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Precision Strategies, an integrated strategy and marketing agency with offices in Washington, DC and New York, acquires Firehouse Strategies, a DC-based public affairs firm. Precision was founded in 2013 by senior leaders of President Obama's 2008 and 2012 campaigns. Firehouse was built by senior leaders of Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential run, together with Democratic strategist Ray Glendening. The combined firm will field have 125 staffers and a 50-state network of grasstops operatives—civic leaders, local officials and community influencers. Precision's leadership structure remains unchanged. Stephanie Cutter continues as acting CEO and managing partner and Teddy Goff remains chief growth officer. From Firehouse, co-founder Alex Conant will join as senior partner and Glendening will serve as partner. “In today's environment, clients can't afford an agency that only works one side of the aisle or doesn't have a diverse arsenal of strategists and capabilities to help them win. They need bipartisan savvy and strategic depth. That's what this is," said Conant.
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AVENIR GLOBAL acquires London-based Thinks Insight & Strategy. Thinks will remain a distinct business within AVENIR GLOBAL’s network, collaborating with its UK and international agencies, including AXON, Cherry, Hanover and Madano. Thinks’ management board, headed up by CEO Ben Shimshon, will continue to lead the agency, reporting to Michael Evans, president and managing partner of Cherry and Madano. In the U.S., AVENIR GLOBAL owns SHIFT Communications and Padilla, which includes brand consultancy Joe Smith and FoodMinds, which focuses on clients in the food and nutrition sector. Its other holdings include Canada’s NATIONAL Public Relations and Hanover, a strategic communications and public affairs consultancy that works with clients in Europe and the Middle East. “Being part of a global network of specialist agencies gives us new opportunities to grow our impact whilst staying true to what makes Thinks distinctive,” said Shimshon.
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| (L-R) DJ Hardy, Casey Stickles |
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. The agency functions as an embedded extension of brand teams, developing integrated creative campaigns designed to penetrate culture and generate sustained digital media and social conversation. Good Company is also introducing a dedicated AI Creative Lab, known as Little Debbie, which it says will focus on accelerating technical workflows and visual prototyping to bridge the gap between imagination and instant execution. “The old AOR model simply can’t keep up with how fast culture moves,” said Hardy. “By breaking down silos and having real-time conversations every single day, we’re putting the pieces together in fresh ways with our clients’ goals always at the forefront.”
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