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| LeBron James |
Interpublic Group is teaming with The SpringHill Company, the media conglomerate led by LeBron James and business partner Maverick Carter, on IPG x The SpringHill Company, an effort that will focus on connecting SpringHill’s community of creators with IPG clients. Each company will dedicate resources to the joint venture, charged with identifying new opportunities to pair IPG’s clients with The SpringHill Company’s creative roster. The partnership, which was announced during a panel with executives from IPG and The SpringHill Company at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity, is the first between SpringHill and a global advertising and marketing holding company. “IPG’s people, clients and communities will all benefit from close collaboration with The SpringHill Company as we look to spark important, and sometimes difficult, conversations, elevate voices that need to be heard and help our clients connect with new creative perspectives and purpose-driven projects,” said IPG chief executive officer Philippe Krakowsky.
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Cornerstone Government Affairs opens an office in Frankfort, Kentucky, and adds staffers in its Oklahoma, Maine and Colorado locations. The Frankfort office will initially include Katelyn Bunning, Cornerstone principal and former legislative director to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Karen Kelly, former district director to the Dean of the House of Representatives Hal Rogers (R-KY); and Ethan Witt, former assistant vice president of government and community relations for Eastern Kentucky University, with additional support from Cornerstone principal Will Smith. The new Kentucky office and the additional capabilities in other states mark a significant expansion of the firm’s national footprint, adding to existing offices in Washington, DC, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas.
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| Mark Riordan |
Summit Strategy Group, a corporate reputation, public affairs and ESG consulting firm, forms a healthcare practice. Headquartered in Dallas, the practice will provide services including stakeholder research, strategic narrative development, issue advocacy and risk management/rapid response to emerging issues. Mark Riordan, who was most recently vice president, stakeholder engagement at Texas Health Resources, will lead the practice. “Negotiations with payers and providers, addressing calls for greater pricing transparency, and the emergence of ESG in the health sector are among many of the issues to be addressed,” said Riordan.
Mark Allen & Co. acquires Alban Communications, establishing its first Miami office... Buchalter, a business law firm, launches a crisis management and strategic response group... 5W PR expands its beauty practice to include TikTok Shop-aligned PR campaigns and creator amplification strategies.
Caster Communications is acquired by long-time agency leaders Alexandra Crabb and Peter Girard... DiGennaro Communications launches The Authority Studio, a freestanding content strategy and production offering... The Brandman Agency, which specializes in luxury travel and lifestyle, rebrands as Brandman.
Public Inc., a social impact agency based in Toronto and New York, acquires Rocket Social Impact, an advisory firm that works with nonprofit and corporate social impact organizations... Ruder Finn launches “What’s Next: The Ruder Finn Podcast,” a new platform hosted by CEO Kathy Bloomgarden... Crowe PR joins United Partners Network, a network of independent PR agencies with members across more than 65 markets worldwide.
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.
