compliance requirements, capital availability, operating performance, and other risks described from time to time in the Company's filings.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. CognoGroup undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release, except as required by law.

No Offer or Solicitation

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under applicable securities laws.

Investor and Media Contact

CognoGroup, Inc.
Investor Relations
Email: ir@cognogroup.com
Website: cognogroup.com

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SOURCE: CognoGroup, Inc.