London - MS&L Group has today announced that it has been awarded a global communications mandate to help the World Gold Council (WGC) stimulate and sustain demand for gold amongst multi‐stakeholders worldwide. Led out of London by corporate and financial communications firm Capital MS&L, the account will pool the knowledge and resources of Capital MS&L, MS&L Worldwide, and Publicis Consultants.

WGC is funded by the world’s leading gold mining companies, including Barrick, AngloGold Ashanti, Newmont, Gold Fields and Goldcorp. The organisation has offices in London (headquarters), the United States, the Far East, the Middle East and India. It operates in four key areas, investment, jewellery, industrial and official (central banks) targeting purchasers and holders of gold in each of these sectors. In addition the organisation is active in liaison with government and other regulatory bodies to ensure barriers to the ownership of gold are removed.

Richard Campbell, Managing Director of Capital MS&L, will lead the account. He said today:

“WGC has an ambitious vision to be the crucial catalyst in significantly increasing gold’s prominence over the coming years, ensuring that the organisation’s diverse audience understands gold’s relevance in the modern world more than ever. It is a vision that we share with WGC, and our global network of specialists within MS&L Group are looking forward to helping to establish gold at the centre of financial, political, cultural and industrial decision making.”

WGC will draw on many of MS&L Group’s core services including financial communications and investor relations, corporate and consumer PR, government affairs, and events management in order to deliver against its strategy. Capital MS&L will coordinate these activities around five primary geographical hubs: London, New York, Dubai, Mumbai and Beijing with activities extending to additional markets.

Matthew Graydon, Director, Corporate Communications at WGC said today:

“As the world enters a new post‐recession era where people will search for true value in everything they purchase, we are delighted to partner with MS&L Group to build the prominence of gold and ensure its significance and value is well understood across the globe.

“The MS&L team’s passion for gold was truly manifest throughout our pitch process as was their alignment with our strategy.”

Olivier Fleurot, CEO of MS&L Group added:

“MS&L Group was created with the intention of offering clients a greater consistency of message, as well as cohesion and integration across a diverse range of communications disciplines and geographies worldwide. WGC’s decision is an endorsement of that strategy and it will become a very significant client for our group globally. The two organisations will work together hand in hand to deliver real and lasting change to perceptions of gold and the WGC itself.”