Edelman has acquired France's top independent PR firm, ELAN, a six-year-old firm started by Edelman alum Marion Darrieutort.
 Edelman Europe & CIS president/CEO Michael Stewart, Richard Edelman and Marion Darrieutort. |
The world's largest PR firm said it will merge ELAN with its Paris operations and create a 140-staffer agency with billings north of $18M.
Edelman opened a Paris office in 1989 and counts 70 PR staffers there competing with France's dominant advertising players and PR units like Havas, MSLGroup (Publicis), Interpublic's Weber Shandwick and WPP's Burson-Marsteller.
Edelman CEO Richard Edelman said his firm is committed to being a "big player in France" over the long term, noting the country is the fifth largest economy in the world. He said Edelman intends to "challenge" the French communications sector in a new era for integrated marketing communications.
Darrieutort, president and partner at ELAN, was a managing director for Edelman/Paris and deputy director for Omnicomn's TBWA before setting up ELAN in 2008.
"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," she said.
ELAN clients include Accenture, Electrolux, Toshiba, L'Oreal, and ING. Edelman's Paris work includes Symantec, Mylan and Janssen.
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