FleishmanHillard

FleishmanHillard has always been Omnicom’s most modest agency brand—less creative sizzle, more strategic substance—largely because of the nature of so much of its work, including high-level corporate, crisis and reputation management assignments, but it has long held trusted partner status for an extensive roster of clients across EMEA. 

The UK—under new leadership since the appointment of Hugh Taggart as managing director in January of last year—has historically been home slightly less than half of the firm’s EMEA region headcount, as well as the hub for many of the multi-market accounts served in the region. After several years of healthy growth, the UK hit something of a plateau last year as client budgets contracted. Nevertheless, the firm held on to all but one of its top 20 clients (a group that includes Amazon ads, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cisco, EA Sports, Icelandair, L’Oreal, Philips, Samsung, and Waterwipes) and picked up more than $11 million in new business, including assignments from Baxter, the University of Cambridge, Deephealth, ICC, Toke, the Tire Industry Project, and Unilever. 

The firm now derives a surprising 42% of its revenue from the health and life sciences sector, with technology chipping in another 22%; retail, sports and lifestyle and financial and professional services another 10% or so. Thought leadership activities have ranged across corporate reputation (Corporate Affairs Trends reports) and public affairs (the FHFuture Series report on Democracy in 2024) but also generational marketing with its “Different Age, Same Shift” report on the over-50s.

Not surprisingly, last year also saw significant investment in artificial intelligence both in the firm’s client-work and internal priorities. Building on the firm’s existing data capabilities, more than 200 individuals were trained in eight modules last year. Other employee initiatives included a global mentoring programme, a robust commitment to professional development, with an emphasis on the Led by Strengths… approach; and the EMEA Connect programme. New additions to the team in 2024 included veteran corporate counsellor Marshall Manson as senior partner and chair of corporate affairs; Joyce Higgins as head of AI strategy; and Nia Roberts to strengthen the healthcare team.--PH