KO Public Affairs, a public affairs and government relations firm, merges with Sandy Hillman Communications, a full-service public relations and consumer marketing firm. The combination of the two Baltimore-based agencies expands KO’s footprint beyond public affairs into consumer marketing. The combined firm will be managed by KO managing partner and co-founder Steve Kearney. KO partner Rick Abbruzzese will oversee the integration of the firms with Elisabeth Feldman, who was an SVP at Sandy Hillman, serving as head of the consumer marketing and public relations division within the combined firm. “This merger combines KO’s local and regional expertise with Hillman’s national footprint,” said Hillman. “We are seeing a growing number of businesses and non-profits needing a combination of consumer outreach and public affairs counsel. This merger provides that full complement of strategic communications services.”

FanCompass, a fan engagement and data technology company for sports organizations and brands, launches a business division, CORE FOR BRANDS. The new division works directly with brands and agencies to identify, develop and execute targeted digital fan activations using the suite of tools offered on FC CORE, the company’s flagship fan engagement data platform. The FC CORE platform is designed to encourage repeat engagement, providing a flow of zero and first-party progressive data, enriched by a supply of measurable, digital sponsorship inventory that delivers lead generation. "CORE FOR BRANDS unites teams and brands together in a unique, innovative way that brings increased value and drives revenue for all involved,” said FanCompass CEO & co-founder Jamie Pardi.

Klick Health releases Klick Site AiQ, an AI-driven marketing audit and assessment tool to help life sciences organizations quickly optimize their brand strategies and enhance their market competitiveness. The new tool, which is now available for Klick clients, regularly monitors pharma brand websites, leveraging generative AI to audit and analyze multiple competitive brands’ online content. It then creates an AI scorecard that compares key life sciences criteria, including brand messaging, audience targeting, financial support programs, focus on mechanism of action or delivery, and accessibility based on content reading level. "We want to give pharma marketers the market intelligence they need, but don’t always have the time to capture," said EVP of Data Science Alfred Whitehead. Earlier this month, the agency launched KCM+AI, the first AI social media comment moderator for the life sciences industry.