NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Access Communications, a unit of Ketchum, and Emanate, a unit of the DAS Group of Companies, today announced a merger to form Access Emanate Communications. It will operate as a standalone agency within the Ketchum network. The new firm will have strategic communications professionals located across four locations in the U.S. and Europe (London, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco).
Susan Butenhoff, founder and CEO of Access Communications, will be named CEO of the new firm on Jan. 1, 2016, when the merger takes effect. Following a 22-year tenure comprised of significant contributions to Emanate and previously to Ketchum, Emanate founder and CEO Kim Sample has decided to leave the agency.
Access Communications was among the first public relations agencies that focused on the nexus between technology and business and consumer audiences, while Emanate is known for its Relevance Marketing approach and deep brand expertise. Building on each agency’s strengths, Access Emanate Communications will offer a tailored, borderless staffing model for clients that is fueled by nimble thinking, hands-on senior leadership, and multi-market, scalable resources.
“This is an exciting merger between two like-minded PR agencies. Both Access and Emanate are entrepreneurial in spirit and action. With complementary approaches to client service supported by similar values and shared passions, Access Emanate Communications will merge seamlessly to create a mid-size firm that operates with a power boutique mentality, designed to provide the full spectrum of communications services that clients need today,” said Butenhoff. “In a world where technology companies are looking for more brand experience and where corporate and consumer brand companies want a deeper understanding of innovation positioning, our combined respective areas of expertise will better serve current and future clients.”
Access Communications was founded in 1991 by Butenhoff to serve the communications needs of high-tech and consumer-tech companies in Silicon Valley, ranging from market leaders to start-ups. Today it handles both technology and consumer brands, effectively understanding and segmenting communications to reach key audiences and influencers across multiple channels.
Emanate was launched in 2006 as a boutique agency fusing traditional marketing disciplines with community-building expertise. Today Emanate leads the way with its Relevance Marketing positioning, getting to know target audiences through research, analytics and testing and by examining what's truly relevant in their lives, what they care about, and what motivates them to act.
Butenhoff said, “I look forward to working closely with the team to blend Access and Emanate into an even stronger agency whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We have top talent in both agencies, and this merger will provide them with the opportunity to work on a new mix of brand names and market disruptors, benefit from exposure to new leaders and teams, and access a greater pool of digital and measurement resources to deliver outstanding programs to our clients.”
About Access Communications
Access Communications is a full-service public relations agency that transforms ideas into actions. We can help our clients tell their story to stakeholders in a manner that increases their mindshare, their market share and their bottom line. Over the past two decades, Access has worked with companies of all sizes and has helped startups become category leaders, guided clients through IPOs, transformed executives into thought leaders, and helped to build billions of dollars of brand equity for our clients.
About Emanate
An Omnicom DAS company, Emanate is the leading marketing integration agency and creator of Relevance Marketing, a unique brand growth strategy that fuels relevance among critical audiences and drives them to action. With a solid focus on outcomes and ROI, and powerful partnerships with marketing, data and analytics innovators, Emanate enables clients to achieve even the most challenging communications objectives and business results with maximum efficiency. In 2010, Emanate was named PR Week’s Agency of the Year and Bulldog Reporter’s Mid-Size Agency of the Year.
About Ketchum
Ketchum is a leading global communications firm with operations in more than 70 countries across six continents. The winner of 17 Cannes Lions and an unprecedented four PRWeek Campaign of the Year Awards, Ketchum partners with clients to deliver strategic programming, game-changing creative and measurable results that build brands and reputations. For more information on Ketchum, a part of the DAS Group of Companies, visit www.ketchum.com.
About the DAS Group of Companies
The DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), is a global group of marketing services companies. DAS includes over 200 companies in the following marketing disciplines: specialty, PR, healthcare, CRM, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. Operating through a combination of networks and regional organizations, DAS serves international, regional, national and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.
