MarketInk: San Diego’s Southwest Strategies rebrands

Southwest Strategies Group, a San Diego-based strategic communications firm, has rebranded itself as the Bodewell Group.

A statement said the rebranding will position the company for its next chapter of growth.

The firm was founded in 2000.

“Bodewell Group was born from our distinct approach to client service,” Chris Wahl, Bodewell Group chief executive officer, told Times of San Diego. “When organizations partner with our professionals, outcomes bode well because decisions are grounded in clarity, alignment and trust. That belief is embedded in our name.”

The firm also said the rebranding means its family of agencies acquired in recent years will be unified into a strategic communications firm with a staff of roughly 140 employees. The agencies and year of acquisition in parenthesis include Katz & Associates (2023), BergDavis Public Affairs and ColLAborate (2024) and Kiterocket (2025).

The rebranded Bodewell Group will continue to operate offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Phoenix and Fresno, Calif., in addition to the San Diego headquarters.

A statement said, “The firm’s evolution marks the full integration of Southwest Strategies Group and its acquired agencies into a single brand. Effective immediately, all legacy firms will operate exclusively as Bodewell Group. This consolidation follows a period of sustained growth that includes expansion into every major market in California as well as Arizona and Washington state.”

“Bodewell Group was built for this moment,” said Wahl, a co-founder of Southwest Strategies Group with Alan Ziegaus, now retired. “In a period of historic infrastructure expansion, our clients need clarity and alignment. Our expanded capabilities help them secure support, manage risk and deliver results.”

The firm serves public and private sector clients ranging from Fortune 500 and technology companies to government agencies at every level, including water districts and transportation agencies, as well as investor-owned utilities. Its focus is advancing client needs in the nation’s essential infrastructure sectors.

“Our new name is intentional,” said Wahl. “We bring the insight and proven playbooks required to move critical initiatives forward and ensure they bode well for our clients.”

According to the firm, the U.S. is undergoing a generational wave of infrastructure investment, with more than $12 trillion in planned improvements reshaping the nation’s water, transportation, energy, technology and land use systems.

“Bodewell Group operates at the center of this shift, advising clients across the sectors that drive economic growth and job creation,” a statement said.

In 2022, Palladium Equity Partners and its affiliate, Palladium Heritage of New York, announced it had acquired an ownership interest in Southwest Strategies, a partnership which still exists today, the spokesperson confirmed.

San Diego Police Department to drop press credentials

It’s getting tougher for law enforcement officials to identify who is, and who isn’t, a legitimate journalist.

In some American cities, including Minneapolis, Seattle and Los Angeles, news reports have stated that police at free-speech public demonstrations have encountered agitators claiming to be journalists.

“It has become increasingly difficult to vet who is and is not media, particularly with so many freelance and social media journalists,” San Diego Police Department communications manager Ashley Nicholes told Times of San Diego. “It’s not our role to say who is and who isn’t legitimate.”

Nicholes said a physical altercation incident with a person claiming to be a journalist and a subsequent legal challenge has led SDPD to evaluate “our role as police in determining who is and is not media,” she said.

As a result, SDPD has quit issuing new press pass credentials, a decision that has drawn criticism from local journalism industry groups.

The change was announced in a SDPD email: “After reviewing our practices, applicable law, and the evolving media landscape, this email serves to notify you that SDPD will discontinue its Media Identification Card (Press Pass) Program and associated parking placards, effective February 13, 2026.”

“This decision was not made lightly,” Nicholes said.

Nicholes said the department’s discontinuation applies specifically to new requests from individuals claiming to be journalists. Currently, roughly 400 individuals are SDPD press pass and parking placard holders, and many of them are credentialed reporters or freelance stringers reporting for a recognized news media outlet.

“All press passes and parking placards have an expiration date,” Nicholes said. “After the expiration date passes, the credentials will be considered null and void and new credentials will not be issued. Current pass holders will be unable to renew when their credentials expire. If a vehicle has an expired parking placard, it could be subject to ticketing.”

Nicholes said ending the issuance of new parking placards is the biggest change for local news media, as well as the most frequent reason for complaints.

“After extensive discussion, it was determined that continuing to issue parking placards would require us to continue the vetting process to determine who qualifies as media to receive the placard,” she said. “We researched other large cities, and many did not have a press program any longer, and those that did, did not offer a parking pass with their program.”

Nicholes said law enforcement officers have noticed some individuals in news media have misused the placards.

