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af&co., a San Francisco-based hospitality marketing and public relations agency founded by Andrew Freeman, is marking its 20th anniversary by expanding its national presence, particularly in Southern California and key travel markets. It is also investing in digital storytelling, content creation and emerging technologies including AI-driven insights. The agency has launched more than 500 restaurants, hotels and lifestyle brands and helped shape the hospitality identity of the Bay Area and beyond. Freeman is also co-founder, along longtime af&co. colleague Candace MacDonald, of Carbonate, a branding, insights and creative strategy focused firm. “Restaurants bring people together in ways few places can,” he said. “That belief has guided af&co. for twenty years, and it continues to inspire everything we do.”
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Notified launches Syndicated Articles, a Content OS workflow capability that builds on the reach of GlobeNewswire press releases to amplify corporate stories across thousands of trusted U.S. news sites and improve how brands appear in AI-generated answers. Syndicated Articles, which are separate from a press release and follow a more objective, newsroom-style format, will be promoted organically to readers across media outlets, with the aim of boosting earned coverage of a brand’s story. The capability will be available to GlobeNewswire clients beginning Dec. 8, as either a one-time add-on when issuing a press release or part of an annual subscription package. Beginning Q1 2026, it will be natively built into Notified’s PR platform. Notified will also offer optional editorial services to help develop, refine and optimize an article. “Our new feature within the Content OS workflow helps clients take the structured core of a GlobeNewswire press release and extend it with companion editorial content that lives longer, reaches farther and improves how their brand and their story show up in AI-generated answers,” said Notified president and CEO Erik Carlson.
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Crosby Marketing Communications selects four students from Anne Arundel Community College in Anne Arundel County, MD, to participate in its Crosby Marketing Scholars Program. Founded in 2022, the $100,000 program offers AACC students a two-year scholarship providing financial support to pursue studies related to marketing, public relations, creative writing, graphic design, multimedia/video production and web design. Students also receive ongoing guidance from AACC professors and are paired with a Crosby staff member who provides mentoring and career advice. At the end of a student’s two-year participation in the program, they may be considered for internship opportunities at Crosby to gain additional professional experience. “Supporting these students who are the next generation of talent in the advertising and public relations industry is really rewarding,” said Crosby Marketing Communications president and CEO Ray Crosby.
Champion, which specializes in restaurant, franchise and consumer brands, opens a Miami office, adding to its operations in Dallas and Los Angeles... Violet PR, a Montclair, NJ-based firm that focuses on economic development, commercial real estate and place branding, opens a second office on Park Avenue South in New York... Inflection Point, a founder-led, senior growth systems partner for startups and growth-stage businesses, launches... PRSA announces the recipients of its inaugural Women of Impact Awards. Honorees honorees were recognized during the PRSA Women of Impact Summit & Awards at the Union League Club of Chicago.
FleishmanHillard is shuttering its 20-member Dublin office as Omnicom Public Relations reorganizes its global operations... Vested acquires Watermark, a D.C.-based public affairs and special situations firm.... Matter earns two Pinnacle Awards 2026 Marketing & Communications honors for its clients.
Quad/Graphics launches Direct, a Quad Agency to help marketers create, execute and measure direct marketing campaigns in one connected offering... InnoVision Marketing Group SVP/senior creative director Giselle Campos and SVP/general manager Alanna Markey are among the first-ever winners of the San Diego Business Journal’s Indispensables Awards, which recognizes professionals who make the greatest impact within their organizations and across the San Diego business community... Park Place Technologies, an IT infrastructure services firm that works with Feintuch Communications, releases the second episode of its “The Savvy CIO” podcast. 
Ripley PR is named a silver winner in the TITAN American Business Awards’ Outstanding PR Campaign category... Excellera, a corporate-advisory firm, came in at number one in deal count, as well as fourth in deal value, in Mergermarket’s list of top EMEA firms... Thunderly is telling the stories of military veterans who transferred the discipline, organization and leadership skills developed in service to their country into successful post-military careers as franchise business owners, as part of its year-long "American Dreamers: The Stories of Franchising" effort.
Legendary Boston PR man George Regan is stepping down from day-to-day management of his namesake firm. The 75-year-old will remain chairman.
