Leading Independent PR Firm Boasts Star Pedigree
(Hollywood, Calif., May 2016)—Six years ago, Solters & Digney, one of the entertainment industry’s last remaining independent publicity firms, gave birth to Digney & Company Public Relations, headquartered in Hollywood.
Adding muscle to its outside talent ranks are PR consultants, Marcia Newberger, former public relations head of the Griffin Group of Companies and Merv Griffin Entertainment, and Arlene Winnick, a noted publicity executive in the travel and tourism industries, along with Jerry Digney, termed by the LA Business Journal, “L.A.’s PR stunting king.”
“We each bring decades of in-the-trenches publicity experience to the table,” says Digney, veteran personal publicist himself to a host of past and present icons, from Ray Charles, B.B. King and Bob Newhart, to TCL Chinese Theatre, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Madame Tussauds Wax Museums.
“We’ve collaborated in the past, so this was a natural for all of us.”
In recent years, the new firm has managed over 150 notable PR campaigns and events featuring Universal’s ground breaking King Kong, Lady Gaga, Betty White, “Glee,” Katie Couric, Jimmy Page, Josh Groban, Cindy Crawford, Robert Redford, Gwen Stefani, Fox Home Entertainment, Sony Home Entertainment, the Guinness Book of World’s Records, Curtis Mayfield, Aaron Neville, The Neville Bros., SMOSH, NASCAR, and the gala of all Hollywood galas, The Carousel of Hope.
Since its formation nearly 15 years ago, Solters & Digney helped clients, such as Concord Records, win eight Grammy® Awards for “Genius Loves Company” and got the late Pope named an honorary Harlem Globetrottter. And, let’s not forget the opening of the first retail store (other than the original) for famed Pink’s Hot Dogs, with Betty White on hand for the ribbon cutting!
Starting in the 1980s, Digney served as Executive VP of Solters/Roskin/Friedman and via Solters was the first-ever director of publicity for Feld Entertainment (producer-owner of Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey Circus). He also partnered with fellow PR-pro Newberger on Nestlé-owned Vittel Mineral Water in the U.S. and Regent Air (later MGM Grand Air).
Among its many past and present sports clients are the NBA-affiliated Summer Pro League, the Boston and Los Angeles marathons, Warren Miller’s award winning ski documentary series and ESPN’s 25th Anniversary, sports brands including Asics-Tiger, Fubu and Reebok, and multiple Summer Olympics events featuring various star athletes, such as multiple Gold winning swimmer, Gary Hall, Jr.
And, of course, the firm has worked with every major promoter, from Don King to Bob Arem, and represented and worked with pro athletes including, Jason Kidd, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Jim Brown, Magic Johnson, Tommy Lasorda, among others.
Associate Marcia Newberger was previously Executive Vice President of Warren Cowan & Associates, Senior Vice President of Rogers & Cowan, Inc., and Vice President of Solters/Roskin/Friedman. Arlene Winnick, who specializes in food, lifestyle, travel and tourism efforts, has more than 25 years of public relations and special events experience on behalf of Raffles L’Ermitage Beverly Hills and Wyndham Bel Age, and a list of other 5-star properties.
