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| Anne McCarthy |
Novitas Communications acquires the CCO-CMO Roundtable from Anne McCarthy, founder and president of Westmeath Global Communications and 6x6 Careers, LLC. The Roundtable is an invitation-only off-the-record gathering for senior marketing and communications professionals. In addition to discussing industry trends and peer-to-peer sharing of issues and experiences, each meeting typically highlights a members’ actual business challenge and the success or failure behind the strategy. “Novitas will build upon Anne’s success and elevate business communications by providing a space for communications and marketing professionals to learn from one another’s experiences,” said Novitas Communications CEO Michelle Lyng.
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Landor & Fitch, a specialist brand and design group, opens a studio at the Waterfront Innovation Centre in Toronto, where it will be co-located with other WPP agencies. The new studio will be led by Scott Beffort, who has spent the last nine years with TAXI, where he has led the growth of their strategic design offering as president of Signal. Landor & Fitch Canada’s client roster includes the Toronto Blue Jays, Dell and Walmart. “Landor & Fitch will be a rich complement to our current services in Canada and will allow us to create even more value for (new and existing) clients,” says Arthur Fleishman, Country Manager for WPP in Canada.
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Vibrant Brands, a Latham, NY firm that provides digital marketing, design, website development, video and branding services to nonprofits, businesses and government agencies, is celebrating 20 years in business by donating a total of $20,000 to different organizations throughout the year. Charities receiving funds include the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, Pride Center of the Capital Region, Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NY, Alzheimer’s Disease Association and NAACP New York State. Vibrant Brands is kickstarting the giving campaign by donating $1,000 to the World Central Kitchen, which serves fresh meals to Ukrainian families fleeing their homes or staying in place as Russia invades the country.
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| Marla Russo |
Bella PR will mark 20 years as a women-owned agency on April 22. The agency, which operates out of New York and London, now boasts a team of 20+ women offering public relations, social media, influencer marketing and creative services. Launched by company CEO Marla Russo, it serves clients including Kinky-Curly, which offers a range of hair-care products. The agenct previously introduced international beauty brand Kryolan to the US consumer market and supported the opening of numerous stores throughout the country.
PKPR, a New York-based boutique shop, launches a book publicity division focused on nonfiction authors... Palantir Technologies and Stagwell form a partnership to create an AI-driven platform for marketers... The Conference Board is presenting a Nov. 18-19 event at the Brooklyn Marriott that will look at the priorities, challenges and opportunities facing AI decision-makers today.
Gregory FCA is marking its 35th anniversary with a comprehensive rebrand... Madden Media, a Tucson-based agency, teams with Denver-based Karsh Hagan... Jasper, an AI content automation platform, launches Jasper Grid, an interface that allows marketing teams to create and orchestrate content across a range of channels, audiences and regions.
Sommerfield Communications, a corporate, financial, and crisis shop that was acquired by Allison Worldwide in early 2021, re-launches as an independently owned firm... D S Simon Media launches a broadcast media tour designed to enhance Generative Engine Optimization... The Public Relations Society of America’s ICON 2025 Conference brought together close to 2,100 in DC from Oct. 28-30.
CorpBridge Advisors is launched by Bob Christie (Brunswick and Alibaba Group veteran) and Russ Rubino (Nasdaq and Intercontinental Exchange/NYSE alum)... Golin marked its 30th anniversary in Miami with an Oct. 23 gathering that celebrated its new outpost in Coral Gables... The Notability Company debuted at the PRSA annual ICON Conference in Washington.
Padilla launches Padilla GEO 3D, a service that aims to improve generative AI search results for brands and organizations... Bader Rutter, a Milwaukee-based B2B marketing agency, unveils the Chef Advisory Network, an initiative designed to bring the voice of the kitchen into food company boardrooms... Dilenschneider Group founder and principal Robert Dilenschneider’s new book, Respect: How to Change the World One Interaction at a Time, was released on Oct. 28 by Wiley... Blue Highway Advisory and Blue Highway Global, founded by former Mercury Public Affairs managing director Ian McCaleb in 2022, rebrands.
