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PMG, a Dallas-based marketing services and tech company, acquires retail media company Momentum Commerce. With a 45-person team and deep expertise across Amazon, Walmart, Target, Instacart, and other retail platforms, Momentum Commerce is expected to add significant depth to PMG’s retail and commerce offering. With a long track record of working with PMG, Momentum Commerce brings an established customer portfolio, including Beats by Dre, Therabody, and Generac. “This acquisition accelerates our vision to help brands navigate the modern commerce landscape through a fully integrated approach,” said PMG CEO and founder George Popstefanov.
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| Adrianne C. Smith |
FleishmanHillard chief inclusion and impact officer Adrianne C. Smith is the driving force behind “The Season of AYA: Resilience and Endurance,” this year’s Cannes Lions Festival presentation by Cannes Can: Diversity Collective (CC:DC). The CC:DC initiative was started in 2018 to make the Cannes Lions Festival more inclusive by bringing an untapped talent pool of young people to Cannes. Held at Inkwell Beach—Cannes, the festival’s first and only stand-alone beach activation created with the intent of making the Cannes Lions festival more inclusive, “The Season of AYA” will run from June 16-20, examining such topics as the current state of inclusion in the industry, the effect of AI, the role of communicators in the healthcare field, and the outlook for the next generation of communicators. “In a moment when uncertainty is the underpinning of every major decision, companies and organizations make and the contemplation of the relevance of DEI high, we return to Cannes with a powerful reminder: inclusion is not optional,” said Adrianne C. Smith, Founder of CC:DC.
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Omnicom and Interpublic may have to dance to the Trump administration’s tune if they want their merger to go through, according to a report in the New York Times. Restrictions being discussed by the Federal Trade Commission would prevent the post-merger company from boycotting platforms because of their political content. In other words, it could not keep client messaging off of a particular platform because of its tone or stance on issues. The FTC’s decision is part of a move by the Trump administration to use federal agencies to expose and get rid of what it considers political bias in corporate America against conservative voices and causes. Advertisers, not surprisingly, say they should have the freedom to spend their money as they wish. The Times quotes analyst Brian Weiser as saying that the move points “to a much more highly politicized environment for agencies than we have ever seen before, at least in the United States.”
Brunner, a Pittsburgh-based integrated marketing agency, acquires AdSkate, an AI-powered creative analytics and marketing intelligence platform that helps brands and agencies optimize advertising performance... Augustine Agency launches Flavor Theory, a foodservice marketing practice aimed at helping restaurants, food manufacturers, distributors and institutional dining organizations grow their brands and businesses... The Acceleration Community of Companies releases a report finding that almost half (49 percent) of Gen Z sports fans say they have become interested in a new sport or athlete because of fan-created content or something entirely outside the sport. 
VPE Communications, which helps organizations authentically connect with diverse audiences, celebrates 38 years in business and announces a new ownership structure... Praytell expands into the Asian market with the opening of a new office in Singapore... The International Public Relations Network unveils a new visual identity and redesigned website. 
SourceCode Communications launches SourceCode Germany, establishing the agency's first office in continental Europe... Clario Group acquires Ted Miller Group, a Miami-founded agency focused on clients in the technology, travel & leisure and financial services sectors... Global Situation Room’s Global Risk Advisory Council is hosting a July 23 webinar that will go over the results of its new Reputation Risk Index.
Havas acquires MUT, a Barcelona-based firm focused on experiential marketing and sustainable events... IPREX lauches its AI Task Force...D S Simon Media, one of the first companies to produce a satellite media tour, celebrates its 40th anniversary... Washington Women in Public Relations is sponsoring an event that shows communications pros who work with associations how they can get their messages across clearly, credibly and courageously. “How Associations Lead with Strategic Storytelling,” at 6 p.m. on July 16.
TEAM LEWIS starts up its AI Practice... Thunderly launches a year-long storytelling campaign focused on how franchising can provide a pathway to business ownership... JIN, a European communications consulting group, introduces "AI Campaigning", a corporate offering designed to model and anticipate stakeholder behavior.
