Burson-Marsteller joins forces with icon.pr to target Melbourne market

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — Burson-Marsteller Australia, a leading public relations and communications consultancy, today announced it had signed a strategic affiliation with Melbourne-based digital PR firm, icon.pr, as part of moves to grow its Victorian business.

Under the deal, Burson-Marsteller Australia’s staff will be co-located with icon.pr. The two firms will join forces on key new business initiatives.

“icon.pr and its parent, interactive specialists Icon.Inc, bring many additional offerings to the table that are complementary to our mainstream public relations and public affairs offering in Australia,” said Brian West, Market Leader, Burson-Marsteller Australia.

“While we will maintain our own identity and continue to service our strong Melbourne-based client portfolio, the affiliation with icon.pr means we can offer existing and new clients a much broader range of services.”

Launched 18 months ago, icon.pr has extensive expertise in social media, online communications and interactive marketing. Its clients include Nu Energy, FleetPartners, Heat Group, Football Federation Australia, ANZ and Lifestyle Communities.

“This deal is a win for our clients and a great opportunity for both firms,” said Joanne Painter, Managing Director, icon.pr.

“More than ever, businesses are demanding maximum return on their marketing and PR investment. By bringing together the experience and global reach of Burson-Marsteller with the strategic digital focus of icon.pr, the two firms can now offer a powerful, integrated suite of services that take PR to a new level,” said Ms Painter.

Mr West said the two firms would be aggressively targeting opportunities in the Victorian market over the coming year. icon.pr will leverage the relationship to grow its Sydney operations and offer clients national coverage.

“We will be taking a fresh, broad-spectrum and contemporary offering to the marketplace in conjunction with icon.pr,” Mr West said. “Our offering is one that will appeal to the traditional and the digitally-enhanced companies in Melbourne and around Australia.”

Burson-Marsteller Australia’s Melbourne-based clients include Qualcomm, Henkel, HostPlus, mcm Entertainment and National Foods.

About Burson-Marsteller
Burson-Marsteller (www.bm.com/australia), established in 1953, is a leading global public relations and public affairs firm. The firm has been operating in Australia since 1980. It provides clients with strategic thinking and program execution across a full range of public relations, public affairs, advertising, and web-related services. The firm’s seamless worldwide network consists of 57 wholly-owned offices and 44 affiliate offices, together operating in 58 countries across six continents. Burson-Marsteller is a subsidiary of WPP (NASDQ: WPPGY), one of the world’s leading communications services networks.

About icon.pr
icon.pr (www.iconpr.com.au) is a boutique Melbourne-based PR firm with extensive experience in interactive and new-media communications. Part of the Icon.Inc creative group, icon.pr offers end-to-end communications services supported by award-winning interactive, marketing and graphic design capabilities. It is this ability to leverage solutions across media, and offer cost-effective integrated capabilities that has driven the agency’s rapid growth since its 2008 launch.