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| Jeff Lambert |
Lambert & Co. acquires the PR practice of 9thWonder, a Hispanic-owned firm with offices in Houston, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Argentina and Vietnam. The acquisition is part of a partnership and capital infusion between the two companies that aims to accelerate the growth of both of them, as well as deepening 9thWonder’s communications, public relations and multicultural market reach. As part of the agreement, Lambert & Co. Jeff Lambert will join the 9thWonder board. 9thWonder’s team will remain based in Houston, adding a Southern hub to Lambert’s offices in Michigan, New York and Arizona. “We both have an active M&A strategy that we believe will be compelling to owner entrepreneurs looking for an alternative to the agency networks,” said Lambert founder and CEO Jeff Lambert. Joining Lambert in the deal is an investor group led by Monika Mantilla, a fund manager and capital markets leader with a proven track record of investing in minority, women-led and diverse-owned companies.
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| Sissy DeMaria & Israel Kreps |
Kreps DeMaria Public Relations & Marketing spins off into two new agencies, Cultivate PR a Sissy DeMaria + Campbell + Acker Agency, led by Sissy DeMaria, and Kreps PR & Marketing, led by Israel Kreps. In an email to clients, Kreps and DeMaria said the new agencies would continue to share some strategic services, such as social media and digital marketing. With offices in Miami, New York and Los Angeles Cultivate PR will specialize in the real estate, automotive, luxury retail, wealth management, and hospitality industries. Ansley Campbell, previously vice president of Kreps DeMaria, has been appointed partner and president of the new agency. She is joined by Laura Acker, a prior senior vice president at Kreps DeMaria who will serve as president of the firm’s New York Office. Kreps DeMaria senior vice presidents Caroline Underwood, Melinda Sherwood and Veronica Villegas, former Senior Vice Presidents at Kreps DeMaria will be joining Kreps PR and Marketing, which will be based in Coral Gables, FL.
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Intrado Digital Media is launching Virtual Event Express, a self-service platform that streamlines the creation of online events. The platform lets users create branded events that can incorporate such features as live webcasts and engagement tools, with no coding required. Its capabilities include a customizable set of registration information; a lobby experience that can integrate welcome videos or messages; seamless creation of complex, multi-track agendas; and analytics and reporting tools that can provide insights on event performance. “With Virtual Event Express, we make virtual events available and accessible to a wider audience by significantly lowering the barriers to entry,” said Intrado Digital Media president Ben Chodor.
Brunner, a Pittsburgh-based integrated marketing agency, acquires AdSkate, an AI-powered creative analytics and marketing intelligence platform that helps brands and agencies optimize advertising performance... Augustine Agency launches Flavor Theory, a foodservice marketing practice aimed at helping restaurants, food manufacturers, distributors and institutional dining organizations grow their brands and businesses... The Acceleration Community of Companies releases a report finding that almost half (49 percent) of Gen Z sports fans say they have become interested in a new sport or athlete because of fan-created content or something entirely outside the sport. 
VPE Communications, which helps organizations authentically connect with diverse audiences, celebrates 38 years in business and announces a new ownership structure... Praytell expands into the Asian market with the opening of a new office in Singapore... The International Public Relations Network unveils a new visual identity and redesigned website. 
SourceCode Communications launches SourceCode Germany, establishing the agency's first office in continental Europe... Clario Group acquires Ted Miller Group, a Miami-founded agency focused on clients in the technology, travel & leisure and financial services sectors... Global Situation Room’s Global Risk Advisory Council is hosting a July 23 webinar that will go over the results of its new Reputation Risk Index.
Havas acquires MUT, a Barcelona-based firm focused on experiential marketing and sustainable events... IPREX lauches its AI Task Force...D S Simon Media, one of the first companies to produce a satellite media tour, celebrates its 40th anniversary... Washington Women in Public Relations is sponsoring an event that shows communications pros who work with associations how they can get their messages across clearly, credibly and courageously. “How Associations Lead with Strategic Storytelling,” at 6 p.m. on July 16.
TEAM LEWIS starts up its AI Practice... Thunderly launches a year-long storytelling campaign focused on how franchising can provide a pathway to business ownership... JIN, a European communications consulting group, introduces "AI Campaigning", a corporate offering designed to model and anticipate stakeholder behavior.
