NEWS: Omnicom share deal strengthens A Plus US ties

Omnicom, the US marketing and communications giant, has bought a 20 per

cent stake in A Plus, boosting its worldwide share of the hi-tech PR

market.

Under the deal Omnicom has bought half the shares owned by A Plus

founder and chairman John Aeberhard, who is retiring from the agency.

The remaining 80 per cent of the company has been distributed among its

four directors: Mike Copland, David Currer, Jonathan Simnett and Stan

Woods.

A Plus managing director Mike Copland stressed that the deal would not

affect the agency’s independence.

‘Our main interest is that it ties us in with the technical businesses

that Omnicom has in the States,’ said Copland. ‘A large part of the

industry is coming out of the US, particularly in the software sector,

and our portfolio is dominated by US companies. So having closer links

with those companies is obviously very important for us.’

The share purchase also gives Omnicom access to A Plus’s Euro Plus

network, which includes seven agencies in Europe and PR firms in

Israel, the Middle East and South Africa.