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Porter Novelli Launches Shunya International as Strategic Partner for Multinational Clients in China

NEW YORK, January 7, 2008 – Porter Novelli has formed a strategic alliance with Shunya International, an operating company within the Shunya Communications Group, one of China’s leading independent public relations and marketing groups, to provide strategic planning and other consultancy services to multinational organizations in China.

The deal follows the recent investment by parent Omnicom Group’s BBDO, in a significant minority stake in the Shunya Communications Group. This partnership is designed to provide highly-skilled Chinese resources and market access to Porter Novelli and to create international scale and development opportunities for Shunya International’s multinational clients and staff.

The creation of Shunya International as a member of the Porter Novelli global network follows the integration of Porter Novelli and Shunya consultants in China into a 60-person agency team, based in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu. The team has already won clients in China including P&G’s Pampers program as well as providing additional resources to Porter Novelli global clients such as The Dow Chemical Company.

Shunya International’s management team is led by Michael Song, managing director, and John Orme, president. Michael has led a number of client teams since joining the Shunya Group in 2000 as one of the agency’s first employees. John, who joined Porter Novelli’s UK business in 1982, spent six years in the agency’s Brussels’ office before moving to China in April 2007 to focus on the development of Porter Novelli’s resources for clients in China.

The new agency will provide a portfolio of stakeholder relationship services to national and international clients, including strategic research and planning, issues counsel and interactive communications skills, as well as media relations, event management and internal communications.

”We have taken a deliberately pragmatic approach to building our presence in China,” said Helen Ostrowski, chairman of Porter Novelli. “In the Shunya International team, we now have the right combination of local expertise and global best practices to provide the kind of guidance and executional support that multinational clients are looking for in China.”

Ostrowski noted that the formation of Shunya International is the latest significant step in the development of Porter Novelli Asia Pacific. Over the past decade, the agency has focused on key markets such as Japan, Korea, India and Singapore, as well as the more recent development of its partner network in the ASEAN region.

Shunya International President John Orme said: “This is great news for our growing portfolio of clients in China. Our relationship with Shunya will enable Porter Novelli to provide national and international clients with unparalleled skills and reach.” Added Michael Song, Shunya International Managing Director: “The public relations market in China is experiencing accelerated growth into its third decade, coupled with an immense appetite for best practice learning and knowledge transfer.”

About Porter Novelli

Porter Novelli is one of the world’s leading public relations agencies and is represented in all major markets. With a focus on effective stakeholder communications and adopting a holistic, media-neutral approach, Porter Novelli develops public relations programs that deliver value and impact to its clients' business. Porter Novelli was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1972 and is a part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com). Omnicom is a leading global advertising, marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.porternovelli.com.

About Shunya Communications Group

Founded in 1999, Shunya is known as one of the leading integrated communications groups in the Chinese market. Shunya provides professional business communications services in advertising, public relations, event management, marketing services and interactive business. Shunya is headquartered in Beijing with branch offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Chengdu with more than 450 professionals.
About BBDO

BBDO develops and executes marketing and communications plans for some of the world's best known brands. In 2007, BBDO was named the winner of The Gunn Report as the most awarded agency network in the world for the second year in a row, and was named the first ever “Network of the Year” at Cannes. BBDO was also the winner of the Won Report, as the most awarded agency network in direct and interactive.

BBDO Asia Pacific (www.bbdoasia.com), part of BBDO Worldwide, operates in 14 countries throughout Asia for clients such as FedEx, Visa, Pepsi, KFC, ICI, DaimlerChrysler and Fonterra. BBDO Asia Pacific won Campaign Brief Agency of the year from 2004 to 2006 and was the most awarded agency for print and TV at Adfest in 2006.

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