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UpSpring, a women-owned PR, digital marketing and creative agency, opens submissions for its first annual pro bono PR & marketing contest: the UpSpring Launch:HER Awards. The contest will award three women-owned or led nonprofit or not-for-profit organizations a combined total of half a million dollars in PR and marketing support—$250K in services for one year to the winner, $150K to the organization coming in second and $100K to the 3rd place recipient. Submissions will be open through Nov. 1. To qualify for consideration, applicants must be based in the United States, women-owned and/or women-led, and identified as a nonprofit or not-for-profit organization, 501(c)(3) status not required. “We’ve experienced firsthand the power women have to make a meaningful impact in the world, but we also know the many challenges women leaders continue to face on their paths to success,” said UpSpring CEO Tiffany Rafii. “This is our way of giving back—we want to do our part to enable other women to tell their stories and inspire others.”
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The Starr Conspiracy, which works with tech companies, rebrands as TSC. The rebrand, which is being unveiled the 2024 HR Technology Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas, includes expanded service offerings as well as a new headquarters in Fort Worth's cultural district. TSC will now be led by CEO Ashley Bernard, who previously shared the CEO spot with TSC founder Bret Starr for over a year. Starr will become chief AI officer, where he will focus exclusively on advancing B2B marketing theory, driving AI innovation and enhancing client success. "Our rebrand builds on what makes us unique and reflects who we are today — a full stack agency, redefining marketing for tech companies. Marketing has changed, tech has changed, and so have we," said Bernard.
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Pearpop, a creator marketing company, launches PAIR, an AI-powered creator review platform for brands. The platform promises to help analyze and identify “brand-perfect creator pairings” by streamlining the reviewing and vetting process of creators. PAIR says it will ground its pairing of creators and brands in objective data, leveraging a proprietary blend of first-party and third-party data to systematically review and display ideal brand/creator pairings. Brands start by choosing from a wide range of criteria to define their ideal creator partners – including follower count, engagement rate, age, location, content genre and tonality, and audience profile. “PAIR offers a completely new level of data intelligence for the creator marketing space, giving marketers an unprecedented level of insight, control, and confidence to make brand-right creator pairings,” said Pearpop co-founder and CEO Cole Mason.
Matter launches its Review Visibility Management service to address a shift in how companies across verticals earn trust online... A Queens school is putting out the message about Sept. 12, 2001 when people came together to help, comfort, rebuild and unite... Directive expands its Directive Communications division, which will bring PR, organic social, influencer marketing and paid social together under one integrated organization.
Praytell expands its Influence Department—which unites media, creators and social under one team... LRJ PR & Communications and Canopy Brand Group form an alliance that the firms say will bridge the operational divide between high-end brand design and strategic public relations... Twin Minds Media, Hispanic market specialist, increases the scope of its services in an effort to help brands build deeper connections with audiences through culture, storytelling, media and experiences. 
The People Platform, part of Stagwell's The Marketing Cloud, rebrands as Numetrix... Zapwater Communications has earned 17 finalist honors across two PR competitions: eight at the 68th Annual Golden Trumpet Awards, presented by the Publicity Club of Chicago, and nine at the 2026 PRSA Chicago Skyline Awards.. The Florida Public Relations Association presented 122 awards to individuals and teams from across the state at its 69th annual Golden Image and 3rd Annual Pinnacle Awards gala.
The Motion Agency acquires Vehr Communications, a Cincinnati-based strategic communications firm, effective Oct. 1... Lyceus Group, which specializes in financial services, is named a finalist for Public Relations Campaign at the 2026 ThinkAdvisor Luminaries Awards... IPSY, a curated beauty membership platform, launches IPSY Marketing Solutions, a full-funnel marketing and sales acceleration engine. 
Fire on the Hill, which has offices in London, Manchester, New York and Paris, is providing pro bono communications support to the Intergenerational Foundation, the UK's leading authority on intergenerational fairness... The PRSA-NY Big Apple Awards Gala on Sept. 17 will have Gio Benitez, co-anchor of the weekend edition of “Good Morning America” and ABC News transportation correspondent, serving as emcee... CasePR, a boutique litigation communications firm, launches in Portland, OR.
