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IPG Mediabrands is holding what it calls an “Equity Upfront” the week of March 15. Led by Mediabrands entity MAGNA, a global media investment and intelligence company, the weeklong event is intended to raise visibility and receptivity of Black-owned and targeted media businesses. It will highlight entities across all media (i.e., linear, video/streaming, digital, radio and print). Among the confirmed partners are Allen Media Group/Entertainment Studios, BET Network, Essence Communications and Urban One. Confirmed Mediabrands clients participating include American Express, BMW, CVS Health/Aetna and Johnson & Johnson. “The Equity Upfront is an opportunity to enact real change by increasing investment in often underrepresented media businesses that reflect the significant influence of Black consumers and trendsetters in the economy,” said Mediabrands global CEO Daryl Lee.
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Acceleration Partners acquires the agency business of R.O.EYE, a Manchester-based performance marketing agency. The remainder of the R.O.EYE business was acquired by global affiliate network Awin. Since many of the R.O.EYE clients who will now be managed by Acceleration Partners also operate affiliate programs on Awin, the transaction further strengthens the relationship between the network and agency, who already work together in the UK and US. "It was vitally important to me that we found the right agency to acquire this part of the business. I know the team at Acceleration Partners well, and they will continue the great service we have delivered over the years," said R.O.EYE founder Mark Kuhillow. The R.O.EYE acquisition is Acceleration Partners’ second since partnering with Mountaingate Capital. In January, the agency announced the acquisition of Streamline Marketing.
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5W Public Relations launches an online gambling public relations division. The agency says that the new division will allow a focused and strategic approach to online gambling, casinos, lotto and sports betting clients. PR services offered to online gambling and lottery clients include messaging and positioning, media relations, visibility programs, content creation, partnerships and celebrity relations, digital media campaigns, event planning, thought leadership and speaking opportunities. "With regulations varying nationally, advancements in technologies that enhance the gaming experience and the surge in people connecting virtually, online gambling has become a hot and rapidly evolving business," said 5WPR CEO and founder Ronn Torossian.
Precision Strategies, an integrated strategy and marketing agency with offices in Washington and New York, acquires Firehouse Strategies, a DC-based public affairs firm... AVENIR GLOBAL acquires London-based Thinks Insight & Strategy... Good Company, which bills itself as a “cultural engineering firm,” is launched by DJ Hardy, a veteran of Johannesburg-based communications consultancy arxna and M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment and Casey Stickles, who has worked at 5WPR, Rubenstein and MWW.
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.
