The public relations industry has been beset by numerous challenges in recent years, with economic uncertainty, increased political polarization and historic technological disruptions such as artificial intelligence causing many to question what role communicators have in today’s evolving media landscape.
According to the latest Global Communications Report released by the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations, however, perhaps no issue is as divisive as the role that corporate social responsibility currently plays in the industry.
As “wokeness” takes on increasingly radioactive status in the national conversation, many PR pros are now pulling back on advocating companies’ responsibility to address social issues, which itself has become a divisive issue within the PR sector, with opinions on the matter often split along generational lines.
The annual report, which surveyed more than 1,000 communication experts, reported that the percentage of PR pros who believe companies have a responsibility to address social issues has dropped precipitously in recent years, and now stands at 52 percent in 2025, compared to 85 percent last year and 89 percent in 2023.
A 37 percent decrease in support for corporate social responsibility in three years is big news in its own right, but what’s just as striking is the widening generational gap these current attitudes reveal within the PR sector. According to the report, while three-quarters (75 percent) of Gen Z PR practitioners think companies have a responsibility to advocate for or support social issues even if these issues aren’t directly relevant to their business, only 56 percent of Millennials and 40 percent of Gen X and Boomers agreed. By contrast, 52 percent of Boomers think companies do not have a responsibility to advocate for social issues that aren’t relevant to their business, compared to 49 percent of Gen Xers, 35 percent of Millennials and only 18 percent of Gen Z.
Boomers were also more likely to say that financial performance was a top consideration when it comes to working on behalf of a company or organization, while Gen Z practitioners were more likely to cite inclusion initiatives and ESG practices.
The report also discovered that PR pros have an overwhelmingly positive outlook regarding AI’s impact on the industry, a sentiment shared by two-thirds (64 percent) of Gen Z practitioners as well as 57 percent of Millennials, 65 percent of Gen X and 62 percent of Boomers. Only a quarter of PR professionals think AI will reduce the number of entry-level positions in the industry. However, younger practitioners were far more likely to have a rosy outlook of AI’s positive benefits than older PR pros. Three-quarters (73 percent) of Gen Z thinks AI will make their jobs easier, compared to 63 percent of Millennials, 65 percent of Gen X and 52 percent of Boomers.
Only 35 percent of Gen Z and 33 percent of Millennial PR pros think AI will increase misinformation (compared to 56 percent of Boomers and 47 percent of Gen Xers). Across the board, Gen Z practitioners were also far more likely than older practitioners to think AI will improve the ability to measure PR’s impact, increase crisis response, attract more clients and reduce costs. They are also more likely to believe that AI will be able to generate most of the content currently created by people.
By contrast, while 82 percent of Boomers and 78 percent of Gen Xers think people will remain essential for PR to be effective, only 60 percent of Millennials 52 percent of Gen Zers agreed.
Most PR pros believe that political polarization will continue to pose a problem for the future of the public relations profession, a sentiment shared by 70 percent of Boomer PR respondents as well as 69 percent of Gen X and 52 percent of Millennials. However, only 44 percent of Gen Z practitioners believe this. Older practitioners were also more likely to think misinformation will continue to be a problem for the communications sector over the next five years (72 percent of Boomers and 74 percent of Gen Xers) than younger PR pros (54 percent of Millennials and 46 percent of Gen Z).
A generational divide is also apparent in PR pros’ feelings regarding our ever-changing media landscape, where traditional media sources like television and print have continued to diminish in relevancy while social media, podcasts and smartphone apps gain in popularity. While nearly twothirds (63 percent) of Gen Zers see this transformation as having a positive effect on the PR sector, 57 percent of Boomers and 53 percent of Gen X think this change hurts the industry. Millennials, meanwhile, are somewhat divided, as 44 percent see this change as having a positive impact while 39 percent see a negative impact.
Nearly half (46 percent) of Gen Z PR pros also think these changes will make their jobs easier, the only generation to feel more positive than negative regarding how our new media landscape will affect their day-to-day work.
Finally, despite significant disruptions, myriad challenges and generational differences, PR pros remain overwhelmingly positive regarding the future of their profession, with three-quarters (74 percent) of practitioners saying they have a positive outlook on the industry’s future, while only 11 percent reported a negative outlook.
— Jon Gingerich
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Media trust declines among younger generations
Trust in the media has continued to decline among Americans, with skepticism especially growing among younger people, according to a recent study.
By Jon Gingerich
Trust in the accuracy of the news media has been declining steadily among Americans for years, but according to a recent survey by news app SmartNews, some of the steepest losses of trust are now coming from Gen Z news consumers.
SmartNews’ report, which explored trust and consumer sentiment in the media across generational and partisan lines, found that Americans’ trust in print journalists currently stands at only 27 percent. For social media influencers, it’s even worse, at 21 percent. On the other hand, a majority of Americans (53 percent) said they still trust evening TV news anchors.
Americans cited the reputation of the media outlet (39 percent) as the most influential factor in determining whether or not they trust a news story, followed by how wide that coverage is (24 percent) and transparency regarding fact-checking (16 percent). Only three percent of respondents cited academic sources as the most important factor regarding whether or not they trust a story.
More than a third (35 percent) of respondents said they’re likely to stop reading—or even block—a news outlet whose political and/or social views don’t align with their own, according to the report. Nearly a third (31 percent) also said they’re likely to block social media influencers who don’t align with their views. However, less than a third (30 percent) said they check additional sources to verify news they find questionable.
The report also discovered that media mistrust varies among generations, and found a growing shift in media skepticism among younger audiences. Two-thirds of Gen Z news consumers (65 percent) said they usually or always question the accuracy of a news story, compared to 59 percent of Millennials, 55 percent of Boomers and 51 percent of Gen Xers. Gen Z audiences are also least likely to trust TV anchors more than other news sources (11 percent), compared to Millennials (23 percent), Gen X (29 percent) and Boomers (36 percent).
On the other hand, Boomers are the generation most likely to block a news outlet that doesn’t align with their views (36 percent), compared to only 27 percent of Gen Xers, 27 percent of Millennials and 15 percent of Gen Zers. Boomers are the most likely to block social media influencers who don’t align with their views (44 percent), a practice shared by only 22 percent of Gen Xers and Millennials and only 11 percent of Gen Zers.
Boomers are also the least likely generation to favor social media as a source. They are, however, the generation most likely to seek out supplemental sources to verify a story.
The same trust disparity can be observed along political lines. Respondents who identified as Republican are more likely (40 percent) to be skeptical of the news than Democrats (32 percent), independents (26 percent) or those who consider themselves apolitical (two percent).
On the other hand, the report also found that Republicans are more likely to trust social media influencers than Democrats or Independents (26 percent, vs. 16 percent and 19 percent, respectively).
SmartNews’ study surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. adults online in March.
PR brief
Facebook use plummets
Facebook has been declining in popularity for years, with continued privacy concerns, general dissatisfaction with the platform’s content and younger audiences migrating toward competing platforms such as Instagram and TikTok cited as reasons for the exodus.
According to a report released by video editing service Vidpros, these declines have grown increasingly sharp this year, with searches for the app almost halving what they were in 2021.
Vidpros’ findings, which used monthly Google Keyword Planner search volume data to rank social media platforms with at least 100 million active users, found that Facebook was searched an incredible 1,080,600,000 times a month globally via Google in 2021, the second highest of any platform after YouTube. However, monthly searches in 2025 have now dropped substantially to 618,000,000, accounting for a 43 percent decrease in searches since 2021.
According to a recent study by social media marketing Media Mister, Facebook now takes fifth place for the most time-consuming app in the U.S., lagging behind TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and SnapChat, respectively.
In 2024, the average Facebook user spent about 30 minutes a day on the platform, according to data by social media management company MixBloom, compared to 58 minutes daily in 2019, 38 minutes in 2018 and 41 minutes in 2017.
Facebook remains the most popular social network globally, currently boasting more than three billion monthly active users as of April 2025.
UGC gains traction in influencer marketing world
User-generated content will account for an increased portion of the influencer economy this year, according to a new report.
The influencer marketing sector will continue to see big gains in 2025, and part of this is due to the rising popularity of user-generated content, which has experienced widespread adoption by the influencer world, according to a new report released by influencer marketplace Collabstr.
Collabstr’s report, which highlights the trends and economic shaping the influencer marketing world, found that the influencer economy is expected to grow by more than 12 percent this year, totaling about $22.2 billion. This accounts for slightly less growth than the 14 percent gains seen between 2023 and 2024.
Instagram remains the most popular platform for influencer marketing and will account for 42 percent of all influencer collaborations this year. TikTok now comes in at a close second, accounting for 41 percent of influencer campaigns in 2025. However, user-generated content, or original, brand-specific content created by customers as opposed to the brand or company, has seen massive gains in the last year. According to Collabstr’s report, USG is now expected to make up 16 percent of influencer collaborations this year. YouTube takes fourth place, at two percent.
Nearly half—42 percent—of influencers reported currently offer marketing services on Instagram. But surprisingly, 32 percent now offer user-generated content as well, which has surged by 93 percent year-overyear. According to the report, 66 percent
PR brief Small buisinesses lack crisis plans
A new study from Rosen Group finds that more than three quarters of small businesses (78 percent) don’t have a formal crisis communications plan.
The firm’s 2025 PR Pulse for Small Business Survey, conducted in partnership with Researchscape International, asked 1,000 small business owners across the U.S. for their takes on topics ranging from crisis preparation to initiative impact to budget allocation and economic uncertainty.
The biggest hurdles that respondents said they face over the next 12 months include Iimited budgets (cited by 54 percent) and time constraints (32 percent). More than half (56 percent) said that the most impactful PR initiative in the coming year would be social media management, with content marketing (49 percent) coming close behind.
Showing the high priority that communications still have, more than four out of 10 respondents (41 percent) said they allocate at least 20 percent of their annual budget to marketing and PR—and nine percent said they allocate 50 percent or more.
By Jon Gingerich
of creators are now open to UGC work, up from 26 percent the year prior. Only 21 percent of influencers run campaigns on TikTok and five percent offer services via YouTube.
When it comes to how much brands spend per influencer on each platform, YouTube comes in first ($418), followed by Instagram ($212), TikTok ($200), user-generated content ($178), Amazon ($130), Twitch ($119) and X ($87).
Top 10 current industries for influencers include lifestyle, beauty, fashion, travel, health and fitness, Food and drink, art and photography, family and children, modeling and comedy and entertainment. However, the report discovered that the industries where influencers are currently in the highest demand are fashion, beauty, lifestyle, health and fitness, Food and drink, travel, family and children, entrepreneurs and business, music and dance and technology.
When it comes to the highest-paid influencer niches, LGBTQ+ topped the list, followed by influencers specializing in comedy
and entertainment, vegan influencers, family and children, actors, skilled trades, athletes and sports, education, entrepreneurs and business and automotive.
The Average price per influencer collaboration will be around $202 in 2025, a decline from last year, when brands spent an average of $214 per influencer collaboration.
Women dominate the influencer marketing industry, according to the report, making up about 72 percent of influencers, while only about 28 percent are male. This reveals a slight change from last year, when 70 percent of influencers were female and 30 percent were male. However, Collabstr’s report discovered that male influencers tend to make 40 percent more than their female counterparts, accounting for an average difference of about $83 per collaboration.
The U.S. remains the top country for influencer marketing campaigns, comprising about 82 percent of global influencer ad spend in 2024, up from 77 percent the year prior. Other popular countries for influencer marketing deals included Canada, the UK, Australia, the UAE and Germany.
Collabstr’s report analyzed collaborations between 40,000 brands and 100,000 creators using data sourced from Collabstr’s influencer marketplace.
Your IPO communications roadmap
A strategic, a step-by-step approach to going public.
An IPO is a defining milestone in a company’s journey. It’s not only a celebration of growth and achievement, but the beginning of a new era for your business. While recent market volatility has caused many companies to delay their IPO plans, that doesn’t mean communications should hit pause. On the contrary, early and strategic communications are key to making the most of the IPO moment and setting your company up for long-term public company success.
To build brand awareness and confidence among customers, partners, employees and investors, communications planning should begin 12 to 24 months before listing day. That means laying a strong brand foundation, shaping a compelling narrative and increasing visibility among all stakeholders.
While your communications strategy should align with the current market and media landscape, there are tried-and-true best practices you can use to guide your planning. Below is a step-by-step communications timeline to guide your IPO journey, from early prep to ringing the bell.
12–24 months out: lay the groundwork
Empower your executive voices. Your CEO and CFO will serve as the primary corporate spokespeople in the lead-up to an IPO (and beyond). Start early with media training to ensure they can clearly articulate the company’s vision, value proposition and financial outlook. Their credibility and clarity will be key to earning trust from the public and investors alike.
Strengthen corporate and executive branding. Your future shareholders need to understand not only what your company does, but why it matters. Build brand awareness and understanding through a steady cadence of media placements, whether they’re driven by corporate news, product innovation, customer stories or executive thought leadership. Now’s also the time to pursue growth-oriented awards such as CNBC’s Disruptor 50 or Deloitte’s Fast 500 to bolster third-party validation.
Make strategic media investments. Because media outlets have limited bandwidth to profile pre-IPO companies, consider sponsored content with high-value publications to deliver key messages to the right audiences. Well-placed partnerships can generate credibility and attention when it counts most.
Activate investor support. Your existing investors are among your strongest brand
By Kristen Leathers
advocates—they want your IPO to be as successful as you do. Tap into their media relationships and ask them to speak on your brand’s behalf. Their endorsement sends a powerful signal to the market.
Operate like a public company. Start establishing transparency and consistency in your communications. Whether that means releasing monthly updates, sharing KPIs or rolling out financial disclosures, this builds the internal discipline and external trust necessary for a smooth transition to the public markets.
6–12 months out: amplify your brand story
Accelerate communications campaigns. This is the time to be everywhere. Push hard on brand storytelling through media outreach, executive visibility, award nominations and speaker opportunities. Showcase compelling customer outcomes and highlight strategic partnerships to demonstrate traction.
Diversify your channels. Broaden your reach by investing in platforms where key audiences—especially prospective shareholders—are already engaged. This may include LinkedIn ad campaigns, investor-focused newsletters or guest appearances on finance and business podcasts.
Engage and equip employees. Internal communications are just as crucial. Keep employees up to date with your IPO journey and empower them to be brand advocates by providing approved messaging and content they can share on social channels in a way that aligns with SEC guidelines.
Bring in IR expertise. Investor relations firms can provide essential guidance, from building an investor-friendly website to preparing financial disclosures and messaging. They can also conduct mock audits and simulate Q&A sessions to help prepare for analyst scrutiny and public feedback.
3–6 months out: get public-company ready
Intensify executive training. Repetition breeds confidence. Ensure your CEO and CFO are regularly practicing media interviews, investor presentations and highstakes Q&As. These conversations will shape public perception and impact your IPO’s reception.
Stay current on market forces. Executives must be able to speak not just about your business, but broader market trends, whether that means economic shifts, regulatory updates or the impact of new and emerging technology. Keep executives up to
date on the most topical issues and trends, and make sure they can address how those things may influence your business model and outlook.
Produce investor-focused content. Develop high-impact materials such as investor decks, fact sheets, FAQs and customer case studies. These tools will support investor roadshows, analyst meetings and media interviews, reinforcing your market position and future potential.
Host pre-IPO roadshows. Conduct preliminary meetings with analysts and select investors to test your messaging, gather feedback and refine your positioning ahead of the formal roadshow.
1–3 months out: finalize and launch Engage institutional investors. Partner with your IR team to lead the formal IPO roadshow. These meetings with institutional investors are crucial, as they influence your pricing and momentum out of the gate. Consider hybrid or virtual roadshows to expand reach.
Lock in materials and messaging. Finalize all external-facing materials, from press releases and investor presentations to social posts and executive Q&A documents. Align your messaging with your company’s long-term vision, while being responsive to anticipated market reaction.
Ensure regulatory compliance. Work closely with legal and IR teams to ensure every communication complies with SEC regulations, especially rules around “gun-jumping” before the IPO date.
Collaborate with your exchange. Both NYSE and NASDAQ have marketing and communications teams ready to help amplify your moment. From digital signage to logistical support for the bell-ringing, they can provide a valuable boost in visibility and celebration.
Schedule high-impact media interviews. Identify your top media targets and lock in interviews for listing day. Outlets like CNBC, Bloomberg and WSJ should be prioritized but be careful not to overbook. Listing day is hectic, and you want to ensure your spokespeople are energized and prepared for any and all interviews.
Prepare for different scenarios. Have messaging prepared for whether your stock pops or lags at open. The goal is to maintain confidence and momentum no matter the short-term reaction, always linking back to your long-term value story.
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Kristen Leathers
Enhancing reputation through analytics
Unlocking the power of analytics in reputational analysis for biopharma companies.
In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, biopharmaceutical companies are under constant scrutiny and must adapt to ever-changing expectations from diverse stakeholders, ranging from regulators, healthcare professionals, investors, payers and policymakers to the general public. A company’s reputation is intricately linked to its success, impacting everything from valuation to partnerships and the ability to attract top talent. As a result, reputational analysis has become an essential tool to inform strategic planning for biopharma companies. At the heart of effective reputational analysis lies the power of ongoing analytics—a transformative tool that provides insights to enable companies to build and defend their public image proactively.
The stakes are high
For biopharma companies, reputation is a valuable but fragile asset. It can be influenced by many factors, including drug efficacy, safety records, regulatory compliance, corporate social responsibility and public perception. A single negative event, such as a product recall or a lawsuit, can have a cascading effect, eroding trust and diminishing market value. Conversely, a strong reputation can enhance a company’s ability to navigate regulatory hurdles with greater ease, launch new therapeutics successfully and negotiate favorable terms with partners.
Real Chemistry has been studying healthcare audiences for decades and has developed a deep understanding of what they expect from the biopharma industry. Our research and long-term experience in healthcare have confirmed that audience nuances matter in measuring reputation. We have found that innovation continues to drive reputation overall, but “drivers” do vary among stakeholders.
To understand and distill a prioritized list of reputation drivers among healthcare stakeholders, we conducted a survey of 500 healthcare professionals across 25 specialties and a nationally representative sample of 1,000 healthcare-engaged adult consumers, and we interviewed representatives from business, industry and media. We leverage the findings in our reputation framework, including scoring and weighting of data in our framework.
Offering a strategic advantage through analytics Analytics provides biopharma companies with a strategic advantage by offering deep
insights into how they are perceived across different stakeholder groups. By leveraging big data and advanced analytical tools, companies can monitor public sentiment, identify emerging trends and respond to reputational threats in real time. Among the key solutions used to measure and shape reputation are the following:
Sentiment analysis. One of the most potent applications of analytics in reputational analysis is sentiment analysis. By examining social media platforms, news articles and online forums, biopharma companies can gauge public sentiment regarding their therapies, leadership and policies. That information enables companies to address concerns proactively and tailor their communication strategies to align with public expectations.
Panoramic listening. Video, image and audio content is now the dominant format on the digital channels where audiences spend their time versus text-based formats. Panoramic Listening leverages a diversity of data sources and AI to see vast amounts of reputationally relevant data points, fueling more powerful insights.
Predictive analytics. This tool uses historical data and statistical algorithms to forecast future events. In the context of reputational analysis, Predictive Analytics can help biopharma companies anticipate potential issues and reputational risks before they escalate. For example, predictive models can identify patterns that precede regulatory scrutiny or public backlash, allowing companies to implement corrective measures in advance.
Competitive benchmarking. Analytics also allows biopharma companies to benchmark their reputational standing against competitors. By analyzing key performance indicators, such as media coverage, social media engagement and stakeholder feedback, companies can gain insights into their relative position in the industry. This benchmarking can inform strategic decisions, such as rebranding efforts or corporate social responsibility initiatives, to enhance competitive advantage.
Making analytics a key part of reputation measurement
We recognize that healthcare is unique and demands a custom, audience-centric reputation framework. That’s why we created a product called RepAction, which evaluates the reputation drivers that matter
By Sherry Pudloski and Meredith Owen
most to specific audiences.
We do this by tapping into online signals, combined with insights from curated healthcare audience panels and real-world data, to measure reputation and develop data-driven strategies and programs for building reputational value. By correlating reputational changes to changes in brand use and brand share, RepAction connects the dots between reputation drivers and sales. By bringing together intelligence, expertise and action, we enable our biopharma clients to effectively build and influence their reputation. How companies are successfully using analytics to inform action
Real Chemistry has a dedicated analytics team comprised of more than 200 reputation specialists focused only on healthcare. These experienced professionals are steeped in measurement and primary market research. This team has helped several biopharma companies successfully harness analytics to inform their corporate reputation strategy and safeguard and enhance their reputation.
For instance, for a leading pharma company, we used sentiment analysis to detect negative sentiment surrounding the launch of a new medicine. By identifying the root cause of the negative sentiment—concerns about side effects—the company was able to address those issues by generating additional clinical data and targeting communication to key stakeholders, restoring public confidence.
For a pharma company that wanted to establish leadership in women’s health, we used research-driven analysis, including share-of-voice, positive sentiment and strong search intent, to identify a gap in corporate ownership of women’s health and an opportunity for the company to stand out with the right voice and positioning. Our results led to the creation of
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Sherry Pudloski
Meredith Owen
Lessons from launching a U.S. PR brand in the UK
Personal reflections on the challenges of expanding a successful PR agency into new markets.
By Miles Hill
Ayear ago—almost to the day—we launched The Bliss Group’s UK office. We were confident in our model, thoughtful in our timing and realistic about what it would take to establish ourselves in a crowded new market.
Twelve months in, we’re not claiming global dominance (yet)—but we’ve built traction, won new clients, met some incredible people and learned a thing or two. And while it hasn’t always been straightforward, it has been rewarding.
This isn’t supposed to be a humblebrag piece about our pioneering, success-laden year abroad (okay, I’ll stop). It’s a reflection on what it actually takes to bring a successful U.S. PR agency to the UK: what we’ve learned, what we’ve (re)thought and how that’s ultimately making us sharper, faster and more valuable to our clients in both markets.
A few thoughts, lessons and observations: Brand equity doesn’t travel as far as you think, and that’s okay
There’s nothing quite like building a reputation in a market where no one knows who you are.
It would be comforting to imagine that an agency’s reputation automatically crosses borders when you set up shop abroad. After all, we’re 50 years old and, at least in our B2B circles, well-known in the U.S.
In reality, while our track record mattered to some extent, UK clients (rightly) wanted to know what we could do for them, here and now—and whether we truly understood the issues, industries and media landscape specific to the UK and Europe, not just the US.
We weren’t naïve about that. But we were reminded, quickly, that every meeting, pitch and proposal had to stand on its own merit.
The good news was that this forced focus. We were pushed to be sharper in how we position ourselves in the UK. We’ve had to be crystal clear regarding what differentiates us from our competitor set (which, of course, is different in the UK than those we’re used to running up against in the U.S.). It means that we’re building a reputation that’s rooted in value, not name recognition.
And that clarity benefits our clients. It’s made us more deliberate about how we communicate value, more precise in how we define success and more disciplined in
how we craft programs that resonate in different cultural and commercial contexts. In other words, the pressure of launching in a new market has made us better partners.
The American style is welcome—to a point
We all know that messaging should be tailored to different audiences. But in the UK, it’s not just about content—tone and style carry weight, and subtle shifts can make a meaningful difference in how your agency is perceived.
There’s a familiar stereotype of American firms entering the UK market—they come in with a trademark sense of American optimism, bluster and the assumption that their way is the right way.
From my personal experience, having grown up in London but spent the majority of my adult life in the United States, Brits, by and large, enjoy working with Americans. They appreciate the can-do, anything-is-possible attitude that is so firmly ingrained in the American psyche.
But the UK comms world is also incredibly proud of the innovation, creativity and talent that already exists in the industry here.
That’s why it’s so important to tend towards understatement versus overselling. It comes up in client conversations, media engagements and even casual networking. It’s not about muting your message—it’s about understanding that confidence looks different here. Loud and bold isn’t always persuasive. Sometimes, it’s about being the person in the room who says the most with the fewest words.
Business development and networking as a discipline and a daily routine
One of the realities of launching in a new market is the sheer volume of conversations you need to on people’s radar. No one has been waiting for you to enter the market. You’re not a known entity—you’re new (at least over here). That forces you to explain, succinctly and repeatedly, who you are, what you do and why anyone should care.
In practice, that means treating business development and networking not as an occasional initiative, but as a daily practice.
Every conversation is part of the positioning. Every meeting helps sharpen your narrative. You learn how to describe your value proposition in a way that resonates with this market—not just theoretically
but based on real-time reactions and raised eyebrows.
And somewhere in that repetition, the pitch gets better. Your thinking gets tighter. You start hearing, “I’ve heard of you,” instead of “So, what exactly do you do?”
What this experience underscored for me is how inextricably linked marketing and growth really are. Building a presence, driving awareness and telling your story clearly and consistently—these aren’t just brand-building exercises. They’re business critical. The relationships you cultivate, the way you show up, the clarity of your message—they all compound over time.
“Pronoia” and the myth of the aloof Londoner
Professionally, launching an agency in a new market has sharpened my strategic thinking. Personally, it’s challenged me in different ways.
By nature, I’m more introvert than extrovert. I’m generally not the type of person to work a room, and the terms “networking drinks” and “small talk” have historically sent shivers down my spine. But when you’re new to a market, networking is the job.
Early on, I came across a term that stuck with me: “pronoia.” In contrast to paranoia, it’s defined as “the delusional belief that other people are plotting your well-being, saying nice things about you behind your back and are secretly conspiring to help you.”
When I first read it, I thought it was a ludicrous and, frankly, hilarious concept. I still crack up to myself when I think about that definition.
But adopting that mindset—choosing to assume openness rather than scepticism —was unexpectedly freeing in how I’ve approached networking. It gave me the push I needed to initiate more conversations, follow up on introductions and go out for more coffees, even when my introvert instinct tried to hold me back.
Here’s what surprised me: it actually worked. I’ve found people to be open, friendly and willing to listen, offer a hand and make an introduction. Especially in
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Miles Hill
LAUNCHING A U.S. BRAND IN THE UK
Continued from page 14
London—a city often painted as fast-moving and closed off—I found a business community that was smart, generous and far more willing to help than any stereotype would suggest.
What started as a professional necessity has become a professional joy. The conversations I’ve had this year—often one-onone, often over good coffee—have shaped how I think about the industry, how I approach growth and how we can build a business that delivers smarter, more human and more culturally fluent counsel.
It’s also a welcome reminder that our business is still inherently based on human connection, despite the amazing technology and digitization that we incorporate into our work every day.
Mid-size matters, especially now Our approach, both in the U.S. and the
ENHANCING REPUTATION & ANALYTICS
Continued from page 12
a campaign that successfully positioned the company as a leader in the sector, enhancing its market presence, recruitment efforts and investor interest.
For another pharma company, we used a data-rich framework to help it evolve its reputation, bolster its competitive relevance among peers, maintain a leading voice during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to show consistent positive trends. We also curated an innovation influencer list to identify key opportunities for outreach, pitching and content co-creation for notable industry events.
For a biotech company, we utilized predictive analytics to help it anticipate regulatory challenges related to a novel therapy. By proactively engaging with regulators and addressing potential concerns, the company
AN IPO COMMUNICATIONS ROADMAP
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IPO day: celebrate!
Be ready for anything. IPO day is fast, high-energy and, frankly, chaotic. Be prepared for last-minute changes, surprises and rapid-fire questions. Ensure your spokespeople are camera-ready and your logistics
UK, is not to be the biggest agency out there. But we are trying to be the most useful.
In a market crowded with big global agencies and small boutiques, we’ve found that our mid-size positioning resonates, particularly in the UK. Clients want senior attention, integrated services and people who understand the commercial context of their communications, as well as the support structures and teams to back that up. Our experience navigating both markets is reinforcing exactly that—giving us a cross-border perspective that’s practical, not just theoretical.
Especially in sectors like financial services, healthcare and professional services—where audiences are sophisticated, issues are complex and sticker prices for services are at a premium—the expectation for thoughtful, agile agencies is high.
