Travel, hospitality and entertainment marketing agency MMGY Global has acquired New York-based travel and tourism shop NJFPR.
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The acquisition, which effectively doubles the size of MMGY’s PR practice, became effective October 15. The acquired NJFPR will now be integrated with MMGY’s PR, Social & Experiential Marketing practice, and this new entity will rebrand under the name NJF, an MMGY Global Company. Full integration is expected to take place over the coming months, with the New York offices of MMGY Global and NJFPR moving into a combined Midtown Manhattan location in early 2017.
NJFPR, formally known as Nancy J. Friedman Public Relations Inc., was founded in 1987 by president Nancy Friedman. The agency, which specializes in hotel, destination and lifestyle brands, opened a Los Angeles office in 2014 and maintains an additional satellite team in Boston as well as a U.K. liaison. The agency accounted for more than $3.8 million in travel-related net fees in 2015.
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Friedman will remain onboard as MMGY Global principal and will be responsible for leading strategy and elevating the travel agency’s New York profile. MMGY managing director Julie Freeman now becomes NJF managing director and will lead the newly minted unit’s strategy, team development, client service and day-to-day operations.
MMGY Global president & CEO Clayton Reid told O’Dwyer’s the agency believes the travel PR sector is currently undergoing a dramatic evolution, one which requires agencies to possess “media relationships as well as the research, strategy and content development tools to integrate an effective client approach.”
“We are building this practice through the existing strength of MMGY’s PR and social group as well as the integrated marketing services our global company offers,” Reid said. “NJFPR is the perfect complement to this strategy.”
New York-headquartered MMGY, which was founded in 1981 and staffs more than 200 worldwide, maintains additional offices in Kansas City, Orlando, Ft. Myers and Madrid.
Gould+Partners managing partner Rick Gould and Buchbinder Tunick & Company partner Richard Goldstein were advisors to NJF and facilitated the transaction.
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