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Wunderlich Kaplan dropped Thrive Philanthropy as a client after it was revealed that a purportedly celebrity-studded conference that Thrive was organizing had never confirmed any of the celebrities it was using to promote the event. The Connect Summit, scheduled for June 23 and 24, touted the participation of George and Amal Clooney, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, Charlize Theron, and Steph and Aisha Curry. Deadline has confirmed that none of them said they had agreed to appear at the conference. Tickets for the event were going for as much as $1799. “Regrettably, due to fraudulent information provided to us by our client Stephanie Lapensee the founder of Thrive Philanthropy, the creator of the Connect Summit, our agency, Wunderlich Kaplan Communications no longer represents this project,” Wunderlich Kaplan president and partner Dara Kaplan said in a statement. “We are horrified about the situation and will be working diligently to make sure that all information put out there is corrected.”
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Weber Shandwick is offering college students and recent grads a way to combine the media savvy they already possess with an understanding of the real-life implications of developing media technologies and the issues facing digital communicators. Hosted by chief innovation officer Chris Perry, the Fellows Edition of the agency’s Media Genius Master Class aims to raise the “media IQ” of participants through insights from its media experts, interviews with special guests and interactive experiences. The five-week online class will address such topics as the impact of disinformation, emerging media formats, the shifting influencer landscape, the role of culture in PR and marketing, and how brands are navigating major industry changes. The one-hour sessions will run Wednesdays at 11 a.m. from June 24 through July 22. Prospective students can apply for spots in the class until June 5 by clicking here. Those who are accepted will be notified by June 12.
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Steller.co CEO Pete Bryant and Wagstaff Media and Marketing president Mary Wagstaff are partnering on a program in support of the South Australian Tourism Commission, a longtime Wagstaff client. #LoveWhereYouLiveSA is a platform that lets South Australian operators and creatives inform and motivate travelers. Assets include a mobile-first platform dedicated to travel storytelling; distribution to on-line social and marketing channels, and influencer connections. Initially focused on COVID-19 recovery, the program will be executed on-site at the destinations once international travel restrictions are lifted. “Through this partnership, we will be able to share the South Australian experience, digitally, building awareness of our destination while the world recovers, and driving demand domestically and internationally, once we are all able to travel again,” says SATC executive director of marketing Brent Hill.
4media group completes its acquisition of Family Features Editorial Syndicate... Illumination PR, which represents lifestyle brands, influencers and celebrities, launches DR Media Group... EAG Advertising and Marketing acquires pay-for-performance firm INK inc. Public Relations. 
LLYC launches Signs of Pride, a campaign that revives the original protest banners of the first Pride marches... The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry forms the Public Relations and Digital Marketing Working Group... Circle of One Marketing, a Miami-based, minority-owned marketing agency, is named official agency of record for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami. 
Vogel Group, a DC-headquartered government affairs and consulting firm, forms a strategic partnership with Montreal-based public affairs firm Boléro Stratégies... Matter Communications launches project-based offerings for B2C companies looking to increase brand awareness and visibility... Tucker/Hall, a Tampa-based PR and public affairs firm, opens a new office in Orlando. 
Why investing in public relations is ultimately about building bridges in a connected world.
Edelman is laying off 330 people (5.3 percent of its workforce) to cope with an anticipated eight percent shortfall in 2024 US revenues, and client demand for one-stop shopping for speciality services.