The learning curve is real and valuable
This isn’t our first new office or our first
new market, but there’s always a learning curve.
Every market has its quirks, and the UK is no exception. But what surprised us wasn’t the operational complexity; it was how much this move sharpened our strategic lens. Expanding into a new country is an exercise in humility.
We’ve had to rethink how we sell, how we pitch and how we deliver.
We’ve had to get even sharper on what our agency stands for—and what clients value in an agency partner.
But that friction has been incredibly productive.
It has forced us to get tighter on our value prop, to interrogate our internal processes and to reevaluate everything from our approach to internal comms to our pitch deck.
And that has been beneficial to us—and our clients—on both sides of the pond.
Miles Hill is a Senior Vice President and Head of UK Office at The Bliss Group.
navigated the approval process smoothly, avoiding delays and maintaining its reputation as an industry innovator.
As another example, for an oncology-focused biopharma company, we conducted an in-depth analysis of audience conversations to pinpoint key drivers and terminology associated with innovation in access. We used this lexical assessment to uncover voices for thought leaders, redefining the company story from oncology leader to advancing innovation across all the company’s work from science to access.
Utilizing the leadership team as ambassadors of the company’s mission to transform lives, we integrated these insights across all communications, from ESG initiatives to innovative product offerings, effectively employing the terms and themes revealed by our research.
The future of reputational analysis in biopharma
As the regulatory, social and political
environment in which biopharma companies operate is ever-changing, reputational analysis must be “always on.” This is a marked difference from the way the industry has operated for many years. Companies need to be hyperaware of the landscape to be informed and stay ahead of the curve, enabling them to navigate the complexities of the environment with precision and foresight.
In conclusion, the integration of analytics into reputational analysis helps address the speed of change. By leveraging data-driven insights, companies can protect and enhance their reputation in real-time to drive sustained growth and success. Those who harness the power of analytics in reputational analysis will be well-positioned to lead.
Sherry Pudloski is Group President of Corporate Affairs at Real Chemistry. Meredith Owen, Practice Leader of Integrated Intelligence at Real Chemistry.
team is on point.
Soak it in. This is a major milestone. Enjoy the celebration: ring the bell, attend the events and don’t forget to take lots of pictures.
Going public isn’t just a financial milestone—it’s a brand-defining moment. Strategic, disciplined communications are essential to telling your story, building trust
and setting the stage for long-term success. By investing early and aligning cross-functional teams, you can elevate your brand and ensure your IPO launch makes the impact it deserves, not just on day one, but in the quarters and years that follow.
Kristen Leathers is Executive Vice President, B2B Technology at V2 Communications.
A communications playbook for the Trump era
How PR professionals can protect reputation, realign messaging and find opportunity amid Trump 2.0.
The early months of President Trump’s second term have been marked by rapid and sweeping changes across domestic and foreign policy. From restructured trade relationships to sharp reversals on federal DEI and ESG programs, the administration’s actions have created both upheaval and opportunity. The pace and unpredictability of executive orders, combined with a renewed emphasis on “America First” policies, have left the global business community racing to recalibrate.
Trade tensions have intensified, alliances have been tested and regulatory priorities are shifting fast. Organizations that once operated under stable, multilateral norms must now adapt to bilateral deal-making, unilateral tariffs and growing scrutiny on long-standing values and policies.
In this environment, PR professionals play a critical role—not only in protecting brand reputation but in reframing how companies communicate priorities, manage risk and stay true to their values in a politically charged atmosphere.
Be true to your values while aligning with shared goals
In the current political landscape, communicators are tasked with a delicate balancing act: remain authentic to their organization’s core values while aligning with the shared priorities of stakeholders and government actors.
President Trump’s executive orders targeting DEI and ESG efforts have already reshaped compliance expectations across sectors—from law firms and universities to publicly traded companies. The administration has directed federal agencies to reassess funding criteria and procurement policies, pressuring institutions to eliminate DEI programs or risk losing government support. In parallel, ESG disclosures and sustainability commitments are under renewed scrutiny, with regulators rolling back previous reporting requirements and signaling a shift away from stakeholder capitalism. For some organizations—particularly those with federal contracts, academic partnerships or ESG-linked investor strategies—these moves introduce immediate legal and reputational risk. Others may find new space to pivot their messaging and streamline governance. In either case, the pressure is on communications and compliance leaders to recalibrate strategies while staying anchored to their organization’s values and long-term commitments.
By Alyse Deutsch and Rosalind Reischer
For communications professionals, this moment calls for message clarity and internal cohesion. Resist reactive pivots that could erode trust within and outside of your organization. Instead, define the principles that remain a north star for your organization and build coalitions around broadly shared goals, such as economic resilience, job creation or adherence to the rule of law.
Messaging should reinforce your brand’s integrity while demonstrating an understanding of the evolving policy environment.
Protect your interests and remain agile
As businesses adapt to changing policies, PR leaders should reframe their thinking— from broad national initiatives to tangible community-building and local impact. Rather than focusing solely on sweeping narratives about American investment or manufacturing, communicators have an opportunity to tell grounded, authentic stories about how their organizations are creating value in specific communities, whether it’s through local job creation, small business partnerships, workforce development or environmental stewardship. This approach not only aligns with the administration’s emphasis on domestic benefits but also reinforces credibility by showcasing real-world outcomes. The key is to strike a balance: preserving the core brand identity that stakeholders recognize while demonstrating a meaningful local presence.
For example, amid growing uncertainty in the global trade system, companies should communicate supply chain diversification or domestic investment initiatives in a way that echoes national economic priorities. Strategic framing—highlighting job creation, resilience, or alignment with U.S. trade goals—can protect market positioning and mitigate scrutiny.
At the same time, engagement at the state and local level offers a powerful counterbalance to federal unpredictability. Deepening relationships across political lines with local and regional governments and amplifying community-focused messaging can strengthen reputational resilience and insulate operations from broader geopolitical headwinds.
Not all risks can be mitigated
While risk management has always been a communications imperative, the stakes are higher this year. The Trump administration’s aggressive policy shifts—from universal tariffs to cultural flashpoints—have introduced volatility that cannot be entirely
controlled. But that doesn’t mean communicators are powerless.
Organizations must conduct rapid risk assessments on issues ranging from supply chain stability to political affiliation, legal exposure or public backlash. For industries under new scrutiny, clear, consistent messaging and scenario planning are essential.
Organizations must also revisit and pressure test their crisis preparedness plans. This includes developing tiered response protocols, preparing spokespeople across business functions and creating message frameworks that can flex with fast-moving developments. Escalation scenarios should be rehearsed through simulations and war room exercises to ensure teams are equipped to respond with speed and precision. Finally, team leaders must sensitize these processes with their leadership and Board, to ensure business leaders are read in and armed with a decision framework before a crisis hits.
Yet even in disruption, there is opportunity. Companies can strengthen their position by identifying and communicating how they are innovating and adapting. Demonstrating agility, rather than retreat, can earn public trust and government goodwill— even as risks evolve. Communicators who proactively build muscle memory for crisis response will be better positioned to steer the narrative, protect reputations and seize emerging openings in a shifting landscape. Navigating a siloed media ecosystem
Today’s media landscape is no longer just polarized—it’s fractured. In Washington, many decision-makers operate within echo chambers shaped by partisan media consumption. For communications leaders, this means mastering parallel messaging strategies.
Communicators must build narratives that resonate across diverging audiences while staying grounded in the company’s long-term objectives. Avoid performative statements aimed at short-term news cycles. Instead, ensure your message architecture can be customized by platform and political context while retaining internal consistency.
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Alyse Deutsch
Rosalind Reischer
The new rules of B2B social engagement
Social media has evolved significantly in the past few years, upending B2B social media marketing. Here are some of the biggest developments B2B marketers should be aware of as they refine their social media strategies going forward.
By Jamie Kightley
The status quo of B2B social strategy is being shaken up on two fronts. First, there’s a proliferation of channels stealing market share from LinkedIn and X: Threads, Bluesky and the rise of opensource channels. Second, there’s a shift in purchasing personas as Gen Z enters the buying cycle. That generation prefers to research brands themselves as opposed to getting in touch with sales directly. Social is very much the new frontier for this research, as that’s where just under half of consumers say they now find brands.
In this new arena, B2B brands need to think differently to ensure they carry through their leadership and sell their brand equity via the right social channels for their campaign audience.
Is LinkedIn’s B2B reign on the decline?
First, B2B marketers need to understand where their target audience is. For years, LinkedIn has been king of B2B social media, with 80 percent of B2B marketers worldwide using the platform. In fact, LinkedIn now boasts an impressive billion-plus users from more than 200 different countries. But is the platform capable of constantly updating and evolving with the ever-changing B2B social media landscape?
There’s been a lot of movement recently in the B2B social media landscape with the introduction of Meta offering an alternative platform for targeting audiences for a fraction of LinkedIn’s price. Bluesky, a microblogging platform, has also burst onto the scene with 20 million users. And of course, let’s not forget the rise of TikTok.
Then there was the decline in X following its transition from Twitter, a former mainstay of B2B social media marketing. The introduction of paid subscriptions, reduced analytics tools and being named one of the biggest sources of fake news and disinformation could be the main reasons behind this downfall, which has seen nearly onefifth of its daily users drop off the platform.
So far, no other platform has been able to knock LinkedIn off its B2B social media throne, but this is a potential shift that B2B marketers should keep an eye on.
Decentralized social on the rise
Elsewhere, the social media world was rocked in 2024 when Mark Zuckerberg announced that X’s rival Threads was joining the Fediverse, an open-source and decentralized network of interconnected social media platforms that has amassed more
than 200 million new users. By operating on a decentralized model, the Fediverse offers users increased control over their data and interactions as there’s no central authority governing the platform.
When leveraged correctly, it’s a great opportunity for users and B2B marketers alike to follow, like and engage with experts and B2B buyers of similar interests and industries, no matter the social channel.
Now is the time for B2B marketers to react early and join the Fediverse. With the future of other social media platforms up in the air—take TikTok’s ban/reinstatement in the U.S. as an example—could we soon see a mass movement of organizations entering the Fediverse? This is another area B2B marketers should keep tabs on in 2025. Embrace zero-click content for visibility
To keep pace with the evolving nature of social media, what tactics must be a part of B2B marketers’ social media strategy?
Have you ever tried to find information online and ended up clicking on links that never gave you what you were after? Enter zero-click content. As the name suggests, it refers to content that requires zero clicks as the information is presented to the user in one place without them having to leave the page.
B2B marketers should start taking note of the importance of zero-click content due to its growing popularity among users and social media algorithms such as LinkedIn and X. Witness its rise on LinkedIn, where more than 50 percent of posts are now zero-click due to that platform offering in-house blog and article publishing features. These posts are getting, on average, six times more reactions compared to posts with external links, as algorithms are increasingly being designed to keep users on specific platforms without venturing to external sites. So, it’s up to B2B marketers to create content that fits with these algorithms and, in turn, experience the payoff of greater engagement and brand visibility.
Zero-click can apply not only to social media but SEO as well, with search results now showing a snapshot of content before users click through. Content needs to be precise, engaging and informative. That’s no easy task, so finding the right hook, utilizing your assets and content and keeping up to date is more important than ever for B2B marketers.
Social becomes new SEO battleground
Jamie Kightley
SEO is already a staple tactic in B2B marketing to stand out in the search engine results pages. But with 31 percent of social media users now using social platforms as search engines instead of traditional search engines, it’s making headwind in the social media world as well. Social media SEO involves utilizing traditional SEO strategies such as keywords on profile pages and posts to increase traffic and opportunities to connect with target audiences.
Witness the new trend on LinkedIn to optimize your profile for LinkedIn SEO, a strategy geared toward increasing LinkedIn visibility and its search results. First, B2B marketers need to understand what and how users are searching for like-minded LinkedIn profiles and optimize social media content, pages and profiles. But this isn’t applicable only to LinkedIn: take the example of TikTok increasing its video captions from 300 to 2,200 words or Pinterest actively encouraging users to use the right keywords to affect content distribution positively. Now more than ever, B2B marketers need to consider the importance of keyword selection. Social listening to tap into conversations With all the recent updates, changes and developments across social media, 2024 was a historic year as social media users surpassed the five billion mark and increased by 266 million compared to 2023. It’s now harder than ever for B2B brands to keep tabs on their brand’s position and reputation across the ever-widening range of social channels. This is where social listening comes to the fore!
Social listening is often a term more regularly associated with B2C brands for analyzing consumer conversations, but it’s now essential for B2B brands as well. This strategy is key to help companies monitor social media conversations and gain insights on key customer pain points, market trends and brand narratives. It doesn’t stop there, though, as B2B brands can track and analyze competitors and industry influencers, their views, issues and customer reactions to help position brands in a positive light.
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Being creative is the safest move we can make
Why building a a creative environment where daring ideas are encouraged and failures are viewed as learning opportunities makes great business sense.
At Coyne PR, creativity is more than a core value—it’s the very essence of our agency. Since day one, we’ve embraced boldness, originality and strategic risk-taking, distinguishing ourselves in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Today, more than ever, I believe being boldly creative is not just exciting—it’s the smartest and safest path forward.
We live in a world overflowing with information, where consumers are bombarded daily by countless messages across all their devices and platforms. Breaking through that clutter demands campaigns that aren’t just creative but extraordinary. People love clever brands that surprise, delight and engage them emotionally. Those brands earn loyalty, admiration, accolades and repeat business. Simply put, bold creativity is not only memorable—it’s great business.
While artificial intelligence is reshaping our industry by enhancing efficiency and idea generation, true creative thinking remains uniquely human. AI is an incredible tool, similar to a hammer in the hands of a carpenter—essential but reliant on human expertise. Hammers alone don’t build houses; expert carpenters do. Likewise, AI alone can’t produce groundbreaking campaigns; only human creativity, deep insight and strategic thinking can.
That’s why fostering a culture of creativity
A TRUMP ERA COMMS. PLAYBOOK
_ Continued from page 16
To reinforce messaging amid this fragmentation, consider emerging platforms like Substack or LinkedIn newsletters to share unfiltered, thought leadership-driven content with targeted stakeholders. Paid media campaigns—particularly those focused on regional markets or policy-heavy audiences—can also help control the narrative and break through digital noise. Internal communications are equally critical. Employees, investors and boards need
NEW RULES OF B2B ENGAGEMENT
_ Continued from page 18
Brand equity is a growing influence in the B2B landscape, with more than 90 percent of B2B buyers completely or somewhat trusting peers in their industry. Through social listening, B2B brands can tailor their
By Tom Coyne
at Coyne PR remains essential. Our practices of newsjacking and culture-tapping, driven by leadership, allow us to align clients authentically within real-time conversations, trends and cultural moments. By swiftly leveraging these opportunities, we continually position our clients ahead of the curve.
If you’re looking to cultivate bold creativity within your teams and your organization, consider these five actionable strategies: Embrace smart failure. Create an environment where failures are viewed positively as crucial learning opportunities. Bold ideas may not always succeed at first, but they often lead to significant breakthroughs. Encourage diverse perspectives. Innovation thrives when different viewpoints are encouraged. Actively seek and incorporate input from team members with varied backgrounds, skills and experiences to spark fresh, original ideas.
Brainstorm with purpose and playfulness. Approach brainstorming with both strategy and fun. Use structured yet playful methods to expand thinking—from daring ideas (“ideas that could get us fired”) to those that creatively predict successful outcomes. This method encourages risk-taking and broadens creativity.
Challenge the status quo with “what if?” Constantly question existing norms. Reg-
regular updates and clear guidance to avoid being blindsided by the reputational fallout of policy changes or public controversy. Prioritize transparency and alignment across all levels of the organization.
A call for pragmatic authenticity
As the Trump administration approaches the symbolic milestone of its first 100 days, uncertainty remains the only constant. For communications professionals, this period demands both vigilance and vision.
Be realistic: Not every risk can be mitigated, and not every opportunity can be predicted. But by staying grounded in your
content to ensure it hits customer pain points, addresses customer concerns that have been identified from social conversations and builds a stronger brand image across all social channels for potential B2B buyers to see.
A brave new world of B2B social media
The social media playbook for B2B is being rewritten. With the rise of new platforms
ularly ask “What if?” to break away from traditional boundaries, encouraging your team to generate groundbreaking, transformative ideas.
Reward courageous creativity. Publicly celebrate team members who propose unconventional or daring ideas, regardless of immediate success. Recognizing bold efforts builds a culture of innovation, confidence and ongoing creativity.
As leaders, our primary responsibility is to build and sustain an environment where bold creativity thrives. Our role goes beyond management; we must inspire, empower and encourage our teams to push beyond conventional limits.
Ultimately, creativity isn’t about merely pushing boundaries—it’s about redefining what’s possible. At Coyne PR, creativity doesn’t just define us—it empowers us to lead our clients and our industry forward. Sometimes, you must cross the line to discover where it truly lies. Bold creativity is never a gamble; it’s our safest and smartest choice for continued success.
Let’s keep dreaming bigger, digging deeper and inspiring greatness. Together, we’ll continue shaping the future, creating work that matters and building a legacy of innovation we can all be proud of.
Tom Coyne is CEO and Founder of Coyne PR.
values, adapting messaging to meet the moment and engaging across a wide range of stakeholders, communications leaders can guide their organizations through complexity with purpose.
The task at hand isn’t to change your story—it’s to frame it effectively, protect your interests and position your organization as a responsible actor in a rapidly evolving world.
Alyse Deutsch is a Senior Consultant in APCO’s Geocommerce team. Rosalind Reischer is a Senior Associate Director in APCO’s Geocommerce practice.
and changing buyer behaviors, standing still isn’t an option. Those who move early to experiment with the Fediverse and remain mindful of zero-click experiences, optimize content for social search and truly listen to what’s resonating can turn uncertainty into success.
Jamie Kightley is Head of Client Services at IBA International.
Tom Coyne
The communicator’s mandate in 2025
In our current era of uncertainty, communications leaders now play a more vital role than ever.
By Steve Halsey
We’re living in an age defined by volatility—and opportunity. From geopolitical instability and economic headwinds to the uncharted impact of generative AI and the accelerating pace of climate disruption, today’s operating environment isn’t just complex—it’s constantly in motion. For brand leaders and their partners, the question is no longer how to weather change. The question is: how do we lead through it?
In this era of uncertainty, communicators are being called into a new role—one that goes beyond messaging and media. We’re no longer simply storytellers or reputation stewards. We are the sensemakers. The translators of complexity. The ones who can connect data to decisions, insight to impact and brand purpose to real-world outcomes. Our mandate is evolving. And in 2025, it’s more essential—and more strategic—than ever.
A world in flux
Uncertainty today isn’t episodic—it’s ambient. Consider the convergence of forces shaping the business and cultural landscape: Economic pressures are squeezing both consumers and corporations, fueling demand for efficiency, transparency and value.
Geopolitical fragmentation has redefined global supply chains and stakeholder priorities.
Workforce expectations have fundamentally shifted post-pandemic, with employee trust, purpose alignment and flexibility now prerequisites for talent attraction and retention.
AI and automation are rewriting the rules of creativity, productivity and perception in real time.
Brand trust is increasingly fragile, with audiences questioning not only what companies say but how consistently their actions reflect those words.
The 2025 Page-Harris Poll Confidence in Business Index reveals a troubling reality: only 26 percent of the global public is very confident that companies can make a positive impact on key societal issues. And just 20 percent say they see both company action and context—a combination proven to be essential for building public trust. Without both, confidence drops dramatically.
In this high-stakes environment, communications is no longer an ancillary function—it’s a central nervous system. The discipline best equipped to help brands stay coherent, connected and credible.
Communicators are built for this moment
At our core, communicators are pattern recognizers. We synthesize complexity. We navigate nuance. And we understand the human side of change. These are the precise capabilities organizations need most right now.
As part of Page’s 2025 CCO outlook, chief communications officers emphasized rising reputational risk, increasing employee activism and the need to responsibly integrate AI. Yet within this complexity, CCOs see a clear opportunity: to lead across the enterprise, manage stakeholder trust and turn communications into a driver of value—not just visibility.
As decision cycles shorten and stakeholder scrutiny deepens, communications leaders are uniquely positioned to:
Bridge internal and external expectations, ensuring what a company says aligns with how it behaves.
Shape narratives that endure, giving brands the flexibility to respond quickly without losing coherence.
Build resilient cultures where employees feel informed, inspired and invested in the mission.
Humanize innovation, especially as AI, data and technology begin to dominate business headlines.
Yet stepping into this expanded role requires a mindset shift. We must move from execution to influence, from messaging to meaning, from reactive to regenerative strategies.
Three communications mandates in 2025
To meet the moment, communicators must embrace three critical mandates. Together, they form a roadmap for leading through uncertainty with clarity, confidence and creativity.
Lead with insight, not instinct. Gut feel is no longer enough. In a world of competing truths and rapid change, communicators must harness insight at speed and scale. That means integrating reputation intelligence, stakeholder perception mapping and real-time social listening into strategy development—not just measurement.
It also requires moving beyond traditional KPIs to uncover what really drives influence, trust and action across audiences. Real-time insight generation and scenario planning are now top areas where communications is expected to deliver value.
When we lead with insight, we earn a seat at the decision-making table.
Unify brand and behavior. The gap between what a company says and what it does is now instantly visible—and immediately punished. Whether it’s navigating backlash around hot-button issues, labor practices or data ethics, stakeholders expect authenticity, consistency and proof.
Communicators must play a connective tissue role, aligning internal culture with external messaging. This means closer collaboration with HR, operations and legal—ensuring values aren’t just articulated but operationalized. A strong brand today isn’t just built through campaigns. It’s built through conduct. The Page-Harris data makes this point clear: confidence in business is directly linked to companies demonstrating both action and explanation on the issues that matter. Brands can no longer afford to separate what they do from how they communicate why they do it.
Build resilient narratives. Gone are the days of linear campaigns and one-size-fitsall messaging. Today’s storytelling must be modular, adaptable and context-aware. We need narratives that can flex across audiences, platforms and time horizons while still laddering up to a clear strategic throughline.
This demands a shift from episodic storytelling to continuous narrative design. At G&S, we call this creating brand gravity—the magnetic pull of values, actions and ideas that keep people connected, even as the environment shifts.
The opportunity ahead
Despite the complexity of the moment—or perhaps because of it—this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for communicators to reshape the role of our discipline. We can be the architects of coherence in a fragmented world. The bridge between brand and business. The champions of human connection in an increasingly digitized age. To get there, we must challenge ourselves to think bigger, to step beyond traditional boundaries, to lead not only with creative excellence but strategic audacity. In this age of uncertainty, our role isn’t diminished—it’s elevated. We don’t just manage reputation; we clarify it. We don’t just deliver messages; we shape meaning. And as we look ahead to the next chapter of our industry, one truth remains: the future doesn’t belong to the loudest voices. It belongs to the clearest ones.
Steve Halsey is Principal and Chief Growth Officer at G&S Integrated Marketing Communications Group.
Steve Halsey
Solving the AI-era visibility crisis
Why integrated public relations plays a critical role for building brand awareness in an AI-first world.
Brand awareness isn’t what it used to be. In today’s AI-shaped search environment, traditional digital touchpoints—organic search, social sharing, even paid visibility—are losing their power to consistently connect brands with audiences.
As generative AI tools like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity reshape how people search, discover and decide, a new challenge has emerged: brands aren’t just competing for clicks— they’re fighting to be mentioned at all.
This is to say: if your brand isn’t showing up in AI-generated answers, it’s already behind. And if people don’t see you, they won’t trust you.
The new discovery landscape: zero clicks, less control
The way audiences find and evaluate brands has changed. The process by which AI tools synthesize answers instead of returning a list of links is rapidly becoming the new default for online discovery. These AI responses are shaping the future of how people seek and process information, meaning traditional search cannot be the only levers that matter anymore.
As a result, brands face three key threats: Fewer branded touchpoints: AI summaries often omit links altogether.
Loss of narrative control: AI chooses which brands to mention, often without input.
Shrinking attention windows: If you’re not named in the first response, you’re likely invisible.
This isn’t just about organic traffic drops. It’s about losing credibility at the earliest— and most influential—stage of the buyer journey. And when 81 percent of the buying journey happens before your prospect even speaks to you, that loss of credibility is actively compressing your margins.
Brand awareness isn’t just reach—it’s recognition and authority
Awareness still matters—but the rules of building it have shifted.
In the generative AI era, being seen isn’t just about showing up on a list. It’s about being perceived as credible, relevant and trustworthy—by people, machines and your broader buyer network. And increasingly, that trust is conferred by third-party sources: news articles, analyst commentary, interviews, citations in blogs and more.
AI models are trained on content that demonstrates high E.E.A.T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustwor-
By Lauren Hill
thiness). That means a thoughtful quote in a trade publication, a leadership profile or a mention in an analyst roundup can carry more weight in determining whether your brand appears in AI-generated results than a top-three Google ranking ever did.
That’s not just an SEO issue—it’s an awareness opportunity.
PR’s expanded role: fueling visibility in an AI-first world
This is where PR earns a new seat at the table—and a more strategic one than ever before.
For years, public relations has been tasked with generating awareness through earned media and amplifying brands across social. But today, it’s doing far more: shaping the inputs AI uses to decide what’s credible, what’s mentionable and what deserves to be surfaced.
PR is no longer just about human perception; it’s now central to how machines understand and elevate your brand.
Here’s how PR directly fuels AI visibility: Earned media coverage in reputable publications increases the likelihood that your brand will be cited in AI-generated outputs. These outlets are often part of the content libraries or web-crawled training data that AI tools rely on.
Thought leadership from named executives—especially when published with bylines or in Q&A formats—serves as clear evidence of expertise and authoritativeness.
Influencer relations and mentions in analyst reports, industry awards or even niche podcast interviews create digital trails that are crawlable, structured and full of contextual relevance.
Contextual associations: PR helps pair your brand with strategic themes and keywords, making it easier for AI to recognize and retrieve your brand in response to relevant prompts.
It’s a new kind of influence: not just getting in front of people, but embedding your brand in the authoritative, verifiable ecosystem AI platforms pull from.
Content alone isn’t enough; it has to be built for AI
Of course, PR can’t carry the full load alone. Connected content still matters but only if it’s aligned to how AI thinks.
AI tools don’t just reward high-volume publishing—they prioritize clarity, conciseness and source quality. If your blog is bloated with jargon or buried in brand-speak, it won’t get picked up. If your expertise lives
in PDFs, videos without transcripts or unstructured long-form content, it’s likely invisible to generative systems.
Instead, brands should:
• Use FAQ, “how-to,” and comparison formats to match query styles.
• Optimize metadata and structured data (schema).
• Ensure authorship is clear, consistent and expert-backed.
• Repurpose earned media into crawlable, SEO-aligned web content.
These strategies not only make your brand more AI-visible; they make your expertise easier to validate. When paired with PR, they ensure both the source and the substance of your brand are aligned to visibility.
Agencies are the connective tissue between PR, content and search
To succeed in the AI-first era, brands must operate across disciplines. And agencies are uniquely positioned to connect those dots. True discoverability today requires cross-functional alignment—PR for earned credibility, SEO for structural discoverability. and content strategy for message control.
The most forward-thinking brands are already:
• Auditing where and how they appear in AI summaries.
• Measuring brand mentions in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, etc.
• Prioritizing media outreach to sources known to influence AI training sets.
• Partnering with agencies to proactively build AI-discoverable narratives.
This isn’t future-proofing. It’s future-building. And PR is at the core of that foundation.
In an AI-first world, visibility without trust is meaningless
The rise of generative AI isn’t just a tech trend—it’s a fundamental rewrite of how brand awareness works.
Today’s smartest brands aren’t treating visibility as a marketing KPI—they’re treating it as infrastructure. Because if people can’t find you, they won’t trust you. And if AI can’t find you, people won’t either.
Visibility now lives at the intersection of credibility and structure. PR puts your brand in the right places. SEO ensures it’s seen. And integrated content keeps the story consistent across platforms.
In this new landscape, showing up isn’t enough. You need to be the answer.
