Edelman buys Elan to ‘challenge’ the French PR industry
pharmafile | September 5, 2014 | News story | Medical Communications, Sales and Marketing | Edelman, Elan, publicis
Edelman has swooped in on fellow PR firm Elan to create a ‘new player’ in the communications industry in France.
Edelman, the world’s biggest PR network, announced last night that it had bought all outstanding shares in Elan, France’s biggest independent communications consultancy, in a bid to break into the top three agencies in the country.
The current market PR leaders in France are Publicis, Havas and Burson-Marsteller.
This new venture will see the existing Edelman Paris operation and Elan ‘challenge the industry’ in France, whilst also creating an agency with 140 staff and billings exceeding €14 million (£11 million).
Marion Darrieutort, president and chief executive of Elan who is based in Paris, will oversee the combined partnership over the coming months. Prior to founding Elan in 2008, Darrieutort was a director in Edelman’s Paris office.
Edelman France first opened in Paris in 1989 and is now the third largest office in the European network.
With a broad area of experience covering corporate, digital, technology, health and consumer, as well as research and analytics through Edelman Berland, Edelman works for many of France’s leading brands, including pharma companies.
It also runs the annual ‘Edelman Trust Barometer’ to help pharm understand its reputational issues.
Darrieutort says: “This is a hugely exciting time for all of us at Elan. We are proud of the reputation we have built over the last six years, and now look forward to capitalising on our roots in PR to seek new market share and international presence.
“Elan’s existing clients will benefit from Edelman’s global footprint beyond the French market, as the boundaries of the communications industry evolve and we look forward to building momentum in the marketplace together.”
Michael Stewart, president and chief executive of Europe and CIS at Edelman, adds “We are thrilled to join with ELAN, one of France’s most dynamic and aspirational agencies, whose innovative approach to award-winning client service has secured their reputation in economically challenging times.
“This investment is another leap forward in our ambition to grow at scale in Europe and to bolster our offer for the future, by bringing in and developing new capabilities. Elan are world class and we are incredibly excited to have Marion and her team as part of the Edelman family.”
In June this year Edelman also acquired Swedish PR agency Deportivo and merged it with its own Stockholm office to form Edelman Deportivo.
The Edelman and Elan combination is expected to have a joint name, according to PR Week, who speculates it will most likely be ‘Edelman Elan’, but it is not yet clear what it will be.
Ben Adams
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