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| Tom Cocuzza |
The Next Solutions Group acquires Wells Tech Advisors, which offers clients devOps as a service, platform architecture, data engineering, cloud service and vendor management and process optimization. Those services will complement Next Solutions Group’s offerings, which include corporate reputation/issues management, business intelligence and cybersecurity. Wells Tech Founders, which was founded in early 2022 by former Real Chemistry practice leader, technology services Tom Cocuzza, will be rebranded as NSG Technologies. “Tom and his teams have the ability to understand business goals, translate those into specific actions and then build the right solutions, often in highly regulated marketplaces,” said Next Solutions Group founder and CEO Raymond F. Kerins Jr.
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Clarity picks up Sefiani Communications Group, a strategic communications and reputation management agency based in Sydney, Australia. The acquisition is Clarity’s first in Asia Pacific, with more planned. Sefiani will continue to operate under the Sefiani brand for the foreseeable future, as part of the Clarity Global Group. Sefiani founder Robyn Sefiani joins Clarity’s global presidents’ board as president ANZ & reputation counsel. “Sefiani’s experienced, entrepreneurial and ambitious leadership team, and their high-caliber people delivering outstanding work for a world-class roster of clients, perfectly matched our ambitions,” said Clarity founder and CEO Sami McCabe.
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| Jessica Becker, Julian Obubo |
Manifest launches a new studio in Los Angeles, joining the agency’s studios in London, Manchester, Stockholm, Sweden and Melbourne. The California team will be led by agency principal and Manifest partner Julian Obubo, who will continue his responsibilities as the group’s global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion lead. At Manifest, he has worked with consumer and corporate clients including Krispy Kreme, TikTok, Durex and Pernod Ricard. “We’ve worked with brands in LA for a long time already,” said Manifest managing partner USA & Canada Jessica Becker. “Aside from the strategic opportunity to go fully bi-coastal, this investment is about broadening our creative and cultural inspiration.”
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.
