Publicis Communications Acquires The Herd Agency in Australia

MSL brand launches in Australia with one of the country's largest full-service public relations groups

SYDNEY, July 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Publicis Communications today announced the acquisition (100%) of The Herd Agency, one of Australia's largest and most-awarded public relations agencies. The acquisition enables Publicis Communications, part of Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40], to provide clients with newly expanded public relations services, including: strategy, corporate affairs, earned media, stakeholder relations, integrated campaigns, issues and crisis management, social media and content marketing.

The agency will be renamed Herd MSL, marking the launch of Publicis Groupe's public relations arm MSL into the Australian market.

Founded in 1996, The Herd Agency, has a team of 55 specialists in public relations, social media, content and creative, with a strong track record in consumer lifestyle, corporate, government, b2b, technology, and integrated campaigns. The existing leadership team of founder, Jamie Verco; CEO, Vanessa Liell; along with agency heads Katarina Farrell, Stuart Wragg and Lewis Shields will lead Herd MSL.

The agency has built their market-leading reputation by solving complex business problems through outstanding creative ideas, technically-excellent execution and content-led multi-channel campaigns for clients.

"The acquisition of The Herd Agency enables us to offer fully integrated public relations services to our clients for the first time. It couldn't be timelier to expand our capabilities and award-winning talent base in ANZ. We're optimistic about the new possibilities and opportunities this will bring to our respective clients," said Michael Rebelo, CEO, Publicis Communications ANZ.  

"This is an incredibly exciting time for our agency and our industry. As part of Publicis Communications, we have an outstanding opportunity to combine our strength in public relations and communications with one of the world's global creative leaders. Our growth has been driven by our capacity to respond to the changing needs of the market with creativity and agility. What excites us most is our cultural fit and shared vision to deliver world-class integrated campaigns for diverse and ambitious brands," said Jamie Verco, founder, The Herd Agency.

"We are thrilled to bring the MSL brand to Australia with one of the most dynamic agencies in the entire Asia Pacific region. Our outstanding new colleagues will fit right into our diverse network, as we together strive to build influence and deliver impact for our clients," said Guillaume Herbette, Global CEO, MSL. 

About Publicis Communications

Publicis Communications is one of the four solutions hubs of Publicis Groupe, alongside Publicis Media, Publicis.Sapient and Publicis Healthcare. Publicis Communications unites the Groupe's creative offering: Publicis Worldwide, Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, BBH, Fallon, Marcel, Prodigious, a global production leader, and MSLGROUP, specialised in strategic communications. Present in 20 markets, Publicis Communications aims to be the indispensable creative partner in their clients' transformation. Publicis Communications draws upon the expertise of over 30,000 employees.

About Publicis Groupe – The Power of One

Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40] is a global leader in marketing, communication, and digital transformation, driven through the alchemy of creativity and technology. Publicis Groupe offers its clients seamless access to its tools and expertise through modular offering. Publicis Groupe is organized across four Solutions hubs: Publicis Communications (Publicis Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, BBH, Marcel, Fallon, MSL, Prodigious), Publicis Media (Starcom, Zenith, Mediavest | Spark, Blue 449, Performics), Publicis.Sapient (SapientRazorfish, DigitasLBi, Sapient Consulting) and Publicis Health. These 4 Solution hubs operate across principal markets, and are carried across all others by Publicis One, a fully integrated service offering bringing together the Groupe's expertise under one roof. Present in over 100 countries, Publicis Groupe employs nearly 80,000 professionals.  
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About MSL

MSL is Publicis Groupe's strategic communications and engagement group.  It is one of the world's largest public relations and integrated communications networks and provides strategic counsel and creative thinking.  It champions its clients' interests through fearless and insightful campaigns that engage multiple perspectives and holistic thinking to build influence and deliver impact.  With more than 3,100 people across more than 110 offices worldwide, MSL is also the largest PR network in Europe, fast-growing China and India.  
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