Proof

Proof, a Scottsdale, AZ-based firm, is launched by Serendipit Consulting co-founder Melissa DiGianfilippo. The agency, which opened on Oct. 1, will offer a suite of services that encompasses strategic planning, earned media, influencer marketing and crisis communications. Its client roster includes Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, Asset Living, Est Est Interior Design, OneAZ Credit Union, DryBar, Epic Golf Club, and Robbins Brothers Jewelers. “After 20 years in the industry, I’ve honed a results-driven approach that cuts through the noise,” said DiGianfilippo. Serendipit Consulting will continue under Alexis Krisay’s sole ownership as a marketing and creative agency. Both brands will continue to support each other in the future, offering complementary services.

NCS

NC Solutions, a marketing research company, releases a survey that examines consumer attitudes toward advertising in rideshare apps. More than three quarters (79 percent) of those surveyed said they are least somewhat likely to engage with special offers or discounts provided within apps. Perhaps not surprisingly, Gen Z respondents were the most enthusiastic, with 88 percent of them open to these in-app deals. Only 58 percent of boomers agreed. In addition, 38 percent of respondents said they have made a purchase with a brand after seeing an ad in a rideshare app, with men (43 percent) being more likely to do so than women (31 percent). More results from the study will be discussed in "On the Move: How Uber Ads are Connecting Brands with Consumers,” an Oct. 7 presentation featuring NCS CEO Alan Miles and Uber Advertising head of the Americas Megan Ramm. The 9:30 a.m. discussion, which is part of Advertising Week in New York will take place on the Tech Stage in The Penn District (100 W. 33 St).

ICON

PRSA is recognizing six of its members for their contributions and service to the organization and the communications profession. The honorees will be celebrated during ICON 2024, PRSA’s annual conference, running from Oct. 15-17. Receiving the Gold Anvil Award, which recognizes lifetime achievement in PR, is former Royal Caribbean Group global chief communications officer Rosanna Fiske. The Patrick Jackson Award for Distinguished Service to PRSA goes to SCG Advertising + Public Relations EVP Michael Cherenson. Kelly Bruhn, associate dean at the Drake University School of Jounalism and Mass Communication will take home the Outstanding Educator Award, and Virginia Commonwealth University professor emerita Judy VanSlyke Turk receives the John L. Paluszek Atlas Award for Lifetime Achievement in International Public Relations. The D. Parke Gibson Award, which goes at PR pro who has helped increase awareness of PR in multicultural communities, goes to Anita Ford Saunders, founder and owner of Anita Ford Saunders Communications, and Justin Ángel Knighten, a senior official at FEMA, is named PR Pro of the Year. “This year’s awards recipients exemplify the highest standards of dedication and achievement within our profession,” said 2024 PRSA Chair Joseph Abreu.