WPP BUYS PENN, SCHOEN AND BERLAND
By Adnews Staff
The WPP Group of London has acquired 100% of US strategic research and polling consultancy Penn, Schoen and Berland. The firm was founded in 1973 and has offices in Washington DC, New York, Denver, Aurora CO and Houston. Its services include research-based strategic counsel for corporations and associations as well as political polling and strategy. Its clients have included AT&T, Coca-Cola, American Express, BP, Novartis and Microsoft. It was also involved in Bill Clinton's 1996 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton's 2000 New York senatorial campaign and Michael Bloomberg's mayoral campaign in New York City this year. The firm had revenues of US$31.4 million in 2000. PS&B will operate independently within WPP as a stand-alone public affairs unit. Principals Mark Penn, Doug Schoen and Michael Berland will continue to manage the agency. "PS&B brings to WPP a strategic consultancy with a built-in research capability," said Howard Paster, CEO of Hill and Knowlton, also a WPP firm. "As such it should integrate well with a range of existing WPP capabilities, including public relations firms Hill and Knowlton and Burson-Marsteller and the identity and branding firms Brand Union and Landor."