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| (L-R) Frank Burrell, Dominic Viola |
Deerfield Agency, a marketing and communications agency that works with healthcare and life science brands and companies, acquires Embedded, a NJ-based, healthcare marketing and advertising firm founded by Dominic Viola and Trevor Fusaro. The acquisition will unite Deerfield Agency, Verge Scientific Communications (which was acquired by Deerfield in 2022) and Embedded under the new brand Deerfield Group. Viola will join Deerfield Group as president of integrated marketing and Fusaro comes on board as chief strategy officer; Deerfield Agency CEO Frank Burrell will take on CEO duties for Deerfield Group. “Over the last 10 years, Deerfield Group has continued to evolve to shape new services, solutions and ways of working that allow us to truly deliver for our clients,” said Burrell. “We are thrilled to welcome Embedded, whose seasoned team adds to our bench of marketing and communications strategists, enhancing and expanding how we plan and execute for clients every day.”
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Golin releases its CEO Impact Index, a study that illustrates how high-profile CEOs can have a big effect on the business performance of the companies they lead—making a direct impact on shareholder value. By linking executive visibility to business performance advantages, the study makes a case for why leaders need to build and maintain strong public profiles. The CII ranked each of the Fortune 250 CEOs across eight quantifiable areas of executive visibility: earned media, LinkedIn presence, business rankings, trade engagement, global forums, employee engagement, thought leadership and overall sentiment. The top 10, 25 and 50 CII CEOs’ business performances—including metrics such as share price growth, earnings-per-share and others – were then measured against the comparable set from the Fortune 250 ranking. The analysis revealed a strong “visibility dividend” for corporations, with the 50 CII CEOs enjoying an 80 percent higher average annual share price growth compared to the average of the top 50 of their Fortune 250 peers. “The age-old question for CEOs has been—how important is it to maintain a public profile?,” said Golin CEO Matt Neale. “Our promising initial findings show that in today’s connected world, it’s essential.”
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Sprout Social, which provides marketers with cloud-based social media management software, releases a series of AI-powered product enhancements alongside 20 new capabilities across its platform. The innovations automate key elements of content creation, reporting and social care. Standout AI capabilities include Generate by AI Assist, which makes it easier for brands to improve accessibility by writing highly accurate alt-text for images, and Analyze by AI Assist, which surfaces notable performance and conversation trends for brands. Sprout will also introduce key product updates including new access to Snapchat profiles through Tagger, Sprout Social’s influencer marketing platform, which enables brands to explore market trends, identify competitive insights and connect with target audiences in new ways. “These new capabilities aim to address some of our customers’ greatest challenges and embed the latest AI advancements directly into their existing workflows,” said Sprout Social president Ryan Barretto.
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.
