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KEF Media, an Atlanta-based firm, launches a division focused on its broadcast PR offerings within the entertainment industry. The new division builds on KEF’s existing work in the film, television and music industries with a plan to make PR services accessible for more independent artists. KEF Media has tapped agency alums, Kyle Smith and Jurena Cantrell to lead its efforts. Smith will serve as director, digital content & marketing and Cantrell is VP, entertainment. “While KEF has a deep history of working with entertainment clients, we felt it was a natural move to form a dedicated division to service filmmakers, movie and recording studios and independent creators,” said KEF Media CEO Yvonne Hanak.
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Marx Buscemi Eisbrenner Group, which focuses on clients in the global automotive, trucking, tech, mobility and consumer goods industries, acquires SEO-driven content agency Growth Machine. All Growth Machine employees will become part of MBE Group, including CEO Nora Schlesinger, who will join MBE Group as VP and be part of the agency’s leadership team. Chicago-based Growth Machine provides B2C and B2B digital content creation and SEO for consumer goods, tech and e-commerce brands. “Growth Machine has a proven track record of consistent, results-driven work and tremendous market knowledge, along with an experienced and well-connected leadership team that has created a fantastic culture rooted in collaboration and creating value for clients,” said MBE Group president Tom Eisbrenner.
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PRophet, a suite of AI-powered PR software and services, unveils a feature that lets users discover and pitch directly to relevant social media influencers and journalists simultaneously within a single workflow. The new integration enables brands and agencies to identify relevant influencers and content creators for news stories and announcements across platforms including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and podcasts. Users can review the influencers' audience quality score, engagement rate, follower credibility and advanced insights such as popular hashtags or direct mentions. "By unifying these two critical disciplines through AI tools, PRophet is empowering savvy communications professionals to craft comprehensive comms strategies that reach audiences across all channels," said PRophet chief Aaron Kwittken.
The Communications Group, a Little Rock-based shop releases its first Public Affairs Marketing Trends Report... The Worldcom Public Relations Group votes Paris-based firm SEITOSEI•ACTIFIN into its global partnership... PRNEWS, a European PR-tech firm, relocates its U.S. headquarters to downtown Miami.
af&co., a San Francisco-based hospitality marketing and PR agency founded by Andrew Freeman, is marking its 20th anniversary... Notified launches Syndicated Articles... Crosby Marketing Communications selects four students from Anne Arundel Community College for its marketing scholars program.
KCSA Strategic Communications launches the KCSA AI Lab, which will develop proprietary AI systems to expand what strategic communications can achieve for PR and IR clients... Clipbook, a vertical AI platform for strategic communications and public affairs, closes a $3.3 million seed round co-led by Mark Cuban, Commonweal Ventures and Carpenter Capital... VizSense, a Boston-based AI influencer marketing agency, teams up with holographic storytelling company Geminai, to launch what they say is the next frontier in brand experiences: interactive holograms powered by AI.
Ways Marketing Solutions, a Saudi Arabia-based marketing and communications group, teams with H&K alum James Drewer and Cake founder Mike Mathieson, to launch Ways Global Communications with HQs in London and Riyadh... UNICEPTA, a media intelligence provider within Stagwell’s The Marketing Cloud, launches an integration with Microsoft 365 Copilot... MAD Global CEO Mike DuHaime has been named to New Jersey Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill’s transition team.
Ogilvy launches CultureCurrent, a social-first earned media offering that integrates cutting-edge technology with human cultural intuition to listen, identify, activate and amplify brand stories.... Forward Global, a risk and reputation management advisory firm, opens in Abu Dhabi... Lyons Broadcast PR marks its 20th anniversary with the introduction of new virtual production technology, enhanced media outreach tools, and integrated broadcast-digital strategies.
