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The Institute for Public Relations and Peppercomm have released an e-book focused on COVID-19’s effect on PR, as well as other critical issues. Topics covered in “Leadership Perspectives: Leading and Looking Ahead Through COVID-19” include the increased importance of internal communications; diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; corporate purpose; returning to work; and the future of business and the industry. The ebook features profiles and interviews from such communications executives and corporate leaders as Stagwell Group vice chair of marketing and communications agencies Ray Day, Hotwire North America CEO Barbara Bates, W2O principal Gary F. Grates and Public Affairs Council president Doug Pinkham. It is the third co-branded report released by IPR and Peppercomms during the COVID-19 crisis. To access the book, click here.
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Denver-based Icon Source, an on-demand digital marketplace that connects aspiring brands and professional athletes, has launched. The startup bills itself as the only platform that provides brands of all sizes direct communication with agents, eliminating intermediate steps to engage with a professional athlete. The more than 500 athletes on the platform are paired with brands based on social audience demographics. Companies can also run organic searches for athletes based on schedule, demographics, sports and personal interests. Founded by former Red Bull athlete marketing manager Chase Garrett, Icon Source provides strategy and production services in addition to its marketplace platform. “As social media and online platforms continue to transform our ability to access and interact with people, and as the college market begins to embrace compensation, it is an ideal time to create a secure and simple communication channel to connect directly to athletes and/or their agents for engagements,” said Garrett.
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| Eddie Reeves |
Vianovo, a strategy consultancy with offices in Austin, Mexico City and Washington, DC, has acquired Dallas-based Reeves Strategy Group. RSG founder Eddie Reeves will join Vianovo as partner. Before starting his own company, Reeves co-led the media relations practice of Austin-based Public Strategies Inc. Earlier in his career, Reeves was as press secretary for former U.S. Rep. J.J. ”Jake” Pickle and Houston Mayor Kathy Whitmire. The deal, intended to bolster Vianovo’s capabilities and presence in Texas and across the U.S. and Mexico, comes five months after Matt Hirsch, former deputy chief of staff and communications director for Texas Governor Greg Abbott, joined Vianovo as partner in its Austin office.
PSC (Princeton Strategic Communications) acquires Nonprofit Partners... CG Life launches 24/364, a cultural brand platform intended to drive awareness, connection and action aimed at keeping rare disease at the forefront of the health and social conversation... Interluxe Group, which focuses on brand experiences and in-person activations; Quinn, a strategic communications agency; and media and digital agency North & Warren are uniting under the Interluxe Group banner.
KITH, which provides corporate reputation and crisis preparation services, is now owned by CEO Stephanie Craig, who has been with the firm since 2021... The Marketing Cloud, a part of Stagwell, introduces several expansions to Agent Cloud, the platform it launched in October 2025 to simplify access to its AI tools and marketing assistants.... Notified launches its AI Press Release Optimizer.
V2 Communications launches its AI Visibility Solution and Earned Media at Scale, two service offerings designed to help companies increase visibility and credibility in generative search... The Public Relations Global Network brings on Greenough Communications as its Boston member agency... DBC is relaunching The DBC Industry Calendar as a free site to help communicators more easily discover relevant events and awards in the cluttered event landscape driven by the growth of webinars and online events. 
PAN releases new original research showing that a significant share of B2B citations surfaced by ChatGPT are inaccurate, misattributed or entirely fabricated, introducing a new credibility risk for brands... REQ, which has offices in DC and San Diego, opens in Phoenix... Notified introduces Market Intelligence, an addition to its all-in-one IR Hub, which gives IR teams a more streamlined way to prepare for earnings calls.
FGS Global is collaborating with The 350 Club, a closed community for board members and leaders of large global companies... Impact XM, a portfolio company of global investment firm The Riverside Company, acquires Jack Morton from Omnicom... Southwest Strategies Group, a San Diego-based firm with offices in Fresno, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle, rebrands as Bodewell Group, unifying its family of agencies into a single strategic communications firm.
