Peppercomm Acquires Janine Gordon Associates

NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Peppercomm, an award-winning strategic, integrated communications and marketing firm, has acquired Janine Gordon Associates (JGA), a boutique agency headquartered here, and possessing more than 20 years of extensive experience in the consumer lifestyle, luxury and non-profit categories.  As a specialty group within Peppercomm, JGAPeppercomm will provide clients with broad-based consumer lifestyle expertise, and further enhance Peppercomm's existing abilities to listen to, and engage, with key stakeholders on their own terms.

"Consumer brands are facing increasing pressure to gain a deeper understanding of the audiences they are trying to reach. At the same time, they must continually develop and distribute content that will drive engagement and affinity among their target customers. The combined Peppercomm/JGA suite of services is intended to help clients meet those challenges," said Edward Moed, co-founder and managing partner, Peppercomm.

JGAPeppercomm's suite of integrated marketing services includes traditional PR/social media, branding, experiential/events, crisis communications, celebrity endorsements, strategic alliances, licensing and digital/creative services. 

"Peppercomm's acquisition of JGA propels our vision of becoming deep category specialists in the areas in which we excel," said Moed. "By bringing JGA into the Peppercomm family, we will enhance our ability to build meaningful campaigns that increase brand awareness, loyalty and, ultimately, consideration in the consumer lifestyle marketplace."

"From our shared 'listen-first and always' approach to an obsession with having a strong workplace culture, the synergies between JGA and Peppercomm have all the elements of a meaningful, integrated solution for brands," added Janine Gordon, president of JGAPeppercomm. "Our goal is to merge the passion and focus of JGA with the extensive resources and capabilities of Peppercomm.  In so doing, we will create an entity greater and more diverse than the sum of its parts."

JGA's current clients include Kiehl's Since 1851, Texas de Brazil, Sunrise-Soya Foods, Holland & Holland (a division of Chanel) and Del Mar Development.  Janine Gordon is a recognized authority on public relations and brand reputation management.  Previously, she spent 17 running Corporate Communications for Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising while, simultaneously, serving as president of the company's public relations division.  During her distinguished career, Gordon has served clients in categories ranging from packaged goods to health & beauty aids, lifestyle and luxury goods and services, travel and hospitality, food and dining, publishing, trade associations and non-profit.

Agency culture is an important part of both agencies' DNA.  In 2012, Peppercomm was ranked No. 1 in Crain's New York Business "Best Places to Work."  Moed added, "Right from the start, it was clear from the shared approach to management, sense of humor and work hard/play hard culture that the two agencies were reading from the same playbook."

Peppercomm's client roster includes consumer brands such as Mini Cooper, WebMD, Smithfield Foods, TGI Fridays, and Lincoln Financial Group.  The agency, founded in 1995, has evolved from a traditional public relations firm to an integrated communications and marketing organization. The acquisition is a driving element of Peppercomm's vision to become more specialized in its core practice areas of consumer, financial and professional services, technology and industrial B2B. For additional information and multimedia assets, please visit www.jgapeppercomm.com.

All of JGA's full-time employees will transition to Peppercomm's headquarters in New York later this month.

About Peppercomm
Peppercomm, Inc., an award-winning strategic, integrated communications and marketing firm headquartered in New York City with offices in San Francisco and London, prides itself on listening first, last and always. The firm's tagline: "Listen. Engage. Repeat." emphasizes the unique approach Peppercomm takes in understanding exactly how a client can engage in authentic conversations with its audience. Peppercomm was ranked No. 1 in Crain's New York Business Best Places to Work 2012, is currently ranked number 30 on a national industry list by PR Week, and was a finalist for the 2012 PR Week Midsize Agency of the Year. More information about the agency may be found at www.peppercomm.com.  

About JGA
Established in 1993 by Janine Gordon, formerly President of Saatchi & Saatchi Public Relations, JGA is a cutting-edge boutique with a rigorous approach to brand-building and a zeal for impeccable execution. The firm's clients are leading brands, entrepreneurial companies and not-for-profit organizations. Please visit www.jgordonassociates.com for more information.

SOURCE Peppercomm