ZURICH: Hill and Knowlton has strengthened its presence in Europe
by acquiring a ten per cent stake in Swiss PR agency Dr Peter P
Knobel.
Knobel was established in 1987, has a staff of ten and is the 17th
largest PR agency in Switzerland, with a 1998 fee income of pounds
820,000. Its client list includes Nestle, Novartis Pharma, Swisscom and
Bristol Myers Squibb.
Before selling a stake to H&K, Knobel was affiliated to
Burson-Marsteller parent Young and Rubicam.
The company’s founder, Peter Knobel, said: ’For ourselves and our
clients, Hill and Knowlton is a stroke of luck. We shall be able to
extend our range of PR services and grow even faster than in the
past.’
Hill and Knowlton has a global network of 59 agencies across 34
countries, together with 42 associates.
Paul Taaffe, H&K’s chief executive officer, said: ’With Dr Peter P
Knobel we now have a solid PR base which is equally well respected both
in the market and by the media.’