Lauren Hill is Vice President of Marketing and Head of Data & Analytics at PAN, where she leads the agency’s marketing team and oversees measurement and analytics.
Lauren Hill
Tech PR firms ticked up 1.6%
PR firms representing the tech sector saw net fees rise modestly in 2024 after a lackluster 2023, according to O’Dwyer’s 2024 rankings of technology PR firms.
By Steve Barnes
The top 10 firms in our rankings of those that work with clients in the tech sector saw a 2.53 percent increase in net fees from 2023 to 2024. Overall, there was a modest rise of 1.61 percent.
The list of major players among the top technology PR firms pretty much stayed the same, with TEAM LEWIS the one new entry in the top 10 at number four, and last year’s number eight, Zeno Group, moving into eleventh place.
The top three (Edelman, Hotwire and Finn Partners) held their positions, despite fee declines for all of them.
Among the gainers in the top 10 were #5 Ruder Finn (up to $39.8 million from $34.7 million in 2023), #6 Highwire (rising from $31.6 million to $36.7 million) and #9 The Hoffman Agency (with a jump from $26.7 million to $30.3 million).
Hoffman keeps tech front and center
In addition to the boost in its overall fees, The Hoffman Agency saw its U.S. revenues rise 17 percent to $10.1 million. The agency credits much of that performance to keeping its focus firmly on tech, rather than venturing into other sectors.
Over the past year, Hoffman has built on its tech foundation by adding such services as talent acquisition and employee branding, multimarket campaigns (with the U.S. serving as the global hub) and content marketing.
New client wins in the U.S. in 2024 included Nokia Bell Labs, Georgia Tech, CGI, Populous and d-Matrix, while global wins in showcased EY, Amadeus, Bosch, OceanX and Adobe.
The agency promoted Gerard LaFond from Chief Digital Officer to North American Managing Director and Kymra Knuth from EVP to Chief Client Officer in 2024. It also opened a physical Boston office last year, establishing an East Coast presence to complement offices in Silicon Valley and Portland.
With AI turning nearly every company into a tech company, the agency sees one of its biggest opportunities as “helping non-tech companies tell tech-led stories.”
Hoffman’s Story Studio, which marries writing, design, writing, branding and digital
services under one tent, is a key factor in taking advantage of those opportunities. It has enabled the company to deepen engagements with clients, increasingly constructing campaigns that depend on owned media and paid media, as well as earned media.
The firm also prioritizes providing a “high-touch alternative” to mega shops. According to agency CEO Lou Hoffman, “when prospects interrogate our proposition, they tick three boxes: domain expertise in the tech sector, borderless collaboration (a byproduct of our single global P/L), and a high-touch ethos. That’s how we differentiate and win against the big guys.”
PAN puts emphasis on people
With DEI and remote work seemingly on the back burner, and AI-motivated headcount reductions increasing, PAN (which boosted its revenues from $23.5 million to $24.8 million) is holding firm when it comes to “putting people at the center of our innovation.”
“Our Generative AI Task Force empowers teams to use these tools to work smarter, elevating strategy, creativity and efficiency rather than replacing them,” said PAN President Philip Nardone.
PAN has also deepened its commitment to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), expanding its guest lecture series this fall to include Morehouse College.
The agency acquired B2B SaaS PR firm BLASTmedia, In June, rebranding it as PANBlast. The acquisition bolsters PAN’s tech market presence as well as expanding its ability to serve emerging brands with fo-
cused PR needs.
It also evolved its brand, dropping “Communications” from its name to better reflect PAN’s status as an integrated, digital-first agency.
“As the only firm in my CEO cohorts still supporting fully remote work, I’m proud that PAN continues to lead with trust,” said Nardone. “We empower employees to choose where and how they do their best work and are building the infrastructure to support them.”
Matter works across channels
For Matter, which brought in $12 million to take the #16 spot on our list, the disruption facing the industry has a positive side.
“The future of tech PR will favor the nimble—those who blend real company stories with data, think beyond the pitch, and build brand equity through multi-format content across media channels,”
said Matter President Mandy Mladenoff.
To do that, she said the agency has focused on raising the profile of B2B tech brands through non-traditional avenues, including the strategic use of B2B influencers, podcasts, niche social channels and forums like Reddit, and online publishing platforms and newsletters like Substack. “We also stay on top of emerging tools that streamline exchanges between journalists and PR pros, like Qwoted.”
Mlandenoff also stressed the importance of building trust—especially in a sector so dominated by AI and influencers. “Regarding the rise of B2B tech influencers, decision-makers are increasingly turning to trusted voices with built-in followings. We’re helping our clients identify and activate niche voices who can credibly engage audiences in highly specialized sectors.”
ICR thrives amidst volatility’
A dip in fees from $28.5 million to $27.4 million moved ICR from #6 to #9 in our rankings, but co-Founder and CEO Tom Ryan stressed the agency’s resilience during a period of “economic headwinds and market volatility.
Ryan said that areas including cybersecurity, robotics, fintech and chip manufactur-
Philip Nardone
Lou Hoffman
Mandy Mladenoff
2,100,000
2,041,386
1,713,010 37. Pierpont Communications, Houston, TX 1,638,584 38. French | West | Vaughan, Raleigh, NC 1,490,113 39.
The,
1,264,800
1,205,030
1,175,047 42. Tier One Partners, Boston, MA 929,090 43. Otter PR, St. Petersburg, FL 700,000 44. Feintuch Communications, New York, NY 611,550
45. Rasky Partners, Inc., Boston, MA 606,523
46. Pugh & Tiller PR, LLC, Annapolis, MD 359,693
47. 3E
50. Marketing Maven PR, Camarillo, CA 222,882 51. Milk & Honey, New York, NY 217,927 52. Thunderly Marketing, Allen, TX 216,088 53. Landis Communications, San Francisco, CA 210,000 54. Hahn Agency, Austin, TX 162,931 55. Champion Management Group, Dallas, TX 123,467 56. Inspire PR Group, Westerville, OH
59. Buchanan Public Relations, Bryn Mawr, PA 45,871
60. Ink Link Marketing, Sun City Center, FL 36,136
61. Hoyt Organization Inc., The, Torrance, CA 10,000
O’Dwyer’s interviewed leaders at some of the top-ranked agencies representing the financial services sector to hear what factors influenced their performance in 2024 and what trends they see on the horizon amid the uncertainties of a second Trump administration.
By Jon Gingerich
The top ten independent public relations firms ranked this year by O’Dwyer’s for financial PR and investor relations were responsible for a combined total of $325 million in finance-related net fees in 2024, almost unchanged from 2023’s $326 million yet still a far cry from the $377 million those firms accounted for in 2022.
Half of the firms in the top ten made gains in 2024, compared to six the year prior. While the U.S. economy in 2024 ended on an optimistic note, much of the year was characterized by stubborn inflation, rising debt, sluggish job growth, geopolitical instability and a skittish investor climate, all of which had a deleterious effect on financial brands’ PR and marketing budgets.
While 2024 wasn’t the comeback year that financial firms may have hoped for, there were notable bright spots, with some agencies even revealing tremendous growth. We asked executives at some of the top-performing financial PR and investor relations firms what factors attributed to their success last year and what challenges lie ahead as they navigate the economic uncertainties of a second Trump administration.
ICR takes #1 spot
The biggest gains in O’Dwyer’s rankings of financial PR agencies this year came from ICR, which surged ahead of Edelman for the first time in 2024 to claim the number one spot with $101 million in finance-related net fees, revealing an astounding $12 million gain from 2023’s $89 million.
ICR co-Founder and CEO Tom Ryan said his agency weathered “two relatively tough years” in 2022 and 2023 but then witnessed “green shoots” in 2024, reaping the rewards of “relentless new business activities and targeted follow-up” as well as a steady focus on financially oriented communications.
Historically, the agency’s growth has been almost entirely organic, but Ryan said several small acquisitions in 2023 helped boost its 2024 results. Finally, Ryan said ICR also benefited from a broader bundling of communications and advisory work around special situations and transactions.
“We believe we are the premier Wall Street
and capital markets-oriented agency and offer investor communications, PR integration and unique insights for chief communications officers on the capital markets and how it ties to their company’s valuation,” Ryan said. “We also offer liquidity communications for PE-backed portfolio companies, many of which have to go public over the coming years.”
Ryan noted that 2025’s volatility and unpredictability bear echoes of the COVID years. That crisis obviously abated over time, and Ryan said he believes our current economic environment eventually will as well.
“During times of stress and uncertainty, we find our clients need us more. Aggregating information, developing strategies about how to talk about the future, even when that future is uncertain. On the one hand, these policies could be inflationary due to tariffs, onshoring, etc. On the other hand, they could be deflationary as the economy slows. The latter would likely end in more frequent and deeper interest rate cuts, which would be very beneficial to the stock market and equity issuance—ICR’s power alley,” Ryan said. “If the former, companies will have a lengthier period of uncertainty and will need a broader perspective from an agency like ours regarding financial exposure, supply chain movements—all the things public shareholders and the media will try and quantify. Financial communications will be absolutely critical to either scenario, as companies will need advisors who understand their industry and also fully grasp the art of the stock market.”
Cognito climbs on content
New York-based Cognito retained the #6 spot in O’Dwyer’s rankings of financial firms this year, bringing in $13.2 million in finance-related net fees in 2024, which translates to gains of just under $1 million from
the $12.3 million the agency netted in 2023. Andrew Marshall, Cognito’s New York Managing Director and Vice Chairman, attributed the agency’s success to its continued focus on fintech, capital markets, banking and crisis management—along with an added emphasis on content and owned media.
“It’s really become a barbell of high-quality media relations—including non-traditional commentators—combined with solid corporate counsel,” Marshall said. “We added to that more content and owned media work than ever, powered by our strong backgrounds in banking, the law and journalism—and we are pacesetting in terms of using the best AI wisely to make our efforts more efficient and impactful.”
Doug Hesney, Cognito’s Senior Vice President and U.S. Head of Financial Communications, told O’Dwyer’s that the agency remains focused on helping clients communicate effectively in all markets, especially during the current period of economic headwinds and market and policy recalibrations under Trump 2.0.
“We’re not expecting the volatility to slow down anytime soon,” Hesney said.
That said, he noted that beyond the significant policy shifts taking place, the agency is also witnessing unprecedented audience fragmentation, even among traditionally cohesive finance and business audiences.
“Financial brands that succeed in this environment are those prioritizing authenticity and clarity, with executive voices stepping up as direct channels to stakeholders while still leveraging traditional media relationships,” Hesney said. “We’re helping clients navigate this evolving landscape by identifying where their specific audiences are gathering and developing content strategies that resonate in those spaces. The bottom
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Andrew Marshall and Doug Hesney
Tom Ryan
TECH ROUNDUP
_ Continued from page 24
ing did well in 2024. He attributes part of that success to the fact that they are “sectors with large total addressable markets and highly customized solutions.”
ICR’s 2024 tech sector performance was of a piece with that of the 20 other sectors in which the agency works. In all those areas, Ryan notes, “our strategic communications and advisory model sits atop a valuation-focused DNA to deliver optimal outcomes for both public and private companies.”
For tech clients he said that approach has helped them enhance valuations and differentiate themselves in crowded markets while navigating complex stakeholder relationships.
ICR also unveiled a comprehensive brand update in 2024, with the goal of providing a single, unified global identity across the firm’s core offering.
In 2025, the agency is “eager for a resurgence in the IPO market given the strong backlog of companies considering near-term entries once market turbulence subsides.”
He advises tech companies to take a long-term view guided by a blend of public and private market intelligence. “Those embracing a holistic communications strategy that builds enduring value while maintaining flexibility will thrive amidst contin-
FINANCIAL ROUNDUP
Continued from page 28
line? Finding and meeting audiences where they actually are is the key to effective financial communications today.”
Gregory FCA breaks into top ten Gregory FCA turned in one of the strongest performances in O’Dwyer’s financial rankings this year, seeing finance-related net-fee gains of more than $3.9 million for a total of $11.8 million in 2024, compared to 2023’s $7.8 million. This growth caused the agency to crack O’Dwyer’s top 10 this year, taking the #7 spot, a big jump from the #13 spot last year.
Gregory FCA Partner and President Joe Anthony attributed the firm’s growth to a number of factors. The agency last year acquired financial communications agency BackBay Communications, effectively establishing one of the country’s largest financially focused strategic communications firms. The agency’s newly expanded platform of services has allowed the BackBay
ued economic uncertainty.”
At Hotwire, a year of momentum
For Hotwire, which held on to the #2 spot in our rankings despite a dip in fees from $58 million to $51.2 million, “this past year has been one of momentum,” according to CEO Heather Kernahan.
Along with its communications consultancy and digital marketing agency ROI·DNA, Hotwire worked across enterprise SaaS, AI and cybersecurity in the past year. The firm launched its AI Lab in 2024, which includes such proprietary solutions as Hotwire Spark, a live-reloading system for Hotwire applications, and Hotwire Ignite, an AI account intelligence platform. The agency also deepened its analytics capabilities.
Howtire also encouraged clients to prioritize learning, and dedicated global team time to hands-on AI education, a move that Kernahan said “shifted our mindset as a business.” The constant shift in the markets has also amped up the demand for “senior strategic counsel, fast insights and cross-functional agility.”
Another watch word for 2025: innovation, “even when it involves failure, because it drives progress.” Kernahan also advises firms to make listening a top priority. “When you deeply understand your clients, your people, and your industry, you can act with confidence, no matter how fast the
team, which maintains offices in Boston and London, to introduce more services to its own financial services clientele, allowing the agency to deliver more value to its clients as well as new revenue opportunities. Finally, the integration of both agencies’ expertise and depth translated to new business and accelerated growth, which Anthony said the agency continues to see this year.
Anthony said the uncertainty brought on by the Trump administration hasn’t challenged the agency’s business so far in 2025. Anthony posits that for some clients, relying on the outsourced capabilities that Gregory FCA delivers is a safer bet than hiring to support initiatives, given the uncertainty some may find currently weighing on their business. In the near future, Anthony said it will be more difficult for upstarts to compete, given the cost of new funding has gone up and will likely remain difficult to get.
“The largest firms, with the most ballast, can contend with the choppiness a bit better. There likely will be a slowdown in revenue growth for ETF issuers focused on
landscape evolves.”
Bospar boosts remote work
Bospar, which moved from #18 to #16 on our list, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and has remained a fully remote agency. Promoting the environmental, cultural and productivity benefits of remote work is a continuing priority, said agency co-Founder and Principal Curtis Sparrer.
The agency partnered with Reputation Leaders and Propeller Insights on a research study that revealed significant productivity and business advantages for remote jobs, showing that working from home delivers superior business outcomes while benefiting the planet and improving work-life balance.
Among the clients Bospar worked with are Revefi, which empowers businesses to maximize ROI on their data investments; and AI company Conversica. The agency also expanded its services last year, launching AI-powered assistant Push*E, enhancing its multi-channel digital marketing offerings and celebrated 100 episodes of its Politely Pushy podcast.
With economic volatility looking increasingly like the new normal, Sparrer is, like many other industry leader, placing his chips on innovation—“leveraging AI, expanding capabilities and delivering strategic value to help our clients thrive in what’s next.”
single stocks and leverage, while traditional lenders will be challenged,” Anthony said. “There will be winners too. Risk managed products—buffer ETFs, annuities, bank savings vehicles, etc.—should fare well.”
Anthony said the coming trends to look for in the financial PR world include the need for agencies to diversify their revenue, both in terms of client base and services offered. We’ll also see that AI and tech-enabled services will have to supplement where the cost of hiring might preclude growing headcount.
“Firms with a genuine grasp of the verticals within financial services they serve will separate from the pack as financial firms want agency partners that can be consultative as well as simply generating media coverage or creating content for them,” he said.
Heather Kernahan
Curtis Sparrer
Tom Ryan
Joe Anthony
RANKINGS OF FIRMS SPECIALIZING IN FINANCE
25.
Healthcare PR firms post 3.8% ‘24 growth
The healthcare public relations firms ranked by O’Dwyer’s saw net-fee gains in 2024 that surpassed revenues reported by agencies overall.
By Kevin McCauley
The top 75 healthcare PR firms ranked by O’Dwyer’s posted a 3.8 percent rise in 2024 fee income to a combined $1.7 billion, a performance that topped the 1.5 drop in revenues reported by agencies in the overall ranking for 2025.
Real Chemistry retained its No. 1 position in the healthcare category, recording an 11.8 percent income rise to $665 million.
No. 2 Inzio Evoke recorded a 2 percent drop in income to $333.5 million, while No. 3 Edelman suffered a 3.6 percent dip in fees to $189.8 million.
Supreme Group debuted on the healthcare rankings chart at No. 9 with $46.5 million in income.
People power Real Chemistry’s growth
Real Chemistry credits its robust 2024 performance to making investments in talent, artificial intelligence and integrated healthcare solutions.
It expanded the leadership team by adding Sherry Pudloski (Group President Corporate Affairs), Michelle Terra (President Client Experience Officer), and Eric Solomon (Paid Media Practice Leader) to the firm.
Real Chemistry continued its recruitment spree in 2025. It hired Jeff Lupinacci, a veteran of Omnicom and Interpublic, as Chief Financial Officer, and Julia Gaebler, who held posts at Cytel, Lucy Therapeutics and Biogen, as President for Market Access.
“Growth isn’t just about scale—it’s also about people,” said CEO Shankar Narayanan. “When our team is empowered, our clients benefit. That’s why we’re committed to building a culture where the best talent does their best work, driving innovation and impact across the industry with creativity, passion and purpose.”
He said Real Chemistry plans to expand its global footprint this year via strategic acquisitions and reinvestment in its capabilities to serve clients that are on the front lines tackling some of today’s toughest healthcare challenges.
In 2024, the firm acquired Avant Healthcare, forming the Real Chemistry medical communications group to connect scientific discovery with patient care. It opened offices in Manchester and Edinburgh.
Jim Weiss, Founder
and Chairman of Real Chemistry, predicts the next few years will be as transformative as ever. “We have achieved exponential growth while creating life changing impact for patients,” he said.
The firm will “continue to expand globally, strengthen its expertise and deliver new, breakthrough solutions that create even greater impact,” he said.
JPA adapts to stay ahead of rapid change
Founder Carrie Jones led her Washington, D.C.-based JPA Health to a robust 26.7 percent rise in income to $30.8 million.
She noted that healthcare communications is moving faster than ever. There are compressed timelines, growing expectations, and the constant pressure to deliver strategic, creative and scientific excellence at scale.
JPA’s clients are launching earlier, facing tighter scrutiny, and needing support that goes beyond what traditional agency models were built to provide. “Over the past year, we saw a choice: either chase the pace of change or redesign how we work to stay ahead of it,” said Jones.
In 2024, the firm made a series of intentional decisions to grow with purpose. It also brought in new capabilities through the acquisitions of BioCentric, True North Solutions, and akt health.
Those teams added scale, but more importantly, they added depth in medical communications, AI and data strategy, and international market expertise, each one addressing gaps that JPA saw forming before they became a challenge.
Jones said that mindset allowed JPA to expand to six offices and grow its team to more than 150 specialists. The firm’s goal is to respond
faster, go deeper, and help clients solve more complex problems with clarity and confidence to help people live healthier lives.
JPA expanded into investor relations because funding conversations now start earlier, and its clients needed strategic communications that could align with science, finance, and market expectations all at once, according to Jones.
“It’s also why we launched a health tech & services practice, to help bridge the gap between breakthrough ideas and real-world implementation,” she added.
Jones said her firm has been thinking carefully about what AI means for its work. “For us, the question wasn’t whether technology could replace what we do, but how to use it in a way that strengthens the work, protects our people, and meets new demands without compromising on quality,” she explained.
This year, JPA evolved its in-house content production model to meet the growing demand for fast, high-quality execution.
“From social and digital assets to video and presentation materials, this approach allows us to scale production while keeping strategy and creative thinking at the center,” said Jones. “It’s powered by our internal team, supported by automation where it adds value, and optimized through a global workflow to deliver efficiently without sacrificing what makes the work effective.”
JPA has learned that progress doesn’t wait for things to calm down. “You keep building, even when the path ahead isn’t fully clear,” said Jones. “The pressures we’re facing today aren’t going away, but with the right plan and the right partners, they become something you can work through.”
She said that JPA’s 2025 business model “is built on smarter systems, more flexible ways of working, and a commitment to asking the right questions—about where the industry is going, and how we need to show up in it.”
Supreme Group makes splashy debut Supreme Group debuted in the No. 9 slot in O’Dwyer’s healthcare PR rankings, and No. 16 in the overall listings.
Launched by Dallas private equity firm, Trinity Hunt Partners, Supreme Group is positioned as a next-generation platform purpose-built for the healthcare and life sciences marketing and communications industry.
Continued on page
Carrie Jones
Shankar Narayanan
The power of authentic storytelling in an artificial age
Why putting authentic stories of real people front and center of healthcare campaigns can humanize complex issues and give health marketing messages greater credibility and cultural resonance.
In a world of nonstop information streams, we’re swimming in content. From AI-generated articles to endless Reddit debates, Twitch broadcasts and TikTok’s addictive rawness, authentic stories do more than stand out; they spark genuine connection.
The research is clear: integrating authentic stories into healthcare campaigns moves hearts, minds and the return-on-investment needle. Story-centered advocacy humanizes complicated issues and clarifies for all audiences—people with health conditions and their loved ones, healthcare professionals, even policymakers and key opinion leaders—what’s truly at stake.
Moving from selling products to selling stories
The classic tenets of consumer marketing rest on creating relatable, memorable emotional connections. In the world of healthcare marketing, we must balance this with clinical facts, regulatory language, institutional prestige and corporate reputation. Research shows that impersonal, jargon-heavy messages are less likely to be remembered. In contrast, when we infuse health marketing messages—even the most complex ones—with authentic storytelling, something remarkable happens: audiences lean in, and abstract information becomes personal and unforgettable.
In our research, we’ve examined how real-life stories resonate with patients and other key healthcare stakeholders as a part of developing campaigns that must resonate across multiple audiences. Whether testing messages to encourage patients to request biomarker testing, hospital leaders to prioritize healthcare worker mental health, or policymakers to establish supportive cancer care as a national standard, we see authentic stories make the difference in building trust and fostering deep connections.
Moving minds—and policy—through story
A significant example of this is in our mixed-methods research supporting the development of a campaign to improve access to cancer care. In one research interview in particular, a revered policy expert noted, “Consumer and patient advocates being at the helm is probably the most effective. A push with cancer patients with aligned interests across other sectors. Patients being at the center is incredibly powerful.” This support for a patient-centered
story doesn’t just move hearts; it also moves public perception and policy.
In another such research interview, a well-known leader at a healthcare professional association reaffirmed how patient stories drive policymakers to act: “Having patients be your advocates will help. They’ll describe it in a way that’s going to hit home. It has to be anecdotal patient experience [to drive change].”
When authentic human stories are front and center:
Patients feel seen. Suddenly, care isn’t a corporate offering—it’s a lifeline, delivered by humans who understand.
Caregivers find hope. Shared narratives build trust, open new doors and inspire action—whether that’s seeking new therapies or joining a clinical trial.
Policymakers can’t look away. Real patient experiences break through the fog of lobbying. They give faces to otherwise abstract budget lines and force decision-makers to wrestle with the full human weight of their choices.
Technology: the great multiplier
What’s changed today is not just our understanding of the power of storytelling, but the tools at our disposal. If authentic voice is powerful, amplification is everything. Where a single testimonial once might have lived on a clinic leaflet, today it becomes a multimedia campaign. Video stories on YouTube, Instagram Reels and guided virtual tours put a human face on diagnoses, care journeys and recovery in ways that written words cannot. Podcasts let listeners join intimate patient-doctor conversations or hear from caregivers who are exhausted, hopeful and transformed.
Personalization and ethical storytelling
Powered by AI and machine learning, healthcare marketers can deliver the right story to the right audience, like a mother contending with her child’s diagnosis who receives stories of parental perseverance or policy specialists seeing constituents from their districts. When health messages are delivered by these trusted messengers— individuals with common backgrounds or lived experiences—the message carries greater credibility and cultural resonance. Patients also no longer have to wait to be chosen as “the face” of a campaign. Through social media advocacy, hashtags like #MyCancerJourney or #CancerSupport give agency and immediacy. What happens on the ground surfaces instantly,
By Katie Ferro
to be curated and championed by patients, caregivers and clinicians alike. New digital consent tools and encrypted sharing mean patients can tell their stories their way, protecting dignity and autonomy—a must for true authenticity. Still, informed consent remains vital: participants deserve a clear explanation of how their stories are shared and must have the right to revoke permission at any time. With ethical safeguards in place, real voices help advance health for all.
From anecdote to action: a blueprint for real change
The most powerful tool we have to garner attention isn’t just a new indication or a regulatory breakthrough. And the most persuasive pitch isn’t driven by data alone. It’s the authentic, lived story that reminds us why any of this matters. So, to healthcare marketers everywhere: Don’t just lead with hard data or industry jargon. Lead with people. Invest in platforms that let every voice be heard, every journey seen. Share stories with permission, with care and, above all, with the understanding that these stories save lives—not just in exam rooms, but in city halls and the halls of Congress. The future of healthcare is not just high tech; it’s high touch, too. And it begins with a story well told.
Katie Ferro is a Research Director at JPA Health.
News brief
Consumers concerned how tariffs might impact their grocery bills
A NCSolutions consumer sentiment survey finds that almost nine out of 10 consumers (86 percent) are worried about what impact tariffs could have on their grocery bills. The survey of 1,064 U.S. adult consumers was conducted between April 3 and April 6. Almost a third describe themselves as “extremely concerned” about the potential for rising prices. At the top of the list of imported foods and beverages that respondents were most concerned about were coffee and tea (49 percent); cheese (41 percent); and bananas (36 percent). Almost half (46 percent) said that potential prices hikes would cause them to spend less at the supermarket, with 39 percent saying that they would switch to private label or store brand products in order to save money. In addition, more than four out of 10 respondents (44 percent) said they feel pessimistic about the health of the economy.
Katie Ferro
Thinking of selling your PR firm?
Ten drivers that maximize valuation when selling a PR agency.
Selling your PR firm will be the most challenging event of your career. When you launched your firm, you were motivated and working within your comfort zone. But when you decide to sell, you’re entering a new and unfamiliar arena and relying on others to drive that process. Having insight into the top drivers of value will be invaluable in deciding whether your firm is ready to sell—and can increase the odds that you will be offered the maximum value possible.
So, what are the main drivers of value? Here are ten.
1. Premium financial valuation. Profitability is the main driver of firm valuation. And the financial valuation is the main driver of the firm’s total value. Other factors are important—and many sellers have perceptions that their firm is worth more than the numbers will support, due to misleading advice or an article they may have read—but ultimately, financial performance will be what impresses a buyer most, and without historical growth and profitability, there won’t be buyer interest.
2. Professional financial presentation. I caution you not to turn over your financials to a prospective buyer without first having the financials reviewed and recasted. The recasting process includes adjustments that are appropriate for M&A valuation purposes. Your financials are the financial PR piece for your firm, and they should be professionally prepared, preferably by an outside CPA firm. When a buyer sees that the firm has invested funds into having the review work necessary and the preparation done by an outside firm—in the recommended format—it casts a positive impression. It will also decrease the amount of due diligence performed by the buyer and, as a result, save both the buyer and seller substantial professional fees.
Some other recommendations:
• Never have Cash Basis financials. They’re fine for tax preparation but must always be on the accrual basis for M&A purposes.
• Never have accounts in your P&Ls called Other, Miscellaneous or Unclassified.
• Never use categories that aren’t self-explanatory.
• Be sure you show revenues as Net Revenues: simply Fees + Mark-ups. Net Revenues (versus Gross Revenues) are what buyers use as the basis for measuring labor, operating costs and profitability.
• Always include “labor” in its own category, directly under Net Revenues.
By Rick Gould
• Never include account labor and account freelance labor in “rebillable” costs.
3. Quality second tier of management. A buyer will always look beyond the owner to the next level of management. A buyer also needs assurances that once the seller/owner is paid off and potentially leaves the firm, the clients will remain. So, there’s a logical strategy for you.
