The Omnicom Group is one of the largest holding firms in the communications industry. Started in 1986, and spearheaded by its CEO and President, John Wren, it is one of the leaders in Communication and Media in the 21st Century. With over 1500 agencies in over 100 countries, Omnicom holds global influence, serving 5000 brands worldwide.
This company emphasizes a culture protecting the environment while also giving back to the communities where they operate, setting the tone on the environmental front of public relations.
While Omnicom states they have “A Portfolio of Marketing Leaders,” there are four large PR firms under the Omnicom corporate umbrella that require mentioning- Brodeur Worldwide, Fleishman-Hillard, Ketchum, and Porter Novelli. These firms are large parts of smaller, important partnerships making this company a leader in the industry.
Brodeur Worldwide
Brodeur Worldwide, is based out of Boston. It was founded in 1985 and obtained by Omnicom in 1993. In 2011, Andrea Coville and John Brodeur bought back a majority stake in the company, however, Omnicom still retains an equity stake.
With a catching website asking its visitors if they “want to be relevant?” Brodeur Worldwide promises clients: “We create bold, fresh communications campaigns that make you relevant in a distracted world. When you’re relevant you don’t just change people’s minds, you change behavior.”
Not only does this company have an office in Boston but it also has offices in many other large cities including New York, NY, Washington DC, Portsmouth, NH, and Phoenix, AZ. Brodeur Worldwide serves government agencies, financial services, healthcare, media, technology, and consumer-product markets. They provide a culture to their clients that is supportive, family-like and apolitical. Associates chosen for this agency are creative, intelligent and self-motivated.
A marketing campaign for the American Cancer Society earned this company top awards such as Reputation and Brand Management Campaign of the Year and Best Integrated Communications Campaign of the Year. Some other clients served by Brodeur Worldwide include Dartmouth, Orbitz, Hughes Network Systems, IBM, and Hankook.
FleishmanHillard
Fleishman-Hillard Inc. was founded in 1946 by Alfred Fleishman and Bob Hillard in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1994, it expanded its scope by setting up a second headquarters in Beijing. The firm was acquired by Omnicom in 1997 and in 2013, Fleishman-Hillard Inc. rebranded as FleishmanHillard.
This company developed a powerful slogan: “The Power of True.” Promising the company is true to themselves as well as the clients they work with every day. Their slogan mirrors the company’s cultures; a culture based on respect and teamwork, ethical behavior, and transparent business practices.
With 85 offices located in 30 countries around the world, FleishmanHillard has a relationship-driven client service aiming to achieve meaningful results. Their goal is to work across cultures on behalf of their client.
The company’s main specialties are rebranding companies and products, crisis management, and digital and social media. They have an impressive client list including Avaya, Bayer Healthcare, Chevrolet, League of Young Voters and Levi Strauss & Co.
Ketchum PR
Ketchum was founded initially as an advertising firm by George Ketchum in 1919 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1996, it was acquired by Omnicom moving its headquarters from Pittsburgh to New York. In 2009, the Ketchum brand merged with the European communications firm, Pleon, and rebranded in Germany as Ketchum Pleon. Today, Ketchum has 23 offices in 70 countries.
A visitor to Ketchum’s website immediately engages with the energy residing there. Employees for this company are smart, curious, and passionate about what they do, and it shows through many examples of past campaigns. Employees are encouraged to have diverse perspectives and fearless creativity. The main goal of this company: “To create great ideas that shatter expectations.”
Ketchum’s expertise includes sustainability and social impact, brand marketing, change management, corporate communications, food and beverage, social media and digital marketing, healthcare, and technology. They have long-standing PR ties to companies such as Chase, FedEx, Snapple, Delta Air and Kleenex. This business also works closely with the American government in many Medicare and Medicaid-related projects.
Porter Novelli Public Relations
Porter Novelli was founded in 1972 in Washington, DC by William D. Novelli and Jack Porter. In 2003, it acquired Fisher Health, a leading independent healthcare public relations firm. This helped lead the company to the year when they experienced the most growth, in 2008.
Since then it has been downhill, and Porter Novelli can best be defined as a struggling PR agency whose best days are behind them. They have weak leadership, an unsure marketplace positioning – and many offices that don’t make money.
This company believes the success of a business does not come from a single campaign, but from consistency and a deeper understanding that grows as a result. They believe clients need a global, collaborative network of experts working for them on their behalf. They believe that staff need to focus on moving forward through opportunities that arise and changes that may occur. They specialize in global health and wellness, global technology, food, drink, and nutrition.
Porter Novelli is well-known for high-level campaigns spreading awareness for HIV, climate change, and health concerns related to smoking. Porter Novelli’s client list has included T-Mobile, HP, UPS, Duracell, Pfizer, The Walt Disney Company, Gillette, Braun, McDonald’s, British Airways, and Timberland.
Marina Maher Communications
MMC was founded in 1983 by Marina Maher, CEO. The agency specializes in marketing and branding for women and products used by women. Their offices are in New York City and over the years, they’ve built a solid base of understanding and leadership in their niche. They’ve also managed to get quite a few awards along the way, including eight effies and over 60 industry awards just in the last couple of years (since 2014).
MMC joined the Omnicom family in 2012, though it was announced late in 2011. Some of their clients include Tide, Depend, CoverGirl, Johnson & Johnson, and Acuvue.
They use data and behavioral insights to develop their campaigns. According to their website, “Our groundbreaking approach goes way beyond the usual ‘social listening’ and into Behavioral Science and ‘Social-Ethology,’ where we study the digital behavior of your target audience, to glean insights that inform everything from social strategy to content development.”
Rabin Martin
As of May 2016, Rabin Martin joined the ranks of Omnicom PR Group becoming the 11th agency and Karen Van Bergen’s first addition since taking over the CEO position over all the PR groups. RM is a global healthcare specialist and has worked on some of the largest worldwide healthcare campaigns, including Merck for Mothers. In joining Omnicom, the RM leadership looks forward to expanding to even larger global healthcare initiatives and helping countries deal with problems among their populations.
RM is headquartered in New York City, but has offices in Geneva, London, and Los Angeles as well and employs approximately 500 people.
Other companies in the Omnicom PR Group include Cone Communications, CLS Strategies, DDC Public Affairs, Mercury Public Affairs (who in May 2016 brought John Kasich on as a member of their team), and g+ Europe.