News From 5WPR, MWWPR, Interpublic, PRCA, and Edelman
Enlightened Chooses 5WPR for Public Relations
Cybersecurity and IT expert company Enlightened just announced their choice of 5WPR to represent them for PR efforts regarding their management consulting, software development, IT, and security work. Fortune recently named Enlightened as one of their “100 Fastest-Growing Inner City Companies,” and in 2016, they were recipients of the Nunn-Perry award from the US Department of Defense.
Antwanye Ford, Enlightened’s CEO and President, said: “For nearly two decades, we’ve remained heads-down, focused on growing a company that delivers world-class results for the federal and local governments. We have grown from three founders to a global team of about 250 and received numerous accolades, even through multiple administrations, a dot-com burst, recessions and a mortgage crisis. Now we are looking to continue our growth and expand into the commercial world, with a major focus on cyber security, and we’re thrilled to have 5W in corner as we do. Their experience in the space is very impressive, and the results speak for themselves.”
Melissa Vigue Becomes Chief of Staff for MWWPR
Melissa Vigue recently left Peppercomm after 13 years working with consumer lifestyle brands to become MWWPR’s Chief of Staff, reporting directly to the CEO, Michael W. Kempner. Vigue’s previous experience also includes working with brands such as TGI Fridays, TJ Maxx, and Whirlpool. She also spent time working at Four Corners Communications and Bratskeir & Company. Her efforts with MWWPR include work with their integrated management team increasing service and operational growth and excellence.
Q3 Revenues Down Slightly for Interpublic PR Firms
Both organic and as-reported revenues are slightly down consistently with the various Interpublic PR firms after the third quarter 2017 reports. But their year-to-date revenue is still slightly on the up side for both. Weber, Golin, and DeVries have also recently picked up some new business and should move the numbers up in the future. Andy Polansky, CEO reported this news recently. Other PR firms in the group include Current, Axis Agency, Creation, and marketing specialist firms – Octagon, Jack Morton, and FutureBrand.
UK PR Firms’ Confidence in Their Ability to Measure PR is Down Per PRCA Study
In 2016/17, UK companies barely increased their digital marketing costs, and a recent report from the PRCA (Digital PR and Communications Report) shows that is because of a decreased confidence in whether digital market ROI can be measured adequately. The report actually says it is down 10% from the previous year after polling 216 agency executives and 146 in-house communications specialists. Instead, most of the money is aimed at video-based content currently.
Danny Whatmough, Weber Shandwick’s EMEA social leader and PRCA digital group chairman, said: “We live in complex times. We are now marketing and communicating in a digital world an that requires both in-house professionals and agencies to change the way they work. That means over the next 12 months we will see more talk of integration and collaboration in the content creation space.”
Edelman’s US Tech Practice Leader, Sanjay Nair, Moves Up to Global Tech Chair
Sanjay Nair moved from China to San Francisco just about six months prior and became the US tech practice leader, but now he’s been moved up the ladder to become their new Global Tech Chair, the fifth one holding the position in the last five years. He will be in charge of worldwide tech efforts and in charge of almost 700 employees. He takes the place of Natalie Kerris, and his supervisor is Kym White. While still in China, Nair was Edelman’s COO and MD of their China operations in Beijing and before that he was in Singapore.
His work moving forward will be to deepen and broaden the tech sector work with clients, building the internal team, and growth working on blockchain, artificial intelligence, and B2B marketing. They will also work at bringing more of their work into the health tech wheelhouse.