You must transition from doing the work or making all the decisions to true delegation. You must slowly remove the firm’s dependency on you. Ask yourself, “If I went on vacation for the next month, would the business suffer?” You need to break free from any dependency others have on you. Your job is to scale the business, crafting operational efficiency, productivity and meeting industry benchmarked utilization stats. You must give key people the autonomy to make decisions. Let them make mistakes. Empower them to succeed.
4. Intention of the owner(s). The prospective buyer will always be interested in the owner’s intentions, especially if there’s only one primary owner. How long is the owner intending to stay? That’s the key question.
Buyers would like at least a three- to fiveyear commitment, and their hope is that the seller will stay even longer. On occasion, a buyer will agree to a phase down of owner commitment if there’s a strong second tier of management and the owner can show that she/he will not be needed full-time after a certain period. If you’re a prospective seller, you should be aware of your timeline so your exit can be strategically planned. And, most importantly, be transparent with the prospective buyer.
5. Staff talent. A prospective buyer will perform a top-to-bottom review of your organization and will analyze your staff at every level, including any records you have on time management. Having stats on utilization is recommended: staff client hours divided by “available” client hours. They’ll also want a detailed staff census, showing staff titles, salaries, bonuses, years with the firm and the clients they service.
6. Cultural profile. Your firm’s culture is of immediate interest, even before any financial analysis. Is your firm a Best Place to Work firm? Have you won industry awards for quality work? Do you belong to professional organizations? Is your firm fully or partially remote? If your firm is mainly remote but the prospective buyer is back in the office, you’ll need to agree that your staff
is willing to return to the brick-and-mortar office. This will be a major shift in culture and should be seriously weighed.
7. Quality and concentration of clients. A prospective buyer will want to analyze your client mix: a list of your clients for the past three years showing net revenues, dates of engagement and which senior staff member serviced the client. They’ll also want percentages of each specialty and service sector.
A buyer will do an in-depth analysis of the concentration of your major clients. The general rule is that your largest client shouldn’t exceed 20 percent of the total book of business. It’s strictly based on buyer risk assessment. If this is your only negative box checked, and you have one client as high as 35 percent concentration, I would still move forward and hope there are enough positive aspects to offset this negative. Client concentration is a critical value driver. A firm where no one client exceeds 10 percent of the total book of business will be looked at favorably and will spike the firm’s value.
In addition, some firms maintain lists of the types of clients they won’t accept, such as cigarette brands or fossil fuel companies. You need to be sure that your major clients won’t land on these lists or you may be asked to give up the client.
8. Brand value. In addition to your own brand value, your clients also have brand value that may drive up the valuation of your firm. Having well-known logos on your website helps.
9. Seller network. The seller’s contacts are invaluable. In every transaction, a buyer hopes to capitalize on cross-referrals. A seller who’s been in business for decades should have a robust contact list and will be encouraged to rekindle relationships and sell the services of the larger, combined, multi-service firm.
10. Unique specialties. Having a unique specialty may be attractive to a buyer looking for that specialty and, as a result, may drive up value. Firms that specialize in healthcare, sports, digital and crisis have warranted premium valuations.
I would be remiss if I didn’t stress that you should use professionals who understand both the PR business and the M&A process. Planning for, facilitating and closing a transaction takes experience and expertise. Having the right team working with you may ultimately be the top driver of value.
Rick Gould is Managing Partner of Gould+Partners, a merger and acquisition consultancy specializing in the PR sector.
Rick Gould
RANKINGS OF FIRMS SPECIALIZING IN HEALTHCARE
1. Real Chemistry, San Francisco, CA
2. Inizio Evoke, New York, NY
3. Edelman, New York, NY
4. Spectrum, Washington, DC
5. Ruder Finn Inc., New York, NY
6. Finn Partners, New York, NY
9. Supreme Group, Dallas, TX
10. JPA Health, Washington, DC
11. Crosby, Annapolis, MD
12. ICR, New York, NY
13. Zeno Group, New York, NY
14. Sam Brown Inc., Wayne, PA
17. Coyne PR, Parsippany, NJ 9,182,567
18. Bliss Group, The, New York, NY 8,149,328
19.
21.
24.
27. MP&F Strategic Communications,
32.
39. Singer Associates PR, Inc., San Francisco, CA $1,182,095
40. Inkhouse, Waltham, MA 1,095,203
41. LaunchSquad, San Francisco, CA 1,075,000
42. Pierpont Communications, Houston, TX 983,150
43. Beehive Strategic Communication, St. Paul, MN 851,291
44. L.C. Williams & Associates, Chicago, IL 832,066
45. Gregory FCA, Ardmore, PA 822,572
46. Otter PR, St. Petersburg, FL 750,000
47. Landis Communications, San Francisco, CA 705,000
63. Stanton Communications, Washington, DC 201,797
64. Boardroom Comms, Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 200,000
65. Milk & Honey, New York, NY 193,658
66. Buchanan Public Relations, Bryn Mawr, PA 170,760
67. Marketing Maven Public Relations, Camarillo, CA 168,534
68. Shiftology, Springfield, OH 156,986
69. O’Malley Hansen Communications, Chicago, IL 105,950
70. Rosica Communications, Fairlawn, NJ 95,858
71. Pugh & Tiller PR, LLC, Annapolis, MD 91,558
72. Lawlor Media Group, New York, NY 80,500
35.
37.
73. Inspire PR Group, Westerville, OH 19,600
74. Hahn Agency, Austin, TX 9,788
75. Hoyt Organization Inc., The, Torrance, CA 8,800
Navigating employees’ return to in-office work
Strategies to strengthen company culture and improve well-being as more employees return to the office.
Do the sidewalks and parking lots near your office seem busier? Are the local cafes more crowded? Do the commercial real estate agents you know look a bit happier? Like it or not, 2025 might be the year of the Total Return to the Office.
Post-pandemic, many leaders still struggle to determine the best work environment for their employees and their businesses. The highly adopted hybrid work schedule appeared to provide the right combination of flexibility, but employees often ignore the established in-person days, and leaders often overlook the lack of individuals actually making it into the office.
We’re seeing the tide changing. More companies are requiring employees to return to the office full-time and those that remain hybrid are tightening up on compliance. It’s likely that in-office employee time will increase, although some won’t be enthusiastic about mandated days in the office or a total return. Employees won’t be returning to the same work environment they left at the beginning of the pandemic five years ago. With more employees physically in the workplace again, companies need to ensure they have a strong culture and an environment that supports employee collaboration, innovation, a sense of belonging and an ability to get work done efficiently. At the same time, leaders must recognize that employees may need support to adapt. Focusing on employee well-being must be a key component of rebuilding company culture.
Padilla’s third annual C-suite Perspectives study confirmed that leaders are leaning into company culture and employee wellness. When C-suite participants were asked about their current priorities, establishing and maintaining company culture increased seven points and supporting employee well-being increased six points since the 2023 survey. As we anticipate seeing more employees return to more in-office time, here are some company culture tips to consider:
Establishing a strong company culture takes focus, planning and ongoing support 1. Start with the “why.” If your company is considering bringing employees into the office full-time, sharing the reason “why” is critical. Employees need to hear not only how being in the office benefits them as individuals and teams, but also how it impacts customers, partners and the company’s short- and long-term goals. Backing up in-office benefits with data and examples
By Natalie Smith
helps build trust and confidence in returning to the office.
2. Evaluate your company culture. Take an honest look at your current company culture. Involve remote, hybrid and in-office employees in the discussion to better understand how they view it. Explore what’s working well and what isn’t. Talk about what will change with more employees physically in the office. What are the perceived benefits and challenges? Identify gaps and determine the best way to address them.
3. Review your on-site workspace. It’s important to shape the physical environment to support different types of work. Are there enough comfortable spaces for in-person collaboration? Do you have the right equipment for on-site teammates to connect with fully remote colleagues easily? Are there quiet spaces where employees can have private conversations or focus without interruption? How about areas for casual conversations, lunch breaks and other social activities? The physical work environment significantly impacts how employees will accept and adapt to returning to in-person work. If employees feel it’s difficult to get work done in the office, they’ll be less willing to come in without pressure.
4. Determine how to work together— and stick to it. Teamwork in a hybrid environment can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. Bring team members together to determine the most productive and engaging ways to work together. Decide what days and times are best for recurring meetings, the preferred channel for group communications, where to store shared files, how to plan for out-of-office schedules and other ways of staying connected.
5. Be intentional with in-office days. Effective collaboration in a hybrid environment can be challenging. Active planning for the work week boosts productivity significantly. For example, in-office days can focus on team planning, brainstorming and other collaborative activities that best use in-office time. Remote days can be dedicated to heads-down, focused work. Defining daily focus allows employees to plan and supports work/life balance, which is essential to employees across all life stages.
6. Address any in-office frustrations. One of the most consistent pushbacks that we hear about coming into the office is that most employees continue to participate in meetings from their laptops in their work-
space, which prompts the question, “Why do I have to come to the office to see my colleagues on a screen?” Fair feedback. But the cure is simple: require employees to join group meetings in person when they’re in the building—which is what we all did before the pandemic.
Work and life aren’t mutually exclusive. Supporting employee well-being is an essential component of a strong company culture, benefiting employees, customers and the company at large. It’s a balancing act, but worth the effort. Here are some approaches to consider:
Identify key work-related challenges
Although well-being differs from one employee to another, it’s often connected to the desire for work/life balance, which may also look different across life and work stages. Ask employees for input. For example, “What three things have the biggest impact on your work/life balance? Employee responses can help determine where to focus employee well-being resources and support. Develop healthy work/life boundaries
Set guidelines and expectations for working hours, including when you don’t expect employees to be available or to respond to emails. Share and reinforce guidelines and expectations. Most importantly, make sure leaders are modeling these boundaries. If they’re not, employees won’t follow them either.
Reinforce employee well-being resources
Many companies offer support through their healthcare plans, but employees often don’t know that they exist or might have privacy concerns. Communicate about wellness resources regularly so employees understand what’s available and how to access these programs.
Employee well-being has a significant impact on employee and company performance—but it can be challenging to navigate. Padilla’s study revealed that 50 percent of the C-suite think employee well-being has improved over the past year, but only 29 percent of employees agree. This gap in perception is an opportunity for leaders and communicators to help build stronger employee cultures—whether that remains on a hybrid work schedule or shifts to a total return to the office.
Natalie Smith is a Senior Vice President in Padilla’s Corporate Strategic Advisory and leads the firm’s employee engagement offerings.
Natalie Smith
Non-Profits cont. RANKINGS OF FIRMS SPECIALIZING IN EDUCATION
RANKINGS OF FIRMS SPECIALIZING IN HOME FURNISHINGS
1. Zeno Group, New York, NY $20,638,193 2. Edelman, New York, NY 12,748,000 3. Hunter, New York, NY 7,000,000 4. L.C. Williams & Associates, Chicago, IL 4,007,157
5. 360PR+, Boston, MA 1,900,000
6. Coyne PR, Parsippany, NJ 1,816,363
7. Ruder Finn Inc., New York, NY 530,000
8. SPM Communications, Dallas, TX 217,448
9. IW Group, Inc., West Hollywood, CA 165,071
10. French | West | Vaughan, Raleigh, NC 150,000
11. Pierpont Communications, Houston, TX 109,239
12. Otter PR, St. Petersburg, FL 100,000
13. Inkhouse, Waltham, MA 60,000
RANKINGS OF FIRMS SPECIALIZING IN BEAUTY & FASHION
1. Edelman, New York, NY $64,419,000 2. Ruder Finn Inc., New York, NY 15,470,000
3. French | West | Vaughan, Raleigh, NC 6,024,211
4. Hunter, New York, NY 5,000,000
5. Coyne PR, Parsippany, NJ 4,647,561
6. AMP3 Public Relations, New York, NY 2,187,955
7. Zeno Group, New York, NY 2,107,114
8. Turner, a Fahlgren Mortine company, New York, NY 2,069,724
9. Scenario Communications, Stevenson Ranch, CA 1,900,000
10. MikeWorldWide, New York, NY 1,431,007
11. Berk Communications, New York, NY 1,431,007
12. 360PR+, Boston, MA 1,200,000 13. Taylor, New York, NY 1,200,000
14. J/PR, New York, NY 1,151,000
15. LaunchSquad, San Francisco, CA 1,150,000
16. O’Malley Hansen Communications, Chicago, IL 898,792
17. Zapwater Communications, Inc., Chicago, IL 859,310
9. Landis Communications, San Francisco, CA 822,000
10. French | West | Vaughan, Raleigh, NC 812,620
11. Public Communications Inc., Chicago, IL 630,533
12. Lee Andrews Group, Los Angeles, CA
13. Coyne PR, Parsippany, NJ
14. Trevelino/Keller, Atlanta, GA
15. Tier One Partners, Boston, MA
16. Inspire PR Group, Westerville, OH
17. Escalate PR, Acton, MA 251,187
18. Beehive Strategic Communication, St. Paul, MN 224,484
19. 360PR+, Boston, MA 216,000
20. Otter PR, St. Petersburg, FL 200,000
21. Zeno Group, New York, NY 163,385
22. Hoyt Organization Inc., The, Torrance, CA 116,160
23. Rasky Partners, Inc., Boston, MA 91,628
24. Milk & Honey, New York, NY 58,300
25. Ehrhardt Group, The, New Orleans, LA 30,000
26. Stanton Communications, Washington, DC 21,427
27. Buchanan Public Relations, Bryn Mawr, PA 6,039 RANKINGS OF FIRMS SPECIALIZING
RANKINGS OF FIRMS SPECIALIZING IN ENERGY
LEWIS, San Diego, CA 3,860,000 6. Racepoint Global, Boston, MA 2,677,000 7. Ruder Finn Inc., New York, NY 2,590,000 8. Pierpont Communications, Houston, TX 1,310,867 9. Jackson Spalding, Atlanta, GA
Slide Nine Agency, Columbus, OH
Stanton Communications, Washington, DC
Gregory FCA, Ardmore, PA
Ehrhardt Group, The, New Orleans, LA
Red Thread PR, Philadelphia, PA
49.
1,473
21.
24. Pierpont Communications, Houston, TX 436,956
25. Buchanan Public Relations, Bryn Mawr, PA
26. Otter PR, St. Petersburg, FL
28. L.C. Williams & Associates, Chicago, IL 186,822
29. Rasky Partners, Inc., Boston, MA
30.
12.
PR firms post 1.5% dip in ’24 income
Public relations firms faced a tough year in 2024 as clients turned skittish amid an uncertain economic climate, according to O’Dwyer’s 2025 rankings of independent firms.
By Kevin McCauley
Public relations firms recorded a 1.5 percent drop in combined 2024 fee income to $4.7 billion as clients adopted a cautious approach toward spending due to economic uncertainty, according to the 133 independent firms ranked by O’Dwyer’s.
Total employment fell 2.2 percent to 22,300.
JPA Health enjoyed the biggest gain among PR firms in the Top 25 group. It was up 26.6 percent to $30.8 million. Hunter (+17 percent to $67.4 million) and Highwire PR (+14 percent to $41.3 million) followed.
Three Top 25 firms dropped out of the rankings.
They are Avoq, which ranked No. 10 on last year’s list with $89.3 million in fees; 5W Public Relations (#12 at $61.6 million), and Citizen Relations (#20 at $37.4 million).
TEAM LEWIS joined the PR firm rankings, placing at #11 with $70.4 million in fees. Supreme Group debuted at #16 with $46.5 million.
Edelman slips below $1B mark Edelman dropped below the $1 billion annual fee income mark following a 4.9 percent drop in 2024 revenues to $986 million. It became the first billion-dollar PR firm in 2022.
Lackluster performances in the US (-7.9 percent) and APAC (-11.5 percent) sectors hurt Edelman’s performance.
Richard Edelman’s firm also posted declines in technology (-6.2 percent), food and beverage (4.4 percent), and healthcare (-3.7 percent).
He expects a rebound this year based on a robust new business momentum.
Edelman’s biggest 100 clients combined for a 6.7 percent spending hike during the year, while global clients increased their outlays by 2.8 percent.
On the new business front: it added Reynolds Consumer Products, America250, and COP30 in the US; GSK in Canada; Netflix and Spotify in Latin America; King Salman Park and Signify (UK) in the EMEA; and International Solar Alliance and Mongolia in the APAC.
The firm welcomed Aaron Guiterman back to the firm after he spent nearly a year at Burson as EVP & Washington lead. He is US head of public and government affairs.
Emma Peacock, a 14-year veteran at Pfizer, took on the head of health policy post in the PA & government unit; Google/ Microsoft alum Luis Montero signed on as head of technology policy; and former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador Nikki Haley assumed the vice chair position.
Ruder Finn continues growth streak
Ruder Finn chalked up an 8 percent hike in fee income to $189.5 million, a performance that keeps its five-year revenue growth streak intact.
CEO Kathy Bloomgarden said 2024 growth came largely through new business efforts across both existing and new clients.
“We live at a moment of unprecedented human potential as AI, breakthrough science, and a new global digital consumer are transforming the way we work, live and create,” she noted.
“At Ruder Finn, we are working with industry leaders and emerging startups to navigate this shift across key regions.”
Ruder Finn is working with game-changing clients across the globe to accelerate the power of this technology. “We continue to work with leading healthcare companies to launch first-generation treatments globally while helping shape health policy at critical moments in the U.S.,” said Bloomgarden
The firm’s new digital and micro-influencer offerings have fueled its brand experience practices across the US, Asia and the Middle East.
Ruder Finn in 2024 made AI a reality for clients and its people by establishing an AI Advisory Council led by Zack Kass, former Head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI; launching rf.aio to optimize LLM responses at scale, and rolling out AI adoption workshops to teach clients how to succeed in an AI-driven world.
Bloomgarden said her firm’s independence allows it to foster a culture where it continuously embraces new skills and empowers employees to explore novel thinking and develop innovative tools.
To her, that reflects the firm’s co-Founder David Finn’s philosophy: “Just because you don’t know how to do something doesn’t mean you can’t.’”
Breakout year for G&S rooted in purpose Steve Halsey, Chief Growth Officer of G&S, called 2024 “a breakout year marked by purposeful growth, breakthrough creative work, and continued leadership in the sectors we’ve long served.”
The firm grew 13 percent to hit the $30.3 million revenue mark, while maintaining strong retention across clients and talent. Fee billing in the agricultural space reached a new record, exceeding $17 million.
Creative work was a major driver of the 2024 momentum. “Our ‘We Are the 96’ campaign with Illinois Farm Families earned national attention and multiple awards, including Best in Show at NAMA,” said Halsey.
For Syngenta, the shop broke new ground in B2B2G (grower) storytelling with the Ag in :60 video series and the “Myth or Fact” campaign featuring agronomic Sasquatch Bill Biggfoote, engaging growers in fresh, meaningful ways.
“We made a bold move with the acquisition of MorganMyers, a premier agency known for its legacy in agriculture and food,” noted Halsey.
That acquisition prompted the formation of the G&S integrated marketing communications group, which now houses two go-to-market brands: G&S Business Communications, focused on B2B and B2B2C sectors, and MorganMyers, a G&S Agency, which continues its deep specialization
Steve Halsey
Kathy Bloomgarden
Richard Edelman
in public relations in ag and food sectors.
G&S continued to evolve its culture, giving employees weekly flexibility and global “work from anywhere” opportunities.
It expanded parental leave benefits, elevated DE&I commitments, and welcomed a new CEO, Anne Green, along with other key leadership appointments.
Halsey said through its Building Brand Gravity podcast and active industry leadership in Page, and the PR Council, G&S remained at the center of the conversation— helping brands navigate complexity, earn trust, and inspire action.
MWW pares roster, boosts profit margin
MikeWorldWide posted a 1.1 percent rise in 2024 fee income to $57.1 million as it streamlined its client portfolio.
“We moved away from $2.5 million in unprofitable accounts, reducing our client base by 40 percent,” said CEO Michael Kemper. “This deliberate shift enabled us to enhance profit margins, approaching 25 percent, and reinvest in what matters.”
The PR firm chalked up major wins, including a seven-figure creative and media buying program from Dominion Energy, public relations assignments from Mattress Firm to reach Gen Z consumers, and digital and content work for NFL Style.
Kempner said his firm made heavy investments in the proprietary AI framework PRISMA that help achieve greater precision and predictability in client programming and counsel by providing data-backed clarity on where and how to invest in reputation to spark real brand love.
The PR firm doubled down on what clients need most: category expertise and cultural relevance.
In late 2024, MWW launched Everywhere, a boutique social agency built for brands with midsize budgets and big creative ambition that are underserved by legacy players.
It solidified a 10+ year partnership with sports marketing powerhouse Berk Communications with a full acquisition, creating one of the largest sports public relations practices in the country.
In addition to integrating Berk’s 30+ staff, MWW made strategic hires in influencer marketing (Breanna Santerre from BENlabs), crisis (Alex Dudley, former principal at Cloudbreak Communications), and creative (Chris Newkirk, executive creative director joined from Praytell).
The firm appointed new heads in London (Sarah Moloney joined from KWT Global), and Los Angeles (Alisa Granz from RCP-
MK).
Looking ahead, Kempner said MWW will focus on three strategic priorities.
The firm will expand its PRISMA AI capabilities to deliver more reputation insights, scale newly launched offerings across new markets, and deepen category expertise in high-growth sectors.
“We’re committed to maintaining our agility and independence as differentiators in a consolidating market, while continuing to invest in the talent and technology that drive measurable impact for our clients,” said Kempner.
APCO rebrands in 40th anniversary year APCO CEO Brad Staples recorded a 3.1 percent rise in fee income to $236.4 million as it navigated a sluggish global economy.
It achieved strong performances in the MENA region (up 21.3 percent) and the UK (up 13.5 percent). Those achievements reflect APCO’s ability to adapt to regional dynamics and deliver impactful solutions to clients.
In 2024, APCO expanded its global footprint by establishing a presence in Kyiv, led by Sonya Soutus, a global business and government relations expert, and in Mexico City, with Martha Delgado Peralta, a former undersecretary for multilateral affairs and human rights at the Mexico Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as Latin America Chair.
In celebration of its 40th anniversary, APCO unveiled a new brand identity emphasizing its dedication to providing advisory and advocacy services that help clients handle global complexities.
Building on its recent acquisitions of financial communications firm Camarco and business transformation specialist Gagen MacDonald, APCO now has the ability to support clients as they engage all stakeholders, from investors to analysts, regulators to customers, employees to communities, within a single, integrated operating model. APCO introduced Margy: its adaptive intelligence platform. Margy captures the col-
lective expertise of APCO’s global experts and synthesizes that knowledge to deliver fresh, data-driven insights without hallucinations or risking client secrets.
This fusion of technology and human expertise positions Margy as a competitive edge for clients, blending human intuition with analytical prowess to ensure clients are always a step ahead.
Agenda ’24 was a notable initiative by APCO that leveraged global connectivity and local market coordination to establish a predictable cadence of analysis, briefings, webinars and roundtables.
It brought clarity and context for clients around key political milestones, showcasing APCO’s ability to provide timely and relevant advisory insights.
The PR firm’s strategic expansions, key hires and innovative initiatives positioned APCO as a leader in investor communications, external affairs, crisis and reputation management, business transformation, trade and geo-commerce and market entry and reconfiguration.
Finn Partners remains ‘strong and steadfast’
FINN Partners’ fee income grew 2 percent to $199.8 million based on a balanced mix of new business and organic growth.
It added more than 200 new clients across all major practice areas, with global health, travel, consumer and financial services practices seeing the most robust growth. FINN has about 1,000 clients and a retention rate of 87 percent.
The firm bolstered its overseas presence via a pair of strategic acquisitions to strengthen its practices, build market share, and expand its footprint in regional markets.
It acquired Claudine Colin Communication, the Paris-based shop focused on arts and culture, and RICE Communications, a strategic communications and PR consultancy in Singapore.
With the addition of RICE, FINN APAC now has a staff of nearly 250 people and USD $15 million in revenues.
The firm added new specialist service offerings, including media forensics and risk intelligence to help clients combat mis/disinformation, as well as FINN Luxe, a global cross-sector specialist luxury arm spanning arts/culture, automotive, fashion, beauty, food, health and wellness, travel, real estate and more.
Peter Finn calls his firm a global, indepen-
Continued on page
Brad Staples
O’Dwyer’s rankings of top gainers, pg. 55
Michael Kempner
Peter Finn
O’DWYER’S RANKINGS
_ Continued from page 49
dent agency with a heart and conscience.
“Though the world has turned upside down in many ways, FINN’s vision and values remain the same—stabilizing our business and providing a safe harbor for clients and talent navigating the seismic shifts in our industry and world,” he said. “In an extremely challenging year, our business has remained strong and steadfast, and we solidified our global position among the world’s leading companies delivering bestin-class PR and marketing services.
V2 Communications, which serves the B2B, climate, and healthcare technology sectors, recorded a 7.7 percent boost in fee income to $8 million.
Jean Serra, Founder/CEO, said marketing
HEALTHCARE ROUNDUP
_ Continued from page 32
Its stated goal is to address the fragmentation, inefficiency, and outdated execution models of traditional agency networks. Supreme Group’s mission is to enter the market to deliver faster, smarter, and more integrated solutions that drive measurable outcomes.
The firm assembled a cast of agencies including Supreme Optimization, Health+Commerce, BioStrata, Clarity Quest, Amendola Communications, Curator24 and Kadiko.
They operate under a unified model across brand + creative, PR + communications, and performance digital, backed by centralized strategy, shared data and embedded AI.
Supreme Group’s AI engine, Supreme Intelligence, is built specifically for the healthcare sector. It powers everything from benchmarking and performance optimization to content development and internal workflows, enabling smarter decisions and faster execution across the platform.
Tom Donnelly, CEO of Supreme Group, called 2024 a standout year for growth.
“We secured major client wins including McKesson, Adaptimmune, Carta, and Life365, and saw strong performance across both new business and client expansion,” he said. “Our PR + communications offering—anchored by Health+Commerce and
investments, leadership team additions and new service offerings sparked V2’s success in attracting new clients and expanding its service footprint with existing brands.
“The key to success in this competitive environment is focusing on what today’s brands really need: smart, strategic, integrated communications,” said Serra. “To meet this need, V2 launched its Vantage Methodology, a proprietary approach for integrated earned, owned and paid campaigns that deliver measurable business results for brands.”
To ensure a consistent, and compelling experience for clients, V2 appointed Katelyn Holbrook as its first-ever Chief Client Officer. Her role is focused on high-quality,
Amendola Communications—was a particular strength, delivering high-impact work across reputation strategy, executive visibility and product launches.”
Donnelly said 2025 will be another year of significant momentum. “We’re planning further acquisitions, deeper integration across agencies, and the expansion of Supreme Intelligence capabilities,” he said.
He added that Supreme Group is using teams across the platform to seamlessly collaborate to win, grow and retain business. “And most importantly, we’re helping clients navigate today’s healthcare landscape with clarity, speed, and measurable impact.”
Finn Partners says don’t hold back
Gil Bashe, Global Health and Purpose Chair at Finn Partners, says healthcare firms cannot hold back in this age of uncertainty brought on by the Trump administration
“Clients are watching events closely,” he said “They’re weighing whether to advance, pivot, or pause as federal priorities take shape. But in health, hesitation has real consequences. Delays don’t just affect markets; they cost lives, as seen in Texas with the measles’ resurgence.”
Bashe said clients that freeze spending waiting for clearer policy signals from Washington risk being outpaced by more agile, innovation-driven competitors.
Confident organizations find a way to engage. “They demonstrate how innovation, intervention, and information sustain lives while reducing the cost of care and prove that prevention and access are more cost-effective than crisis response,” said Bashe.
He believes the health ecosystem must make it clear that scientific discovery, digital transformation, and access are investments
high-impact service across all client teams and identifying new to meet the evolving needs of V2 clients.
The Boston-based public relations firm also named Deanna Hoffman as marketing manager to lead thought leadership and awareness campaigns. A major push was the launch of V2 Live!, a series of in-person and virtual events to bring together communications professionals and engage in meaningful conversation about what’s next in the industry.
