Van Dyke Horn Public Relations (VDH) in Detroit and Lambert Global in Grand Rapids have announced a strategic partnership, combining VDH’s public relations and community engagement expertise with Lambert’s integrated communications and investor relations practice.
Joining VDH’s current owner, Marilyn Horn, president and CFO, Lambert will invest a less-than-majority stake in VDH. VDH will continue to be a minority-owned and managed entity, with all daily operations and management controlled by VDH.
The joint go-to-market plan and growth strategy for collaborative projects between the two organizations will be co-led by Michelle Olson, CEO of Lambert and Jeff Lambert, founder and chairman, in concert with Horn and Georgella Muirhead, CEO of VDH.
“In the communications field, where innovation and adaptation are essential to serve our clients, the credibility our agency has earned with clients and communities is an asset that we work constantly to develop and grow in new ways. That means being open to bold collaborations and the possibilities that they create,” says Horn.
“This partnership with Lambert strengthens the foundational values of this agency, as they were established by Georgella Muirhead and (the late) Bob Berg, to serve the region we call home, and it amplifies our ability to apply the lessons we’ve learned along the way to new challenges, new methods and new relationships across Michigan and beyond.”
The array of services now offered by the Lambert-VDH alliance includes community engagement; internal and corporate communications; ESG and diversity consulting; organizational development; communications, and cause-marketing; fractional DEI Officer services and recruiting; and multi-cultural marketing spanning PR, digital, advertising, and integrated marketing.
VDH will also build on its track record of board placement and board development for women and diverse candidates focusing on paid-board positions and board and organizational audits, and consulting on action steps for CSR and ESG including programming, giving, and foundation support.
“As an agency, we’ve earned a reputation for integrity and leadership in the Detroit area, as well as work we’ve done with regional and statewide partners, for more than two decades in community and multi-cultural engagement,” says Muirhead.
“We believe that our record of success will serve us well as we broaden our portfolio to include more public company board rooms, national brands, and major institutions outside the state. Marilyn and I are thrilled to announce this formal partnership that will allow both agencies to grow and expand services for our clients more rapidly.”
Lambert comments: “I founded the firm with a focus on growing our Return on Equity as a business metric, but this has expanded to also measuring the return on equity in our representation, our inclusion, in the clients we serve, and in our investments. This partnership — and our national consulting on diversity and multi-cultural marketing – is us doubling down on our commitment to be catalysts for change for our clients and any organization with the desire for growth.”