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| Geoff Redick |
Baker Public Relations launches a public affairs practice. The practice will assist agency clients in such areas as winning bond votes, mounting successful election campaigns, earning public support for legislative priorities, garnering attention from key policymakers and recruiting volunteers. “By formalizing a public affairs practice, we will bring all of those important public relations campaigns under one roof and offer expanded strategy capabilities to other clients who have similar priorities for the future,” said Baker Public Relations founder and CEO Megan Baker. The practice will be led by Geoff Redick, who has been promoted from senior account executive to public affairs manager. A former political correspondent for ABC 6 News in Columbus, OH, Redick also spent several years as a general assignment and part-time political reporter at the New York State Capitol and across the Capital Region. He works with clients in the agency’s Albany, N.Y. and Pittsburgh, PA offices.
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Bader Rutter, a Milwaukee-headquartered B2B marcom agency, opens an office in Chicago. The new office on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago is intended to strengthen the services the agency provides to a client roster featuring such food and beverage brands as McCain Foods, Tetra Pak and Seaboard Foods. “Chicago is the food and beverage capital of the United States,” said Bader Rutter president David Jordan. “Expanding to our new home on Michigan Avenue cements our position as a destination for the industry’s leading brands and professionals.”
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PRSSA is establishing a chapter at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Support for the chapter will be provided by PRSA Boston and Douglas Haslam, account director at Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, who will serve as professional adviser. Jennie Donohue, senior lecturer & director of the Public Relations Concentration at UMass Amherst, will serve as faculty adviser. “UMass Amherst, the largest public research university in New England, is a terrific addition to the growing number of PRSSA chapters, and a stellar institution for students studying public relations and related fields,” said 2023 PRSA chair Michelle Egan.
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.
PSC (Princeton Strategic Communications) acquires Nonprofit Partners... CG Life launches 24/364, a cultural brand platform intended to drive awareness, connection and action aimed at keeping rare disease at the forefront of the health and social conversation... Interluxe Group, which focuses on brand experiences and in-person activations; Quinn, a strategic communications agency; and media and digital agency North & Warren are uniting under the Interluxe Group banner.
KITH, which provides corporate reputation and crisis preparation services, is now owned by CEO Stephanie Craig, who has been with the firm since 2021... The Marketing Cloud, a part of Stagwell, introduces several expansions to Agent Cloud, the platform it launched in October 2025 to simplify access to its AI tools and marketing assistants.... Notified launches its AI Press Release Optimizer.
