Publicis Groupe to Acquire Muraglia, Calzolari & Associati
Marco Muraglia to become the CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group Italia
PARIS, July 3, 2007 - Publicis Groupe is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement to acquire Muraglia, Calzolari & Associati, the largest independent specialist media agency in Italy. Upon closing M,C&A will be re-branded M,C&A MediaVest and will operate as a separate agency alongside Starcom Italia, as part of Starcom MediaVest Group Italia.
As soon as the acquisition is closed Marco Muraglia, currently CEO of Muraglia, Calzolari & Associati, will become CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group Italia. Muraglia, 46, has vast experience in Italian communications, including the role of Consigliere Delegato of CIA Medianetwork, CEO of Initiative Media, and President of Assomedia from 1998 to 2002.
Roberto Calzolari, currently General Manager of Muraglia, Calzolari & Associati, will become CEO of the re-branded M,C&A MediaVest agency. Roberto Calzolari, 50, has previously held the roles of General Manager of Carat Italia and Consigliere Delegato of Blumedia.
With this move, Starcom MediaVest Group Italia will become the fourth largest media agency, and Publicis Groupe will consolidate its position as the third media group in Italy.
Nick Daly, COO of Starcom MediaVest Group EMEA, declared “We are delighted to welcome Marco and Roberto into the SMG family. From our earliest discussions it was clear that we shared a passionate and clear vision for how SMG can make further progress in developing our services in Italy. Marco and Roberto are both very highly respected professionals and we are all looking forward to working with them.”
Marco Muraglia, the new CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group Italia, declared "It’s very interesting from a professional perspective to enter not only a leading global communication company, but one which has demonstrated a real understanding of the communication environment and can anticipate the dynamics between brands and their consumers, actively putting consumers at the centre of everything they do. We look forward to sharing the vision and interpretation of the Starcom MediaVest Group." Roberto Calzolari added, "Starcom MediaVest enjoys a strong innovative reputation in Italy, and the agency is highly regarded by its clients. In parallel M,C&A’s qualitative competences and historic client relationships have created an excellent positioning for M,C&A in Italy. In our new media environment, active investments in both holistic planning and digital will guarantee a consistently strong platform for our work. Within this M,C&A MediaVest will continue to deliver cutting edge tailor-made services to its clients.”
Starcom MediaVest Group Italia will be comprised of Starcom Italia, and M,C&A MediaVest, and will be part of the Starcom MediaVest Group, one of the largest media networks in the world. Both Starcom Italia and M,C&A MediaVest will continue to offer distinct, differentiated services to their respective client bases, in accordance with the agencies’ current positioning.
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Publicis Groupe (Euronext Paris: FR0000130577 and NYSE: PUB) is 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
Starcom MediaVest Group
Ranked one of the largest brand communications groups in the world, Starcom MediaVest Group encompasses an integrated network of highly specialized consumer contact companies. SMG's global organization includes strategic marketing communication architects who are highly specialized in media management, response media, internet and digital communications, as well as multicultural, entertainment, sports sponsorship and event marketing and media. With nearly 5,800 employees in 89 markets worldwide, SMG delivers brand-building results for many of the world's leading companies.
Web site: http://www.smvgroup.com/
Muraglia, Calzolari & Associati
M,C&A was created at the beginning of 2003 by Marco Muraglia and Roberto Calzolari, and has grown rapidly to become the largest independent specialist media agency in Italy. It currently directly employs 20 full-time staff providing strategic advice as well as media planning and buying services to a broad client list that includes Heineken, Vodafone, Binda (Breil), Parmalat and Banca Mediolanum.
Contacts
Publicis Groupe
Eve Magnant, Corporate Communications + 33 (0)1 44 43 70 25
Martine Hue, Investor Relations + 33 (0)1 44 43 65 00
Muraglia, Calzolari & Associati
Marco Muraglia +39 (0)2 87 38 43 14
Roberto Calzolari +39 (0)2 87 38 43 08
Alessandro Suardi +39 (0)2 87 38 43 22
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