 Jon Bloom |
McGrath/Power has formed a team devoted to working with its growing number of clients in the cannabis industry. Agency CEO Jon Bloom, who has overseen each of M/P’s cannabis programs, will be leading the team. The firm entered the weed space in 2015, during the “medicinal cannabis” era in California, with its first client, Constance Therapeutics. Two pot clients have recently come on board: The Handpicked Company, a flower and cannabis derivatives supplier, and C4 Distro, a distribution company based in Southern California.
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The BMF Media Group has acquired LFB Media Group. LFB’s founder and principal, Ashley Chejade-Bloom, joins BMF Media’s leadership team as executive VP, dedicated to sales strategy and innovation. Selmin Arat, LFB's president, will handle day-to-day management, including client services, strategy, and talent. The acquisition results in new shared headquarters in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, and an expanded offerings in Los Angeles, Miami, Austin and London.
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Philadelphia-based SPRYTE Communications recently completed a volunteer judging assignment to help choose winners of the 2018 College & University Public Relations and Associated Professionals CUPPIE Awards. The SPRYTE team reviewed nearly 100 brochures and postcards designed by colleges and universities and other agencies that partner with them. The pieces were created to promote enrollment, awards and recognitions, or special university programs. The awards will be presented March 15 at the Marriott Penn Square in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
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AMPERAGE Marketing & Fundraising has acquired Creative Communication & Design, an agency with offices in Wausau and Madison, WI. Creative will be re-branded as AMPERAGE. The combined company will incorporate Creative owners Chris Liedtkem who will be AMPERAGE’s director of Wisconsin operations, and Cindy Baumann will be AMPERAGE’s creator of opportunities. A 40-person agency with offices in Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Quad Cities and Des Moines, IA. AMPERAGE works in the healthcare, education, financial and nonprofit sectors.
DJE Holdings, parent of Edelman and Zeno, launches RUTH as an independent shop named after Ruth Edelman, mental health advocate, wife and longtime business partner of Dan Edelman.
New York City PR firms make up the largest slice of O'Dwyer's 147 firm overall ranking with 33 of 40 in the New York/New Jersey area either calling Manhattan their home or having a presence there.
Subject Matter+Kivvit, which joined forces in May, has rebranded as Avoq, an integrated shop with more than 200 professionals in Washington, New York, Asbury Park (NJ), Miami and Chicago.
While PR pros stationed at in-house comms. teams and those working for agencies share many of the same objectives, they also have markedly different top priorities, according to a recent report.
Edelman is cutting 240 employees or about four percent of its workforce to cope with the cooling down of the PR sector, according to a memo from CEO Richard Edelman.
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