Affirming its commitment to integrated communications, The Hoffman Agency today announced that Gerard LaFond has taken the role of North America chief digital officer.
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Gerard LaFond (Photo: Business Wire)
In addition, LaFond is charged with opening the consultancy’s office in Boston.
“Today’s clients increasingly want help addressing pain points which calls for more than earned media,” said CEO Lou Hoffman. “We’ve leaned into digital and content for some time, but hiring Gerard signals full immersion, pass the snorkel.”
He added that the position of chief digital officer for North America is new for the company and one befitting Gerard’s 20-plus years of experience that includes stints at Cone Communications, Weber Shandwick and most recently LEWIS Global Communications.
His mission at The Hoffman Agency will be to transform the consultancy’s North American operation to a digital first mentality, a direction already underway in Asia Pacific and Europe.
“I’m excited to open an East Coast office and grow our digital practice at The Hoffman Agency,” said Chief Digital Officer Gerard LaFond. “Technology brands can be complicated but when you craft them into human stories, adding creativity, and amplify on social media, you have an opportunity to inspire. That’s what tech brands need to do to be relevant, and I plan to do just that with current and future Hoffman clients.”
One of the few independent PR consultancies with global reach, The Hoffman Agency currently comprises 13 offices across the globe, including San Jose and Portland in the U.S. as well as Beijing, Berlin, Jakarta, Hong Kong, London, Paris, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo.
Given the firm’s focus on the tech sector — or what it refers to as markets of complexity that umbrella areas such as energy and transportation — establishing a presence on the East Coast with a Boston office is a natural progression, both from a client perspective and tapping a new talent pool. When the company returns to the office, it will be in a hybrid form with flexibility to continue working from home.
For tech companies needing multi-market support, The Hoffman Agency offers an alternative to old-school agencies handicapped by internal silos and an emphasis on individual office P/L.
The Hoffman Agency grew over 30% in 2021 with revenue topping $20M.
“We intend to gain the scale required to take on virtually any communications assignment in the tech industry. While it’s still early days in 2022, we’re on track for another year of strong growth,” explained Hoffman.
About The Hoffman Agency
Named “global tech agency of the year” by PRovoke Media, The Hoffman Agency (www.hoffman.com) brings the best of both worlds to its clients — the high touch of a boutique, with the sophistication in services associated with the mega shops. While campaigns vary by client and industry, all share one theme: the creation of content that reflects the tenets of storytelling and what the firm calls storytelling techniques.
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