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Allen & Gerritsen “acqui-hires” Boston-based customer experience agency Carter Edwards & Co. The entire Carter Edwards team, including leaders Ryan Mulloy, Allie Lysak and Steffan Antonas will join A&G, bringing such clients as Toast, Biogen, Keurig Dr Pepper and Dunkin’. Carter Edwards has been part of A&G’s collaborator portfolio since 2019, partnering with the agency on work for Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts. A&G will now utilize Carter Edwards’ proprietary Northstar methodology, whichhelps businesses realize their vision, align on a strategy and take the requisite steps to bring ideas to fruition. “The marriage of communications and experiences is essential for brands to compete in today’s market — and they need them in one place," said A&G chief executive officer Andrew Graff.
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Gong Communications, which has offices in London and Nairobi, launches its Refugee Press Office. The office will act as a pro-bono PR and communications resource for refugee charities that do not have professional communications support, helping them to communicate their stories effectively, amplifying their voices and reaching changemakers and campaigners via introductions to key journalists. Gong will provide media relations support for up to ten charities per year through this initiative. “When we sat down as a team to choose which one charity we wanted to support, this issue of refugees and displaced people felt the most urgent,” said Gong project lead Hanna Hughes. “It proved too difficult to choose just one and so the idea of running a press office service that focuses on refugee issues was born.”
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The Core Strategic Group is acquiring Washington Media Group, a Washington, D.C. based, communications, advocacy, advertising and research firm. The transaction is expected to close later this year. WMG’s team members will immediately begin to integrate with CSG’s flagship public affairs firm, FSB Public Affairs. As part of the transition, WMG chairman and CEO Greg Vistica will serve as senior vice president and managing director of the FSB Public Affairs Washington, D.C. office. “WMG will further help us establish our presence in Washington, D.C.,” said CSG president and CEO Jeff Flint. CSG’s companies also include Belmont Digital Media, BadFish Media, C3 Public Strategies, Chariot Campaigns and Core Decision Analytics.
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers communications staff wins the 2021 Pete Rozelle Award, which is given out each year by the Football Writers of America to the NFL’s top PR operation. The Bucs won Super Bowl LV in February. This is the third win for the Bucs comms team, following wins in 2003 (following the team’s last Super Bowl win) and in 1997. The Bucs PR staff is led by vice president of communications Nelson Luis, with Michael Pehanich serving as director. “Those of us who cover this team daily have known for years what a great communications staff this is. Tom Brady’s arrival and a Super Bowl run merely put them on a bigger stage, and they shined under the most challenging circumstances of a pandemic,” said Jenna Laine, Buccaneers beat reporter for ESPN.com.
Mark Allen & Co. acquires Alban Communications, establishing its first Miami office... Buchalter, a business law firm, launches a crisis management and strategic response group... 5W PR expands its beauty practice to include TikTok Shop-aligned PR campaigns and creator amplification strategies.
Caster Communications is acquired by long-time agency leaders Alexandra Crabb and Peter Girard... DiGennaro Communications launches The Authority Studio, a freestanding content strategy and production offering... The Brandman Agency, which specializes in luxury travel and lifestyle, rebrands as Brandman.
Public Inc., a social impact agency based in Toronto and New York, acquires Rocket Social Impact, an advisory firm that works with nonprofit and corporate social impact organizations... Ruder Finn launches “What’s Next: The Ruder Finn Podcast,” a new platform hosted by CEO Kathy Bloomgarden... Crowe PR joins United Partners Network, a network of independent PR agencies with members across more than 65 markets worldwide.
Ruder Finn launches rf.Voices, an integrated influence offering that brings together AI-powered influencer marketing, customer advocacy and paid amplification under one measurable framework... The Pollack Group is accepting applications through March 31 for The Big Red Grant, a $40,000 pro bono strategic PR and marketing engagement program awarded to a nonprofit organization ready for growth... D S Simon Media releases a report that says almost seven in ten producers (68 percent) are more interested in airing a story when they know it has been optimized for AI.
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.
