WPP

WPP has been named an industry leader in the 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, which recognizes companies that are committed to transparency in gender reporting and advancing women’s equality. WPP is the only ad/PR company to be included on the list of 230 firms that includes Adobe, American Express, Goldman Sachs and Walmart. The GEI looks at how companies promote gender equality across four areas: company statistics, policies, community engagement and products and services. “WPP’s GEI inclusion is a strong indicator to its employees, investors and industry peers alike that it is leading by example to advance ongoing efforts for a truly inclusive workplace,” said Peter T. Grauer, chairman of Bloomberg and founding chairman of the U.S. 30% Club

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic

Believe Advertising, a PR, advertising and events agency, was behind a high-tech event that brought ATP No. 1 men’s player Novak Djokovic together with what might be his most formidable opponent: a specially created avatar of himself in a virtual reality computer game. The event, which coincides with the Australian Open, was sponsored by watch manufacturer SEIKO. It gave tennis fans a chance to battle it out against the virtual Djokovic, with the top four players meeting the tennis star, who presented each of them with a limited edition SEIKO Novak Djokovic watch. Believe has worked with Djokovic twice before—on an event from HEAD Tennis that showed him hitting a tennis ball faster than a speeding car, as well as on the international announcement of his becoming the world’s No. 1 rated player.

SpeakerBox

REQ has acquired SpeakerBox, a strategic communications and public relations firm serving the B2B and B2G technology sector. SpeakerBox, which was founded in 1997 by Elizabeth Shea, works with clients in such industries as financial services, government, healthcare, legal and education, with the goal of helping bring new technologies to market. Shea and her team will become part of the REQ team. “The addition of SpeakerBox’s award-winning capabilities in media relations, editorial content, and thought leadership complements and scales our suite of data-driven marketing solutions,” said REQ CEO and founder Tripp Donnelly.