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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.
Chicago public relations firms ranked by O'Dwyer's for 2025 pulled in $223.5M in net fees.
HUNTER launches Bobbie, an influencer and creator marketing unit... P-22 Agency is launched by former We Are BMF head of business development Ty Bentsen... Mike Krass, founder of Moon Holdings, purchases interior design and home brand PR public relations shop, A Design Partnership. 
Global Situation Room’s Global Risk Advisory Council launches the Reputation Risk Index, which looks at emerging and evolving reputational threats to companies and organizations... DGA Group expands its offerings in the Middle East to include additional strategic communications capabilities... The Alpine Group, a DC-based professional services firm, opens an office in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Montieth & Company schedules free “Ligation PR Lessons" webinar for April 24... The Public Relations Global Network adds Franco to its line-up... Kite Hill unveils new company branding and expanded service offerings.
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