V2 added clients across its core sectors including Cloudera, Electric Hydrogen, InStride Health, and Machinify.
“Our continued growth reflects the trust clients place in our team to deliver bold, business-minded communications,” noted Serra. “V2 is a true partner for brands shaping the future—and 2024 was proof that our integrated model delivers what modern companies need.”
in the fight against sickness, which remains the highest unacceptable cost.
“It’s also time for the ecosystem to show that earlier intervention, evidence- and value-based care, and equitable delivery safeguard the nation’s and world’s financial sustainability,” he added. “This isn’t just about launching the next product. It calls for elevating trust, aligning stakeholders, and framing health innovation as essential to economic and social resilience. Communication navigates and drives that process.”
Bashe said healthcare PR firms that are fluent in science, policy and strategic storytelling skills will thrive.
“Clients need partners who can make the complex simple and accessible and who can translate clinical data, policy shifts, and public concerns into resonant messages that connect with key audiences and move people to act,” he said.
Healthcare communicators need to be empathetic and ethically grounded in our current age of misinformation and disinformation. “Clients need agency leaders with rounded perspectives who understand where the conversation is going and how to shape it with credibility,” he said
He said shaping the future in today’s uncertain market calls for courage and perspective. “Those who act with insight, conviction, and skill will not simply weather uncertainty; they will shape what comes next. In 2025, engagement is not optional. It’s the performance metric that matters most.”
Jean Serra
Gil Bashe
Tom Donnelly
RANKINGS OF PR FIRMS WITH MAJOR U.S. OPERATIONS
Have you ChatGPT’ed yourself?
Large language models are quickly becoming the new influencers. What are you doing to shape them?
By Kathy Bloomgarden
The pursuit of information is evolving rapidly. Google is no longer the default for all queries. In February, Reuters reported that ChatGPT reached over 400 million weekly users, a 30 percent increase from months earlier. Meanwhile, Google’s market share dropped below 90 percent in late 2024 for the first time since 2015. Joanna Stern of the Wall Street Journal stated, “I Quit Google Search for AI— and I’m Not Going Back,” highlighting that AI search avoids clickbait and provides clear answers.
AI chatbots are revolutionizing search by changing how communicators shape perceptions and behavior. We can now control our narrative directly, bypassing third-party perspectives and contributing more to content aggregated by large language models. Here are three ways AI is impacting online information sharing with implications for communicators.
GEO: Generative engine optimization requires monitoring and optimizing your brand
Now that LLMs provide search results as a summary of content, online users tend to read the AI-generated summary rather than resort to gaining information from clicking on a series of links. Therefore, without monitoring and optimizing for mentions of your brand, it’s easy to lose control of how you’re being perceived by LLMs. It’s imperative to moderate for accuracy as misinformation can easily be multiplied and become a reputational threat.
Ruder Finn’s all-in-one proprietary offering rf.aio is designed to directly address this threat. With the monitoring of popular platforms that consumers frequent like ChatGPT, Perplexity AI and Gemini, rf.aio monitors for key factors, including accuracy, awareness levels of share of voice and amplification to derive actionable insights and recommend remediation.
In a recent discussion with a leading global company about their front-runner position with an innovative product, GEO revealed their name did not even come up in a search for the product category. LLMs are key stakeholders in capturing and holding leading market positions.
By training LLMs with rf.aio to identify and place corrective content on platforms, brands can enhance their perception and prioritize factually accurate information. Brand representation is a crucial first step
in taking control of the narrative on AI chatbots where millions of people are making decisions, small and large, daily.
GEM: Generative engine marketing underlines the importance of paid prompting
Traditional marketing utilizes paid media on search and digital platforms to establish and sustain an online presence, and AI-driven results are integrated into this strategy. Paid prompting is being introduced to AI chatbots, potentially leading to new advertising formats and partnership models soon. Perplexity’s experimentation with ads includes clearly labeled “sponsored” follow-up questions, allowing brands to respond to personalized user requests with ease.
With the ability to pay for prominence in generated prompts, the specific data provided to these AI agents has become increasingly vital. LLMs are shifting consumer expectations towards niche, multi-modal features that require hyper-personalization to be prominently displayed. Beyond simple queries, ChatGPT is launching its first restaurant plugin in collaboration with OpenTable, offering users a comprehensive dining recommendation experience from start to finish. How can businesses adapt to this shift and market effectively? By providing concise and complete answers that are well-received by AI agents, along with credible sourcing to support their statements, according to Fast Company.
Custom LLMs to enhance consumer experiences: owned virtual agents as personal advisors
Today’s digital consumer demands rapid access to information. To capture and retain their attention, it’s essential to offer unique customer experiences that enhance brand perception and streamline the process of finding key information. LLMs may not always suffice in addressing every query. Thus, positioning proprietary virtual agents as personal advisors, like L’Oréal’s Beauty Genius app, has proven effective in driving engagement through interactive, data-driven solutions. In an era with abundant choices and information, proprietary platforms can offer simplicity with personalized and targeted advice.
Customer service remains integral for companies like Klarna and Comcast, which both depend on customer satisfaction.
These companies have adopted internal
Kathy Bloomgarden
AI assistants to efficiently manage customer requests. Comcast’s “Ask Me Anything” program enables agents to provide human interaction supported by real-time LLM assistance, reducing the rate of unanswered queries by 11.9 percent and enhancing positive feedback by nine percent. Implementing an internal AI platform serves as a bridge between employees and customers, thereby elevating the overall value and productivity of the experience.
Prudential Financial is even going so far as to create virtual employees with Adobe to assist in the development of personalized content. To keep up with the demand for large volumes of content, these digital AI “employees” are designed to utilize demographic and real-time data to create individual web pages based on the interests of customers and advisers.
This kind of advancement pushes the boundaries between machines and human reviewing, allowing AI to take full control of creation after being trained with relevant legal regulations and the company’s brand voice. There’s a clear shift happening to enable consumers the opportunity to find their own solutions instead of relying on brands. Marketers need to leverage the potential of AI in ways that will meet consumer expectations for hyper-personalized solutions.
Talking to machines—a change in mindset
Talking to machines requires a shift in mindset. As we embrace this advanced technology, it becomes essential to understand the nuances of how AI interprets and processes information. This adaptation is not merely about adopting a new tool but about redefining our approach to communication and engagement. Marketing and communication professionals must be adept at leveraging AI to enhance their brand stewardship and ensure their messaging is precise and impactful. The evolving landscape heralds a future where the ability to interact seamlessly with AI will distinguish the leaders from the laggards in the industry.
Kathy Bloomgarden
is CEO of Ruder Finn.
LEADING GAINERS AMONG PR FIRMS
Firms in the top 25 (representing fees from 30.8M to 986M)
Firms ranked 101 through 133 (representing fees from 508.6K to 3M)
6. Finn Partners (incl. Detroit & Madison), Chicago, IL 20,220,000 86
7. Greentarget Global LLC, Chicago, IL 11,527,100 47
8. Bader Rutter & Assoc., Inc., Milwaukee, WI 10,100,000 35 9. Standing Partnership, St. Louis, MO 7,326,866 28 10. G&S Business Communications, Chicago, IL 6,479,022 30 11. Public Communications Inc., Chicago, IL 5,420,232 27
12. Franco, Detroit, MI 5,376,712 30 13. Tunheim, Minneapolis, MN 5,320,000 24 14. L.C. Williams & Associates, Chicago, IL 5,026,047 25 15. G&S Bus. Comms. (incl. Waterloo, IA), Waukesha, WI 4,042,128 32
Inspire PR Group, Westerville, OH
, Chicago, IL
Columbus, OH
Akrete, Evanston, IL 2,642,879 8
23. Lowe Group, Milwaukee, WI 1,893,205 7
24. O'Malley Hansen Comms., Chicago, IL 1,535,340 7 25. Tier One Partners, Chicago, IL 1,184,868 8
SOUTHEAST
1. French | West | Vaughan, Raleigh, NC $39,215,993 143
16. Ehrhardt Group, The, New Orleans, LA 4,153,596 21 17. Boardroom Comms., Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 3,600,000 19 18.
SAN FRANCISCO & NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
1.
LOS ANGELES
1. TEAM LEWIS, San Diego, CA $70,410,000 562 2. Edelman (includes Beverly Hills) 58,409,000 N/A
Davies Public Affairs, Santa Barbara, CA
IW Group, Inc., West Hollywood, CA 9,867,452 19
Lee Andrews Group, Los Angeles, CA 7,844,496 31 6. MMGY Wagstaff, Los Angeles, CA 6,775,667 24 7. Finn Partners, Los Angeles, CA 6,042,000 31 8. BLAZE, Santa Monica, CA 4,750,000 12 9. Highwire PR, Los Angeles, CA 2,119,683 8
Marketing Maven PR, Camarillo, CA 1,703,339 9
Firecracker PR, Brea, CA 1,463,000 7
Bob Gold & Associates, Redondo Beach, CA 1,205,030 6 13.
WESTERN CITIES
1. TEAM LEWIS, San Diego, CA $70,410,000 562
Edelman (incl. Beverly Hills), Los Angeles, CA
HAWAII
Leveraging thought leadership to elevate your brand
From expert to icon: How a well-planned thought leadership strategy can boost your reputation and enhance brand visibility.
By Cathy Angel
Imagine walking into a room filled with industry influencers and power players and no introduction is needed because they already know who you are. This doesn’t happen by coincidence; it’s the result of a well-planned and well-executed brand-building thought leadership strategy. In today’s crowded market, brands can become the go-to voice in their industries by leading conversations, driving innovation and positioning their leadership team members as trustworthy experts.
So, how can you go from being just another name to a true industry icon? In this article, we’ll walk through helpful tactics that can elevate your individual reputation—and that of your brand—to ensure your target audience takes notice.
Why thought leadership is important for growth
A successful thought leadership strategy includes fresh ideas, insights and opinions that will help increase your brand’s visibility, but even more importantly, its credibility. Thought leadership builds trust and awareness while also driving sales and converting interested prospects into customers.
LinkedIn’s 2024 B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report shows that 73 percent of B2B executives regard thought leadership as more trustworthy than traditional marketing. The same report states that more than 75 percent of decision-makers and C-suite executives say that a piece of thought leadership content has prompted them to research a product or service they had not previously considered.
Where to find opportunities that foster thought leadership
Brands can set themselves apart as a trusted authority in their field by sharing unique perspectives through multiple channels. A cohesive plan should be mapped out to include your team’s expert thoughts and ideas, aligning with target publications’ editorial calendars and relevant industry trends that are influenced by the evolving news cycle. High-profile interviews and media opportunities are one of the most powerful ways to amplify your key messaging. To gain momentum, it’s important to consistently share unique insights and new ideas through media interviews, podcasts and bylined articles. In addition to earned media opportunities, awards programming, speaking engagements, insightful blog
posts and social media campaigns are also great tools for building credibility and engaging with target audiences.
Impact of media relations and awards programming on C-Suite reputation
Earned media coverage is one of the best ways to establish thought leadership. Features in top-tier publications, mentions in high-profile industry blogs or interviews on popular podcasts are all ways to maximize exposure for your brand. When a major news outlet publishes your insights, it comes across the way it should and doesn’t look like you’re trying to sell something. Instead, appearing in top media outlets demonstrates that you have true expertise as a thought leader. As a bonus, being featured in blogs or online publications with high readership will drive traffic to your website, boost SEO and provide you with newsworthy content you can then repurpose and share via email marketing campaigns.
Another way to position your brand as a thought leader is through awards programming. By applying for business leadership and innovation awards, you expand your reach and open doors for future opportunities. Whether it’s Hotel Management’s General Managers to Watch, Travel Weekly’s Magellan Awards or Franchise Times’ Top 400, awards like this can increase brand awareness while offering third-party validation and establishing industry leadership. Awards should also be included in brand marketing materials and featured on your website, as they’re excellent sales tools that demonstrate your team’s expertise. As an added perk, being named a finalist or winning an award is especially valuable for attracting and retaining talent, as both current and prospective employees want to work for thriving companies.
Turning insights into influence through speaking engagements and social media
From in-person conferences to virtual events, attendees are looking to gain insight, advice and tips from successful experts. Speaking events and webinars provide a solid platform to share your expertise, foster meaningful discussions and inspire innovation. Your brand can reap the benefits by offering a valuable perspective that will empower audiences and help them succeed. When speaking to a live audience, sharing your brand stories authentically will help
them connect with you in a way they may not be able to through traditional marketing efforts. For example, let’s say you’re the owner of a fitness franchise brand. Rather than simply highlighting your class schedules and offerings, sharing your personal journey is powerful—and something that an advertisement or marketing materials just can’t replicate. From keynote speeches and expert panels to roundtables and webinars, brands can build strong relationships and maximize exposure by participating in these events with other thought leaders.
In addition to speaking engagements and event participation, building thought leadership is also possible through social media. This can be done by participating in industry discussions and leading conversations through live social media interviews, as well as posting high-quality content such as articles, blogs, whitepapers and reports on all platforms. To maximize impact, thought leadership content should always include detailed insights and helpful information, instead of pushing promotional messages.
It’s also important to consider today’s shorter attention spans by incorporating interactive posts and videos that are engaging and shareable. By repurposing content across social platforms, you can control the narrative and drive meaningful conversations.
A well-planned thought leadership strategy can significantly boost your brand’s reputation, credibility and influence. It’s important to note that thought leadership is not a one-time effort, though—it’s an ongoing commitment to staying informed, creating valuable content and engaging with your key audiences. By positioning yourself or your leadership team members as trusted authorities and consistently sharing unique insights through a variety of channels, you can stand out from competitors, increase visibility and build lasting trust.
Cathy Angel is the Vice President at Hemsworth, a top-ranked public relations and communications firm with locations in Atlanta, Charleston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, New York City and Tampa.
Cathy Angel
The value of public relations
Why investing in public relations is ultimately about building bridges in a connected world.
By Art Stevens
In today’s fast-paced and highly connected world, the value of public relations can’t be overstated. Far more than just crafting press releases or managing crises, modern PR is about building relationships, shaping narratives and establishing trust between organizations and the audiences they serve. Whether for a corporation, nonprofit, startup or public figure, PR can make the difference between obscurity and success.
Building and maintaining trust
At its core, PR is about trust. In an age where skepticism toward brands, media and even institutions is widespread, building credibility has never been more important. Public relations professionals help organizations communicate honestly and transparently, fostering positive relationships with the public. Through consistent messaging, thought leadership and reputation management, PR helps build a strong foundation of trust that advertising alone cannot achieve.
Unlike traditional marketing, which often seeks immediate transactional results, PR focuses on long-term relationships. Consumers today are savvy; they can distinguish between a paid ad and an earned media story. When people see an article written by a respected journalist or a story shared organically on social media, they are more likely to view the information as credible. This earned trust is invaluable—and difficult to replicate through other means.
Shaping the narrative
One of the greatest powers of PR is the ability to shape the narrative around a brand or organization. Instead of leaving perception to chance, PR professionals actively work to influence how an organization is viewed. They tell stories that highlight a company’s mission, values and successes. They place thought leadership pieces in respected outlets, organize events that generate goodwill and manage media relations to ensure positive coverage.
In times of crisis, PR becomes even more essential. A well-prepared PR team can help an organization navigate a challenging situation, minimizing reputational damage and restoring public confidence. How a company responds to adversity often defines its image for years to come. Crisis communication, one of the cornerstones of effective PR, involves swift, transparent and strategic action—qualities that can be the difference between recovery and collapse.
Amplifying visibility and awareness
Visibility is crucial for any organization that wants to grow. PR amplifies a brand’s
presence by securing media coverage, creating buzz on social media, organizing public events and connecting with key influencers. Each article published, each interview given and each award won adds another layer to the public’s understanding of the organization.
Good PR ensures that the right messages reach the right audiences at the right time. It can open doors to new markets, attract investment, recruit top talent and strengthen existing customer relationships. In a crowded marketplace, where attention spans are short and competition is fierce, an effective PR strategy gives organizations a vital edge. Supporting business objectives
PR isn’t just about soft metrics like awareness and goodwill—it directly supports business goals. A strong reputation can drive sales, increase market share and boost stock prices. For nonprofits, good PR can result in increased donations, volunteer engagement and public support. For public figures, it can translate into greater influence and new opportunities.
By aligning PR efforts with broader business strategies, organizations can ensure that every communication strengthens their overall mission. From launching new products to expanding into new territories, PR provides a framework for communicating change, innovation and growth in a way that resonates with stakeholders.
Adapting to a digital world
The digital revolution has fundamentally changed how PR operates. Today’s PR campaigns must consider not only traditional media but also podcasts, social media platforms, online reviews and search engine optimization. The ability to engage audiences directly through digital channels allows brands to have more control over their narratives than ever before.
At the same time, the speed at which information travels means that PR professionals must be more agile and responsive. A poorly handled social media post can become a national story within hours, while a positive viral moment can generate incredible goodwill. Digital PR requires a blend of creativity, analytics and quick decision-making to thrive.
PR is an indispensable tool for any organization looking to build trust, shape perceptions and achieve its goals. It goes beyond publicity to encompass relationship management, storytelling, crisis navigation and strategic communications. In a world where reputation can make or break success, PR isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.
Investing in strong PR is investing in the future. It ensures that an organization’s story is heard, its values are recognized and its reputation is protected. In the end, good PR is about building bridges—between brands and their audiences, between organizations and the media and between people and the causes they care about.
Art Stevens is Managing Partner of The Stevens Group.
Edelman tracks Gen Z’s grievances
Gen Zers harbor a grievance against social institutions that impacts how likely they are to trust government, business, the media and brands, according to a report based on findings from Edelman’s 2025 Trust Barometer, which surveyed more than 33,000 respondents across 28 countries.
More than half (58 percent) of Gen Z respondents said that they feel either a moderate or high sense of grievance.
Much of that sense of grievance comes out of fear and insecurity. Almost three quarters of respondents (72 percent) said that safety and security were top personal concerns. Over a third (37 percent) said they fear job loss—more than any other generation. Even more (39 percent) say that they feel constant uncertainty about the future.
Resentment toward institutions that Gen Zers say aren’t meeting their expectations is another source of grievance. For example,
By Steve Barnes
half (50 percent) of American Gen Zers report having “very little” trust in Congress, with just 3 percent saying they have a “great deal” of trust.
Not surprisingly, the media also comes in for its share of distrust. In the UK, 58 percent of Gen Zers say that they trust social media posts from their friends as much— if not more—than they trust information from traditional media.
Brands don’t get off the hook, either. Only15 percent of Gen Z consumers think brands meet social responsibility expectations. However, almost three-quarters (72 percent) of them still want brands to take a stand on issues “but only when it’s done with action, not just words.”
The overall result is compounded by the opinion of two-thirds (66 percent) of Gen Z who think that leaders and the media are deliberately misleading them.
Art Stevens
TOP-RANKED PR FIRMS
360PR+
60 Charlton Street New York, NY 10013
212/729-5833
www.360PR.plus
Laura Tomasetti, Founder & CEO Victoria Renwick, EVP & Partner, Chief Client Services Officer
Mike Rush, EVP & Partner, Chief Growth Officer
Kara Armit, SVP, Human Resources
Lucy Ferrante, CFO
360PR+ is an award-winning consumer specialist agency, adept at earning attention for brands and powered by the kinds of breakthrough insights, ideas and relationships that can only come from being true experts in our craft and in our clients’ sectors. That expertise is rooted in years of success for some of the most admired and innovative brands and a culture that embraces the new. Recognized for creative excellence, 360 brings clients a hands-on senior team and deep bench of talent with expertise in all aspects of earned media, executive communications, influencer marketing, content creation and social media. Having all of that experience under one roof, across our different offices, gets us off the mark faster and stronger for clients, immediately establishing our value.
360PR+ is a certified B Corporation and PROI Worldwide partner, offering clients in-market resources in 100+ cities across North Ameri-
ca and globally. 360 brings special expertise in sectors including: ad tech, automotive, consumer tech, digital entertainment, fashion & beauty, financial services, food & beverage, health & wellness, kids & family, home & garden, luxury brands, media & publishing, retail & franchise businesses, sports & outdoor, toys & games and travel. Sample clients include: Aiper Robotics, Bob’s Red Mill, Bona, CarGurus, Chicco USA, Dramamine, Gerber Childrenswear, Hasbro, Little Leaf Farms, Maison Louis Latour, Marchon Eyewear, National Geographic Media, Nintendo, Omni Hotels, Restore Hyper Wellness, SimpliSafe, Spin Master, Travelpro, Trek Bicycle and Virgin Atlantic.
3E PUBLIC RELATIONS
19 Chapin Rd., Bldg. D Pine Brook, NJ 07058 973/224-9224 info@3epr.com www.3epr.com
Patrick Brightman, President & CEO
3E Public Relations (3E PR) brings its Entertain, Educate, and Engage philosophy to every PR, social media, and content program we implement. Our focus on those three core services allows us to stay on top of trends and advances to provide expertise and implement innovative programs. For more
than two decades, we have delivered award-winning comprehensive thought-leadership campaigns that integrate message development, media training, media relations, speaking engagements, event promotions, award programs, as well as social media content development, influencer relations, and page management.
3E PR has earned recognition from top industry organizations for our work. We pride ourselves not only on the awards won, but on the numerous long-term client relationships we have built, many of which have lasted well over a decade. We do not measure success solely by the number of years that we retain a client, however, but by the quality of the relationships and the value our team provides.
APCO
1299 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 300 Washington, D.C. 20004 202/778-1000
Fax: 202/466-6002
info@apcoworldwide.com www.apcoworldwide.com
Margery Kraus, Founder & Executive Chairman Brad Staples, CEO
APCO is a global advisory and advocacy firm helping leading corporations, foundations and governments navigate a complex world and create lasting impact. Founded in 1984, with one woman’s vision and bold action, APCO has
360PR+ is a best practice partner to trusted brands with a team that’s all in with clients every day.
grown into an independent, majority women-owned firm of more than 1,200 employees with work spanning 80 markets around the world. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., APCO is comprised of strategic advisers, consultants and creators, working together across borders and functions, to provide services and expertise on financial, competitive, political and societal issues. APCO is a trusted partner to bold purpose-led leaders, lawmakers, government officials, NGOs, the media and other stakeholders. For more than 40 years, APCO has been renowned for its ability to champion clients’ interests and permission to operate, build client reputation and strengthen client standing. By bringing diverse people and ideas together, and working beyond traditional boundaries, APCO builds the un/common ground upon which progress is made.
BEEHIVE STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
550 Vandalia St. Suite 233
St. Paul, MN 55114
651/789-2232
info@beehivepr.biz
www.beehivepr.biz
Lisa Hannum, CEO
Nicki Gibbs, Chief Strategy Officer
Ayme Zemke, Chief Client Officer
Rebecca Martin, EVP, Culture & Talent
Beehive Strategic Communication is an independent, strategic communication firm and WBENC certified women-owned business. Our purpose is using the power of communication to build better businesses for a better world. Beehive’s clients trust us to solve complex business challenges using strategy, creativity and communication to create better results. Our services focus on helping clients meet rising expectations and future needs of their employees, partners, customers and communities. These include Crisis Management and Business Continuity; Impact Strategy and Communication; Change Management Communication; Organizational Culture and Communication; Brand Positioning and Digital Strategy and PR.
Beehive works nationally and globally with leading brands in health, renewable energy and environmental services, education, professional services, commercial construction and civil engineering, and government, civic and social foundations. As a certified B Corporation, Beehive meets the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.
BLAZE PR
1427 Third Street Promenade
Suite 201
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310/395-5050
mkovacs@blazepr.com www.blazepr.com
Matt Kovacs, President BLAZE is the trusted partner of choice for lifestyle challenger brands hungry for a real piece of the marketshare. BLAZE has been retained by a growing number of savvy clients who want integrated PR, influencer and social media strategies—and flawless execution. BLAZE senior level professionals play a hands-on, day-today role with clients. With more than two decades of relationships and a solid team founded in strategic approaches, BLAZE is adroit in advancing client objectives and nimble to the quick-changing pace of media.
THE BLISS GROUP
230 Park Avenue
Second Floor West
New York, NY 10169
212/840-1661
Fax: 212/840-1663 theblissgrp.com
Cortney Stapleton, CEO
Michael Roth, Managing Partner, General Counsel
Reed Handley, Executive VP, Head of Growth, Co-Leader of the Financial Services Practice
Alexis Odesser, Executive VP, Head of Acct. Excellence, CoLeader of the Healthcare Practice
Sally Slater, Executive VP, Head of Innovation
Keri Toomey, Executive VP, Head of Employee Experience, Co-Leader of the Business and Professional Services Practice
Greg Hassel, Senior VP, CoLeader of the Financial Services Practice
Ken Kerrigan, Senior VP, Head of Public Relations Discipline, Co-Leader of the Business and Professional Services Practice
Megan Tuck, Senior VP, CoLeader of Bliss Impact
Bill Smith, Senior VP, Head of Integrated Earned Media
Meghan Powers, Group VP, Deputy Healthcare Practice Leader
Alana Gold, Group VP, Professional Services
Adam Schwartzman, Group VP, Head of Content
Meghan Busch, Group VP, Financial Services
Janine Savarese, CEO, NextTech Communications, a Bliss Group company
Gloria Vanderham, CEO, Bliss Bio Health, a Bliss Group company
The Bliss Group is a marketing communications agency that blends data science with the art of storytelling to target priority audiences with precision, empathy, and purpose. We discover the insights that bring change to life for organizations across the healthcare, fi-
nancial, technology, business and professional sectors. Our work is about building value that echoes in the minds of stakeholders and the marketplace. With each narrative and every strategy, we employ deep intelligence, rich industry experience and an unwavering commitment to excellence to transform brands into beacons of influence and impact. Clients include some of the most respected names in the industries we serve: BDO, BILL, CFP Board, CVS Health and Aetna, DaVita, Exponent Women, Ford Foundation, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, KeyCorp, Korn Ferry, Kotter, Morgan Stanley, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Nationwide, NFP, RapidRatings, and West Monroe. Want to learn more? Contact us at info@ theblissgrp.com.
BOARDROOM COMMUNICATIONS INC.
(DBA BoardroomPR)
1776 No. Pine Island Rd., #320 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33322 954/370-8999 donsil@boardroompr.com www.boardroompr.com
Locations: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa and Naples
Julie Talenfeld, President Don Silver, COO
Todd Templin, Executive VP Eric Kalis, Senior VP Jennifer Clarin and Michelle Griffith, VPs Ashley Kearns, Director of Social Media Management.
Founded in 1989, BoardroomPR is a full-service public relations and integrated marketing agency. We leverage the skills of our staff of former broadcast and print journalists, PR and marketing professionals, and multimedia specialists to provide visibility across key traditional and online platforms. Our creative solutions increase awareness and understanding, establish credibility, and ultimately improve reputations and business.
BoardroomPR bridges traditional and new media, combining print, television and radio media with excellent digital expertise in website development, social media management and email campaigns. We incorporate research, search engine optimization, pay-per-click and online reputation management, and video production and offer
The Beehive team use the power of communication to solve clients’ complex business challenges and drive results.
BOARDROOM
Continued from page 63
branding capabilities consisting of a logo, graphic design, copywriting, and video production.
Representative clients: Alper JCC, Associated Builders and Contractors East Florida, Bike Walk, BTT Corp., Concord Wilshire, Development Specialists, Easton Group, Eisinger Law, Encore Capital Management, Fiske & Co. CPAs, Florida’s Children First, Florida East Coast Realty, Geis, Gloria Gates Care, Holocaust Documentation and Education Center, Illustrated Properties, Insurance Litigation Group, IStar Financial, Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, J.M. Family, JAFCO, KW Property Management, Kristi House, Klotz Group, The Keyes Company, Lynd Companies, Marshall Dennehey, Miller Construction, Minto Communities, Nason Yeager, North Broward Prep, Pebb Enterprises, Plantation Walk, Pulte Group, Ram Realty, RKW Residential, Rivergate Companies, Rentyl Resorts, SSRGA, Salato, Senolytix, Shutts, South Motors, South Florida Manufacturers Assoc., SRF Ventures, Standard Cos., Summit Broadband, Forman Capital, Tricera Capital, Tobin, Tropical Financial Credit Union, U.S. Construction, Weis Serota, Wexford Real Estate, Wish & Shoes.
