Jeff-
Olgilvy's press release about joining forces with Alexander.... this brings a lot of firepower to the table for ALYD:
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide and Alexander Communications Join Forces, Strengthen Global Leadership in Technology Public Relations and Public Affairs
Partnership Makes Ogilvy PR the Seventh-Largest PR Firm in the World
NEW YORK, N.Y., October 19, 1998 - Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide today announced its acquisition of Alexander Communications, Inc., a leading U.S. technology PR firm. Alexander Communications will operate as Alexander Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, a wholly owned subsidiary, making Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide the world's seventh largest PR agency*. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"We're converging the longstanding heritage and worldwide reach of the Ogilvy PR brand with the technology leadership of Alexander," said Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide President and CEO Bob Seltzer. "Through this alliance, we're positioning both firms to best serve the needs of the technology industry's most important global players."
The partnership between these firms capitalizes on key market opportunities: increasing demand is driving high growth in technology-specific PR, a market opportunity that Marketing Computers magazine estimates at more than $500 million. There is burgeoning need for specialized, tech-industry-focused approaches to investor relations, public affairs and other strategic communications services. In addition, there is a rapidly growing expectation among global technology brands that their communications partners will provide integrated worldwide service.
"Our partnership with Ogilvy PR accelerates our ability to scale globally as we extend our strategic services," said Pam Alexander, founder and CEO of Alexander Communications. "By aggressively extending our resources for clients in the United States, Europe and Asia, and expanding strategic services such as tech policy communication, we'll continue to work with industry leaders and attract the best talent." Pam Alexander will assume the role of president and CEO of Alexander Ogilvy.
"This partnership positions Alexander Ogilvy to support our need for global branding in the technology world, today and into the future," said Paul W. Critchlow, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications, for Merrill Lynch & Company. "We look forward to working with an integrated global services team from WPP Group – J. Walter Thompson and Alexander Ogilvy PR." Alexander Ogilvy will also leverage Ogilvy PR's New York base to strengthen its investor relations offering, tailored for the specific needs of the technology industry, and will extend Ogilvy PR's organizational communications offerings to the fast-growing technology companies it serves.
Ogilvy PR and Alexander Ogilvy combined have more than 630 employees worldwide. In the United States, the combined company will have offices in most major cities including Ogilvy PR's U.S. offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C., and Alexander's offices in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Ogilvy PR's European offices are in Brussels, London, Madrid, Paris, Prague, Vienna, Milan, Dublin, Stockholm, Seville and Barcelona. The Asian network is headquartered in Hong Kong with 17 offices in major markets such as China, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore. Alexander Ogilvy will expand into Europe and Asia in these locations, and Ogilvy PR will use the resources of Alexander's U.S. office locations.
Global Leadership in Technology Public Affairs
The partnership between Ogilvy PR and Alexander creates an unprecedented capability to serve the rapidly increasing demand for technology Public Affairs globally. It combines Silicon Valley's first and only tech policy communications practice with Ogilvy PR's long-respected Public Affairs Practice in Washington, D.C., Beijing and Brussels.
"Internet taxation, encryption, digital privacy, content regulation and securities litigation reform are just a few of the technology-related issues being debated inside the Beltway, in state legislatures across America and around the world," said Pam Alexander. "The ground-breaking work Ogilvy PR has done for MCI demonstrates the kind of impact that we, as partners, can have on technology policy and issues management worldwide."
Alexander Communications began the first integrated technology policy communications practice nearly two years ago in Silicon Valley, launching the Technology Network, the technology industry's political service organization. The group provides clients
with public policy message development, coalition building strategies, policy issue tracking, research and analysis, outreach to local, state and federal public officials, speech writing, policy-specific media relations and crisis-specific public relations programs.
Ogilvy PR has an established, global Public Affairs Practice – with seasoned staff in Beijing, Brussels and Washington, D.C. Ogilvy PR's Public Affairs Practice is comprised of experts with extensive experience in government, journalism, corporate and interest group advocacy. The firm has built and managed non-traditional coalitions for major American industries, including healthcare, steel, energy, defense and forest products.
About Alexander Communications
Alexander Communications is a leading strategic communications firm focused on the specific needs of the global information technology market. The firm is focused on emerging and high-growth technology market segments: Networking and Telecommunications, Internet Tools and Technologies, Electronic Commerce, Interactive Media and Information Appliances. Key clients include Arthur Andersen, Ascend Communications, Hewlett-Packard, IBM Speech Systems, Merrill Lynch, Nortel and Qwest. Alexander Communications was named 1997 PR Agency of the Year by AdWeek's Marketing Computers. Alexander has been named to Upside magazine's list of the most influential 100 in the digital age for 1997 and 1998. The firm will now be operating under the name Alexander Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide. For more information, see www.alexanderogilvy.com.
About Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide is a leading international communications firm with specialty practices in health and medical, strategic marketing, technology, corporate communications and public affairs. Headquartered in New York, Ogilvy PR partners with clients across the world from its 38 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific and through affiliate relationships worldwide. Its corporate web site is located at www.ogilvypr.com.
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Photo available upon request.
*Based on combined 1997 billing compared to current rankings by J.R. O'Dwyer Co. |
