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Weber Shandwick says that while it has only made slight progress in boosting workplace diversity numbers over the past year, the agency has committed itself to “foundational progress” geared toward bringing those numbers up. Black employees holding positions at the executive vice president level or above nudged up from 2.5 percent in 2019 to 3.4 percent in 2020. For Hispanic or Latino employees, that number rose from 1.2 percent in 2019 to 2 percent last year. The number listed as white dropped from 88.9 percent to 85 percent. Among the strategies the firm says it will employ to bring those figures in line with the composition of the overall population are strengthening its diverse talent pipeline and changing its internal career development processes to counter the effects of racial bias. “We have made some meaningful moves that we believe will have a real impact on our organization and our journey toward diversity, inclusivity and anti-racism,” the company said in a release.
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Allen & Gerritsen launches “Protect Our Press,” an initiative enlisting agencies, brands, and publishers in the fight to help save local newspapers. The program asks participants to invest 20 percent of their programmatic advertising spend to direct or collective news buys and also urges the removal of news from exclusion lists. It also asks participants to evaluate direct deals with local newspapers as part of the RFP process and pushes for commitments to maintaining support for media buys already invested in local journalism. “It’s time to admit that the advertising industry has been culpable in the decline of local journalism,” says Will Phipps, senior vice president of media, A&G. “Agencies have been complicit by excluding ‘news’ from clients’ plans, fearing the unpredictable nature of the category." Interested parties can find out more on the Protect Our Press campaign site.
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ResourceOne Fundraising Group, a Moore company, has rebranded as Altus Marketing. The name change is intended to distinguish Altus Marketing’s fundraising and marketing solutions from the printing and production services of Moore’s ResourceOne unit. Altus Marketing provides integrated fundraising solutions to nonprofit, ministry and membership organizations. Altus Marketing’s new branding and marketing approach is effective immediately and will be implemented across company offices, digital presences, products and services. John Wilkinson formerly SVP, client strategy & success at One & All Agency, will join Altus as vice president of client services. “Embracing the Altus Marketing brand is fitting, as the company’s success shows they are developing marketing and fundraising solutions that elevate their clients’ growth through integrated, fully custom and locally relevant campaigns,” said Moore CEO Gretchen Littlefield.
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.
Karsh Hagan and Madden Media join forces as KHM... Endeavor Communications opens an office in the Harbor Point neighborhood of Stamford, CT... Big Red Oak, a Toronto-based communications firm, and D.C. area-based PA firm New Hill Consulting have launched a joint service exclusively for companies in the nuclear energy sector... The Pollack Group has partnered with Brandi AI, a platform for enterprise brand intelligence, AI visibility and Generative Engine Optimization.
Real Chemistry acquires Spurwing Communications, which advises pharmaceutical and healthcare organizations—as well as clients across a broader range of industries—throughout APAC... 5W AI Communications (5WPR) is moving its headquarters from New York to Florida (Miami, Tampa)... Valence Communications, which will focus on biopharmaceutical companies, launches under Matt Middleman, who was founder and CEO at LifeSci Communications.
Moburst, which specializes in digital marketing and AI-powered solutions, acquires Amazon marketing agency Hyperzon... The Public Relations Global Network launches its Health Practice Group, which brings together more than 20 independent agencies across four continents to support health care, life sciences and pharma organizations... ICR’s newly released Q2 2026 SPAC Market Update & Outlook shows a healthy environment for IPOs... Red Banyan, a senior-level crisis management, litigation PR, and reputation management firm, makes its first appearance in the Chambers and Partners listings.
Deerfield Group, a marketing, communications and media firm focused on the healthcare and life sciences sectors, receives a strategic majority investment from Martis Capital, a private equity firm... Bospar and market research firm Propeller Insights release the results of a study that shows public understanding of AI and the role it plays in brand discoverability is lagging behind the progress of the technology itself... Highwire launches AcroIntelligence, a proprietary Large Media Model designed to help companies identify emerging narratives, understand competitive shifts, and make faster, more informed decisions.
