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LLYC is purchasing a 70 percent stake in advertising agency CHINA, which continues to operate independently. CHINA’s founding partners—Marta Aguirrezabal, Rafa Antón and Pedro Calderón—will maintain a stake in the agency and continue to direct it. The addition of CHINA is intended to help LLYC develop its creative disciplines. It will also give CHINA, thanks to LLYC’s network, access to additional brand collaborations and multinational projects. “With CHINA, we strengthen what we offer our clients in line with market demands that increasingly focus more on integrating services and solutions, that include strategic vision, creativity and a smart use of technology,” said LLYC founding partner and president José Antonio Llorente.
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Carolyn Izzo Integrated Communications marks its 25th anniversary with a new look and branding campaign. To develop the “rebranding,” CIIC PR collaborated with lifestyle branding agency Madison Melle, which focused on key research, brand pillars and the importance of imagery to convey CIIC’s vision, experience and passion. Their work resulted in a refreshed logo, website and associated collateral materials. A certified woman-owned business, CIIC will continue its anniversary celebration throughout the year with special initiatives to assist other female-owned companies and women in PR, reinforcing its commitment to support women in business. "Leveling the playing field for women in PR and advocating for women-owned brands has been a passion of CIIC since its inception,” said CIIC executive director and partner Amy Sedeño.
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Milk & Honey PR has transferred 55 percent of its group shares to an Employee Ownership Trust. As a result, 52 percent of Milk & Honey employees are now co-owners, qualifying after 12 months at the agency. This entitles them to actively influence strategic decisions made by the business, as well as share in profits tax free—up to £3,600 ($5,000) per person per year. The EOT is guided by a Team Council, with a remit to scrutinize and guide the decision-making of Hive Group (the holding company for Milk & Honey PR in Australia, UK and North America). “This new EOT structure means we can legally empower the team to be more actively involved in the direction of their business and do so in a more tax efficient manner,” said Milk & Honey PR founder and CEO Kirsty Leighton.
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.
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. 
