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ICR completes an investment from institutional investor Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec to support the agency’s growth and expansion. Global provider and manager of alternative investment products Investcorp, which first invested in ICR in 2018, will also remain an investor in the firm. “ICR has created a remarkable value proposition for companies and their leadership teams thanks to its unique portfolio of services, high‑quality network and the distinctive profile of its client-facing team members,” said CDPQ executive VP and head of private equity and capital solutions Martin Laguerre. Jefferies LLC served as lead financial advisor, while William Blair also served as financial advisor for Investcorp and ICR. Credit Suisse served as financial advisor and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP as legal counsel for CDPQ.
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MARCO, a Madrid-based agency with offices in cities including Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris and Mexico City, acquires a majority stake in Africa Communications Media Group, an African-owned agency with headquarters in Johannesburg. ACG has worked with such clients as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mercedes Benz, Bloomberg and Ethiopian Airlines. ACG founder and CEO Mimi Kalinda will work with MARCO founder and CEO Didier Lagae on company branding, and she will also lead the communications operation to support MARCO clients in the sub-Saharan market. “The acquisition of ACG with their direct presence in three key markets plus an indirect presence in another 40 delivers the expansion we were looking for,” said Lagae. Kalinda added that “being part of the MARCO family translated into real opportunities for our clients to not only build their brands and reputations in Africa but also well beyond the continent’s borders.”
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North 6th Agency’s #Pitching4Purpose initiative, which was launched in 2019, reaches the $50,000 mark in contributions made to non-profit organizations. Each month, N6A firm tallies the total number of client results secured across the agency, which include everything from digital and print articles to broadcast, radio, and podcast segments, and reflects those results in donations to a selected charity. In addition to such national charities as the American Cancer Society, the Michael J. Fox Foundation and Meals on Wheels, N6A staff chose to contribute to such groups as the WIN Foundation, which supports individuals and families in addiction recovery and Operation Backpack, which provides grade-specific school supplies to students living in New York City homeless or domestic violence shelters. “We launched this initiative as a way for the agency to backup its hard work with actions that impact positive changem” said N6A chief executive officer Daniela Mancinelli.
FleishmanHillard has launched an “America 250” unit to help clients capitalize on the events tied to the celebration of the semiquincentennial of the US.
Supreme Group launches Supreme Intelligence FDE+ (Forward Deployed Expert), a service model that embeds AI-native domain experts directly inside client organizations to architect and build custom AI solutions... LaVoie Strategic Communications Group announced that the federal trademark registrations for its LHS Immersion and LHS Fifteen-Slide Presentation have been renewed... Sprout Social introduces an AI-powered social intelligence platform designed to help organizations operationalize real-time, unfiltered market conversations at scale.
Ever Wondered, a London-based advisory firm focused on helping companies deliver clear, consistent messages across every channel in AI search, launches... The Museum of Public Relations launches platform that allows users to connect with an AI persona of Edward Bernays, based entirely on his own writings... PRGN releases a study in which 89 percent of business leaders surveyed said hey find brand influence as “extremely” or “very” important.
BGR Analytics rates Texas as the best state for AI investors to place their money, according to its newly launched BGR Best States for AI Investment Index... Pierpont Communications, a PR and integrated digital marketing agency headquartered in Houston, expands into South Florida... The Pollack Group names Project Petals as the recipient of its 2026 Big Red Grant.
LaVoie Strategic Communications Group launches an integrated market platform and redesigned website meant to reflect the agency’s evolving role advising healthcare, life sciences and government organizations... Highwire publishes “Passing the Torch: A Framework for CEO Transition Communication for Professional Services Businesses"... Auris, a communications lab backed by a strategic investment from Helios & Partners, launches.
