Publicis expands PR services with The Herd Agency purchase
Publicis Communications, part of Publicis Groupe, has acquired award-winning Australian PR company The Herd Agency, in a move that enables Publicis to offer "fully integrated public relations services to our clients for the first time," according to Michael Rebelo, CEO of Publicis Communications ANZ. The deal will see the company rebranded as Herd MSL, and marks the introduction of Publicis Groupe's PR unit into the Australian market. Founder Jamie Verco and CEO Vanessa Liell will remain with the company.
Publicis Communications has announced the acquisition of The Herd Agency, one of Australia’s largest and most-awarded public relations agencies.

The acquisition enables Publicis Communications, part of Publicis Groupe, to provide clients with newly expanded public relations services, including: strategy, corporate affairs, earned media, stakeholder relations, integrated campaigns, issues and crisis management, social media and content marketing.

The agency will be renamed Herd MSL, marking the launch of Publicis Groupe’s public relations arm MSL into the Australian market.

Founded in 1996, The Herd Agency, has a team of 55 specialists in public relations, social media, content and creative, with a strong track record in consumer lifestyle, corporate, government, b2b, technology, and integrated campaigns. The existing leadership team of founder, Jamie Verco; CEO, Vanessa Liell; along with agency heads Katarina Farrell, Stuart Wragg and Lewis Shields will lead Herd MSL.

The agency has built their market-leading reputation by solving complex business problems through outstanding creative ideas, technically-excellent execution and content-led multi-channel campaigns for clients.

“The acquisition of The Herd Agency enables us to offer fully integrated public relations services to our clients for the first time. It couldn’t be timelier to expand our capabilities and award-winning talent base in ANZ. We’re optimistic about the new possibilities and opportunities this will bring to our respective clients.” said Michael Rebelo, CEO, Publicis Communications ANZ.

“This is an incredibly exciting time for our agency and our industry. As part of Publicis Communications, we have an outstanding opportunity to combine our strength in public relations and communications with one of the world’s global creative leaders. Our growth has been driven by our capacity to respond to the changing needs of the market with creativity and agility. What excites us most is our cultural fit and shared vision to deliver world-class integrated campaigns for diverse and ambitious brands,” said Jamie Verco, founder, The Herd Agency.

“We are thrilled to bring the MSL brand to Australia with one of the most dynamic agencies in the entire Asia Pacific region. Our outstanding new colleagues will fit right into our diverse network, as we together strive to build influence and deliver impact for our clients,” said Guillaume Herbette, Global CEO, MSL.