WPP ACQUIRES GLOVER PARK GROUP
WPP has acquired Glover Park Group, the Washington-based Democratic public affairs operation with more than 140 people.
GPG, which has revenue in the $60M range, is to operate as a standalone agency.
Founding partners and former advisors to Vice President Al Gore Carter Eskew, Chip Smith and Mike Feldman are to remain in charge for the “foreseeable future.”
Joe Lockhart, the other founding partner and Clinton White House spokesperson, exited for Facebook during the summer.
GPG works for clients such as Verizon Wireless, Visa, Korea, Toyota, Churchill Downs, Pfizer, News Corp., BNSF, American Postal Workers Union, United Federation of Teachers and ADP.
It also counseled Solyndra, the bankrupt solar power company that has been in the news due to its $540M federal loan guarantee.
GPG has offices in New York, Los Angeles and Boulder, Colo.
WPP has an extensive Washington PA presence via its Public Strategies Inc. and Burson-Marsteller’s Prime Policy Group units.
EL PASO LOOKS FOR IMAGE BOOST
El Paso, sister city of Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez which is plagued by drug-related violence, wants a PR firm to bolster its image.
The city’s RFP, according to a report on the El Paso Inc. site, says the “negative focus given to the issues plaguing Ciudad Juarez” affects the region’s “ability to recruit talent, attract visitors and causes anxiety.”
The branding campaign will build on El Paso’s high safety ratings by CQ Press for cities of more than 500K people. Last month, Newsweek gave El Paso its top ranking on a list of “can-do capitals” for progress based on the “quality-of-life” front.
According to the RFP, the city wants a PR firm to work with travel writers “with the aim of providing a positive, organic experience in their visits to El Paso.” It wants to “explore the non-traditional off-the-beaten path activity” available in the area.
The budget has not been determined. RFP link: http://odwpr.us/sLiuir. |
