BOGATA —LLYC has acquired the Columbian consulting firm Adaptive. Founder and CEO, Andrés Venegas will join the LLYC team in the Andes Region. The purchase will allow LLYC to offer additional innovation tools and methodologies to its clients, as part of its work to provide creative and effective solutions to their most difficult challenges. From design thinking to growth hacking, innovative approaches have shown they result in immediate, high-impact results, provided they are employed under the right conditions.

NEW YORK — G&S has unveiled a new brand identity aligning under a new stated purpose: to help innovative companies change the world. As part of the brand transformation, G&S also narrowed its market focus, refreshed its services and overhauled its full brand image, including its website. The move is centered around the agency’s five core sectors and areas of expertise: advanced manufacturing & energy, agribusiness, home & building, financial & professional services and healthcare & wellness. The agency has also repositioned its services to better amplify its digital-first strategy.

NEW YORK — Taylor has partnered with the United Negro College Fund to create a loan forgiveness grant for 2020 graduates of historically black colleges and universities.  The goal of the campaign is to raise $50,000, which would provide a minimum of 25 grants up to $2,000 to be applied against student loans.  Donations to the grant can be made through the UNCF website. Taylor will make a matching donation up to $20,000.

MONTREAL — Ketchum has expanded its Canada presence with a dedicated team in Montreal. The team is led by Bernard Cote, who joined Ketchum in 2018 with both in-house and agency experience. Cote reports to Erin Manning, associate managing director of Ketchum Canada, based in Toronto.

NEW YORK —The Public Relations Global Network (PRGN)  has added three new locations to its global network, raising the number of its offices serving PR clients throughout the world to 53. PRGN is adding three new offices to its network of independent agencies. They include Ghidotti in Little Rock, Arkansas; Novitas Communications in Denver; and Prichard Communications in Portland, Oregon.

NEW YORK — The Relentless Collective has launched an executive communications practice focused on helping leaders reposition their executive branding, messaging and engagement strategies so their messages more powerfully resonate with their audience. The new practice will employ The Relentless Collective’s framework to focus on the unique challenges leaders are facing in communicating with internal and external stakeholders, particularly in light of the leadership challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

LOS ANGELES — USC Annenberg today is launching a podcast series exploring the most transformative trends of the public relations industry. Hosted by Fred Cook, the director of the Center for Public Relations and Chairman of Golin, the #PRFuture podcast features discussions with high-profile guests about their current work and where the communications field is headed.