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The Worldcom Public Relations Group votes Australian agency Mahlab into its global partnership. The Sydney-based firm also has offices in Melbourne; Auckland, New Zealand; and Singapore. It complements current Brisbane-based partner Phillips Group. Mahlab has partnered with member-based and B2B organizations in technology, engineering, financial services and other complex industries for almost three decades. “Mahlab brings a progressive mindset to their craft and our partnership, ensuring they not only deliver best in class public relations solutions to their clients, but maintain a forward-looking mindset and adoption of technologies that are further deepening impact on client successes,” said Worldcom recruitment chair Björn Mogensen.
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Ranko Media, an SEO and digital PR agency, releases a new report that says artificial intelligence is fueling a surge in demand for Digital PR. According to Ranko’s analysis of search trend data, spikes in interest for ChatGPT and Perplexity closely align with increased searches for digital PR. The report’s authors believe the answer is rooted in how AI systems evaluate and surface information, and how marketing professionals are responding to this. “As AI search engines and assistants get better at surfacing sources, brands have realized that mentions, citations and real editorial coverage matter more than ever,” said Ranko Media founder and CEO Nick Rubright. “If you want to be visible in AI search results, you need real-world credibility signals. That’s exactly what digital PR is built to create.”
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Beekeeper Group, a Washington, DC-based public affairs and communications agency, launches its Future of Advocacy report. The report finds that while audiences are largely receptive to advocacy communications, information overload has created an environment in which organizations have to adjust their strategies to earn engagement. Nearly half of the American voters surveyed (45 percent) for the report said they had been asked to take action on a social or political issue in recent memory. Out of those, over three quarters (76 percent) actually take action on the action, and even more (80 percent) reported going on to research the issue or cause further. In addition, 78 percent of those who took action expect to hear from the organization again, and 62 percent want some kind of follow-up. To reach even higher levels of engagement with advocacy communications, organizations need to take a personal (not performative) and make a direct connection with their audience’s concern.
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.
V2 Communications launches its AI Visibility Solution and Earned Media at Scale, two service offerings designed to help companies increase visibility and credibility in generative search... The Public Relations Global Network brings on Greenough Communications as its Boston member agency... DBC is relaunching The DBC Industry Calendar as a free site to help communicators more easily discover relevant events and awards in the cluttered event landscape driven by the growth of webinars and online events. 
