Another upheaval has occurred in the entertainment PR industry as the majority of R&CPMK’s employees join Michael Nyman’s, a specialist PR, marketing, brand, data and events firm.
ACC has partnered with R&CPMK chief Cindy Berger to launch PMK Entertainment, a new entertainment PR brand that pays homage to the company’s roots under renowned personal promotion guru Pat Kingsley, a top-star-studded independent powerhouse of the 1980s and ’90s. R&CPMK deals with stars as well as corporate clients these days.
The partnership with Berger’s business represents a first-round moment for Nyman, ACC’s founder and chief executive officer. Mr. Nyman previously served as co-chairman and CEO of PMKBNC with Mr. Berger after a long career that included partnerships at Bragman Nyman Caffarelli. He stepped down in 2018 and began building a portfolio of carefully selected specialty labels with the goal of serving a wide range of client needs, from PR and marketing to brand deals, data to live events.
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There was no acquisition per se. R&CPMK’s parent company, Interpublic Group, is in the midst of a complex merger and integration with fellow advertising giant Omnicom. Perhaps R&CPMK was not core enough to IPG’s revenue to merit going through the merger process. Therefore, the opportunity to move a large portion of its business to ACC was probably a welcome one for IPG. But this also reflects the instability of the entertainment PR industry as a whole, as no money was exchanged.
In addition to most of the agency’s clients, ACC employed a total of 77 R&CPMK staff, according to Nijman and Berger. Mr. Berger will become CEO of PMK Entertainment. The label will include a team of 35 people and will be headed by R&C veteran Alan Nierob. Meanwhile, within IPG, the Rogers & Cowan label will continue as a PR firm serving entertainment and sports clients, the company said.
PMK Entertainment’s client roster includes Antoine Fuqua, Billy Bob Thorton, Billy Crystal, Billie Jean King, Casey Wasserman, CJ Entertainment, Denzel Washington, Donnie Yen, Eddie Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Jeff Daniels, Jeremy Renner, Jerry Bruckheimer, Judith Light, Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne, Richard Gere, Rob Lowe, Sam Levinson, the Grammys, Tribeca. Festival, Paley Center, Pier 17 Rooftop, Edge and Vessel at Hudson Yards, Angel Studios, X Games, Colossal Biosciences, and more.
“When IPG was evaluating its portfolio, it was determined that this company was not a good fit,” Berger told Variety. “I called Michael Nyman about joining ACC. I pitched it to IPG and they were supportive. Michael was totally open to it. He thought it was a great opportunity for the ACC network and its specialization model.”
Mr. Nyman emphasized that PMK Entertainment’s business scale and scope in entertainment PR fills a void in the collective capabilities it has built since 2019.
“This is a unique situation and a great opportunity to bring a great management team on board with these customers. The majority of R&CPMK will be absorbed into ACC’s business operations, all of which will be located in Manhattan and Century City,” Nyman told Variety.
In addition to establishing PMK Entertainment, approximately 20 R&CPMK alumni will join ACC’s in-house brand and marketing consulting firm, Advisory. A further 22 staff members will join DKC. DKC focuses on brands and corporate customers in B2B communications and B2C messaging. ACC acquired DKC last year.
“These extraordinary companies fit seamlessly into DKC’s expanding and growing portfolio of lifestyle, media, technology, entertainment and sports brands,” said DKC CEO Sean Cassidy. “We have always admired the talent of the R&CPMK team and look forward to this exciting next chapter together.”
Neerob, a respected industry veteran, said the combination of expertise within PMK Entertainment and the wider ACC Group should make all brands more valuable to customers.
“When Rogers & Cowan launched, they were the first firm to house entertainment and corporate clients,” Nierob said. “I’m excited to be part of the next generation of brand marketing, public relations and entertainment. This is an exciting opportunity for all of our clients and staff.”
With the addition of R&CPMK, the ACC Group now has a total of approximately 620 employees.