BOSPAR
Located in every major city, including: San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Austin. 844/526-7727 (844/5-BOSPAR) @BosparPR
Chris Boehlke, Curtis Sparrer,
Bospar celebrates turning 10 with a NYC studio shoot.
Tom Carpenter, Principals
We’re celebrating 10 years of being politely pushy.
Bospar launched in 2015 with two people and a vision of a virtual agency with a national footprint —a model that enabled Bospar to build the most strategic, responsive and delightful team of media, social and content experts in the industry.
Over the past decade, we’ve delivered award-winning campaigns that move the needle and consistently put our clients at the center of the conversation.
Bospar is the only agency named one of Fortune’s Most Innovative Companies.
Fast Company named us to its Most Innovative Companies list.
PRWeek awarded us for Best in Branding and Best in Crisis campaigns
PRNews placed us among its Elite Top 100 Agencies for 2025
PRovoke SABRE awarded our work in Broadcast Media, Digital Publishing, Corporate Values and Real-Time Crisis Engagement
Why Bospar? Because we don’t settle for the expected. Our campaigns break through, delivering results that matter. Our award-winning team taps into trending news, bold ideas and data-driven storytelling, ensuring our clients are seen and heard by the audiences that matter to them.
BRG COMMUNICATIONS
201 N Union St., #110 Alexandria, VA 22314 703/739-8350 info@brgcommunications.com brgcommunications.com linkedin.com/company/brgcommunications instagram.com/brgcommunications facebook.com/ BRGCommunications x.com/BRGLiving
Jane Barwis, President & CEO
Michael Sloan, COO Shannon McDaniel, Laurie Mobley, Executive VPs
Named 2023 and 2024 Outstanding Boutique Agency by PRWeek, BRG forms strategic campaigns that address critical health and social issues, strengthen brand reputation, build awareness, educate and drive positive change. Services offered: Strategic planning and research, corporate social responsibility, consumer awareness campaigns, media relations, social media, digital marketing, thought leadership, cause marketing, B2B outreach, branding, design, scien-
BRG clients include corporations, nonprofit organizations, industry associations and medical societies focused on health, science, safety and wellness for individuals and communities.
COGNITO
1040 Avenue of the Americas 14th Flr., #14B New York, NY 10018 646/395-6300 www.cognitomedia.com
Tom Coombes, Founder Andrew Marshall, NY Managing Director + Vice Chairman
Jade Bestley, Senior VP + Head of Digital
Sam Barber, Taylor Fenske, Doug Hesney, Senior VPs
Angela Byrne, US Director of Business Strategy angela.byrne@cognitomedia.com
Cognito is the global communications agency for finance, technology and the climate transition. We partner with organizations, from established leaders to startup challengers, to advise on how to manage reputation, handle threats and build value in competitive and disrupted markets.
With creative content and an understanding of channel complexity, we protect and grow our clients’ businesses through purpose-driven communications and stakeholder engagement.
Our team of 85+ Cognitians around the world bring together 20 languages from 15 countries. With
The BRG team.
big agency and in-house expertise, we work across corporate communications, PR, digital marketing, social, branding and creative design to communicate what’s next. You can find us on the ground in key financial markets—New York, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney and DACH.
From the start, Cognito has been built on the assumption that finance is different. That’s why since 2000 we’ve consistently hired people with varied careers such as financial journalists, bankers, FS marketing executives, advertising planners and social media strategists.
Whatever the differing needs, clients agree that part of what makes Cognito an effective partner for them is our specialization and our recognition that finance is different.
COYNE PUBLIC RELATIONS
5 Wood Hollow Rd. Parsippany, NJ 07054
973/588-2000
www.coynepr.com
New Business inquiries: newbusiness@coynepr.com
Additional Office
501 7th Ave.
New York, NY 10018
212/938-0166
Thomas F. Coyne, Founder & CEO
Rich Lukis, President
John Gogarty, President
Cathy Clarkin, Chief Financial Officer
Clara Heffernan, Chief People Officer
Kelly Dencker, Executive VP
Joe Gargiulo, Executive VP
Kamienski, Executive VP
Tim Schramm, Executive VP
Lisa Wolleon, Executive VP
What sets Coyne PR apart is simple: our people power our performance. We invest in being the best place to work because the best work comes from the best teams. That mindset fuels everything we do, from breakthrough campaigns to decade-long client relationships. As the first ChatGPT enterprise partner in our industry, we embrace innovation while staying true to what makes us different: original, human-driven creativity. With standout work for Hilton, StarKist, and CeraVe, we deliver relevance, consistency, and results. Our bestteam approach ensures every client benefits from the full agency brain trust. A 95% retention rate among top clients, impressive new business growth, and more than 1,000 industry awards speak to our impact. But it’s our humanity—our culture of collaboration and bold
thinking—that truly sets us apart. We’re not trying to be the biggest agency in America, just the most respected, most inspired, and most empowering. That’s our edge.
Raymond Crosby, President Robert Schnapp, Executive Creative Director
Denise Aube, EVP, Healthcare Practice Leader
Anna Zawislanski, EVP, Government Practice Leader
Pam Atkinson, EVP, Connection Planning
Suresh John, EVP, Digital Strategy & Analytics
The Crosby team is passionate about helping clients Inspire Actions That Matter™—actions that positively impact people’s lives and contribute to the greater good.
Now in its 51st year, Crosby helps clients make powerful connections with their customers, constituents, and communities to shape attitudes, inspire behavior change, and motivate action. The firm’s award-winning campaigns, which integrate paid, earned, shared and owned media, have touched the lives of virtually everyone in America and people across the globe.
The firm has specialized practices in Healthcare, Government, Nonprofits and Causes, and Military and Veterans. Clients include the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DAV (Disabled American Veterans), Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Dept. of Defense/Military OneSource, Kai-
ser Permanente, OrganDonor.gov, Peace Corps, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Social Security Administration, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, USAA Educational Foundation, and The Wallace Foundation.
Crosby is a Google Premier Partner, #23 on O’Dwyer’s national ranking of PR firms and #11 for healthcare PR, and a member of the PR Council, American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As), and Diversity Action Alliance. The firm has offices in Maryland’s state capital of Annapolis and in Washington, D.C. To see case studies and capabilities, visit www.crosbymarketing.com.
Davies Public Affairs is the go-to firm for companies facing critical issues where public sentiment is a key factor in the success of business objectives. The firm specializes in strategic communications and issue management through digital and traditional media. In addition, the firm has set a standard for public engagement with the goal of reducing opposition or to generate vocal and active public and
Jennifer
Pictured (L-R): Cognito staffers Sam Barber, Sr. VP; Taylor Fenske, Sr. VP; Andrew Marshal, Vice Chmn; Jade Bestley, Sr. VP; Angela Byrne, U.S. Dir.; Doug Hesney, Sr. VP.
A snapshot from our Coyne PR tailgate—one of many team-building events that foster collaboration, strengthen connections, and celebrate our agency culture throughout the year.
DAVIES PUBLIC AFFAIRS
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political support to overcome opposition. Through deploying compelling messages shared through award-winning materials and digital communications and cultivating authentic grassroots support, Davies overcomes opposition and successfully delivers measurable outcomes in a timely manner. The firm provides services across industries with a focus on clients in the energy (from renewable to traditional), real estate (crisis and development), natural resources and crisis sectors.
Clients include: Avista, Baltimore Gas and Electric, Chadmar, Chesapeake Energy, Cleanera, Dominion, EDF, E.ON, ELiAD, ES Minerals, Exelon, GridStor, HomeFed, Hecate, Integral, The Irvine Company, Newland Communities, Origis Energy, PRC, Rosemont Copper, Steelhead , Sun Tribe, Sares Regis Group, SoCal Gas, Sudberry Properties, Tejon Ranch, TECO, Toll Brothers, Ty Warner Resorts, Vestas, and WGL.
EDELMAN
250 Hudson St., 16th Floor New York, NY 10013
212/768-0550
Fax: 212/704-0117
www.edelman.com
Edelman is a global communications firm that partners with businesses and organizations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. Our 6,000 people in more than 60 offices deliver communications strategies that give our clients the confidence to lead and act with certainty, earning the trust of their stakeholders. Our honors include PRWeek’s Global Agency of the Year (2023); PRovoke’s Global Agency of the Year (2022); Cannes Lions Grand Prix awards for PR (2016) and the Entertainment Lions for Sport (2021); a Gold Lion in the Brand Experience & Activation category (2023); a Gold Lion in the Sustainable Development Goals category (2022); Cannes Lions Independent Agency of the Year for the Entertainment Track (2021); Cannes Lions Co-Independent Agency of the Year for the Good Track (2022); and Advertising Age’s 2019 A-List. Since our founding in 1952, we have remained an independent, family-run business. Edelman owns specialty companies Edelman Data x Intelligence (research, data), Edelman Smithfield (financial communica-
tions), Edelman Global Advisory (advisory), and United Entertainment Group (entertainment, sports, lifestyle).
FAHLGREN MORTINE
4030 Easton Station, Suite 300 Columbus, OH 43219 614/383-1500
Fahlgren Mortine is an integrated communications company that helps brands connect in ways that are precise and meaningful. Founded in 1962, the agency blends data, design and creativity to craft compelling stories that move people— and move business.
Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Fahlgren Mortine is part of The Shipyard Collective, “Engineering Brand Love” through deeper strategy, analytics and media integration. The agency is also a member of the global IPREX network, providing clients international reach and local execution around the world.
With industry expertise spanning B2B, CPG, building products, economic development, energy, healthcare, higher education, logistics, manufacturing, retail, technology and tourism, Fahlgren Mortine is recognized by PRSA as a Best Mid-Sized Agency and is one of PRovoke’s 80 best US Agencies. Fahlgren Mortine boasts client satisfaction scores well above industry benchmarks and average client tenure 182 percent longer than the industry average.
FRENCH | WEST | VAUGHAN
112 E. Hargett St. Raleigh, NC 27601 919/832-6300 www.fwv-us.com
Rick French, Chairman & CEO
David Gwyn, President
Natalie Best, Chief Operating Officer
French/West/Vaughan (FWV) is the Southeast’s largest public relations, public affairs, advertising and digital media agency, a distinction it has held since 2001.
Headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., and founded in April 1997, FWV has received 36 Global or National Agency of the Year honors over the past 28 years, making it one of the most decorated agencies in the world.
FWV is the parent company of fashion and lifestyle PR firm AMP3 (New York City); a mobility and transportation practice based in Detroit formerly called The Millerschin Group (TMG); pet and animal health practice FWV Fetching and television and feature film development imprint Prix Productions (L.A.). FWV employs more than 140 public relations, public affairs, social media, advertising, digital marketing and content creation professionals across its five offices nationwide.
In addition to its numerous National Agency of the Year honors, FWV has amassed more than 1,700 PR, advertising and digital marketing awards on behalf of its global roster of blue-chip clients, which includes Wrangler, ABB, Proximo, Community Coffee, W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery, Zippo, ABB, H.H. Brown, LG Energy Solution, Teen Cancer America, Mitsubishi Electric, N.A. and the N.C. Department of Transportation.
G&S INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS GROUP
New York | Chicago | Raleigh | Milwaukee | Waterloo www.gsimc.com www.gscommunications.com www.morganmyers.com
Steve Halsey, Chief Growth Officer shalsey@gscommunications.com Anne Green, CEO
G&S Integrated Marketing Communications Group fuels transformation for innovative brands through our two agencies, G&S Business Communications and MorganMyers, a G&S Agency. We provide strategic communications, public relations, branding, digital marketing, creative and advertising, and reputation management solutions for businesses shaping the future.
G&S Business Communications specializes in B2B storytelling, simplifying complex topics to engage audiences. The agency serves Fortune 500, mid-market, and start-up companies across six key industries: Advanced Manufacturing & Energy, Agribusiness,
Healthcare & Wellness, Home & Building, Landscaping & Outdoor Living, and Professional & Financial Services.
MorganMyers builds, promotes, and protects food and agriculture brands, fostering demand and trust from “field and farm to food and fork.” With deep category expertise, the agency moves companies from where they are to where they want to be.
As an independent, midsized group, we remain agile while delivering senior counsel and deep strategic insights. Our PROI Worldwide partnership provides global reach with in-language and in-time zone support across 60 countries and 165 cities, including London, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo.
Learn how we help brands tell their stories and drive business growth at www.gscommunications. com and www.morganmyers.com.
Hemsworth is a top-ranked, award-winning agency that partners with both emerging and iconic travel, tourism, hospitality, culinary, wine, spirits, lifestyle and franchise brands to drive buzz and business. With locations across the United States—including Atlanta, Charleston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, New York City and Tampa —as well as a network of vetted freelancers in other top media markets globally, Hemsworth is known for crafting tailored programs that encompass brand strategy, media relations, social media, influencer marketing, event programming, thought leadership, digital marketing, crisis communications and more. The Hemsworth team is comprised of experts who share unprecedented passion, insight and connections to surpass client expectations, delivering personal service and powerful results.
HIGHWIRE
727 Sansome St., #100 San Francisco, CA 94111 415/963-4174 hi@highwirepr.com www.highwirepr.com
10 W. Hubbard St. Chicago, IL 60654
31 East 32nd St., 11th Floor New York, NY 10016
142 Berkeley St., 4th Flr. Boston, MA 02116
Emily Borders, Kathleen Gratehouse and Carol Carrubba, Principals
Highwire is an inclusive strategic communications and digital marketing partner designed for category leaders and challengers across the technology and healthcare sectors. Highwire’s client portfolio includes leaders in enterprise and B2B technology, healthcare, AI, cybersecurity, energy and financial services. In healthcare, clients span MedTech, diagnostics, primary care, behavioral health, remote care platforms and more. Highwire’s team is composed of veteran communicators, marketers and former journalists with deep technical expertise paired with expansive industry knowledge.
Highwire’s fully integrated programs leverage digital and social media channels, earned media, and editorial and creative services to drive businesses forward.
The agency continues to lead in the communications and marketing sectors by providing innovative, integrated, and high-impact public relations and marketing programs, while maintaining a sustainable and energizing environment for its team members. Highwire is a signatory with the Diversity Action Alliance (DAA) and is committed to ex-
panding diverse representation in our agency and our industry while fostering an inclusive agency environment, where every employee can be seen, heard, and valued.
In 2022, Highwire secured a strategic investment from Shamrock Capital, a Los Angeles-based investment firm specializing in media, entertainment, communications and related sectors to fuel the growth of its integrated communications and digital marketing services. This partnership will enable Highwire to evaluate strategic additions to its healthcare practice as well as further develop its digital marketing services, data analytics, public affairs and corporate communications capabilities.
THE HOFFMAN AGENCY
746 The Alameda, Suite 20, San Jose, CA 95126
408/286-2611
Fax: 408/286-0133
lhoffman@hoffman.com www.hoffman.com
Lou Hoffman, CEO
Caroline Hsu, Global Technology Officer (APAC contact)
Lydia Lau, CFO/Exec. VP of Global Operations
Gerard LaFond, Managing Director, North America
Kymra Knuth, Chief Client Officer, North America
Steve Jursa, Exec. VP, North America
Jenny Fieldgate, Managing Director, Europe
Defining communications broadly to include thought leadership, digital marketing, and paid media as well as traditional PR, The Hoffman Agency knows how to differentiate brands and drive sales. With a heritage in the technology sector, the firm’s work today cuts across a range of industries.
The Agency cultivates “connection” through various means like Work-Away-From-Work week in the U.S. that finished with a Spring party.
While campaigns vary by client and industry, all share one theme: the creation of content that reflects the tenets of storytelling. This means developing narratives that prompt journalists to write and target audiences to read—a far cry from the “corporate speak” that satisfies internal stakeholders. The firm applies this same mentality to its talent acquisition and marketing services. The firm is increasingly helping non-tech companies tell tech-led stories.
For clients with global needs, the company operates in Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States. Unlike traditional agencies handicapped by their silo structure, The Hoffman Agency embraces a collaborative approach to implementing multi-country campaigns (don’t worship individual office P/L). This leverage of content and thinking across geographies ultimately generates better results.
Clients Include: Alteryx, ASML, Avetta, Axis Communications, Baidu, City of Fremont, Diligent, Georgia Tech, Lam Research, Lightship RV, Moloco, New Relic, Nokia, Nutanix, Oracle, Rambus, Skyworks, SuperMicro, Synopsys, Tealium, TSMC, Twitch, Twitter, Universal Displays, Veeam, Visa, XCharge Energy and Zoom.
HOTWIRE
200 Broadway, Industrious 3rd Floor, Office 304
New York, NY 10038
646/974-9490
655 Montgomery Street, Suite 850 San Francisco, CA 94111
Will Hutchinson, Chief Financial & Strategy Officer
Heather Craft, CEO, North America
Ute Hildebrandt, CEO, Continental Europe
Laura Macdonald, Chief Growth Officer
Stephanie Pastorelli, Chief People and Culture Officer
Hotwire is a tech PR, communications, and marketing consultancy. Globally, top technology brands partner with us for expert consultancy to scale and support their businesses. Found at the intersection of technology and humanity, our 400+ people in 11 countries weave global experience and local expertise to define, measure, and repeat success across reputation, relationship, and revenue campaigns. Our clients include industry leaders such as Adobe, Atlassian, Meta, OpenText, Palo Alto Networks, and Vivint.
HUNTER
One World Trade Center, Floor 68 New York, NY 10007
Grace Leong, CEO Gigi García Russo, Chief Transformation Officer CONTACT: Samara Farber Mormar, Chief Marketing Officer smormar@hunterpr.com www.hunterpr.com
HUNTER is an award-winning consumer marketing communications firm frequently named as a “Best Place to Work” and “Agency of the Year” with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and London, and partnerships that extend our reach globally.
Our firm employs a powerful blend of marketing solutions for consumer, corporate and B2B clients, including strategic planning, media relations, social and digital media, talent/influencer engagement, experiential marketing, multicultural outreach, corporate reputation and issues management, and content creation and distribution across all platforms for some of the world’s most beloved companies and brands.
At HUNTER, We EARN IT— including the dedication of our talented team. We do this by fostering an environment that champions great work and creative collaboration. We find the sweet spot where
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Highwire at its 2024 all-agency Kickoff.
HUNTER
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our clients’ needs meet our team’s passions, all while elevating the role of PR in the marketing mix through innovative technologies, resources, and solutions.
ICR, LLC
685 Third Ave., 2nd Flr. New York, NY 10017 646/277-1200
tom.ryan@icrinc.com icrinc.com
Twitter: @ICRPR
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/ company/164280/ 761 Main Ave. Norwalk, CT 06851 203/682-8200
2800 Quarry Lake Dr., Suite 380 Baltimore, MD 21209 443/213-0500
3031 Tisch Way, Suite 1002 San Jose, CA 95128 408/680-0566
Unit 805, Tower 1, Prosper Center No. 5 Guanghua Road, Chao Yang District Beijing 100020, PR China 86 10 5603 3382
85 Gresham St., London EC2V 7NQ United Kingdom 44 20 3709 5700
Thomas Ryan, CEO (tom.ryan@icrinc.com)
Don Duffy, President (don.duffy@icrinc.com)
John Sorensen, COO (john.sorensen@icrinc.com) Michael Fox, Chief Client Officer (michael.fox@icrinc.com) Robert Spezzano, CFO (robert.spezzano@icrinc.com)
Established in 1998, ICR partners with public and private companies to execute strategic communications and advisory programs and manage complex transactions and corporate events to enhance long-term enterprise value and corporate reputation. The firm’s highly-differentiated service model, which pairs capital markets veterans with senior communications professionals, brings deep sector knowledge and relationships to hundreds of clients across more than 20 industry groups. With more than 400 team members, ICR is one of the largest and most experienced independent communications and advisory firms, maintaining offices in New York, Connecticut, Boston, Baltimore, San Jose, London, and Beijing. Learn more at icrinc.com. Follow us on LinkedIn and on X at @ICRPR.
As a full-service agency integrating public relations, marketing and digital expertise, Inspire PR Group is nationally respected by clients for its food, agriculture and restaurant expertise.
140 Broadway New York, NY 10005
917/477-4800
Fax: 815/550-1030 ryanm@imre.agency www.imre.com
Anna Kotis, President Rob Naddelman, Chief Operating Officer
Christian Bauman, Chief Creative Officer
Lorraine Hirsh, Chief People Officer
Imre is a performance-driven creative agency that connects people to brands for life’s most important decisions.
With roots 30-years deep in the worlds of digital, social, and PR, Imre has now completed evolution into a full-service agency-of-record (AOR) with an impressive roster of launch and lifecycle brands across general consumer, healthcare (HCP & patient) and wellness, led by a team of seasoned launch experts. Imre’s innovative approaches span across creative, brand strategy, omnichannel marketing, AI-optimization, modern earned, media, and the latest in data and analytics.
Imre is an LGBTQ+-founded, private-equity backed independent agency that maintains offices in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, in addition to a group of team members who work from anywhere.
INKHOUSE
Boston • San Francisco • New York • Seattle • San Diego
Inkhouse is a strategic communications agency that drives relevance and impact for innovative companies across several industries including artificial intelligence, climate tech & energy, cloud infrastructure & apps, consumer, cybersecurity, education, finance, healthcare & wellness, and venture capital. We built our reputation one client at a time, and it’s made us a sought-after agency for pre- and post-IPO technology innovators and Fortune 500 companies. Founded in 2007, Inkhouse has grown organically to an agency of 130+ people in seven major cities with remote employees across 16 states and recently became a partner agency within Orchestra, the first company built for the future of communications. Learn more at: www.inkhouse.com.
INSPIRE PR GROUP
6120 South Sunbury Road Columbus, OH 43081 614/532-5279
Hinda Mitchell, Founder & President Hana Bieliauskas, Senior Vice President & Partner
IMRE, LLC
We’re HUNTER: a strategic and creative communications partner earning attention for leading brands around the world.
Diane Hurd, Senior Vice President & Partner
Katie Lundy, Vice President
Inspire PR Group (Inspire) is a multi-service, public relations and marketing communications firm serving clients nationwide. We know how to make food, agriculture, restaurant and retail clients stand out.
With nearly 100 years of combined experience working directly with farmers, state and national commodity organizations, food brands and agribusiness organizations, our firm has developed unparalleled agriculture experience. We know how to tell food and farming stories in an honest, compelling and relevant way.
Inspire also has decades of experience working with both full-service and quick-service restaurants, and we support respected regional restaurant brands and leading independent restaurants.
We have strong relationships with top culinary and food media and influencers, which we regularly leverage to provide value to clients.
Our commitment to our clients is unmatched. We firmly believe in the importance of relationships, and that’s why most of our clients have relied on the Inspire team for more than a decade. That kind of loyalty only occurs when the firm evolves with its clients, continues to deliver fresh and innovative thinking, and becomes more than just a vendor to serve as a trusted partner.
Office Locations: New York, San Diego, Los Angeles, Nashville, Denver, London.
Jamie Lynn O’Grady, Founding Partner
Sarah Evans Thelen, Partner Ali Lundberg, President
Owned by Jamie Lynn O’Grady (California) and Sarah Evans (New York), J/PR is a global communications agency specializing in the travel, tourism, hospitality, and luxury lifestyle spaces. With a trend-setting team of 120 members across the U.S., UK and Toronto, J/PR represents world-renowned brands, offering a boutique approach with global reach and ROI-driven results. At J/ PR, longevity is at the core of the agency’s 20+ year success, with clients and team members having worked with the agency for years; a testament to J/PR’s personalized approach and industry-leading campaigns.
Clients Include: Banyan Tree, Beaverbrook—UK; Dorchester Collection; Eden Roc Cap Cana; Four Seasons Resort Lana’i—Lana’i, HI; Grand Hotel TremezzoLake Como, Italy; Hilton Luxury Brands (Conrad Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts); Hotel
del Coronado—San Diego, CA; Iconic Luxury Hotels (multiple properties)—United Kingdom; Meet Boston; Pendry Hotels & Resorts (multiple properties)— North America; Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa—Rancho Santa Fe, CA; Relais & Châteaux; Roederer Estate; Twin Farms; Virgin Hotels and Virgin Limited Edition; Under Canvas—North America; Utah Office of Tourism; Visit Panama; Waldorf Astoria New York.
JACKSON
SPALDING, INC.
1100 Peachtree Street NE, 18th Fl. Atlanta, GA 30309 404/724-2500 Atlanta@jacksonspalding.com
Brian Brodrick, Monica Corbett, Chowning Hawkins, Glen Jackson, Hayley Johns, Randall Kirsch, Trudy Kremer, Eric O’Brien, Whitney Ott, Joanna Singleton, Partners
Todd Croom, Chief Financial Officer
Gene Crosby, Chief Operating Officer
Pam Sawyer, Chief Human Resources Officer
Jackson Spalding is an award-winning, integrated PR and marketing agency that helps clients grow both reputation and revenue. We believe preeminent brands invest in three critical activities— brand-building, brand protection and demand capture—and we’re built to deliver on all three.
Our work for Chick-fil-A, Delta
Air Lines, The Coca-Cola Company, Norfolk Southern, Orkin, L.L.Bean and others has earned over 25 awards in the past three years. With white glove services across analytics, branding, creative, coaching, digital, public relations, issues management and more; we don’t just make things newsworthy—we make newsworthy things.
Proudly independent since 1995, we operate from Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles and Athens, Ga. For 30 years, we’ve been driven by the belief that there’s always a better way. Our core values-driven culture and desire to achieve excellence with integrity are at the center of our success. Learn more at jacksonspalding.com.
JPA HEALTH
1101 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 600 Washington, D.C. 20036
202/591-4000 www.jpa.com
X/Twitter: @JPAHealthComm
LinkedIn: @ JPAHealthCommunications
Facebook: @JPAHealth Instagram: @jpahealth
Offices in Washington D.C., New York, Boston, Philadelphia, London.
Carrie Jones, CEO
Chris Sousa, CFO
Colleen Carter, Head of Life Sciences
Sarah Evans (left) and Jamie Lynn O’Grady (right) of J/PR.
The JPA team: Carrie Jones, CEO; Chris Sousa, CFO; Colleen Carter, Head of Life Sciences; Adam Pawluk, Head of JPA Labs; Tish Van Dyke, Exec. VP, Purpose Practice; Claire Morse, Sr. VP, Human Resources.
JPA HEALTH
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Adam Pawluk, Head of JPA Labs Tish Van Dyke, Exec. VP, Purpose Practice
Claire Morse, Sr. VP, Human Resources
JPA Health is a full-service, innovation agency with offices on the East Coast and in London. We work exclusively in the health sector with a team that is laser focused on helping people live healthier lives. Our passion can be summed up in one word: Connect’ability, a term that JPA coined to reflect how we “bring it together” for our clients.
With deep expertise across the health sector, JPA Health specializes in public relations & investor relations, brand marketing, advocacy & public affairs and medical communications. Clients benefit from in-house expertise, including: AI and Data Analytics, Research Solutions, Media Buying, Crisis Communications, Digital & Omnichannel Engagement, Serious Gaming, Learning & Training Solutions. Core practice areas include: Life Sciences, Health Tech & Services, Public Health and the U.S. Federal Government.
Clients include: Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, America’s Poison Centers, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Kidney Fund, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Biller Family Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Glaukos, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Kroger Health, LUNGevity Foundation, Merck, National Health Service UK, National Institutes of Health (NIH), RxBenefits, Sanofi, Society for Women’s Health Research, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Takeda Pharmaceuticals.
LANDIS COMMUNICATIONS INC.
2032 Scott St. San Francisco, CA 94115
415/561-0888
Fax: 415/561-0778
info@landispr.com www.landispr.com
Sean Dowdall, President
Brianne Miller, Managing Director
Named America’s #1 PR Agency (Small Firm) (Ragan’s), the #1
Healthcare PR Agency in America (Ragan’s) and the firm PRSA San Francisco named “Agency of the Year,” San Francisco-based Landis Communications Inc. is celebrating 35 years in business. Landis also is a two-time Gold Quill IABC Award winner, a PRSA Silver Anvil national award winner and has been named a top U.S. Social Media, Reputation Management and Media Relations Agency by TopPRAgencies.com.
