Exclusive: Stagwell launches new bipartisan public affairs firm

This article first appeared on Axios, read it here.

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Stagwell has launched SixAM Strategies, a new public affairs firm led by Targeted Victory alum Maggie FitzGerald, Axios exclusively reports.

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Why it matters: This comes as the holding company looks to supercharge its lagging advocacy business.

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Between the lines: Stagwell's communication and advocacy segment — which includes agencies like Allison, Hunter, SKDK, Sloane & Company and Targeted Victory — was the only segment within the holding company's portfolio to see a decrease in revenue, according to third-quarter earnings.

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• "The slowdown in the communications vertical [reflects] industrywide issues in that segment," Stagwell chairperson Mark Penn said. "We expect the trends in advocacy companies to reverse themselves next year in what promises to be a banner political year."

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Details: SixAM will deploy hyperlocal campaigns and outreach on behalf of corporations, trade associations and causes.

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• FitzGerald will serve as CEO and Jessie Keady, former chief of staff to New York Lt Gov. Antonio Delgado, will serve as chief operating officer. The firm is expected to have 10 full-time employees by the start of 2026.
• SixAM will work closely with other Stagwell firms — like SKDK, founded by Democratic strategists, and Targeted Victory, founded by GOP strategists — according to a company spokesperson.
• The firm will also tap a nationwide network of field teams to help execute these localized campaigns.

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What they're saying: "In today's polarized environment, corporations and causes can't win from the top down — they have to earn trust from the ground up," Stagwell president Jay Leveton says.

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• "We saw a growing need for a team that understands that real impact happens on a local level, and SixAM Strategies brings a boots-on-the-ground approach to the Stagwell network."

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