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SCS, a brand transformation agency, merges with Atlanta-based independent digital performance marketing agency Swarm. The combined company will operate under the SCS brand name and include 100 people across offices in Atlanta, Southern California and Ottawa, Canada. Swarm CEO Tom Ellis will now serve as chief revenue officer of SCS and Swarm SVP, marketing and implementation; Alexa Ellis becomes SCS chief operating officer. The Ellises founded Swarm in 2009. SCS founder and CEO James Schiefer will remain in his position, as will president and chief strategy officer Jeff Roach. “We were attracted to Swarm because of its founders’ commitment to employees and clients as well as its strength in digital, media and DTC focus, designing compelling campaigns and communications across a variety of brands and to a variety of consumers,” said Schiefer.
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ICR launches “Welcome to the Arena,” a podcast featuring interviews with CEOs, CFOs, financial analysts, members of the media, investment bankers, private equity executives and those who influence and create value for public and private equity backed companies. Hosted by ICR co-founder and CEO Tom Ryan, the podcast debuts Aug. 18, with new content released every two weeks. Among the podcast’s first guests are Piper Sandler managing director, senior research analyst Nicole Miller Regan; Baron Capital vice president, portfolio manager Laird Bieger; and ICR president Don Duffy. “We are thrilled to launch our new podcast and allow companies to proactively drive the conversation with stakeholders while listening to other thought leaders that can influence their businesses and build equity value,” said Ryan. The podcast will be accessible on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or anywhere else podcasts are available.
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The Global Steering Group for Impact Investment is one of the groups behind a new awards program intended to recognize outstanding examples of impact investing communications. The Impact Narrative Awards are open to any organization involved in impact investing and the wider ecosystem (social entrepreneurs, accelerators/incubators, market builders). San Francisco-based Thinkshift Communications will develop a communications strategy for the awards program and Thinkshift principal Sandra Stewart will serve as one of the competition’s judges. Entries are due August 23. There is no fee to enter either of the two categories, one for narratives addressing governments and the other for those aimed at the financial sector. “Too often communications about impact investing are complex and confusing, and these awards will champion those who are succeeding at storytelling,” said Stewart.
Page launches the Polansky Future Leaders Fund, which was established through a gift from 2025 Page Hall of Fame inductee and former Weber Shandwick Global CEO Andy Polansky... Ruder Finn reintroduces its website, ruderfinn.com, which will now feature a large language model (LLM) as its primary user interface... Higher Plane Media is launched by former Sloane & Company CEO Darren Brandt.
Champion, which specializes in restaurant, franchise and consumer brands, opens a Miami office, adding to its operations in Dallas and Los Angeles... Violet PR, a Montclair, NJ-based firm that focuses on economic development, commercial real estate and place branding, opens a second office on Park Avenue South in New York... Inflection Point, a founder-led, senior growth systems partner for startups and growth-stage businesses, launches... PRSA announces the recipients of its inaugural Women of Impact Awards. Honorees honorees were recognized during the PRSA Women of Impact Summit & Awards at the Union League Club of Chicago.
FleishmanHillard is shuttering its 20-member Dublin office as Omnicom Public Relations reorganizes its global operations... Vested acquires Watermark, a D.C.-based public affairs and special situations firm.... Matter earns two Pinnacle Awards 2026 Marketing & Communications honors for its clients.
Quad/Graphics launches Direct, a Quad Agency to help marketers create, execute and measure direct marketing campaigns in one connected offering... InnoVision Marketing Group SVP/senior creative director Giselle Campos and SVP/general manager Alanna Markey are among the first-ever winners of the San Diego Business Journal’s Indispensables Awards, which recognizes professionals who make the greatest impact within their organizations and across the San Diego business community... Park Place Technologies, an IT infrastructure services firm that works with Feintuch Communications, releases the second episode of its “The Savvy CIO” podcast. 
Ripley PR is named a silver winner in the TITAN American Business Awards’ Outstanding PR Campaign category... Excellera, a corporate-advisory firm, came in at number one in deal count, as well as fourth in deal value, in Mergermarket’s list of top EMEA firms... Thunderly is telling the stories of military veterans who transferred the discipline, organization and leadership skills developed in service to their country into successful post-military careers as franchise business owners, as part of its year-long "American Dreamers: The Stories of Franchising" effort.
