Manning Selvage & Lee Creates Comprehensive Global Digital PR Network

MS&L to offer worldwide integrated global solutions with sister agencies Digitas and Publicis Modem

Manning Selvage & Lee (MS&L) today announced the expansion of its successful North American digital practice into an integrated global offering that includes distinct capabilities in continental Europe, the U.K., and Asia.  The new global network, MS&L Digital, will now be able to offer worldwide integrated global solutions with Digitas and Publicis Modem, its Publicis Groupe sister agencies.

The move reflects the growing importance of digital strategies to Publicis Groupe and the increased importance of social media, user-generated content, mobile technologies and traditional Internet-based communications techniques to the agency’s clients around the world. 

According to MS&L research, marketers feel there is a growing urgency for integrated global digital offerings.  A recent study by MS&L and PRWeek found that while the majority of executives expect to engage and invest in conventional marketing activities this year, such as event sponsorships (60%) and media relations (65%), sizable numbers also plan to build their brands through consumer generated media (43%).  

As digital communications excellence becomes an increasingly critical part of brand-building and the overall marketing mix, companies must be able to implement digital programs around the globe.  The survey results indicated that the majority of marketing executives perceive consumer-generated media to be an important activity for building a brand (55%), increasing brand awareness (63%), and driving sales (43%).

 “There is growing demand from MS&L’s clients for sophisticated, market-specific digital communication programs in most areas of the world,” said Mark Hass, MS&L’s chief executive officer.  “While the content of the many digital techniques we use is tailored to different markets and cultures, the ability to share strategies and best practices across borders will be key to our clients’ success and the agency’s continued digital leadership.”

MS&L’s proprietary approach to digital communications is consumer-centric, focusing on five core areas: communicating with multiple audiences; using third-party credibility; creating and building research-driven insights that educate, entertain, engage and motivate; utilizing online and off-line storytelling techniques; and leveraging the agency’s deep understanding of influencers and pop culture to achieve communication and business goals. 

The agency’s global offering will use this approach and offer four categories of services:

• Consulting and strategy (brand and reputation navigation, crisis management, employee communications and CSR);
• Conversation (influencer relationship management, social networks, mobile platforms and blogging);
• Digital publishing (site development, graphics and banners, content creation, multimedia, and programming); and
• Measurement and accountability (monitoring, metrics and analysis).

MS&L’s North American digital practice has been a pioneer in the use of digital techniques since 1995, and has created many of the industry’s best-known, innovative programs in blogging, brand conversation and buzz, influencer activation, Web development, and online outreach for top clients including General Motors, Philips, Procter & Gamble and Heineken USA.  Its award-winning work on GM’s FastLane blog, which connected consumers to GM’s products and executives, is acknowledged as the communication industry’s best practice for how companies can directly and effectively engage in online conversations with customers and influencers.  Similarly, its communications campaign for shaveeverywhere.com, the web site for popular men’s shaver Philips Norelco Bodygroom, helped make the product introduction one of the most successful in Philips’ history.  Both campaigns won more than 20 industry and Web awards in the U.S. and U.K., including PRWeek’s Best Use of Internet/New Media, numerous gold, silver and bronze SABRE awards, PRSA Anvils, Bulldog Reporter awards, and others.

MS&L also has extensive experience creating Internet and social media campaigns for clients in the U.K., Germany, France, Italy and Sweden.  MS&L France, for example, has created numerous search engine optimization and buzz campaigns, including event planning that targets online trend setters, online competitions, and editorial support for blogging, podcasting and online community management.  Its office in Germany has been working on digital campaigns for large global clients for the last several years.

MS&L’s new global practice will be jointly led in North America and Europe by Jud Branam, head of MS&L’s BlogWorks practice, and Michael Pierlovisi, head of MS&L France’s Digital PR practice.  The network will be led regionally in the U.K. by Justin Hayward, head of MS&L London’s technology group, and Josh Shapiro, regional business development manager in Asia, and staffed by more than 50 MS&L digital experts in key markets around the world.

