BOSTON: As a further proclamation of its independence from Omnicom sister agency Porter Novelli, Brodeur Porter Novelli last week announced that it has changed its name to Brodeur Worldwide.
BOSTON: As a further proclamation of its independence from Omnicom
sister agency Porter Novelli, Brodeur Porter Novelli last week announced
that it has changed its name to Brodeur Worldwide.
’Our business focuses have gone in separate directions,’ said Brodeur
president Andrea Carney. ’On the consumer technology side, we envisioned
that we’d collaborate with Porter Novelli when we sold to Omnicom (in
1993), but clients demanded the expertise within Brodeur.’
PN CEO Bob Drucken-miller described Brodeur’s independence as a ’natural
evolution of the technology business.’ He declined to comment on whether
Copithorne & Bellows will now become PN’s technology arm, although
sources say that an announcement is just around the corner (PRWeek,
November 1).
Carney pointed to a series of recent moves that have led up to the name
switch. Brodeur formed its global consumer technology practice in April,
acquired Park Place in July to form Brodeur Interactive and formed its
health tech specialty practice in September.
Brodeur also recently announced a partnership with employee
communications firm Smythe Dorward Lambert and named Powell Tate founder
Jerry Johnson as SVP of issues management in Brodeur’s Washington, DC
office (see story, p7).
’We’re not leaving unhappily, and we’re not vying to be the chosen one,’
said Carney. She predicted that Brodeur would continue to collaborate
with Omnicom partners, such as its collaboration with Porter Novelli on
the Philips Electronics account.