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Wunderlich Kaplan Communications, a woman-owned firm with offices in New York and Miami, is opening an office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The new office will work with firms based in the MENA region as well as with US brands looking to expand into the market. WKC is also appointing Noor Taher, a Saudi native and award-winning strategist, as partner in the MENA division. For over a year, WKC and their all-women team has been working with clients in the region such as Good Intentions (a global creative consultancy helmed by Taher and Grammy award winner Swizz Beatz) and the Craft Group (a Riyadh-based construction and architectural firm). “Having had success with opening doors, igniting conversations and turning skepticism into intrigue, we are thrilled to expand our agency's presence in the country,” WKC chief executive officer Gwen Wunderlich.
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Development Counsellors International launches C Studios, a sister agency that is a collaboration with Belfast-based OCO Global. Based in the Netherlands, C Studios is led by DCI veteran Steve Duncan as managing director. The new agency specializes in account-based marketing, advertising, content creation, marketing strategy, SEO, and web design and development, with a focus on delivery in the EMEA region. “DCI has had our eye on expanding into Europe for a number of years, so we are thrilled to combine our place marketing expertise with OCO’s experience working with global economic powerhouses on international expansion and foreign direct investment,” said DCI president Julie Curtin.
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MAD Global Strategy is expanding to the Pacific Northwest with the opening of a Seattle office. The new location joins the firm’s existing offices in New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania. It will be led by Gary Evans, who most recently served as vice president of government affairs and community relations at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, a leading health system in Washington state. “MAD Global already has a footprint in the Pacific Northwest with clients in the tech, energy, and healthcare sectors in and around Seattle, so it made smart business sense to grow our presence in Washington state. There is no better person to lead that effort than Cary Evans,” said founder/CEO Mike DuHaime. MAD Global works with clients in sectors including healthcare, energy, sports and tech.
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| Jon Schmid |
Cook + Schmid president and CEO Jon Schmid will serve as 2023 president of the San Diego chapter of Lambda Alpha International, a global organization comprised of top professionals working in land use. Cook + Schmid, which specializes in public outreach, community engagement and thought leadership campaigns, has supported major initiatives and developments in the region, including the Port Master Plan Update, Chula Vista Bay Front Master Plan, affordable housing, homelessness and healthcare. “San Diego is at an important crossroads, with many transformational development and infrastructure projects queued up or underway,” said Schmid. “The depth and breadth of LAI’s membership and its collective knowledge, as well as the tremendous resources offered by the international organization, will be instrumental as we navigate the future of the region.”
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.
