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Purpose Worldwide, an “accountable marketing and communications consultancy,” has officially set up shop. Originally slated to launch at SXSW 2020, the firm, founded by former Blast PR principal Lana McGilvray, Xcelero chief marketing officer Julie Ginches and Blast account supervisor Cassady Nordeen, now plans to launch on Feb. 16. The agency says it is aimed at helping clients connect their purpose to their growth. In the year since its intended launch, Purpose has signed over 20 clients, including USAFacts (former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s data-driven not-for-profit) and Hugo, a Slack- and Google-backed future-of-work company.
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LLYC’s thought leadership center, LLYC IDEAS, releases a new report that says emotional issues will play an increasing role in consumer decisions this year. “The current crisis has revealed not only how fast we can become infected by a virus, but also how vulnerable we are to emotional contagion,” its 2021 Consumer Trends Report says. That has resulted in what it calls the “pandemic-born consumer,” who will place a premium on such issues as accessibility, safety, creativity and keeping things simple. To reach this new consumer, “brand empathy will be almost compulsory.” LLYC director of consumer engagement in Mexico Hugo Valdez says that “consumers will demand extra effort from brands in their commitments to people, closer relations, and making a real difference in their lives, whether that comes through empathy and emotional connection or through more rational aspects, such as proximity and immediacy when responding to their needs.” To see the full report, click here.
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WORKSHOP Washington, a public affairs and communications services initiative, is started up by Winston Agency managing director Bess Winston and Metro Strategies principal Maurice Daniel. The venture is designed to support organizations with small or inexperienced in-house teams, provide clients with quick access to senior counsel, or help clients with limited resources who are unable to enter into long-term commitments with traditional agencies. WORKSHOP’s sessions match clients with up to three senior specialists with the relevant functional expertise and issue or industry background. The firm says that those specialists include former award-winning journalists, executive alumni from top communications agencies, senior policy staff and strategists from Capitol Hill and the Executive Branch “Through our streamlined approach, clients receive the same level and quality of communications advice relied on by the largest players in Washington without all of the accompanying overhead costs,” Daniel said.
af&co., a San Francisco-based hospitality marketing and PR agency founded by Andrew Freeman, is marking its 20th anniversary... Notified launches Syndicated Articles... Crosby Marketing Communications selects four students from Anne Arundel Community College for its marketing scholars program.
KCSA Strategic Communications launches the KCSA AI Lab, which will develop proprietary AI systems to expand what strategic communications can achieve for PR and IR clients... Clipbook, a vertical AI platform for strategic communications and public affairs, closes a $3.3 million seed round co-led by Mark Cuban, Commonweal Ventures and Carpenter Capital... VizSense, a Boston-based AI influencer marketing agency, teams up with holographic storytelling company Geminai, to launch what they say is the next frontier in brand experiences: interactive holograms powered by AI.
Ways Marketing Solutions, a Saudi Arabia-based marketing and communications group, teams with H&K alum James Drewer and Cake founder Mike Mathieson, to launch Ways Global Communications with HQs in London and Riyadh... UNICEPTA, a media intelligence provider within Stagwell’s The Marketing Cloud, launches an integration with Microsoft 365 Copilot... MAD Global CEO Mike DuHaime has been named to New Jersey Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill’s transition team.
Ogilvy launches CultureCurrent, a social-first earned media offering that integrates cutting-edge technology with human cultural intuition to listen, identify, activate and amplify brand stories.... Forward Global, a risk and reputation management advisory firm, opens in Abu Dhabi... Lyons Broadcast PR marks its 20th anniversary with the introduction of new virtual production technology, enhanced media outreach tools, and integrated broadcast-digital strategies.
Meyocks launches Meyocks Research + Insights, a specialized marketing research unit... Crosby Montage Partners, a Small Business Administration-approved Mentor-Protégé joint venture between Crosby Marketing Communications and Montage Marketing Group, is awarded a GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract... Publicity For Good, a Nashville-based firm that works with purpose-driven brands, is giving away a year of public relations services, valued at $100,000.
