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| Erik Smith |
Blue Engine Message & Media + JDA Frontline is rebranding as Seven Letter. The rebrand completes a merger process that began last fall 2018 when Blue Engine Message & Media joined forces with JDA Frontline. The Washington-based firm came up with the Seven Letter name after noting that many of the words it uses to describe its client work (content, insight, message, digital, results, etc.) are made up of seven letters. “We solve problems with words—that’s at the core of who we are as a firm and what we do for our clients,” said Seven Letter founding partner Erik Smith. The firm works with issue advocacy coalitions, nonprofits, corporations and associations, offering such services as reputation and brand management, digital strategy, coalition development, content creation and crisis management.
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| Marianne van Barneveld |
PR World Alliance elected Marianne van Barneveld, founder of Marcommit, The Netherlands, as president at its annual general assembly meeting in Paris. The organization also re-elected Catherine Kablé, managing partner, Kablé Communication, and Christian Josephi, president, Panama PR, to new three-year terms. The other board members are Feintuch Communications president Henry Feintuch, who continues as CFO; and NBS Communications co-founder Anna Krajewska. PRWA also adopted a new strategic plan with a heavy focus on delivering value to members and their clients. It reviewed PRWA’s new website and an exchange program allowing personnel in member firms to apply for one- to two-week business/learning exchange visits. Members also agreed to accelerate the growth of the network by targeting priority countries for expansion.
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| Amanda Cimaglia |
Solebury Trout IR/financial communications firm has launched an Environmental, Social and Governance practice area. Managing director Amanda Cimaglia will lead the offering, titled Solebury Trout ESG 360, reflecting the holistic nature of the practice, which encompasses investor relations and corporate communications initiatives. Cimaglia is joining Solebury Trout from Hannon Armstrong, an investor in climate change solutions, where she most recently led the investor relations function and ESG reporting initiatives. “ESG continues to be a growing area of opportunity across our client base and the broader market,” said Solebury Trout CEO Jeff Grossman. Solebury Trout is affiliated with equity capital markets advisory firm Solebury Capital, which has advised on nearly 700 equity transactions since its founding 15 years ago.
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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