• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, July 15, 2013

IPG Mediabrands is aligning its U.S.-based out-of-home ad shop Outdoor Advertising Group with sibling OOH operation rapport in the UK. OAG is being rebranded rapport U.S., and the agency has named Mike Cooper president, a new position at the unit.

Earlier, the U.S. operation had been overseen by Christian Dietrich as managing director. Dietrich left the agency in February of this year.

For Cooper, the new appointment is a return to rapport after a stint at British Sky Broadcasting in the UK, where he was director of project management. Before that, he had been managing director at rapport London, where he is credited with leading a team that brought big new clients to the shop, including Samsung and Suzuki.

Plans are to transform rapport into a global brand. The company recently rebranded its OOH unit in India, formerly named Lintas Initiative Outdoor (LIO), to rapport India. It will be run by CEO Suresh Balakrishna.

“We recognize the digital/technical revolution happening in the out-of-home space and the potential growth opportunity for IPG Mediabrands and the rapport brand in the U.S. and around the world,” stated Roy Jeans, global CEO, rapport Worldwide. Cooper will report to Jeans.

The rapport agency is now part of Mediabrands’ Orion Holdings unit, run by Brian McMahon. Jeans reports to McMahon. Orion also houses the firm’s corporate trading unit Orion Trading; media investment arm Orion Capital; newspaper services unit NSA Media; listing directory services company Wahlstrom, and print management concern Orion Printing.

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