VIANEWS & HotwireTech specialist Hotwire PR, in an ongoing bid to counter large global agencies, has aligned with Latin American PR operation VIANEWS of Brazil in an exclusive partnership that builds on less formal ties between the firms over the past five years.

London and New York-based Hotwire said the deal significantly deepens an operational relationship between the firms, including joint pursuit of new business. Joint clients include BMC, Intralinks, LogMeIn and Rakuten.

Thirty-year-old VIANEWS is based in Sao Paulo but partners with firms throughout the region. It serves clients in Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Columbia and Peru. Pedro Cadina, founder and managing director, said, "We’ve seen tremendous value from our affiliation with Hotwire in recent years in terms of new business and knowledge sharing, so it is a natural next step to move even closer to the business."

Hotwire group chief development officer Andy West said he sees clients "burnt by the large agency networks" looking for "something different" that still offers consistency, sector knowledge, coordination and team collaboration. Hotwire group CEO Brendon Craigie added: "We are building a true alternative to the established global PR order."

Hotwire is owned by Australia's Enero Group Limited. The firm has recently landed partners in the Middle East and the Netherlands.