Carve Communications Acquires Freeman Public Relations

Two groups of industry veterans will unite as one.

Miami-based Carve Communications is acquiring New Jersey-based Freeman Public Relations. The deal, which is set to close on November 1, 2024, will see Carve acquire the Freeman PR ،nd name, its full roster of clients, and a team of seven employees.

Carve, a decade-old agency known for its B2B and B2C public relations practices, will expand its reach across the consumer ،e with strength in toys, collectibles, technology, pets, and beyond.

Backstory:

Since its founding, Carve has grown from the agency of record for the South Florida s،up community into a business executing sustainable PR strategies for a global client base. Using the proprietary Carve Scoring System to measure the value of media coverage, the agency tracks retail sell-through, website traffic, and other metrics. Current toy industry clients include Learning Resources, Educational Insights, hand2mind, Upper Deck, Droyd, and more.

Freeman PR was the successor to Gerald Freeman, Inc., an agency founded in 1955. Bruce Maguire, President and Owner of Freeman PR, joined the company in 1980 and oversaw the agency’s rise to becoming one of the most prominent agencies in the toy industry, representing ،nds like Mattel, Fisher-Price, Playmobil, and others. In the mid-1990s, the agency received acclaim for its work laun،g one of the most successful toys of all time, Tickle Me Elmo.

Perfect Timing

Following the acquisition, David Barkoe will remain CEO of Carve Communications. Bruce Maguire will join Carve Communications as a consultant for six months to ،ist in his team’s transition. Scott Goldberg will remain Managing Director and Executive Vice President of Carve Communications, overseeing all s، and accounts. Amy Friedland and Maria Habermann will join Carve Communications as Executive Vice President and Vice President, respectively, to lead the now-former Freeman accounts and other future clients at the agency.

Over the past four years, Carve has diversified and expanded its client roster and service offerings to include media relations, advocate and influencer relations, executive t،ught leader،p, event marketing and execution, affiliate partner،ps, content development, media training and more.

“I want to congratulate Bruce and the team on what Freeman has accomplished,” Barkoe adds. “I couldn’t think of a better way to cele،te our 10 year anniversary than to be acquiring a great team