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| Lauren Parker |
Lou Hammond Group opens an office in Dallas. In addition to its New York headquarters, LHG also has offices in Atlanta; Charleston, S.C.; Denver; Miami and Tampa, Fla. Leading the Dallas office will be Lauren Parker, a veteran of both Hill+Knowlton and PMK•BNC. Located in the Arts District, LHG Dallas will house staffers with expertise in communications, media relations, influencer relations, and social media services, working in sectors including hospitality, tourism, lifestyle, nonprofit, real estate and destination marketing. “The economic boom in Texas has been remarkable, with Dallas leading the charge as a burgeoning market with enormous potential,” said LHG founer and chairman Lou Hammond. “This thriving city is poised to make headlines, and we are immensely proud to be there.”
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PR and communications platform Muck Rack makes its first acquisition with Keyhole, a social listening and analytics platform that provides real-time insights on social media data. The two companies have been partners since 2023. Muck Rack will continue supporting the Keyhole product and will begin to integrate its tools into the Muck Rack platform immediately. The Muck Rack and Keyhole teams will build social listening features designed specifically for PR and communications The integration will enable customers to monitor direct and indirect brand mentions, hashtags, influencers and keywords across Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, YouTube and Facebook. “By integrating Keyhole’s technology, we’ll be able to build social listening tools specifically for the PR and communications user, providing them with insights that can help them spot a potential crisis, inform earned media strategy and analyze key social media KPIs,” said Muck Rack co-founder and CEO Gregory Galant.
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Deerfield Agency is working with HealthVerity, which synchronizes Identity management with built-in privacy compliance and governance, and Throtle, a provider of identity resolution services in healthcare, to incorporate Audience Manager, a new analytics tool developed by the two companies, into its workflow. HealthVerity and Throtle are providing Deerfield early access to the next generation of the tool, which is designed to drive seamless and compliant targeting and engagement with healthcare providers and patients across various digital marketing touchpoints. "The innovative collaboration between HealthVerity and Throtle has produced a cutting-edge solution that delivers robust insights and comprehensive audience-centric analysis,” said Deerfield Group EVP and head of media Bill Veltre. “This tool holds the potential to significantly elevate our real-time optimization capabilities, enabling us to refine and amplify our media strategies with unparalleled accuracy and impact."
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The Stevie Awards announce the winners of six Grand (“best in show”) Stevie Award trophies in The 2024 (21st Annual) International Business Awards. This year’s Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners were announced on 14 August. They and the winners of the newly announced Grand Stevies will be recognized during an awards gala in Istanbul on October 11. The Organization of the Year award was Ayala Land, a subsidiary of Ayala Corporation of the Philippines. Most Honored Marketing Agency was Lounge Group, a full-service communications agency in Hungary. Weber Shandwick’s AbuDhabi office was named Most Honored Public Relations Agency, and LLYC tied with UNICEF Thailand, Bangkok for Highest-Rated Nomination of the Year. Cloud platform provider Azul was recognized for Highest-rated New Product or Service Nomination of the Year.
Brunner, a Pittsburgh-based integrated marketing agency, acquires AdSkate, an AI-powered creative analytics and marketing intelligence platform that helps brands and agencies optimize advertising performance... Augustine Agency launches Flavor Theory, a foodservice marketing practice aimed at helping restaurants, food manufacturers, distributors and institutional dining organizations grow their brands and businesses... The Acceleration Community of Companies releases a report finding that almost half (49 percent) of Gen Z sports fans say they have become interested in a new sport or athlete because of fan-created content or something entirely outside the sport. 
VPE Communications, which helps organizations authentically connect with diverse audiences, celebrates 38 years in business and announces a new ownership structure... Praytell expands into the Asian market with the opening of a new office in Singapore... The International Public Relations Network unveils a new visual identity and redesigned website. 
SourceCode Communications launches SourceCode Germany, establishing the agency's first office in continental Europe... Clario Group acquires Ted Miller Group, a Miami-founded agency focused on clients in the technology, travel & leisure and financial services sectors... Global Situation Room’s Global Risk Advisory Council is hosting a July 23 webinar that will go over the results of its new Reputation Risk Index.
Havas acquires MUT, a Barcelona-based firm focused on experiential marketing and sustainable events... IPREX lauches its AI Task Force...D S Simon Media, one of the first companies to produce a satellite media tour, celebrates its 40th anniversary... Washington Women in Public Relations is sponsoring an event that shows communications pros who work with associations how they can get their messages across clearly, credibly and courageously. “How Associations Lead with Strategic Storytelling,” at 6 p.m. on July 16.
TEAM LEWIS starts up its AI Practice... Thunderly launches a year-long storytelling campaign focused on how franchising can provide a pathway to business ownership... JIN, a European communications consulting group, introduces "AI Campaigning", a corporate offering designed to model and anticipate stakeholder behavior.
