Fleurot said he was in specific talks with agencies in China and India, as he attempts to transform MS&L Group into a top-tier global PR contender. His comments follow the decision, first flagged in PRWeek earlier this year, to consolidate Publicis' PR brands - including Publicis Consultants - under the MS&L banner.
The new MS&L Group will include the flagship agency, along with a range of agencies, including Publicis Consultants, JKL, Winner & Associates, TMG Strategies, PBJS, Relay, Capital MS&L, Hanmer MS&L, SAS and Publicis Events.
Fleurot has also named a leadership team for MS&L Group. Current MS&L Europe chief Anders Kempe becomes Europe president, while existing MS&L leaders Jim Tsokanos and Glenn Osaki will oversee the Americas and Asia, respectively.
However, Publicis Groupe-owned agencies Freud and Kekst and Company will not be part of MS&L Group. Instead, Fleurot said he hoped to leverage those assets as needed. ‘I just want to build that relationship further because Matthew (Freud) is leading a very successful business in the UK that is growing this year.'
Fleurot also pointed out that not all of the brands under MS&L Group would adopt MS&L branding. Publicis Consultants in London, for example, will retain its name for the time being, while the same agency in Holland will become MS&L in 2010. ‘We will keep a few brands to manage conflicts within the network,' he said. ‘The key is not that they all have the same name - the key is that they communicate and co-operate.'
MS&L Group's global revenues have already been pegged at US$400m to $500m – which Fleurot called an ‘accurate estimate'. The figure puts the agency within the world's top four PR agencies by revenue.
Publicis Groupe's Olivier Fleurot targets acquisitions after restructuring PR under MS&L
Publicis Groupe PR supremo Olivier Fleurot has revealed that agency acquisitions are a major priority for his newly formed MS&L Group entity, which will house the bulk of the group's PR resources.
