Local PR firm rebrands as more acquisitions are made

Lambert, Edwards & Associates has undergone a major change.

After 20 years, the largest public relations firm in Michigan rebranded its logo, website and signage, and changed its name to Lambert & Co.

Jeff Lambert, founder and CEO of Lambert & Co., worked in conjunction with Grand Rapids-based advertising agency Extra Credit Projects to rebrand the firm.

Rob Jackson, founder of ECP, said it was a 90-day project that started out with close to 100 ideas for a logo, but his team managed to quickly narrow them down.

“We were looking for something that had a little story with it, something that went beyond just a logo, something they can use in their language and the way they talk about their business and the services they provide their clients,” Jackson said.

Jackson and Lambert came to the decision to replace the logo LE&A with a “Lambert frame” logo. The new logo also includes new colors and font size.

“It represents our unique frame of mind,” Lambert said. “So, the frame also doubles as brackets around an idea or brackets around an image. So, it is a really nice logo that can be used for a lot of different marketing pieces.”

The new logo and name no longer have the name “Edwards,” which belonged to former co-founder Brian Edwards. He left the firm 15 years ago, but Lambert said the company never changed the name of the firm because he felt the name was a part of its brand as the business was growing.

The firm also unveiled new core values: tenacious, clever, playmaking, honorable and team-based.

Lambert said the decision to rebrand the firm came after it acquired New York City-based Owen Blicksilver PR earlier this year.

“We were starting to become known as an acronym, and we really wanted to be known for our brand,” he said. “We really wanted to transition as the company has transitioned from a local PR firm to a national PR firm. We wanted a brand that really reflects our national client base.”

The new logo embodies what Lambert’s plans are for the future.

“We’ve made five acquisitions, and this was our first time adding an office outside of Michigan,” he said. “Our intent is to instead of acquiring a firm every three to four years, we are trying to do an acquisition every year. So, we will certainly look at new geographies or new expertise that we can provide our clients.”

Lambert said the business is looking at more areas where its clients are located. The firm has more than 150 clients based in 20 states and six countries, including industry leaders and challenger brands like Belle Tire, Continental North America, Green Giant Fresh, Huron Capital, North American International Auto Show, Spartan Motors, Plackers, Spectrum Health, Stroh’s and Wolverine Worldwide.

The firm’s national practice areas are automotive and mobility, business and financial services, consumer, education, food and beverage, health care, investor relations and private equity.