“We’ve seen parking placards displayed on vehicles at a variety of locations, including ones where news is not happening,” she said.

While SDPD is discontinuing issuance of new parking placards, news crews arriving at crime scenes in clearly-identified news vehicles can still display their current parking placard if the expiration date has not passed, Nicholes confirmed.

“When parking may be difficult at active incidents we will work with them as best we can,” Nicholes said. “Chief (Scott) Wahl has given clear direction to all department personnel, particularly command staff, to be media-forward and assist with media and public information at scenes as much as possible.”

Two local journalism groups were quick to respond to SDPD’s decision.

“The San Diego Press Club is examining the San Diego Police Department’s recently implemented practice of discontinuing Media Identification Cards (Press Passes),” said an SDP statement. “In all cases, the SDPC believes the ability of the press to do its job quickly and efficiently in the field should not be impeded. Discontinuing press passes will hamper legitimate working members of the media.”

It’s that last sentence from the San Diego Press Club that Nicholes disagrees with.

“No, discontinuing press passes will not hamper legitimate news media from doing their job,” she said. “Rather, our decision demonstrates even a greater belief in freedom of the press because it will be easier to show identification as a journalist, particularly for freelance journalists.

“California law protects journalists who are reporting on a protest if there is an unlawful assembly dispersal order issued by police. They are allowed to continue reporting as long as they do not impede law enforcement from doing their job, regardless of what they report and for whom, if they show identification that they are a journalist.”

In its statement, the Society of Professional Journalists San Diego Professional Chapter, said, “Nothing about this decision changes journalists’ legal right to access news events. The law is clear. Officials are required to grant news media access to disaster zones and protests so they can deliver the news. This was never a right conferred by SDPD’s press pass. It is a fundamental part of California law.”

SPJ’s statement also said, “We encourage all reporters and photographers to carry business cards and identification that clearly identifies them as a journalist. SDPD has pledged to honor such identification cards. We expect all other law enforcement and fire agencies in San Diego County to do the same, since historically they deferred to the SDPD press pass.”

Nicholes said, “I’ve been surprised to learn how some news outlets don’t have ID cards or business cards. Yes, we have pledged to honor such identification cards.”

SDPD’s announcement also said, “In some jurisdictions across the country, professional journalism groups (similar to SPJ or the SD Press Club) oversee the program. Should a professional journalism group wish to assume that role, we would welcome discussions on how that would intersect with the San Diego Police Department.”

So far, nobody has come forward to discuss carrying on the program, Nicholes said.

San Diego AMA seeking entries for Sandie Awards

The American Marketing Association’s San Diego chapter is accepting entries for its 2026 Sandie Awards. Deadline for entries is Sunday, March 22.

AMA said its awards program, now in its fourth year,  recognizes the best marketing campaigns and communications created by or for an agency, consultancy, corporation, educational institution, nonprofit or college student based in San Diego County during the 2025 calendar year.

Award categories include branding, cause marketing, content marketing, digital marketing, event marketing, experiential marketing, influencer marketing, integrated campaign, public relations, SEO, social media strategy and implementation, video, website and marketing innovation.

Event co-chairs are Summer Haines and Kristin Heinig.

Entry costs start at $125 per entry for AMA members and $150 for nonmembers. Cost for entries in the Marketer of the Year, Agency of the Year and Trailblazer of the Year categories is $125.

Entries must include a completed questionnaire (maximum 500 words). Other rules are: The same entry can be submitted in a maximum of two categories; Company, agency, or student can submit a maximum of three entries per category.

Awards will be presented Thursday, May 21, at the Town and Country Resort Hotel in Mission Valley. More information can be found here.

At the 2025 Sandie Awards, AMA officials said 81 awards were presented from among a record-high 151 entries submitted by 55 companies or agencies and four collegiate institutions.

The San Diego County Fair was the top winner with six awards, including two Gold awards in the Digital Marketing Campaign and Influencer Marketing categories.

InnoVision Marketing Group won five awards, including two Gold awards in the Branding-Agency and Public Relations-Agency categories. Also, InnoVision’s Alanna Markey, senior VP and general manager, was named Marketer of the Year.

The San Diego Tourism Authority won five awards, including four Gold awards in the Content Marketing, Experiential Marketing, Social Media and Public Relations categories.

SeaWorld San Diego’s sales and marketing team took home the inaugural Trailblazer accolade for its 60th anniversary campaign. Vuja de Digital of Solana Beach received the Agency of the Year award.