Landis is a values-aligned integrated public relations, digital/social media and strategic marketing communications agency with clients in health care, technology, environmental science, LGBTQ+ and human services. Landis’ services include: public relations, marketing, content marketing, social media, digital marketing, advertising, email marketing, video production, crisis communications, media and presentation training and more.
Clients include Align Surgical Associates, Amgen, Centre for Neuro Skills, Save the Redwoods League, Peninsula Open Space Trust, Western Rivers Conservancy, Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Graton Casino Resort, Redwood Credit Union, Mechanics’ Institute, Mothers’ Milk Bank, SF Travel, London & Partners and more.
LCI is a certified member of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, is an official Corporate Diversity Supplier and is certified as a Small Business Enterprise by the City of San Francisco. LCI is the San Francisco member agency of the Public Relations Global Network, with 50+ affiliate agencies worldwide.
LAUNCHSQUAD
San Francisco Office: 333 Bush St., 4th Flr.
San Francisco, CA 94104 squad@launchsquad.com www.launchsquad.com
New Business: Mike Schroeder (mike@ launchsquad.com)
Large employee presence in New York NY, San Francisco CA, Boston MA, Chicago IL, Austin TX, Denver CO and Los Angeles CA.
Jason Mandell, Partner
Jesse Odell, Partner
Brett Weiner, Partner
Meghan Cavanaugh, Senior VP, Content Practice Lead
Lisa Picasso, Senior VP, Consumer Practice Lead
Mike Schroeder, Senior VP, New Clients + Frontier Tech Lead
Jen Holmes, Senior VP, Enterprise + Deep Tech Practice Lead
Gavin Skillman, Senior VP, Enterprise Practice Lead
Matt Calderone, Senior VP, Climate Practice Lead
Rachel Shepheard, Senior VP, Frontier Tech Lead
Maeghan Ouimet, Senior VP, Content Practice Lead
Amy Arthur, Senior VP, Finance
LaunchSquad is a creative communications and PR agency that helps innovative, fast-moving companies tell their story and grow their influence.
For more than two decades, we’ve worked with change-theworld brands across categories— from climate and AI to healthcare, transportation, and consumer tech—helping them go from early traction to industry leadership. We’ve supported IPOs, major funding rounds, and breakout moments, always with a focus on creative storytelling and strategic execution.
Our work spans communications strategy, media relations, content development, social media, video, and more—designed to help companies show up, stand out, and lead meaningful conversations.
Lawlor Media Group is a full-service, luxury lifestyle Public Relations and Marketing Agency with 25 years’ experience in successfully meeting the needs of clients in diverse arenas including Beauty, Health & Wellness, Charity Philanthropy & Not-for-Profit, Entertainment and the Arts, Technology, Fashion, FMCG, Commercial and Residential Real Estate development, Travel hospitality and night life.
Lawlor Media Group’s expertise covers the entire spectrum of strategic Public Relations and marketing development—from branding, marketing, buzz building, crisis management, investor relations through political communications.
L.C. WILLIAMS & ASSOCIATES
150 N. Michigan Ave., #2425, Chicago, IL 60601
312/565-3900
Fax: 312/565-1770 info@lcwa.com www.lcwa.com
Kim Blazek Dahlborn, President & CEO
Allison Kurtz, Exec. VP
Shannon Quinn, Exec. VP
Jim Kokoris, Exec. VP
Cheryl Georgas, Sr. VP
Full-service PR and communications firm specializing in consumer and B2B marketing communications, including media relations, social media, digital marketing, brand building, corporate communications, employee and labor relations, community relations, crisis management and media training.
L.C. Williams & Associates (LCWA) is comprised of experienced, invested and creative individuals, providing clients a refreshing experience based on trust, flexibility and the delivery of meaningful results on time and on budget. Teams are fully immersed in clients’ businesses and have the experience to offer honest opinions and creative solutions—always with an emphasis on how public relations will help clients’ bottom lines.
Jody Lowe, President & Founder Benjamin Bishop, Principal & Managing Director
Greg Joslyn, Executive Vice President, Media Relations
Pat Allen, Executive Vice President, LG Digital
Woman-owned Lowe Group helps investment firms go further, faster. Our experienced team— comprised of former investment professionals, hedge fund communicators, and financial journalists—is singularly focused on driving financial PR, digital marketing strategy and content marketing results and business growth. To asset managers, ETF issuers, wealth managers, RIAs, wealthtech/advisortech providers & firms specializing in alternative and sustainable investments, we offer a comprehensive suite of public relations and digital services including media relations, content development, website strategy and SEO, email marketing and automation consulting, web analytics, and training. Learn more at lowecom.com.
Other Office Locations: Newburyport, MA Providence, RI Rochester, NY Dallas, TX Denver, CO
Scott Signore, CEO & Principal Mandy Mladenoff, President
Matter is a Brand Elevation Agency that integrates PR, marketing and creative services into campaigns that inspire action and build value. Founded in 2003, with offices throughout North America, Matter works with the world’s most innovative companies across high-technology, healthcare, consumer technology, professional services and consumer markets. We are experts in storytelling. That means we’re laser-focused on
getting a client’s message out and heard by the right audiences, in the right places. Our strategic communications programs maximize earned, owned, shared and paid media to tell—and show—credible brand stories.
We have in-house, award-winning video production capabilities as well as integrated marketing, creative design, and web development services for projects big and small. These teams work hand-inhand with the PR teams to create high-performance strategies and assets that amplify brand stories, increase reach and drive ROI.
We understand how a campaign can be brought to life across multiple platforms and mediums, and the interplay between the mix—elevating any brand.
MEDIASOURCE
Serving health care brands nationwide.
1800 W 5th Ave. Columbus, OH 43212
614/932-9950
info@mediasourcetv.com www.mediasourcetv.com
Lisa Arledge Powell, Founder and CEO
Kevin Volz, Principal and Senior Vice President of Strategy
Shannon McCormick, Principal and Vice President of Public Relations
Lyn Tolan, Director of Storytelling
MediaSource is a certified women-owned health care communications agency that helps organizations meet business goals by combining storytelling with strategy. With a 26-year history of elevating health care brands across the U.S., our team believes that uncovering and curating compelling
stories has the potential to change and save lives.
Why work with us? We understand the realities of the health care industry and know how to garner results that drive patients, recruitment, reputation and business. There’s a reason why we were named Best Health Care Agency by Ragan Communications for an unprecedented four years in a row. We know health care. Our award-winning collection of veteran public relations experts, producers and strategic analysts have the expertise to take your projects to the next level. Working as true partners, our team is known to quickly align with internal teams for collaboration that moves the needle for respected organizations. You’ve probably seen many of our clients’ stories in the news, including work for The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Nationwide Children’s Health, Orlando Health, National Jewish Health, El Camino Health, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and many more.
Let’s get to work discovering and creating stories that will help you reach your goals. To learn about our PR, thought leadership content, video storytelling and other specialties, visit mediasourcetv. com or reach out to the team here: info@mediasourcetv.com.
Karen B. Moore, APR, CPRC, CEO & Founder Terrie Ard, APR, CPRC, President & COO
Richard Moore, CFO & General Counsel
Andrea Blount, VP of Finance & Administration
As one of the leading independent communications agencies in the nation, Moore’s team of 50+ accomplished marketers, designers, advertisers and business strategists works with for-profit, non-profit and government organizations across the U.S to build trusted influence, deliver impactful results and achieve goals. Headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida with presence in 15 markets, Moore is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 50 and the world’s top 200 PR firms. Moore is a distinguished member of the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN), one of the world’s largest international agency networks. Moore’s service offerings include public relations, marketing
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CEO of Matter, Scott Signore.
The leadership team at MediaSource, an award-winning health care communications agency. From left: Lisa Arledge Powell, CEO & Founder, Shannon McCormick, VP of Public Relations, Principal, and Kevin Volz, SVP of Strategy, Principal.
MOORE
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communications, digital, paid media, data strategy, crisis communications and creative design. Moore’s newest service includes AI implementation to unlock untapped potential and opportunities for clients. Moore represents top brands in a variety of sectors such as Ford Motor Company, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Takeda, Meta, Bristol Myers Squibb, Carnegie Mellon University, Florida Department of Agriculture, Emory University and more.
Moore’s annual M.Cast Trends Report provides clients and audiences across every industry sector with actionable insights to increase reach with audiences and business results.
With 32 years in business, Moore’s 98% client retention rate and 79% revenue growth over the past five years are contributing factors to Moore’s success. With a continued focus on corporate culture, talent acquisition and talent development, Moore has garnered an impressive 92% employee retention rate.
Moore consistently ranks among the top 50 agencies in the U.S. and top 200 in the world. As an Inc Best Workplace, Moore’s culture, team expertise and client results truly sets the agency apart.
MP&F STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
611 Commerce St., #3000, Nashville, TN 37203
615/259-4000
Fax: 615/259-4040
info@mpf.com www.mpf.com
Twitter: @mpfcomm
Jennifer Brantley, Managing Partner
Mary Elizabeth Davis, Kate Chinn, Knight Stivender, Partners
Courtenay Rossi, Principal
Pam Schmidt, Director of HR and Talent Development
Kimberly Hood, Senior VP
Laura Braam, Senior VP
MP&F is a full-service agency in the heart of Nashville with nearly 40 years of experience in advertising, marketing and public relations. We are the largest locally owned communications firm in Tennessee and one of the largest in the Southeast. MP&F is wholly women-owned, certified by WBENC as well as the Governor’s Office of Diversity Business Enterprise.
Our teams work with clients across all sectors, including the health care, education, financial, and travel and tourism industries. Clients include Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee, Nissan Americas, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, the University of Tennessee and Pinnacle Financial Partners.
PADILLA
1101 West River Parkway Suite 400 (Headquarters) Minneapolis, MN 55415 612/455-1700 PadillaCo.com
Matt Kucharski, President
Padilla is a full-service agency that transforms brands and organizations through strategically creative communications. Our work across a range of industry sectors is consistently recognized by the PRWeek Awards, PRovoke IN2 SABRE Awards and PRSA Anvil
Awards, among others. Padilla operates in seven cities in the U.S. through its family of brands, which includes SHIFT (performance communications), FoodMinds (food and nutrition affairs) and Joe Smith (brand strategy). As an AVENIR GLOBAL company and a founding member of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, the agency provides services to clients through 115 offices worldwide. Transform with purpose at PadillaCo.com.
PAN
125 High Street, 2nd Floor Boston, MA 02110 617/502-4300 info@pancomm.com
Boston | San Francisco | New York | Chicago | Indianapolis | London | Virtual
Philip A. Nardone, President & CEO
Mark Nardone, Chief Marketing Officer
Elizabeth Famiglietti, Chief People and Culture Officer
Darlene Doyle, Chief Client Officer
Megan Kessler, Chief of Integrated Marketing & Strategy
Gary Torpey, Chief Financial Officer
Mendy Werne, Managing Director, PANBlast
PAN is the brand-to-demand agency that empowers possibility for B2B tech and healthcare companies worldwide. Forged from PR, we are storytellers at heart with deep industry experience and a strategic, data-driven mindset. We move ideas across media, people to action, campaigns to results, and brands to the next stage of their journey. Our special sauce is a mix of dedicated senior leaders, creative makers, everyday
superstars, and analytical minds that turn data intelligence into key insights. In practical terms, that means uncovering and deploying breakthrough tech, like AI/automation, to maximize the value of client investments. We don’t just work harder; we work smarter.
After 30 years in business, we are specialists in the art of telling brand stories, and experts in the science of marketing and driving demand. Recognized as a 2x Tech Agency of the Year, Data-Driven Agency of the Year, and (most recently) Outstanding Tech Agency of the Year, we thrive at the forefront of disruption and help global brands navigate their most critical transformational moments.
Today, PAN supports the full lifecycle of a brand, from Series A rounds to IPOs and beyond. Wherever you are in your journey, PAN is here to help you grow.
Clients Include: Algolia, Amdocs, Aurora Solar, BitDefender, Certera, Cornerstone, DISCO, Extreme Networks, Genpact, iCIMS, Mission Cloud, PAR Technology, Solera, Thales, The Predictive Index, Toshiba/Americas, UPS Capital, and Vertex.
PROSEK PARTNERS
28 East 28th Street, 15th Floor New York, NY 10016 212/279-3115 jprosek@prosek.com www.prosek.com
Jennifer Prosek, Mark Kollar, Russell Sherman, Andy Merrill, Mickey Mandelbaum, Caroline Gibson, Karen Niovitch Davis, Mike Geller, Neil Goklani, Brian Schaffer, Nadia Damouni, Thomas Rozycki, Dan Allocca, Jim David, Katie O’Reilly and Alex Jorgensen, Partners
Prosek Partners builds—and protects—the top brands in business. We are a certified Woman-Owned Business and among the largest independent, integrated communications and marketing firms globally. Specializing in providing a full range of communications solutions to financial and professional services companies, Prosek delivers business impact through an unexpected level of passion, creativity and marketing savvy. Services include media relations, thought leadership, social and digital media, public affairs, investor relations, financial communications, transaction services, crisis communications and issues
Moore Partners: Liz Underwood, Audrey Goff, Jordan Jacobs, Richard Moore, Karen Moore, Terrie Ard, Andrea Blount, D’Arcy Toffolo, Fern Senra-James, Nanette Schimpf.
management, content creation, conference support, publishing, media training and more. Prosek’s strategic branding and integrated marketing arm—Prophecy by Prosek—offers brand strategy, award-winning design, digital and advertising capabilities. Prosek has been named PRWeek’s Best Place to Work, PRovoke Media’s “Global and North American Financial Agency of the Year” and a top-five global M&A and shareholder activism agency.
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS INC. (PCI)
161 N. Clark St., Suite 2050 Chicago, IL 60601 312/558-1770 ideas@pcipr.com www.pcipr.com
Jill Allread, APR, Fellow PRSA, CEO
Craig Pugh, APR, President
A national, independent communications agency of experienced professionals providing award-winning strategic solutions, crisis and issues management counsel, digital and social marketing services, and integrated communications for healthcare, wildlife care and conservation, education, culture and destination marketing, government, associations, and nonprofit clients.
Our comprehensive services include senior counsel for brand and reputation management; executive/board strategic planning; media and presentation coaching; fundraising campaign communications; product launch and lifecycle promotions; awareness campaigns and events; websites, online platforms and collateral. Driven by
purpose, our team is dedicated to making a positive impact for our clients and the communities they serve.
Other Office Locations: Sarasota/Bradenton, Florida
Jessica Tiller, Co-Founder and Partner
Matthew Pugh, Co-Founder and Partner Ray Weiss, Senior Counsel
Pugh & Tiller is an award-winning public relations and integrated marketing firm that helps B2B companies reach, engage, and influence the right audiences in order to achieve their business goals. Staffed with senior-level executives only, our services include public relations, branding and identity development, website and application design and development, integrated marketing, crisis communications, and graphic design. Since launching nearly 20 years ago, our focus is, and has always been, about creating programs for clients that are built on well-conceived strategies that generate exceptional, award-winning results.
Industry focuses include: commercial real estate, healthcare, insurance and employee benefits, professional services, non-profits and associations, and technology. We also help international companies establish and build brand awareness and visibility in the U.S. Our work in this area has included clients from Australia,
Canada, Germany, Iceland, Israel, New Zealand, the U.K., and more. Clients Include: Alera Group, The Arc Baltimore, The Arc Maryland, Benefit Advisors Network, BCR Cyber, Blue Ridge School, Check Point, Dancker, Data Trust, Dermatology Partners, Fulcrum Data, Future AI, Granilux, National Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners, New Zealand Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Proficio, Public Buildings Reform Board, RailField Partners, STRmix, Ltd., The Traffic Group.
RACEPOINT GLOBAL, INC.
75 State St., Suite 100 Boston, MA 02109 617/624-3200 agencymarketing@racepointglobal. com www.racepointglobal.com
Larry Weber, Founder and Chmn. Bill Davies, CEO
Phil Chadwick, CFO
Ben Haber, Exec. VP, Account Services
Allison DeLeo, Sr. VP, Account Services
Jimmy Doucette, Sr. VP, Head of Strategy and Health
Stacey Forman, Sr. VP, Agency Operations
Erin Hauswirth, Sr. VP, Head of Creative
Technology propels society forward. Every company in every category uses technology in some way to change the way we work, live, and play. And there is a growing expectation that innovation must serve humanity. That we must embrace a higher moral purpose than innovating simply because we can. Racepoint’s founder, Larry Weber, believed that we have to find the angels in our machines. That we can only tackle the complex chal-
lenges we face as a global society by embracing innovation fueled by purpose. At Racepoint, our mission is clear: We help tech-forward brands navigate and succeed in the new communications landscape by shaping the conversations that matter. We serve our clients with multi-channel communications strategies that influence, engage and reach their target audiences in authentic ways. For 20 years, our work with clients has established competitive differentiation and driven business impact.
REAL CHEMISTRY
www.realchemistry.com
199 Water St. 12th Floor
New York, NY 10038
212/301-7200
With a Global Presence in: Boston | Carmel, IN | Chicago | Edinburgh | London | Manchester | Zurich |
Shankar Narayanan, CEO
Wendy Carhart, Chief Communications, Culture and Purpose Officer
Jennifer Gottlieb, Global President
Suzanne Jacobs, Group President, Medical Communications
Kevin Johnson, Group President & Managing Partner
Madeline Malia, Chief Client Officer
Frank Mazzola, Chief Creative Officer
Real Chemistry is an independent and trusted partner to the world’s most successful life sciences and healthcare companies.
Backed by a culture of innovation and creativity, Real Chemistry’s 2,000+ experts bring together deep scientific fluency, advanced technology and expert storytelling to solve complex challenges across the healthcare ecosystem. The company’s integrated capabilities span analytics and insights, advertising, activation, integrated communications, and medical communications—delivering data-driven strategies that solve complex business problems and help therapies reach and impact patients.
Real Chemistry delivers uncommon solutions to healthcare’s most persistent problems—an orchestration of moving from data to meaning, insight to impact and complex science to meaningful stories. It’s how the company helps life-changing innovations break through the noise, accelerate progress, and ultimately, make healthcare more human.
PCI’s award-winning team—where collaboration, creativity, and results come together.
RUDER FINN INC.
425 E. 53rd St.
New York, NY 10022
212/593-6400
Fax: 212/593-6397
inquiries@ruderfinn.com www.ruderfinn.com
Kathy Bloomgarden, Chief Executive Officer
Peggy Walsh, Chief Operating Officer
Michael Schubert, Chief Innovation Officer
Ruder Finn is one of the world’s largest independent global communications and integrated marketing agencies. Founded in 1948, Ruder Finn has defined and redefined PR for over 75 years, shaping communications that moves industry-defining brands, companies, and leaders from what’s now to what’s next. AI, breakthrough science, and a new global digital consumer are transforming the way we work, live and create.
At Ruder Finn, we are working with corporate leaders and emerging startups to navigate this shift across key regions. Ruder Finn provides clients with bold strategies based on a global perspective and localized market knowledge that redefine leadership, reimagine the marketplace, and rethink customer experiences.
The agency is organized around five core areas of expertise— Healthcare, Technology, Consumer Brand, Leadership, and Workplace—with innovative tech incubator RF TechLab providing cutting-edge predictive analytics, AI-powered creative hub RF Studio53 offering breakthrough creative, and specialized teams delivering customer-focused digital engagement. We are making AI a reality for clients and our people with an AI Advisory Council led by Zack Kass, former Head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI, the launch of rf.aio to optimize LLM responses at scale, and AI Adoption Workshops, teaching clients to succeed in an AI-driven world. Ruder Finn is a global PR agency with a network of employees spanning North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific regions.
Wholly owned agencies and offerings within Ruder Finn Group include: Ruder Finn Inc., RF Studio53, RF Engage, Touchdown, Peppercomm, RF Comunicad, RF Relate, Mantis, jacobstahl, Flightpath, Ruder Finn Atteline, Pandan Social, RF Bloom, and Big Sky Communications. For more information visit www.ruderfinn.com.
SLIDE NINE AGENCY
659 High St. Worthington, OH 43085 614/481-7534
lauren.parker@slidenine.com www.slidenine.com
Lauren Parker, President and CEO
Whitney Somerville, Co-Owner and CXO
Ann Mulvany, Co-Owner and Advisor
Slide Nine is a modern communications and marketing agency that helps brands and organizations strategically shape and share their stories. Our mission is to bring brands and audiences closer through storytelling and problem solving. We take the friction out of storytelling and craft stories that shift perception and move people to action. With a core focus on brands that propel our economy, we have deep experience in energy, healthcare, technology, manufacturing and professional services. Our high performance team is committed to delivering outstanding results and an unmatched client experience.
Neil Weisman, President, Clinical Trial Experience
Tim Goddard, Chief Growth Officer
Spectrum Science is charting a bold path forward as an independent, full-service strategic platform offering integrated marketing communications, clinical trial recruitment and retention and advertising and consulting services for the pharmaceutical, biotech and broader life science industry. Built on a foundation of scientific rigor and strategic acumen, Spectrum is designed to unlock greater value across the entire product and company lifecycle.
Under the leadership of President Amy Hutnik and a forward-thinking leadership team, Spectrum has refined its structure and services to help clients achieve more; not by doing more with less, but by delivering more through better: better thinking, better collaboration and better outcomes.
The platform spans a full suite of capabilities including:
• Advertising — Award-winning creatives and experienced brand and engagement strategists working in partnership to create meaningful brand experiences that incite behavior change.
• Clinical Trial Experience—
With a focus on patient engagement, recruitment and retention, Spectrum ensures a seamless experience for study participants and research sites.
• Communications—From R&D and preclinical to clinical and commercial, teams marry scientific acumen with unexpected thinking to provide dynamic solutions that shift minds, influence behavior and inspire action.
• Consulting — A blend of innovative strategy and real-world experience breakdown complex healthcare challenges into actionable, attainable solutions.
• Media — Omnichannel, solution-agnostic performance media with a mission to deliver incisive audience insights and optimize ROI.
• Medical Communications — Focused on scientific accuracy and education to craft compelling yet compliant medical comms that enact change in HCPs and optimize clinical practice.
Spectrum’s integrated model—unified under a single P&L— champions collaboration, embraces a people-first mindset and drives results across disciplines. This approach has already earned industry recognition with over 30 award wins and a place on AdAge’s 2025 Best Places to Work list, underscoring Spectrum’s commitment to both impact and employee well-being.
As Spectrum looks ahead, their driving force is building what they call “the agency of the future”. Their refreshed brand and newly launched website reflect a dynamic platform poised for continued innovation and growth. With an owned presence in London and deep partnerships through Global Health Marketing & Communications (GHMC), Spectrum offers clients global reach with local intelligence, ensuring cultural relevance and resonance around the world.
The future of Spectrum is purpose-built: to connect humankind with its best healthlife, while continuously raising the bar for what integrated healthcare marketing can achieve.
(L to R) Slide Nine Agency Co-Owners Somerville, Parker and Mulvany.
President & Founder
Loren Rutledge, General Manager
For more than 25 years, SPM has partnered deeply with clients to build and protect their brands through strategic PR, media relations, influencer marketing, social, franchise development and crisis/ issues management.
We bring a proactive, innovative approach rooted in strategy, data and trends to provide game-changing support for our clients’ business goals.
Our “No Jerks” philosophy fosters an atmosphere of mutual respect among company leaders, team members and clients that fosters creativity, productivity and long-term relationships.
Clients Include: Calloway’s/ Cornelius Nursery, Camp Bow Wow, Chuck E. Cheese, Clean Eatz, Clean Juice, DIG, Goldfish Swim School, Gold’s Gym, Home Helpers, Karbach Brewing Co., La Madeleine, Melting Pot, Miller’s Ale House, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Peter Piper Pizza, Philz Coffee, Pollo Campero, Shipley Do-Nuts, Utz, Velvet Taco, VICTOR Premium Pet Food, and Woody’s Brands.
SUPREME GROUP
2850 N. Harwood St., Suite 1700 Dallas, TX 75201 www.supremeopti.com/healthcaremarketing
Tom Donnelly, CEO
Dwight Sawin, CFO
Britt Thompson, CCO
Eric Southwell, CMO
Sheldon Zhai, Head of AI & Technology
Krysta Pellegrino, CGO
Nicole Osmer, President, Health+Commerce
Jodi Amendola, President, Amendola Communications
Supreme Group is a next-generation marketing and communications platform purpose-built for
the healthcare and life sciences industry. In an era of fragmented services and outdated agency models, Supreme Group delivers smarter, faster, and more integrated solutions to meet the evolving needs of today’s life science & healthcare companies.
Within its first two years, Supreme Group unified eight specialist agencies: Supreme Optimization, Health+Commerce, BioStrata, Clarity Quest, Amendola Communications, Curator24, and Kadiko into one integrated powerhouse. The group operates under a shared model across brand + creative, PR + communications, and performance digital, supported by centralized strategy, shared data, and embedded AI.
At the heart of the platform is Supreme Intelligence, a proprietary AI engine designed specifically for life science + healthcare. It fuels everything from performance optimization to content workflows, giving clients a measurable edge.
Supreme Group now counts approximately 200 employees and is poised for another year of momentum, with further acquisitions and deeper integration on the horizon. With a clear mission and proven model, Supreme Group is redefining what’s possible in modern life science and healthcare marketing.
THUNDERLY
(Formerly BizCom Associates)
450 Century Pkwy., Suite 250 Allen, TX 75013 214/458-5751
Lightning is precise. It strikes exactly where it’s meant to. That’s how we approach PR and marketing. Every move we make is intentional and strategically crafted
to deliver results. Thunder makes an impact. It’s loud, impossible to ignore, and demands attention. That’s what we do for our clients. We don’t just whisper into the void—we create dynamic programs with the impact of a nearby lightning strike.
Formerly BizCom Associates, Thunderly is a Dallas area-based public relations and marketing communications firm helping dynamic entrepreneurs, innovative franchise brands and other creative business leaders promote their products and services worldwide.
TIER ONE PARTNERS
129 South Street Boston, MA 02111 617/918-7060
209 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60606 708/421-0083 www.tieronepr.com
Marian Hughes, Co-Founder, Managing Partner—Chicago
Kathy Wilson, Co-Founder, Managing Partner—Boston
Co-headquartered in Boston
and Chicago, Tier One Partners is an award-winning women-owned integrated marketing agency offering PR, content, and digital marketing services. We work with innovators in B2B and B2C AI and other disruptive technologies, digital healthcare, financial services, energy tech, and manufacturing to develop creative, data-driven strategies that propel them to industry leader status.
The Tier One team is composed of curious self-starters who think beyond the obvious, overcome obstacles, and make communications magic happen. Our agency differentiator is our Agile Insights & Analytics practice, which uses proprietary methodologies and agency listening tools to predict emerging business and cultural trends. Armed with these insights, we help clients find opportunities to engage in relevant cultural moments and share a point of view that’s meaningful and distinguishable.
Our clients include innovative organizations such as 24M, 3Pillar Global, Ally Financial, Altair, the Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard, CAP Index, iProov, and Reveleer. Tier One is also a HubSpot certified agency.
Accelerated Growth, Brand Refresh, Go To Market—these are
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Tier One is an award-winning woman founded and led integrated marketing agency offering PR, content, and digital marketing services to tech-forward brands. Shown (l to r) Founders and Managing Partners
Marian Hughes and Kathy Wilson.
After acquiring Nashville-based Brand J in 2024, BizCom Associates rebranded as Thunderly earlier this year.
Launched in 2018, Trevelino/Keller has established its quarterly Winepreneurs event as one of the most anticipated gatherings of Atlanta’s entrepreneurs, investors and influencers, hosted at venues like Georgia Tech’s ATDC, Atlanta Tech Village or in support of entities like Startup Atlanta and Atlanta Tech Week.
