‘This will affect all markets’: WPP to merge Hill & Knowlton and BCW Global
Just months after announcing a global merge of its creative agencies, WPP has revealed plans to do the same to its two largest PR agencies, Hill & Knowlton and BCW, to form Burson.
In October, the holding company announced plans to consolidate Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R to bring the VML name back to market, and in December, it revealed VML’s new APAC leadership team, which took effect on 1 January.
VMLY&R ANZ CEO Tom Tearle was named VML’s CEO locally, while Wunderman Thompson Australia’s CEO, Gavin Bain, moved into a new role as VML’s chief consulting officer ANZ and managing director for Perth.
The global merger of Hill & Knowlton and BCW is set to take effect from July 1, 2024, with new branding unveiled later this year.
“The merged company will become an industry-leading, full-service communications agency focused on building and protecting reputation,” WPP said in a statement.
“This union of agencies will enable Burson to best serve clients in a complex and volatile environment in which strategic stakeholder communications has never been more critical. The new agency will draw on both organisations’ unrivaled talent base, exceptional global networks, investments in technology, creative capabilities, and public affairs and advisory specialties to drive reputation and value creation through the interdisciplinary solutions that clients demand now.”
Hill & Knowlton was founded in 1927 by John Hill, then, in 2010, was merged with WPP’s Public Strategies. In 2011, the merged agency rebranded to Hill & Knowlton Strategies, then late last year, it rebranded to the original name of Hill & Knowlton.
Burson-Marsteller, a global PR and communications agency, was founded by Harold Burson in 1953. In 1979, Burson sold the agency to Young & Rubicam, which was then bought by WPP in 2000.
In early 2018, Burson-Marsteller was merged with Cohn & Wolfe, another WPP communications agency, to create Burson Cohn & Wolfe – BCW.
Then, in 2019, PR agency PPR AUNZ was merged into BCW, just days after the former’s CEO, Michael Pooley, departed.
Leadership announcements of Burson have begun, with current global CEO of BCW, Corey duBrowa, set to take the global CEO remit of the new agency, while AnnaMaria DeSalva, current global chairman and CEO of Hill & Knowlton, is set to serve as chairman.
AnnaMarie DeSalva and Corey duBrowa
Late last year, former Edelman Australia leader, Michelle Hutton, announced she would be joining BCW as global chief client and growth officer.
Hutton confirmed to Mumbrella that she will keep this role under the new agency model.
Based in London, she will report directly to duBrowa. She starts at BCW on February 5.
It is understood deBrowa and DeSalva will oversee all global agency strategy, client service, employee experience and culture together.
Locally, Amelia Tipping currently serves as Hill & Knowlton’s Australian managing director, while Anna O’Sullivan is managing partner, strategic communications and public affairs. BCW is led by Pamela Klioufis, CEO ANZ.
It is unclear what the merger’s new leadership will look like locally.
When contacted by Mumbrella, a WPP spokesperson said: “This will affect all markets from the date specified in the global release.”
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Lauren McNamara is a journalist at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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