• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, July 30, 2019

Interpublic Group is merging its two Hollywood PR powerhouses Rogers & Cowan and PMK*BNC.  Combined, the merged agency, as yet unnamed, has a Who’s Who client roster of more than 500 actors (Robert Redford and Glenn Close among them), musicians (Rolling Stones, among others), producers, directors, content creators and athletes, as well as over 30 major brands.  

The PR giant will be led by CEO Mark Owens, who has been CEO of Rogers & Cowan and Cindi Berger, who has been chairman and CEO of PMK*BNC ,and has been named chairman of the new entity.

Also in the leadership Pantheon: Alan Nierob, copresident R&C, who will become chairman of the new agency's entertainment division, and Shirley Hughes, who will manage the brand marketing practice as president. Bill Rosenthal will serve as company COO/CFO, Brad Cafarelli and Fran Curtis will both be vice chairmen in LA and New York, respectively on the entertainment side.

The agency will unveil a new name and will elevate additional leadership in the coming months.

The new shop becomes part of Octagon Sports & Entertainment Network, which in turn, is part of IPG’s Constituency Management Group, the holding company unit that houses a portfolio of specialty-marketing firms across disciplines like sports and experiential marketing, PR, brand consulting, social media and others.

CMG just had its own CEO switch — Andy Polanski was named to succeed Frank Mergenthaler, who is retiring from the company at year’s end. He has also been the holding company’s CFO.

PMK*BNC and Rogers & Cowan recently added McDonald's, Fred Segal and Icelandic Water to their growing roster of international brand clients. In addition, Rogers & Cowan won a Cannes Lion last month for their work with clients Johnson & Johnson and Verizon on the documentary film "5B."

The combined new company will have offices in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, Miami and London.

It’s the second PR agency merger that IPG has orchestrated this year. In April, it merged Current Marketing and Creation into a new unit called called Current Global.