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| Chris Clarke |
Fire on the Hill, a strategic communications consultancy headquartered in London, opens an office in New York. Agency co-founder Chris Clarke will be leading the New York office, supported by associate director Niveen Saleh. It will target clients in technology and telecoms, renewable energy, sustainability, corporate and professional services and provide services including thought leadership communications, reputation management, strategic media relations and content development for media, social and digital. In additions to its London and New York locations, Fires on the Hill serves clients through an international network of partners.
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Karbo Communications launches PowerStart, a new PR and digital marketing offering designed to help early-stage tech startups increase visibility, drive business growth, and acquire VC funding. PowerStart’s services are offered in a range of flexible packages that include differentiation-based narrative development, packaging customer and market insight data, and story pitching to top-tier press, media kit/press material development, interview management, spokesperson coaching, and content audits. Its flexible pricing structure is specifically designed to help startups in today’s tough economy. “We’re democratizing access to topflight services so startups can pick and choose the elements that will support their immediate business goals,” said Karbo Communications founder and CEO Julie Karbo. “We fill the gap between innovation and large marketing investments, giving them the flexibility and visibility they need to jumpstart their success and leapfrog the competition.”
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RLF Communications, a Greensboro, NC-based agency, acquires Raleigh-based Clairemont Communications. This is the second acquisition for RLF this year. In January, the firm acquired BAERING Group. Clairemont founder and CEO Dana Phelps will become chair of RLF and serve on the company’s leadership team. The acquisition of Clairemont is intended to strengthen RLF’s depth and experience in industries such as manufacturing, real estate development, nonprofits and financial services, while bolstering its existing team in Raleigh. “I have known Dana for nearly 20 years and been deeply impressed with her agency’s commitment to strategy and service for its diverse clients,” said RLF CEO Monty Hagler. “That experience and knowledge will help us bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to our clients.”
Page launches the Polansky Future Leaders Fund, which was established through a gift from 2025 Page Hall of Fame inductee and former Weber Shandwick Global CEO Andy Polansky... Ruder Finn reintroduces its website, ruderfinn.com, which will now feature a large language model (LLM) as its primary user interface... Higher Plane Media is launched by former Sloane & Company CEO Darren Brandt.
Champion, which specializes in restaurant, franchise and consumer brands, opens a Miami office, adding to its operations in Dallas and Los Angeles... Violet PR, a Montclair, NJ-based firm that focuses on economic development, commercial real estate and place branding, opens a second office on Park Avenue South in New York... Inflection Point, a founder-led, senior growth systems partner for startups and growth-stage businesses, launches... PRSA announces the recipients of its inaugural Women of Impact Awards. Honorees honorees were recognized during the PRSA Women of Impact Summit & Awards at the Union League Club of Chicago.
FleishmanHillard is shuttering its 20-member Dublin office as Omnicom Public Relations reorganizes its global operations... Vested acquires Watermark, a D.C.-based public affairs and special situations firm.... Matter earns two Pinnacle Awards 2026 Marketing & Communications honors for its clients.
Quad/Graphics launches Direct, a Quad Agency to help marketers create, execute and measure direct marketing campaigns in one connected offering... InnoVision Marketing Group SVP/senior creative director Giselle Campos and SVP/general manager Alanna Markey are among the first-ever winners of the San Diego Business Journal’s Indispensables Awards, which recognizes professionals who make the greatest impact within their organizations and across the San Diego business community... Park Place Technologies, an IT infrastructure services firm that works with Feintuch Communications, releases the second episode of its “The Savvy CIO” podcast. 
Ripley PR is named a silver winner in the TITAN American Business Awards’ Outstanding PR Campaign category... Excellera, a corporate-advisory firm, came in at number one in deal count, as well as fourth in deal value, in Mergermarket’s list of top EMEA firms... Thunderly is telling the stories of military veterans who transferred the discipline, organization and leadership skills developed in service to their country into successful post-military careers as franchise business owners, as part of its year-long "American Dreamers: The Stories of Franchising" effort.