TREVELINO/KELLER
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the solutions emerging, middle market and national companies seek out from Trevelino/Keller, an Integrated PR+Mkt firm. Clients embrace the idea that we have invested heavily in three practices: public relations, growth marketing and creative services, both in talent and technology, without bias. To further that investment in 2024, we acquired Marsden Marketing, recognized as one of the 30 best growth marketing firms in the South. We elevated our technological prowess, becoming a Platinum HubSpot Partner and in 2025 launched 3Gen, an Accelerated Growth Platform that takes all there is from brand and feeds it into a DemandGen, ReputationGen and LeadGen Funnel with a Sales Enablement kicker to optimize enterprise revenue.
Our service approach continues to thrive across our core B2b markets—technology, financial services, franchising, healthcare, transportation, manufacturing and energy.
Recognized for award-winning work in web, design, brand, marketing and public relations programming on a national level, the agency was also recognized nationally as one of 29 Best Agencies to Work For, the only one in the South. And after 22 years, we relocated, embracing a flex forward Midtown Atlanta space where our industry best retention can continue to thrive. Other differentiated agency programming continues including its staff reward programs— Wild Blue Yonder and Niners. Wild Blue Yonder offers staff a chance
at travel around the world, while Niners rewards staff for every nine years of service with the firm.
TURNER
The Shipyard Collective
250 W. 39th St., 16th Flr. New York, NY 10018 212/889-1700
1614 15th St., 4th Flr. Denver, CO 80202 303/333-1402
Deb Park, Malcolm Griffiths, Adel Grobler, Naureen Kazi, Senior Vice Presidents
Now part of The Shipyard Collective, TURNER represents the world’s best destinations, luxury resorts, spirits, wellness, and outdoor brands. Our tenured teams in New York, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Charleston, and Miami, have unmatched industry experience and deliver innovative communication strategies, enabling smarter and more relevant brand engagement.
We operate with a mindset that prioritizes personalized service within our specialty industries, leveraging our Collective agency network of resources across creative, paid media and digital marketing to grow brands that audiences can’t help but love. Our coast-to-coast presence complements global brands—whether opening an international resort, inspiring travel to a destination, or evolving a well-known outdoor brand. We deliver unexpected sto-
ries and experiences, social-first content, and forge next-generation partnerships. Our commitment to our team is paramount—we are consistently ranked as a “best place to work.” We champion diversity and inclusivity and embrace giving back as part of our culture
V2 COMMUNICATIONS
500 Harrison Ave., Suite 4R Boston, MA 02118
617/426-2222
www.v2comms.com
X: @v2comms
LinkedIn: @v2comms
Jean Serra, CEO and Co-Founder
Katelyn Holbrook, Chief Client Officer
Shannon Murphy, Exec. VP, Healthcare Lead
Melissa Mahoney, Exec. VP, Crisis, Corporate Comms. and Climate Tech Lead
Kristen Leathers, Exec. VP, B2B
Tech Lead
Jen Plimpton, Chief Operating Officer
V2 Communications is an integrated communications firm that works exclusively with technology companies focused on the B2B, healthcare and climate sectors— from upstarts to publicly traded companies. V2’s roots are in B2B technology, and the firm partners with enterprise and emerging tech brands across AI and automation, supply chain manufacturing, enterprise IT, cybersecurity, martech and adtech, and fintech. V2 designs and executes integrated communications strategies across earned, owned, and paid channels that help clients shape their markets and
make them market leaders. V2’s proven process ensures clients benefit from thorough program planning, increased speed, flexibility, and efficiency of program execution, and ongoing strategic counsel to maximize market shifts and refine programs to deliver consistent high levels of business success. Clients include Cloudera, Rocket Software, UiPath, Ascend Learning, InStride Health, Machinify, Breakthrough Energy, Boston Metal and Electric Hydrogen.
82 Great Suffolk St., London, SE10BE +44 20 3691 7990
6165 NW 86th St. Johnston, IA 50131
Dan Simon, Chmn. Binna Kim, Group CEO Ishviene Arora, President & Chief Client Officer Elspeth Rothwell, CEO, EMEA Amber Roberts, CEO, US Katie Spreadbury, CEO, UK
Vested is a global, integrated marketing and communications firm focused exclusively on the financial services industry. One of the world’s largest financial services agencies with offices in the U.S. and the UK, we serve banks, asset managers, fintechs, and more, delivering award-winning campaigns through advertising, PR, content, and creative services.
Trusted by top financial firms like American Express, Morgan Stanley, and Bloomberg, we blend storytelling with strategy, all while staying true to our mission of shaping a more accessible, transparent, and sustainable financial industry. The agency supports a range of firms across the financial spectrum, from established global institutions to notable fintech and cryptocurrency startups.
Select clients include American Express, Bailard, Bloomberg, Diebold Nixdorf, DTCC, Finastra, Morgan Stanley Wealth, Museum of American Finance, SEI, VanEck, and World Gold Council.
V2 Communications Founder and CEO Jean Serra.
Ex-BCW PA chief Jones goes to Monumental
Mkar also held government posts including Transport, Tourism and Sport; Health; Social Protection; and Enterprise, Trade & Employment; and served as Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister).
co-Founder and former CEO of SKDK.
onumental Sports & Entertainment has named AJ Jones, who previously served as Head of the Public Affairs Practice at BCW (now Burson), EVP, Chief Strategic and Corporate Communications officer.
MSE’s holdings include such pro sports teams as the NHL’s Washington Capitals, the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. The company also operates Capital One Arena, which is home to the Caps and Wizards, and Monumental Sports Network, which owns exclusive local television rights to the games played by all three teams.
Jones comes to MSE from Starbucks, where he most recently served as EVP, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer. He has also been Chief Corporate Affairs and Communications Officer at Vanda Pharmaceuticals.
In his new post, Jones will be responsible for developing, executing and amplifying MSE’s brand and corporate narrative; leading ownership, financial, investor, and community-based communications; overseeing the company’s broader investor relations and stakeholder engagement strategies; and serving as a member of MSE’s leadership team.
Ireland’s ex-PM takes Penta advisory post
Former two-time Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar will join the global advisory board of D.C.’s Penta Group on April 10.
Leading Ireland from 2017 to 2020 and from 2022 to 2024, Varadkar championed social reforms such as the national vote on legalizing same-sex marriages and repealing restrictions on abortions.
Prosek names Teneo’s Campbell MD in London
PHe also helped the country navigate the COVID-19 crisis and secured the “Brexit Withdrawal Agreement” that ensured there would be no hard border between the Republic and British-controlled Northern Ireland.
A medical doctor by training, Varad-
During her nearly 14year run at Bloomberg, Perlberg covered private equity, real estate, banking, insurance, credit markets and sovereign wealth funds.
Perlberg is based in Baltimore.
rosek Partners names Doug Campbell, who was most recently Senior Managing Director on Teneo’s financial communications and investor relations team, as a Managing Director in its London office.
Before coming to Teneo in 2017, Campbell served as a Partner at Tulchan Communications and a corporate broker at Morgan Stanley, where he advised on M&A and ECM transactions, principally in the financial services space.
At Prosek, he will work to strengthen the agency’s special situations team.
Stagwell names first chief AI officer
Stagwell has named John Kahan its first Chief AI Officer to spearhead the integration and development of artificial intelligence across its network.
He did a 19-year stint at VP and Chief Data Analytics Officer at Microsoft, and an 18-year run at IBM as VP Integrated Marketing Communications.
Snap’s Skowronski takes CNBC post
LFor the past nearly three years, Kahan served as Chairman of Stagwell’s board of advisors.
Kahan said he looks forward to helping Stagwell push the boundaries that will drive meaningful transformation in the communications sector.
Bloomberg’s Perlberg joins Orchestra
Heather Perlberg, Senior Wealth Reporter at Bloomberg, has joined Orchestra as Executive VP of Financial Communications.
She reports to Josh Isay, Partner and
auren Skowronski, Director of Communications at Snap Inc., has been named Senior VP-Communications at CNBC, which is among the cable TV properties and digital businesses that are being spun-off by Comcast.
Prior to joining Snap, she had been NBCUniversal Media’s Senior VP-Corporate Communications and Global Head of International Communications.
Skowronski also did stints as VP-Head of Communications at MSNBC, and Publicity Manager at NBC News.
At CNBC, she will report to Keith Cocozza, Chief Communications Officer at SpinCo.
The SpinCo unit includes CNBC, USA Network, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel, Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and SportsEngine.
Godfrey returns to Teneo
David Godfrey has rejoined Teneo’s strategy and communications practice at its London office.
He originally joined Teneo from Burson-Marsteller in 2011.
During his six-year stint at the Global CEO advisory’s London and Qatar office, Godfrey led the NatWest account, and worked on clients such as the Royal Bank of Scotland, Maersk Oil, British Gas and Qatar World Cup organizing committee.
Godfrey then went on to become head of customer experience at TSB Bank and Director at Apella Advisors.
AJ Jones
Doug Campbell
Heather Perlberg
Lauren Skowronski
Leo Varadkar
David Godfrey
John Kahan
Bessent and Lutnick: Trump’s dumb and dumber
By Fraser Seitel
Even before Donald Trump finished patting himself on the back for what will likely turn out to be the most catastrophic announcement in the history of catastrophic announcements, at least two guests in the White House Rose Garden couldn’t have been happier.
As a result of the President’s monumental tariff declaration, no longer were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz first in line to get fired for their open-line Houthi bombing broadcast.
That dubious distinction would now be shared by two most unlikely bedfellows, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, the Cabinet members most responsible for allowing Trump to single-handedly wreck a booming U.S. economy.
Bessent and Lutnick together are a case study in how an exceptional reputation, earned over decades of effort and performance, can be ruined in three head-spinning months.
First, make no mistake, Trump’s tariff plan—which is really more of a “hope” than a “plan”—will be an unmitigated disaster. It will reward no one and hurt everyone, from the wealthiest investor to the poorest day laborer. As a result of Trump’s harebrained scheme, an economy that was humming when it was handed over three months ago will suffer the following over the next months:
• Rising prices on everything from groceries to clothing to cars.
• Rising inflation.
• Falling corporate profits and business spending.
• Declining U.S. growth.
• Rising unemployment.
• Cratering stock and bond prices causing
…
• Crushing losses in retirement income and 401 (k) s and quite possibly ...
• Recession in the U.S.
On top of all of this woe, the “uncertainty”
among individuals, companies and investors that plagued the run-up to tariffs has been heightened, because neither Trump nor Bessent nor Lutnick have a clue as to how other countries will react.
In a phrase, Trump’s tariff folly will literally “make America poor again.” And as Trump never accepts blame for what he has wrought, some subordinate or two will have to pay with their scalps.
By all rights, the first to go ought to be the architect of this cockamamie tariff madness. That would be Peter Navarro, the notorious anti-China hawk, who spent most of his life toiling in obscurity at University of California, Irvine, until Trump plucked him up and made him tariff guru. But Navarro has the wholly legitimate excuse of being a lifelong economic crackpot whose extreme views on punishing tariffs were well known before Trump hired him.
So that leaves Bessent and Lutnick, two previously respected and successful Wall Street investment managers, to face the chopping block for the tariff carnage. Both are billionaires who thoroughly understand international business and economics and clearly know better. But neither seem to have the courage to challenge the views of the lunatic-in-chief.
Treasury Secretary Bessent is a timid, sad-eyed, disturbingly formal man who’s ill-suited for the impossible task of defending Trump’s nonsensical tariffs.
In fact, Bessent seems ill-suited for any public position. He dreads being interviewed on television, where he responds haltingly with uncertainty, to the point where you can’t help but feel sorry for him. He appears incapable of speaking simply and directly. When CNN’s Kaitlin Collins— for some reason the only interviewer with whom Bessent seems to feel comfortable— asked him to define the “short-term pain” the administration has asked regular Americans to suffer, the Secretary’s verbatim reply was typical:
“Well, again I, I think there are, there are two, two things there to unpack, Kaitlin. One is on what we were doing on government spending. So, we are bringing down government jobs, we are bringing down government borrowing, so this unsustainable level of government stimulus is stopping. And then on the other side, private-sector jobs and private-sector borrowing will take over. Those may not be perfectly matched, but we did see an increase of 10,000 manufacturing jobs last month. On the other, when you think about, especially for working Americans, could we get a price adjustment due to the tariffs? Maybe, maybe not.
Not exactly a media relations advisor’s dream quote, but revealing nonetheless in just how tone-deaf and unable Treasury Secretary Bessent is in answering simple, common-sense questions about the impact of the tariffs on the lives of everyday Americans.
Commerce Secretary Lutnick, on the other hand, is much more polished and self-assured than his colleague at Treasury. Lutnick’s problem is that he’s morphed from a sophisticated business leader into an embarrassing, unquestioning cheerleader for Trump.
Lutnick, former CEO of Wall Street financial giant Cantor Fitzgerald, who gained wide acclaim for his generosity after tragically losing his brother and 650 colleagues in the Twin Towers on 9/11, is perhaps the greatest disappointment in Trump World.
As Commerce Secretary and a former Wall Street titan, he has the knowledge, power and authority—even more so than Trump—to calm the markets by updating the public on the strategy and pace and direction of trade negotiations with other nations. But instead of providing a steadying voice in the midst of chaos, Lutnick chooses to repeat Trump talking points. And he’s done it with an arrogance that befits the stereotype of the condescending billionaire.
The day after Trump’s Rose Garden speech, cheerleader Lutnick made the obligatory rounds of cable TV. When CNN asked how world markets might be reassured, Lutnick replied: “Let Donald Trump run the global economy. He knows what he’s doing. He’s been talking about it for 35 years. Let him fix it. I understand. It’s broken. Let him fix it. Our $36 trillion deficit, right, is going to ruin our children’s lives and our grandchildren’s lives. Let Donald Trump fix the American economy.”
All the Commerce Secretary lacked was the short skirt and pom poms.
As markets plunged in response to Trump’s tariff terror, cooler heads argued that it might all be part of the President’s master negotiating strategy: first blast the world with outrageous demands and then back off to accede to more realistic adjustments. And it could be that Bessent and Lutnick, therefore, are playing bad cop/ good cop, talking tough now but, realizing the U.S. economy hangs in the balance, settling later for more moderate concessions from trading partners. In other words, not to worry, Donald Trump knows exactly what he’s doing.
As the Treasury Secretary himself might put it with his customary emphatic eloquence: “Maybe, maybe not.”
Fraser P. Seitel has been a communications consultant, author and teacher for more than 30 years. He is the author of the Prentice-Hall text, The Practice of Public Relations.
Leadership lessons from Yankee great Lou Gehrig
Robert L. Dilenschneider
Today, the name Lou Gehrig conjures images of a Hall of Fame baseball player known for his fielding, hitting and ability to play every day for seventeen years. But it also brings to mind the man—crippled by ALS, the disease that would also come to bear his name—who said goodbye at Yankee Stadium in 1939.
Robert Dilenschneider is Founder and CEO of The Dilenschneider Group. This article is taken from his new book, “Character: Life Lessons in Courage, Integrity, and Leadership,” reprinted with permission from Kensington Books.
Both Gehrig’s baseball career and his brave fight against ALS were products of a courageous, resilient and determined character, evident early in his life. Gehrig was born in New York City in 1903, the son of German immigrants, his father a sheet metal worker, his mother a maid. Childhood was difficult. His three siblings all died young, and his father was often drunk, so Lou became the family’s support. He spoke German until he also learned English at age six. He showed his baseball talent early, leading his High School of Commerce team to a victory over Lane Tech High School by hitting a grand slam home run out of what’s now Wrigley Field in Chicago.
He went to Columbia University on a football scholarship but switched to baseball as a pitcher and left after two years to join the Yankees’ minor league affiliate in Hartford. He played sporadically for the big-league team in 1923 and 1924, until the fateful day in 1925 when Yankees first baseman–slugger Wally Pipp had a headache. Gehrig replaced him and never gave the job back.
In Gehrig’s era, baseball players—and athletes in general—earned much less than they do today. It’s estimated Gehrig earned about $360,000 in his entire career, worth about $7 million today. Not bad, but nothing compared with the nine-figure contracts of today’s superstars. Babe Ruth’s salary reached $80,000 a year in 1930 (about $1.5 million in today’s dollars), higher than that of then-President Herbert Hoover. When asked to justify this, the Babe answered: “I had a better year.”
Gehrig had perhaps his best season in 1927, on arguably the best team in MLB history. He hit .373 with 47 home runs and 175 RBIs as the Yankees won 110 regular-season games and swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in four games to win the World Series. Though Gehrig won the league MVP, most baseball aficionados remember 1927 as the year Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs.
After a decade of stardom and unprecedented success for the Yankees, Gehrig, not yet diagnosed with ALS, found himself weakening and unable to run or hit reliably. He broke his consecutive game streak on May 2, 1939, and never played again. He was diagnosed with ALS at the Mayo Clinic in June.
illness forced him to retire, is remarkable and worth looking up.
He said that, despite the bad break he’d gotten with his health, he was the “luckiest man on the face of the earth.” What an amazing statement. Lucky despite a horrible affliction. There’s no self-pity, only gratitude for the fans’ affection.
He praised the officials and teammates who were present, including Yankee owner Jacob Ruppert, umpire Ed Barrow, Miller Huggins and Manager Joe McCarthy. It takes a special person of character to shout out to teammates when the day is all about you. This is genuine, not faked, humility.
He found kind words for the old rival, the Giants, who gave him a fruit bowl and two candlesticks. Sportswriter John Kieran, at the behest of the Yankees team, wrote a poem that was inscribed on a trophy along with all the team members’ names and cherished by Gehrig in his final years.
Lou Gehrig was nicknamed the Iron Horse—and for good reason. The day he replaced first baseman Pipp—June 2— is now celebrated in every MLB park as Lou Gehrig Day, to raise money for ALS research. (There’s a great trivia answer for you.) Gehrig went on to play 2,130 consecutive games, a record broken by Cal Ripken Jr. (2,632 games) in 1995 (another trivia answer). Nobody has come close to Ripken—or Gehrig, for that matter—and it’s unlikely anyone ever will. Over his career, Gehrig had a batting average of .310, 2,721 hits, 493 home runs and 1,995 runs batted in. He was an All-Star seven times in a row (1933–39), was the American League Most Valuable Player in 1927 and 1936, won the Triple Crown (highest batting average, most home runs, most runs batted in) in 1934 and won six World Series championships with the Yankees. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939, a few months after his retirement, an exception to the rule that players had to wait five years after retirement before being on the ballot. Gehrig had a plaque on a pedestal near the fence in the center field of old Yankee Stadium (alongside manager Miller Huggins and Babe Ruth) that was finally moved to the stadium’s Monument Park in 1973. For Hollywood’s take on his courage, check out “Pride of the Yankees,” a 1942 Sam Goldwyn movie with Gary Cooper as Gehrig and Babe Ruth and Bill Dickey, among others, as themselves.
His farewell speech, delivered to more than sixty thousand fans packed into Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day, just a few weeks after his
During the ceremony, held between games of a double-header between the Yankees and the Washington Senators, New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia called Gehrig “the perfect prototype of the best sportsmanship and citizenship.”
Gehrig, barely able to stand, finished his speech: “So I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I’ve got an awful lot to live for. Thank you.”
Imagine the physical and moral courage it took to stand before all those people and deliver that speech.
He’d live for another two years, racked by the progressive nerve degeneration of ALS. He died at home in the Bronx on June 2, 1941, by coincidence, sixteen years to the day he had replaced Wally Pipp on first base.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as motor neuron disease or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rare degenerative disease that causes sufferers to progressively lose control of their limbs and other bodily functions. There’s no known cure. ALS can work quickly—Gehrig died two years after being diagnosed—or slowly—Stephen Hawking survived fifty-five years with the disease, which gradually got worse. Research toward finding better treatments and a cure continues, supported by the Ice Bucket Challenge and other initiatives.
Lou Gehrig taught lessons with his baseball bat on the field and his courage in the face of his devastating illness.
• Life isn’t fair. It takes courage to count your blessings despite bad breaks.
• Humility in face of success will inspire others to admire and follow you.
• Courage is sometimes knowing when to stop.
LaVoieHealthScience lands $4 million GSA pact
LaVoieHealthScience has been awarded the first five-year option period of a twenty-year General Services Administration Multiple Award Schedule contract to provide public relations, marketing and leadership training services to the federal government.
Areas covered by the contract, which has an estimated value of $4 million, include marketing consulting; advertising; public relations; professional and management development training; marketing research and analysis; and conference, meeting, event and trade show planning services.
The pact comes as the GSA continues to pare back its resources. According to the Federal News Network, the agency laid off about 600 employees on March 3, and continues to terminate additional personnel.
“This contract expands our work with the federal government, providing an opportunity to apply our expertise in strategic marketing, digital and public health communications on a broader scale,” said firm Founder and CEO Donna LaVoie.
Nvidia targets D.C.
Nvidia, a member of Wall Street’s “Magnificent Seven” stock group, has registered as a D.C. lobbyist.
The Santa Clara-based company is the leader in the production of artificial intelligence semiconductors, which are largely manufactured in Taiwan.
Its stock took a hit following President Trump’s Liberation Day announcement, which slapped a 32 percent tariff on goods from Taiwan.
Nvidia’s lobbying push is headed by VP-External Affairs Ned Finkle, a 23-year veteran at Nvidia. He also did a 10-year run at Advanced Micro Devices.
He is joined by Senior Director Government Affairs Stewart Barber, who did a two-year stint in Trump’s first administration as Special Assistant to the President for international initiatives.
Finkle and Barber will deal with a wide range of AI issues related to U.S. semiconductor, computer technology, workforce development, trade & export controls and energy.
Nvidia’s stock is trading at $106.30. They ranged in price from $153.13 and $75.61 over the past 52 weeks.
Ballard rides to PBS rescue
Trump-tied Ballard Partners has signed to represent the Public Broadcasting Service on issues related to funding and dealing with Elon Musk’s Dept. of Government Efficiency. PBS receives about 15 percent of its $373 million budget from the federal government.
Paula Kerger, who heads PBS, and Katherine Maher, Chief of National Public Radio, testified March 26 at Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s DOGE subcommittee.
The hearing was titled “Anti-American Airwaves: Holding the Heads of NPR and PBS Accountable.”
Greene charged that NPR and PBS “have increasingly become radical leftwing echo chambers.” She also accused NPR of having a “communist agenda.”
Kerger and Maher defended their networks, and talked about the value that public media brings to lives of millions of Americans.
Brian Ballard, a major Trump fundraiser, works the PBS account with Jordan Elsbury, one-time Aide to Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy and Chief of Staff to Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry.
Ballard also was the home of Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Trump Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
China’s Tencent reaches for Mercury
Tencent America has hired Mercury Public Affairs for Washington representation.
The Omnicom unit will work with the Palo Alto-based arm of the Chinese video & entertainment products giant on issues related to the William (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act.
That measure requires the Pentagon to publish an annual list of Chinese military companies.
The DOD added Tencent, owner of WeChat, to that list in January, a designation that the company called a mistake.
Mercury also will represent Tencent on issues related to regulation of the Internet and digital services, and deal with the international media.
Former Louisiana Republican Senator David Vitter, and Deputy Communications Director for the Trump/Pence campaign Bryan Lanza are on Mercury’s Tencent team.
Pearson plugs into First Energy
Nick Pearson, who was Director of Congressional Affairs at Google Cloud, has joined First Energy as VP-Federal Government Affairs.
He will oversee the Washington office of First Energy, which serves six million customers via units including Jersey Central Power & Light, Penn Power and Ohio Edison.
At Google, Pearson advocated for the key role that cloud services play in the future of AI, energy and national security. He also served as Google’s Head of Energy Policy.
Prior to Google, Pearson led the D.C. office of the Tennessee Valley Authority, where he was involved in energy policy issues and outreach to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.
He also was VP-Government & Political Affairs at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and staffer to the state’s former Senator Johnny Isakson.
At First Energy, Pearson reports to Amanda Mertens Campbell, VP-External Affairs.
Nick Pearson
Rwanda taps Yorktown Solutions for $960K push
Rwanda has hired Yorktown Solutions to provide strategic advisory relations on matters that impact its ties with the United States.
The one-year contract, which went into effect on March 21, carries a $80,000 monthly retainer.
Yorktown is to handle issues management, government affairs and outreach to federal officials, private sector groups, and the media.
It will arrange conferences and speaking engagements for members of the Rwanda Development Board with the goal of attracting investments to the African nation.
Rwanda has backed the M23 rebel group that is waging a civil war in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Trump White House is eager to cut a deal with the DRC to gain access to its supply of rare earth minerals.
Yorktown President Daniel Vajdich is working the Rwanda effort. He was Security Advisor to the presidential campaigns of Ted Cruz, Scott Walker and Mitt Romney.
Valcour promotes economic ties with Hungary
Valcour is working to promote economic cooperation between the U.S. and Hungary.
The D.C. firm is to assist Gellert Jaszai, Hungary’s Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary, schedule meetings with U.S.
FARA News
executive and legislative officials as well as business stakeholders. It does not have a formal contract with the Hungarians.
Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban has many fans in the Trump administration. President Trump, who hosted Orban at Mar-a-Lago last March, said of the PM: “There’s nobody that’s better, smarter or a better leader than Viktor Orbán. He’s fantastic.”
Valcour President Matt Mowers leads his firm’s push for Hungary.
He was a member of Trump’s first transition team and served in the State Dept. as Chief of Staff and Chief Policy Officer in the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator and Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy.
Ballard lands Iraqi political party
Ballard Partners has inked a $900,000 contract to provide strategic consulting and advocacy services for Iraq’s Taqadum political party.
It will conduct outreach to U.S. government officials, decision-makers and non-government organizations on behalf of the Iraqis.
The one-year pact, which went into effect April 4, automatically renews for successive one-year periods.
Brian Ballard, a top fund-raiser for Donald Trump, heads the four-member Taqadum team.
He’s joined by Sy Lukis, Senior Partner; Jasmine Zaki, ex-UN Press Officer in Iraq and head of the firm’s Middle East and Africa practice; and Aaron Sampson, a 16-year State Dept. veteran.
Iraq is Ballard Partners’ latest high-profile win. In March, it began work on a $720,000 strategic communications contract for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
NEW FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION ACT FILINGS
Below is a list of select companies that have registered with the U.S. Department of Justice, FARA Registration Unit, Washington, D.C., in order to comply with the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, regarding their consulting and communications work on behalf of foreign principals, including governments, political parties, organizations, and individuals. For a complete list of filings, visit www.fara.gov.
Alignment Government Strategies, Washington, D.C., registered April 11, 2025 for Embassy of Japan, Washington, D.C., regarding providing services as instructed by the Embassy. Services will include advising on legislation in the U.S. Congress, and actions and policies of the Executive Branch and U.S. Government agencies, of interest to the Embassy.
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, Washington, D.C., registered April 8, 2025 for Republic of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Republic of Honduras, regarding providing strategic advice to the Republic of Honduras for the purpose of improving and deepening the Republic’s relations with the Government of the United States.
Finn Partners, Inc., New York, N.Y., registered March 31, 2025 for Moroccan National Tourism Office, New York, N.Y., regarding providing public relations services with the aim to increase tourism to the country.
Lobbying News
NEW LOBBYING DISCLOSURE ACT FILINGS
Below is a list of select companies that have registered with the Secretary of the Senate, Office of Public Records, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Legislative Resource Center, Washington, D.C., in order to comply with the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. For a complete list of filings, visit www.senate.gov.
Accelerate Strategies, Washington, D.C., registered April 16, 2025 for TaylorMade Golf Company, Carsbad, Calif., concerning tariffs.
BGR Government Affairs, Washington, D.C., registered April 10, 2025 for DC Water, Washington, D.C., concerning providing strategic counsel and advocacy regarding funding, regulatory and security issues before Congress and the Administration.
Hecht Latham Spencer & Associates, Inc., Washington, D.C., registered April 15, 2025 for American Gem Trade Association, Dallas, Texas, regarding tariff policy on imported loose colored gemstones.
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC, Washington, D.C., registered April 15, 2025 for The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, Washington, D.C, regarding issues pertaining to basic research and development in artificial intelligence.
