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Stagwell adds a new group of athletes and media partners to its SPORT BEACH activations, which will be part of the Cannes Lions in June. The new athlete participants include gymnast and two-time Olympian Jordan Chiles, head coach of the U.S. Women's National Team in soccer Emma Hayes, X Games snowboarding gold medalist Scotty James, two-time NBA all-star Joakim Noah and NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe. Among the new media partners are global digital sports platform Fanatics, Meta, New York Life Insurance Company and Peloton. "Our Clubhouses at SXSW, Super Bowl and the World Economic Forum reinforced how sport is a door opener into conversations driving the business, cultural and innovation landscape, and how important it is to be having these conversations now," said Stagwell chief brand and communications officer Beth Sidhu.
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| The 2025 class of the IPREX Academy. |
IPREX enrolls the third class for its IPREX Academy. Beginning in March 2025 and lasting through the year, the nine-month program is for emerging public relations, communications, and marketing professionals at independent partner agencies around the world. Participants will engage in a robust mentoring program and comprehensive course modules that go beyond traditional marketing and communications, providing essential business management skills that contribute to their holistic development as future leaders. “Our distinguished instructors represent some of the most well-known brands in the world, ensuring that every participant will gain invaluable insights and diverse perspectives,” said IPREX executive Alexandra Mayhew. IPREX received applications from countries including Singapore, Sweden, and the US, selecting 12 participants for the 2025 class.
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Fletcher Financial Communications, a spinoff of Fletcher Marketing Communications, officially launches. The new unit provides tailored B2B public relations strategies for small to mid-sized financial businesses and startups. Its range of expertise encompasses commercial banking and lending, insurance, accounting, wealth management and FinTech. The firm aims to redefine how small and emerging financial businesses connect with their clients, expand their influence, and convey their narratives to the media and key audiences. “We understand the unique challenges these organizations face, and our mission is to help navigate complex markets with clear, impactful messaging that drives engagement and growth,” said Fletcher Financial CEO Kelly Fletcher.
Public Inc., a social impact agency based in Toronto and New York, acquires Rocket Social Impact, an advisory firm that works with nonprofit and corporate social impact organizations... Ruder Finn launches “What’s Next: The Ruder Finn Podcast,” a new platform hosted by CEO Kathy Bloomgarden... Crowe PR joins United Partners Network, a network of independent PR agencies with members across more than 65 markets worldwide.
Ruder Finn launches rf.Voices, an integrated influence offering that brings together AI-powered influencer marketing, customer advocacy and paid amplification under one measurable framework... The Pollack Group is accepting applications through March 31 for The Big Red Grant, a $40,000 pro bono strategic PR and marketing engagement program awarded to a nonprofit organization ready for growth... D S Simon Media releases a report that says almost seven in ten producers (68 percent) are more interested in airing a story when they know it has been optimized for AI.
Precision Strategies, an integrated strategy and marketing agency with offices in Washington and New York, acquires Firehouse Strategies, a DC-based public affairs firm... AVENIR GLOBAL acquires London-based Thinks Insight & Strategy... Good Company, which bills itself as a “cultural engineering firm,” is launched by DJ Hardy, a veteran of Johannesburg-based communications consultancy arxna and M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment and Casey Stickles, who has worked at 5WPR, Rubenstein and MWW.
PSC (Princeton Strategic Communications) acquires Nonprofit Partners... CG Life launches 24/364, a cultural brand platform intended to drive awareness, connection and action aimed at keeping rare disease at the forefront of the health and social conversation... Interluxe Group, which focuses on brand experiences and in-person activations; Quinn, a strategic communications agency; and media and digital agency North & Warren are uniting under the Interluxe Group banner.
KITH, which provides corporate reputation and crisis preparation services, is now owned by CEO Stephanie Craig, who has been with the firm since 2021... The Marketing Cloud, a part of Stagwell, introduces several expansions to Agent Cloud, the platform it launched in October 2025 to simplify access to its AI tools and marketing assistants.... Notified launches its AI Press Release Optimizer.
