- The DC office of Ogilvy PR adds Virgin America, a new airline offering flights to cities including DC, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego and soon to Seattle. The agency also adds the National Crop Insurance Services and two senior staffers - Natalie Adler joins as senior VP and Dan Stoneking joins as VP. Adler joins Ogilvy PR after 15 years with Porter Novelli and Stoneking was deputy director of the National Guard Bureau’s Office of Public Affairs. Meanwhile, the agency’s 360° Digital Influence team adds Virginia Miracle as Senior VP and head of digital strategy. Prior to joining Ogilvy PR, Miracle served as director of word-of-mouth marketing with Brains on Fire.
- Qorvis adds Keep America Beautiful. The agency will produce public service announcements and create a new branding campaign for KAB, which is best known for its “Crying Indian” campaign.
- Environics Communications adds Sylvan Learning Center, provider of in-center and live, online home tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels.
- Strategic Communications Group adds the Card Printer Solutions division of Zebra Technologies, which provides specialty printing and automatic identification solutions; and Altron, a provider of professional services to government customers.
- Meryl Streep and Tony Bennett have joined a national campaign to aid Darfur. They star in public service announcements released by USA for UNHCR, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, that builds support in the United States for the humanitarian work of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
- The USO's public service announcement campaign, now in its fifth year, has just topped the $150 million mark. With an ad budget of zero, agency of record Williams Whittle has achieved that media value milestone using a combination of TV, radio, print, outdoor and online advertising. John Hanson, senior VP of marketing and communications at the USO, said, "We are extremely proud of this tremendous achievement. Having such extensive exposure across the country strengthens our great brand and gives us formidable air coverage for our fundraising campaign. The USO is now able to provide more services than ever to our troops."
- Williams Whittle also reports that the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) has completed a campaign designed to get commuters out of cars and into trains. The campaign echoed the sentiments of many Northern Virginia car commuters -- frustration, lost time, late arrivals and exasperation. The print and radio campaign, produced by Williams Whittle, increased riders by 15 percent.
- Two veteran Washington D.C. public affairs experts, Samuel A. Simon and Robin Strongin, created Amplify Public Affairs LLC. The new venture aims to blend “inside the beltway know-how” with innovative communication technologies to provide complete and integrated strategies for its clients. Simon will serve as chairman and Strongin will be president and CEO. Simon’s previous company was Issue Dynamics and Strongin comes from her position as partner at Polidais LLC, a Washington DC public affairs firm specializing in health care. The firm also announced that it acquired Progressive Island, a destination in Second Life designed for progressive, non-profit advocacy groups. The island is currently home to a number of non-profits including the ACLU, IFAW, RootsCamp and part of the NetRoots Nation Convention.
- Widmeyer Communications names Margaret Suzor Dunning to chief strategy officer. In her new role, Dunning will be dedicated to client strategy development and ensuring integration of agency services. Dunning had been VP and director of communications for Public Agenda, a New York-based nonpartisan, nonprofit public opinion research and citizen education organization. Dunning also worked for The Advertising Council.
- Infotech Strategies rebrands itself as e-Luminate Group and now is focusing exclusively on the education market.
- Patrick Riccards has launched Exemplar Strategic Communications. Riccards spent five years on Capitol Hill and 10 years with agencies - including as VP and practice director for Widmeyer Communications and as SVP and practice director for Lipman Hearne.
- IQ Solutions adds Carlos A. Ugarte, M.S.P.H., as senior VP of the knowledge creation group, and Stephanie Adams as VP of contact center operations. The firm also promotes Jennifer Isenberg, M.S., to VP of health communications.
- Marybeth Fraser and Dana Theus, executive marketing consultants and professors at George Mason University’s Technology Management Graduate School, have joined forces to launch B2B Marketing Excellence. The company will offer courses in the core marketing disciplines: branding, product marketing, marketing communications and sales enablement. More at www.B2BMarketingExcellence.com.
- SpeakerBox Communications promotes Lisa Throckmorton to executive VP. Formerly senior VP, she will focus on running the agency’s day-to-day business, overseeing client teams and staffing, and driving training and professional development opportunities for the company.
- J. Scott Punk, APR, long-time member of the DC marketing community, has taken telecommuting to the extreme. As the new director of global publication for ESI International in Arlington, he’s telecommuting full time from a flat in London. In addition to overseeing agency relationships in Singapore and London, he works with Four Leaf PR in Charlottesville.
- Laura MacLean, DC-based social issues communications expert, has been named a national spokeswoman by Trek Bicycle Cop to represent its Women Who Ride campaign and Women Specific Design bicycles and accessories. She is currently featured in Trek ads and catalogs and writes a Women Who Ride blog (http://womenwhoride.typepad.com/laura/). The goal of the campaign is to build a greater community of women cyclists, like her.
- Jennifer Dunn joins Business Wire’s public policy group as account executive. She formerly was with Telecommunications Industry Association and SureScripts.
- Ariel Way, a Vienna-based developer of communications, multimedia and digital signage technologies, will acquire DC-based digital signage company Mason Media Networks.