Tavistock strikes client deal with Haubrok

Financial and corporate agency Tavistock Communications has signed

a client-sharing deal with German investor relations outfit Haubrok.

The tie-up is not an equity agreement and the two will continue to trade

separately, but they will sell their services together to firms that

operate in both UK and German markets.

Tavistock board director David Foxman and senior manager John West are

in charge of the project. On the German side, Tavistock’s contact is

director Oliver Linde and the agency’s principal Axel Haubrok.

Foxman told PR Week: ’There is a growing internationalisation in the

financial world and we need to position ourselves to capitalise on that.

This link is stage one in that process.’

The agencies have no mutual clients at the moment, and have none

pencilled in to share as yet.

Tavistock, with 30 staff and fee income in excess of pounds 1 million,

specialises in the telecoms, media and technology, financial services

and property sectors. Its client list includes Vodafone Airtouch,

Cazenove Fund Management and CB Hillier Parker.

Haubrok is a ten-year old operation, based in Dusseldorf. The agency has

recently launched a new division for organising annual general

meetings.

Haubrok has a reputation for specialising in media and technology

IPOs.

The link-up is not the result of a long search for a partner agency.

The two were introduced through an undisclosed client of Tavistock’s

which had used Haubrok in the past.

Foxman denied rumours the move was the first step in an acquisition

strategy.

He did not rule out an exchange of stock down the line, but said: ’Both

companies want to preserve their independence. Nothing of that sort is

contemplated.’