Orchestra buys Small Girls PR firm in expansion push
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Orchestra has acquired Small Girls PR to bring more earned media expertise to the growing public relations firm.
Why it matters: The deal supports brands' demands for communications companies to be full-service, driving agencies to acquire smaller firms, form collectives and consolidate.
How it works: Founded in 2010, Small Girls PR focuses on earned media strategies, experiential, influencer marketing and media relations. Clients have included GE, Snapchat and Jack in the Box.
- CEO Mallory Blair says she and co-founder Bianca Caampued started with $100 her senior year of college and never took on investors or loans.
- "Something that really draws me to this partnership is it feels like a merging of left brain, right brain, where we can be a creative engine that powers the most talked about moments for campaigns," Blair says.
Zoom in: Blair will remain CEO and become an Orchestra partner. Small Girls PR's 75 employees are based in Los Angeles and New York City and will boost Orchestra's headcount to about 700.
- Orchestra CEO Jonathan Rosen says the acquisition aligns with the company's thesis that the future of communications is earned.
- "We're in a world where you can't buy audience anymore. Audiences are becoming more anonymous. We're all overwhelmed with information. It's very hard to get things to sink in," Rosen says.
Zoom out: Formerly known as BerlinRosen Holdings, Orchestra is backed by O2 Investment Partners and led by BerlinRosen co-founders Rosen and Valerie Berlin.
- Orchestra has made eight acquisitions since 2022, including Civitas Public Affairs Group, Onward, Derris, M18, Inkhouse and MessageLab. The company also owns a majority stake in Glen Echo Group.
Behind the scenes: Rosen says he had long admired Small Girls PR. The firm's name came up when he and chief strategy officer Jesse Derris were thinking of creative partners after Orchestra launched, and they connected with Blair.
- Rosen was in London for a deal — which didn't work out — this past summer on a dark and rainy day when Blair reached back out, he says.
- Blair adds she had received a flurry of inbound proposals. That wasn't new, she says, but this seemed like the right time to join a larger firm to better meet clients' expectations of being full-service.
What's next: Rosen says its biggest near-term investments include scaling Orchestra's analytics and insights team.
