Newlink: PRWeek Global Agency Business Report 2016

Newlink rebranded after 18 years around the term "orbital thinking" a new methodology the consulting firm came up with in response to today's "hyperconnected world"

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Principal: Sergio Roitberg, chairman and CEO
Offices: Global: 7; U.S.: Miami and New York
Revenue: Global: $46.5 million; U.S.: $40 million

Newlink rebranded after 18 years around the term "orbital thinking," a new methodology the consulting firm came up with in response to today’s "hyper-connected world." As well as dropping "Group" from its name, the methodology aims to develop authentic engagements for clients and their target markets based on shared interest.

"We’ve been working on this over the last five years; the world has changed so much, we had to change as well," explains Sergio Roitberg, chairman and CEO. The rebrand is reflected by a new logo and website.

It comes after a solid 2015 for Newlink, which helps U.S. clients with their Hispanic and multicultural marketing from its Miami headquarters — its biggest office at almost 90 people.

In addition, Newlink helps U.S. companies break into Mexico, where it also has an office, as well as South America, where it has offices in Argentina, Colombia, and Peru. On top of that, Newlink has an office in the Dominican Republic.

Global revenue last year was $46.5 million, up about 6% versus the year prior. U.S. work accounted for $40 million, a 14% uptick from organic growth and new clients. Newlink expanded its four-year relationship with Coca-Cola by adding Powerade to the brands for which it does multicultural work. It also took on more brands for Novartis.

In the U.S., the firm began working with Expedia and ride-hailing service Uber, which hired Newlink as its first AOR for Latin America. Account wins outside the U.S. included South American telecoms company Tigo and Brazilian bank Itaú.

Senior-level appointments

In May, Jorge Ortega, who founded Newlink America in 2010 and had been managing the Miami office, departed the firm to rejoin Burson-Marsteller.

However, Newlink has since made a number of senior-level hires in Miami. They include Angela Camacho, former associate general counsel/legal and corporate affairs director for Microsoft Latin America, as VP, reputation management and public affairs; Alejandra Labanca, former Latin America editor for Reuters, as content director; and Cynthia McFarlane, former president for Latin America of Saatchi & Saatchi, as managing partner and chief strategy officer.
"Cynthia was a big fish for us to get," notes Roitberg. "We have made a lot of very important hires."

Despite its increase in revenue, Newlink’s employee count decreased slightly due to the shuttering of its Chile office. "In the second part of the year we will rebuild in Chile," explains Roitberg. "We’re not sure what the process will be yet."

http://www.prweek.com/article/1394360/newlink-prweek-global-agency-business-report-2016

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