Golin launches German j-v
PR agency Golin has formed a joint venture with GGH MullenLowe, its sister agency in Germany, allowing both agencies to bring a “truly integrated” offering to the German market.
Golin is launching its brand in Hamburg under the leadership of Uta Behnke, newly appointed managing director of Golin Germany. Behnke, a former MD of Edelman Germany, is charged with overseeing and growing the new agency – including opening a second office in Munich this summer.
Behnke will report to Matt Neale, president international, Golin and Benedikt Holtappels, CEO GGH MullenLowe (pictured, Neale left, Behnke centre, Holtappels right).
The integrated model is a response to the reality that many traditional, isolated PR and advertising solutions no longer work in the increasingly complex world of communications, according to both agencies.
“It answers our clients’ questions of how companies and brands can earn both attention and credibility,” said Behnke. “It’s exactly this new strategy that attracted me to start at Golin. “GGH MullenLowe and Golin share a common understanding of what makes a successful brand campaign. Our respective expertise complements each other perfectly and I’m really looking forward to this exciting adventure where we will create something new.”
Benedikt Holtappels, CEO of GGH MullenLowe, added: “Our understanding has always been that traditional advertising can be only one element in the communications solution process. To tackle this, we’ve designed CRM and digital concepts for our clients and have been thinking about relevant PR services for quite some time. We are very happy to now, in partnership with Golin, be able to offer a model that is tailored to the German market. Here, PR is not just another building block – but represents an equally entitled part in brand consulting.”
Uta Behnke brings 20 years of PR experience to Golin. Her clients have included Unilever, Mondelez, Bacardi, Shell, iglo and Beck’s. Behnke’s award-winning work includes campaigns such as “Awaken the Heinz in Me” for Heinz tomato ketchup, “Date a Dog” for Pedigree and “This Is Where Margarine Grows” for Unilever.
