 |
The Worldcom Public Relations Group adds Baltimore’s Abel Communications and Rochester, NY’s McDougall Communications to its partnership. Abel Communications, which has been in business since 2005, specializes in awareness-building campaigns for clients in diverse industries, with a focus on companies that are headquartered or have a prominent presence in the Mid-Atlantic. Founded in 2011, McDougall Communications supports clients across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific with services that include strategic planning, media and customer relations, reputation and crisis counsel, and digital platform management. “They are highly respected in their local markets, and have deep regional, national and global experience in public relations and communications,” said Stephanie Paul, managing director, The Phillips Group (Brisbane, Australia), and Worldcom’s global recruitment chair.
 |
Ironmark, which provides a range of services that include digitial marketing, web development and predictive analytics, acquires Deliver Media and L & D Mail Masters. Deliver Media is a Tampa-based company that uses first-party data and predictive analytics powered by machine learning to launch marketing campaigns. L & D Mail Masters is a direct mail firm that offers solutions for direct marketing needs, from campaign design to implementation. Deliver Media CEO Sean Johnson will retain his role and take on the role of chief strategy officer for Ironmark. Jill Peden of L & D Mail Masters joins Ironmark as VP of sales and marketing. “Adding these two organizations specializing in predictive modeling and highly sophisticated integrated performance marketing solidifies Ironmark’s position as a national leader in strategy and execution across digital and physical channels,” said Ironmark CEO Jeff Ostenso.
 |
Davis+Gilbert’s Public Relations Industry M&A Activity Tracker reveals a slowdown in M&A deal activity this year. While 40 deals were completed between January and April of last year, that number was down to 36 in 2024. The number of different buyers also slid a bit, from 35 to 32. The drop was particularly prevalent in Europe, with M&A transactions dipping from 19 to 10. In North America, the number ticked up slightly, going from 19 to 20. The Middle East and Asia, both of which registered no M&A deals at all in the first four months of 2023, had two each this year. More than half of sellers this year (58 percent) had revenue of less than $6 million at the time of the sale. The top firm seller specialties were integrated firms (36 perent), followed by healthcare/life sciences (19 percent) and consumer, corporate and technology (11 percent each).
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.
