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Publicis Groupe acquires Influential, which it says is the largest influencer marketing company in the world by revenue. Led by founder and CEO Ryan Detert, Influential will be positioned centrally within Publicis, offering its services to all the company’s clients and teams. Influential’s proprietary AI-powered platform includes access to and data on 90 percent of global influencers with 1M+ followers. It currently serves more than 300 brands around the world. “Influential is above all an outstanding team of talent at the very cutting edge of their sector,” said Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun. “With the new creator economy set to exceed linear tv on adspend in the next year, thanks to Influential we are able to fully embrace its outsized influence and put it at the service of all of our clients.”
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The Museum of Public Relations elects Philip Bonaventura, Natan Edelsburg, Jim Olson and Dave Samson to its board of trustees. The four new members bring the number of trustees to 25. Bonaventura is chief financial officer of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), as well as treasurer of the Swiss-based Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communications Management, which represents more than 360,000 practitioners and academics around the world. Chief partnerships officer at Muck Rack, Edelsburg is also a trustee at the PRSA Foundation. Olson, head of brand and communications at Avelo Airlines, has also held executive communication posts at United Airlines, Starbucks and US Airways, and was a senior practice leader at WE Communications. Samson, who is chief corporate affairs counsel of the IQ 360 business consultancy, was previously Edelman’s U.S. chief operating officer and global vice chairman of corporate affairs. “Of particular importance to the Museum,” said PR Museum board of trustee chairman Dick Martin, “each of the new trustees has been dedicated to ensuring the success of the next generation of professionals—one of the Museum’s top missions.”
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The TechTrailblazers Awards, a global recognition platform for enterprise technology startups, celebrating innovation, impact and entrepreneurial excellence. are accepting entries through Aug. 20, with an early bird discount available for entries received by July 31. The awards cover such categories as AI, big data, blockchain, cloud, fintech, IoT, and sustainable tech. The 2024 judging panel for the awards is welcoming two new members, Ian Ellis and Chris Holscher. Ellis, co-founder of the OperAngels syndicate, a group of industry experts focused on angel investments in the enterprise tech and cybersecurity spaces, has worked with organizations including Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, Prudential Financial, Microsoft, and Bank of Ireland. Holscher has a proven track record in gaining qualified visibility for emerging vendors, accelerating the journey to market breakthrough and unlocking better investment. The award winners will be announced in November.
The Stevens Group is renamed as The Stevens/Jachetti Group following the appointment of Rich Jachetti as co-managing partner... Teneo acquires PwC's Australia Business Restructuring Services unit... ONAR Holding Corporation, a marketing technology company and marketing agency network, signs a definitive agreement to acquire Retina.ai, an AI-driven SaaS platform.
rbb Communications acquires UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations, a San Francisco-based firm specializing in B2B technology and financial services... 
FINN Partners launches Canary for Crisis, an AI-powered crisis training platform that prepares communications teams to navigate today's chaotic media landscape... KemperSports acquires Fire Pit Productions, which works with clients in the golf, travel, destinations, architecture and experiences sectors... Deerfield Group, which focuses on healthcare and life sciences companies, acquires Triple Threat Communications of New Jersey.
Woven Health Collective, a biopharmaceutical marketing and scientific communications agency, acquires Boundless Life Sciences Group... Previsible, an SEO consulting firm, picks up SEO agency Internet Marketing Ninjas... Broadsheet Communications launches Broadsheet Intelligence, a strategic advisory unit focused on media messaging, brand positioning and thought leadership.
Stagwell launches the Stagwell Media Platform, a centralized team of global media, technology and data experts... HOPSCOTCH, an international communications group founded in France, initiates a dedicated international coordination team for its operations outside of France... The Travel Lifestyle Network, an alliance of independent PR and marketing agencies specializing in travel and lifestyle, adds Fox Communications, Kontextia and Promonde to its network.
