 |
Ballard Partners forms a strategic partnership with Forward Global, a commercial and geopolitical risk advisory and public affairs firm with offices across the US, Europe and Africa. Ballard will establish a presence in Paris and Brussels as part of the Ballard Global Alliance and Forward partner Mike Rubino will take on the additional role of partner at Ballard to launch the joint endeavor. The partnership brings together Forward's strength in risk management, public affairs, and strategic advisory and Ballard's deep government relations expertise, creating a fully integrated platform to help clients address political, regulatory, and reputational challenges worldwide. "This structure ensures clients get consistent strategic advice whether they're navigating Capitol Hill or the European Parliament, and without the typical coordination headaches of working with separate firms,” said Rubino. “By joining forces, we're expanding what each firm can deliver and ensuring clients have the expertise and execution they need, wherever they need it."
 |
Golin launches First Answer, an AI visibility platform focused on giving brands more control over how ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and other AI systems describe them. The new offering delivers comprehensive AI optimization through three integrated components. Benchmark analyzes brand presence across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and other AI platforms, providing visibility rankings, competitive positioning, sentiment evaluation, and identification of media outlets, social sites and owned pages that drive citations. Optimize aims to enhance content and earned media strategy to increase positive AI visibility. Defend protects brands against misinformation and negative sentiment. "When ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity answers questions about your brand, up to 90% of their citations come from earned media sources—not your website,” said Golin New York EVP and AI lead Jack Barbour. “First Answer ensures AI platforms see optimized, accurate, and strategically positioned content, giving our clients clear advantages."
 |
5by5, a Nashville-based marketing agency, acquires Heurisay, which specializes in corporate storytelling, brand awareness and reputation management. The acquisition will expand 5by5's capabilities, providing integrated communications and public relations services to its clients. Herurisay founder Kristin Faulder will join 5by5’s new PR division as VP of public relations. Prior to founding Heurisay, Faulder worked for such agencies as Schneider Associates (now the Belfort Group), InkHouse and ReviveHealth (now part of BPD). “Our proven approach to brand awareness, thought leadership and reputation management is a natural addition to the work 5by5 has been doing for more than a decade,” said Faulder.
The Shipyard, which owns Fahlgren Mortine and TURNER, makes a strategic investment in FancyAI... LAVIDGE launches InkFox Publicity (a LAVIDGE Co.), a publicity firm that will work with publishers; hybrid presses; and professional, indie and self-published authors... 5W PR introduces an investment division.
Supreme Group acquires Broth, a science-first creative agency... BridgeView Marketing launches PR Rosetta Stone, a proprietary, AI-enabled PR reporting and intelligence system... Imperio Chaos, a New York-based public affairs and global advisory firm, is founded by former Dezenhall Resources VP Annie Moore and Victor Lopez, who was previously president of the San Diego Lincoln Club.
The PHA Group, which has offices in London, Manchester and Leeds, is expanding to New York... The Next Solutions Group launches NSG Health... Rational 360, a DC-based firm, has relocated to an 18,000-square-foot space on the city’s K Street business corridor... KAOH Media, a firm specializing in clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, and ESG-driven investments, launches Fieldwise Civic Engagement.
SKDK merges with digital advertising firm Wavelength Strategy... Supreme Group launches Supreme Intelligence, an artificial intelligence platform designed to meet the commercial needs of healthcare and life sciences companies... Relevance International introduces Artificial Intelligence Amplification Optimization, a proprietary service designed to help brands create a competitive advantage for AI visibility... IMAGINE PR introduces a brand partnerships division, which will focus on ensuring that partnerships are meaningful and measurable, rather than transactional.
SourceCode Communications acquires Rally Point Public Relations... Ruder Finn launches its AI Accelerator, a set of tools and capabilities that will be embedded across client work, agency workflows, and talent recruitment and development, as a way of building AI-native expertise across disciplines... Ceisler Media & Issue Advocacy, a communications, media strategy and public relations firm, is merging with Athena Global Advisors. 
