KETCHUM BUYS A PIECE OF LANGDON STARR
By Adnews Staff
Toronto-based public relations agency Langdon Starr Inc. announced this week that it has sold a 20% minority interest in the company to Ketchum Public Relations Worldwide of New York, which is itself a unit of Omnicom Group Inc. The arrangement is a logical extension of the past relationship between the two companies, according to president Jane Langdon, as Langdon Starr has been Ketchum's exclusive Canadian affiliate for over two years. "It's a natural evolution," Langdon told Adnews yesterday. "They're very much the partner we want to be involved with over the long term." The deal is expected to give Langdon Starr's clients better access to Ketchum's specialized services, such as research, and global reach. For its part, Ketchum is hoping to maximize the benefits it can offer its clients through the provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Langdon Starr's clients include Molson Breweries, The Home Depot (Canada), Timex Canada, CIBC and ACNielsen. No changes to the client list or in personnal are expected as a result of the sale, says Langdon.