“The communications industry has shifted from operating as a monologue, to a dialogue, and now to a multilogue, which means that there are multiple conversations and participants about our clients’ products, executives and brands at any given time,” said Branam.  “We cut through fads to counsel our clients on the best way to add their stories to this conversation, using innovative products and tools with both context and credibility.”           

About the Team

Jud Branam is managing director of MS&L’s Ann Arbor office, home of the MS&L BlogWorks (blogworks.org) specialty.  BlogWorks helps MS&L’s blue chip clients understand the blogosphere and counsels them about how to participate effectively in the marketplace conversations happening online.

Branam’s portfolio includes work for General Motors, Procter & Gamble, Philips, DaimlerChrysler and others.  Recent work has included industry-leading business blogging, podcasting and vidcasting, along with blogger media relations and online influencer outreach for product launches.  The BlogWorks team is currently helping clients leverage other emerging tools such as RSS feeds, content tags and mobile communications platforms.  One project, the GM FastLane Blog, was recently honored as “2005 PR Innovation of the Year” and “Best Use of the Internet in a PR Program” by PRWeek magazine.  That blog draws more than one million visitors per year and has received hundreds of press citations.

Over the past eight years, Branam’s team has conceived, directed and created numerous award-winning informational Web sites on sensitive issues such as child safety, tire safety, labor relations, the environment and automotive fuel economy.  These sites include GMability.com, Gmtiresafety.com and FitforaKid.org.  MS&L’s Digital practice was named “Interactive Agency of the Year for 2001” by The Holmes Report, and an educational Web site developed for GM was named 2004’s “Best Educational Site” by the Web Marketing Association.

Branam joined MS&L in 1998 after leading editorial and community development for iRACE.com and consulting on web issues for Ford Motor Co.  He previously spent 10 years as a newspaper reporter.

Michael Pierlovisi joined MS&L France in January 2007 as head of its Digital PR practice.  His current clients include Pyrex, sanofi aventis, Amaury Sport Organization, Johnson & Johnson, Roche and Unilever France, where he uses his online experience to develop strategic and operational recommendations based on the most efficient services and tools that may help MS&L France’s clients to gain and/or maintain visibility on the Web and, if necessary, engage in conversation with their customers.

His expertise embraces Online Intelligence (audit and monitoring), networking (KOLs, web and blog communities), editorial support (blogging and podcasting) and web engineering (CMS platforms, extranet, dedicated web tools, etc.).  Pierlovisi started his career as a technology journalist for five computer hardware & software specialized magazines.  He created several Web sites for IT companies and was responsible for the launch in 2001 of Media Video, the first French online web portal dedicated to video compression and communication technologies.

In 2005 he joined Edelman France and helped create its Online Communications Europe Department in Paris by defining internal process tools and participating in new business development for online programs in Europe.  He worked for clients such as MySpace, Sony Ericsson, Sandisk, Wengo and Microsoft Entertainment.

Pierlovisi is a visiting lecturer in online communications at the ISCOM (Paris) and has blogged about the latest online campaigns on www.half-day.com since February 2006.

About Manning Selvage & Lee
MS&L is one of the world's leading global communications firms. Headquartered in New York, MS&L has 54 offices throughout North America, Latin America, EMEA and Asia-Pacific, as well as an extensive global affiliate network.  The agency meets the needs of global and local clients by providing best-in-class services in consumer marketing PR, healthcare PR, corporate communications and technology communications, as well as industry-leading work in digital communications.  MS&L won PRWeek's Best Use of Internet/New Media Award in both 2006 and 2007.

MS&L is a member of the Publicis Groupe(Euronext Paris: FR0000130577), the world’s fourth largest communications group, and a global leader in digital and online advertising, media consulting, and healthcare communications. With some 42,000 professionals in 104 countries, the Groupe's activities cover advertising through three global advertising networks:  Leo Burnett, Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi, as well as through its two multi-hub networks Fallon Worldwide and 49%-owned Bartle Bogle Hegarty; media agencies with two worldwide networks ZenithOptimedia and Starcom MediaVest Group; and marketing services, including digital and interactive communications through Digitas, relationship and direct marketing, public and media relations, corporate and financial communications, multicultural communications, and event communications. The Groupe is also the world leader in healthcare communications. Web site: www.publicisgroupe.com.

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