PRESS RELEASE

Move Accelerates Publicis Groupe’s Expansion in India and Strengthens Manning Selvage & Lee’s (MS&L) Presence and Capabilities in High-Growth Market

Publicis Groupe has agreed to acquire leading Indian public relations consultancy Hanmer & Partners. Hanmer & Partners employs some 350 professionals in 42 cities across India. This strategic acquisition, subject to the approval of the Indian government’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), is in line with Publicis Groupe’s commitment to expand its offering in high-growth emerging markets.

Following this acquisition, Hanmer will be aligned with Manning Selvage & Lee (MS&L), one of the world’s most important public relations firms, and the Indian agency will be renamed Hanmer MS&L. This acquisition significantly strengthens MS&L’s presence and capabilities in India, while offering Hanmer & Partners’ clients access to a global network.

The consultancy specializes in public relations for a wide range of industries including consumer; lifestyle and hospitality; financial services; IT and telecom; media and entertainment; auto, aviation, engineering and infrastructure; and healthcare communications. It works in tandem with its specialized division Hanmer Reach, a unit that helps clients reach audiences across different geographies and diverse cultures. The firm also has several divisions including Hanmer Interactive, a multimedia division that focuses on web-based solutions; Hanmer Events and Hanmer Advertising. Its clients include ACC, Network 18 (CNBC), Bharti Axa, Emirates, Enam, General Motors, ICICI Bank, ICICI Prudential, ING Vysya, LG, Religare, Tata Sky, BPL Mobile, Henkel and Discovery Networks, among others.

Mark Hass, Global CEO of MS&L, said: “We’ve worked with Hanmer & Partners for several years, and we have a very successful history of collaboration. Sunil Gautam and his team will add significant new expertise and resources to the MS&L family in a region that is of growing importance to the public relations industry and MS&L’s global clients. This acquisition is an important component of MS&L’s aggressive growth plans for Asia, where the firm already enjoys a significant presence in China, Japan and Southern Asia.”

Sunil Gautam, managing director of Hanmer & Partners, said: “Partnering with MS&L gives us the opportunity to build our client relationships both inside and outside of India. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to join MS&L, and I think this will be a very fruitful and successful partnership for many years to come.”