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| Isabel Guzman |
Global Situation Room’s latest Reputation Risk Index says that the Iran War has overtaken artificial intelligence as the top reputational risk for companies. According to the index, the economic and political fallout from the conflict has resulted in unreliable supply chains and increased costs. In addition, a heightened level of uncertainty has kept executives from making decisions on issues ranging from hiring to major investments. Another major change in the reputational landscape is that executives are increasingly being exposed to more than one risk at a time. Armed conflict, artificial intelligence and political pressure are often all on the radar at the same time, with company leaderships having to respond to forces that they have little control over. “Armed conflict is feeding cyberattacks, AI is accelerating fraud, and political pressure is reshaping how organizations operate under scrutiny,” said Global Situation Advisory Council Isabel Guzman. “These risks can no longer be managed in isolation, and resilience in 2026 will belong to leaders who can act before crisis finds them.
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RKD Group, a fundraising and marketing services firm that works with mission-driven organizations, acquires creative agency Whiteboard. The agency will continue operating under the Whiteboard brand while collaborating with RKD's fundraising, analytics, creative, and client teams. The partnership will formally debut at Bridge Conference, which runs from July 29 to 31 in DC this week, goes into effect immediately. As part of the acquisition, Whiteboard co-founder Eric Brown will become CMO of RKD Group. "Mission-driven organizations must deal in eye-catching, thoughtful creative that delivers impact," said Kevin Jones, CEO of RKD Group. "Whiteboard brings exceptional creative acumen and strategic thinking that will bolster the deep philanthropic expertise RKD Group already offers clients."
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The Public Relations Collective launches. It is a nationwide alliance of senior-level public relations and communications professionals who worked at global agencies and major U.S. brands before establishing independent PR consulting practices. The alliance says it will work to provide organizations with access to the depth, reach and specialized expertise of a national agency without the layers, staffing handoffs, fixed team structures and overhead commonly associated with traditional agency models. Engagements may include full-service agency support, project-based assignments, ongoing strategic counsel, fractional communications leadership, embedded team support or fully integrated cross-functional programs. “Our members bring deep experience, specialized expertise and established working relationships,” said TrizCom PR president & CEO Jo Trizila. “That allows us to build the right team quickly while giving clients direct access to the professionals accountable for the strategy, execution and results.”
Matter relaunches its local marketing services, which will focus on providing approachable, agency-caliber marketing programs to help smaller-scale businesses grow in the age of AI... Publicis Sports, the sport and culture marketing arm of Publicis Group, is collaborating with Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs and 3 Arts Sports on the launch of TEKTA, a Name, Image and Likeness consulting and activation offering... The 23rd Annual International Business Awards announces its Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners for 2026.
The Pollack Group launches its Brand Visibility Index, a research series that examines how brands are represented, ranked and cited by generative AI platforms... PARC Solutions, a New York- and London-based advisory firm, forms a strategic collaboration with Guillot Consulting, a provider of lobbying, government relations, political advocacy, and business development services... SalterMitchell PR, a Tallahassee, FL-based firm, wins two 2026 Florida Public Relations Association Golden Image Awards.
Page launches the Polansky Future Leaders Fund, which was established through a gift from 2025 Page Hall of Fame inductee and former Weber Shandwick Global CEO Andy Polansky... Ruder Finn reintroduces its website, ruderfinn.com, which will now feature a large language model (LLM) as its primary user interface... Higher Plane Media is launched by former Sloane & Company CEO Darren Brandt.
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.
