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| Tim Bell |
The weaponization of communications and the rise of the notorious British PR firm and its leader Tim “The Fixer” Bell, is the subject of the “Influence” documentary that was a finalist in the grand jury prize category at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020.
Bell Pottinger imploded in September 2017 after it fomented racial tensions in South Africa in support of its beleaguered former president Jacob Zuma and the Gupta family.
The firm also was the “go-to” firm for the Bush II administration’s selling of the Iraq war. It hauled in $500M from 2004 to 2011 for its work on behalf of the Pentagon, CIA and National Security Council.
Bell rose to power after serving as the image-maker of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
Influence directors Diana Neille and Richard Poplak have made the film free to watch for people living in the UK and South Africa “to help arm citizens with the information they need to better understand the industry, according to the documentary’s website.
Americans may buy/rent the firm on the Apple, Google and YouTube platforms or through providers Comcast, Verizon Fios and Dish.
4media group completes its acquisition of Family Features Editorial Syndicate... Illumination PR, which represents lifestyle brands, influencers and celebrities, launches DR Media Group... EAG Advertising and Marketing acquires pay-for-performance firm INK inc. Public Relations. 
LLYC launches Signs of Pride, a campaign that revives the original protest banners of the first Pride marches... The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry forms the Public Relations and Digital Marketing Working Group... Circle of One Marketing, a Miami-based, minority-owned marketing agency, is named official agency of record for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami. 
Vogel Group, a DC-headquartered government affairs and consulting firm, forms a strategic partnership with Montreal-based public affairs firm Boléro Stratégies... Matter Communications launches project-based offerings for B2C companies looking to increase brand awareness and visibility... Tucker/Hall, a Tampa-based PR and public affairs firm, opens a new office in Orlando. 
Why investing in public relations is ultimately about building bridges in a connected world.
Edelman is laying off 330 people (5.3 percent of its workforce) to cope with an anticipated eight percent shortfall in 2024 US revenues, and client demand for one-stop shopping for speciality services.
