Mumbai, Dec. 12: Global public relations firm Burson-Marsteller will acquire Genesis Public Relations for an undisclosed sum.
Genesis, the country’s leading public relations company with a headcount of close to 200, has wholly-owned offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. It also has representations in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Burson-Marsteller is a part of Young & Rubicam Brands, a subsidiary of WPP Group plc.
After the buyout, the company will be renamed as Genesis/Burson-Marsteller and will be integrated with the Burson-Marsteller Asia Pacific regional network. Genesis principal and founder Prema Sagar and chief executive officer Ashwani Singla will head Genesis/Burson-Marsteller. They will also join Burson-Marsteller’s Asia Pacific Leadership Board.
Filings have been made with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board for approval of the transaction.
“This is one of the most significant milestones in the 53-year history of Burson-Marsteller,” founder chairman Harold Burson said. “We are very proud that Genesis has agreed to become part of Burson-Marsteller,” he added.
Sagar said, “To be a part of the best global public relations company reflects the strong strategic fit and shared values between Burson-Marsteller and Genesis.”
According to Burson-Marsteller's Asia-Pacific president and CEO Bill Rylance, the acquisition will strengthen its regional capabilities.
“We can now leverage the global expertise, experience and reach of Burson-Marsteller to enhance our ‘one team, one experience’ promise of seamless network, deep insights, innovation and quality,” Singla said.
Genesis and Burson-Marsteller are, however, no strangers to each other. Genesis has been the global player’s exclusive partner in the country for more than three years.
Sources said several advantages would accrue to the employees too from the acquisition. “The employees will be part of a global network, which will bring new client servicing ideas and capabilities,” they added. Genesis has over 80 clients in the country, some of them being Pepsi, Hutch, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Accenture and Motorola.
