Type Subsidiary Area served Worldwide Revenue 500 million USD Founded January 2001 | Industry Public relations Website www.webershandwick.com CEO Andy Polansky Number of locations 78 offices | |
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Predecessor Weber Group
Shandwick International
BSMG Key people Andy Polansky (CEO)
Jack Leslie (Chairman)
Gail Heimann President Headquarters New York City, New York, United States Parent organization Interpublic Group of Companies Subsidiaries Prime, Weber Shandwick Seattle Profiles | ||
Weber shandwick 1st take with andy polansky agency collaboration
Weber Shandwick (incorporated as CMGRP) is a public relations firm formed in 2001 by merging the Weber Group (1987), Shandwick International (1974), and BSMG (2001).
Contents
A conversation with weber shandwick ceo andy polansky and dean susan king
Origins
Weber Shandwick was formed in 2001 by merging the Weber Group, Shandwick International and BSMG (formerly Bozell Sawyer Miller Group). Shandwick International acquired consumer PR firm Mona, Meyer, McGrath & Gavin in 1988. Shandwick was in-turn sold to Interpublic Group (IPG) in 1998 and was renamed Weber Shandwick. BSMG merged with Shandwick that October. The firm had acquired large accounts like Coca-Cola and the insurance company Cigna, but by 2001 the company was going through layoffs due to the loss of a $12 million anti-smoking campaign and the general economic outcome of the September 11th terrorist attacks.
Recent history
In 2010, Weber's internal developers and social media teams created a social media crisis simulator called Firebell. In 2011 Weber hired employees to fill roles as community managers, writers, social media marketing strategists producers and analytics experts, making their digital marketing staff number 300. After a Weber executive moved to Hill & Knowlton, Weber Shandwick secured a restraining order after alleging the firm was taking their employees and clients. In May 2014, the firm acquired a Sweden-based agency, Prime, and its business intelligence division, United Minds.
The firm serves as global agency of record for Tokyo 2020.
Notable campaigns
In 2008, Weber Shandwick was hired by Microsoft to provide support for non-consumer PR in the EMEA region for products like Windows Client and Microsoft Dynamics.
In 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services contracted Weber Shandwick to run a $3.1 million campaign to raise awareness for state healthcare insurance exchanges mandated by the Affordable Care Act.
In 2017, the Egyptian Intelligence services hired Weber Shandwick and lobbying company Cassidy and Associates to improve Egypt's image in the USA. This was a controversial deal because, according to the Middle East Eye: Egyptian spies are often accused of torturing civilians and 'dissapearing' thousands of political opponents of Egypt's ruler General Sisi. They are also held responsible by many for the death of Italian student [Giulio Regeni].