Zurich—October 1st, 2020—The agreement extends Edelman’s footprint into Switzerland and gives the firm access to Farner’s multi-discipline teams across 6 offices in the country—Zurich, St. Gallen, Bern, Lausanne, Basel and Chiasso. At the same time, Farner will extend its international reach with the world’s largest independent communications marketing agency, with 60 offices in 46 countries, and 37 affiliates worldwide. Together, both agencies will provide advice to Swiss companies on their international activities and support foreign clients in the Swiss market.
Roman Geiser, CEO and Managing Partner of Farner is looking forward to partner with Edelman: “As independent, owner-managed agencies on a growth curve, we share a philosophy and entrepreneurial vision that puts the client at the heart of what we do. Edelman and Farner are both pioneers in the market, offering true 360°-communications services to our clients. Farner has strong ambitions for growth in the international space, and we plan to partner closely with Edelman to serve Switzerland’s many multinational companies and international organizations. At the same time, Farner will continue to be owner-managed and independent.”
Switzerland has an unusually high concentration of multinational companies and organizations. Over 850 international companies, including 14 Fortune-500 companies, have their headquarters or other central functions in Switzerland. Switzerland is also home to some 40 international organizations, almost 400 NGOs and more than 30 international sports associations.
The two agencies’ partnership aims to go beyond offering a ‘flag in a map’ presence, and will be based on a proactive, in-country go-to-market strategy, jointly growing a Swiss client base which is oriented towards international reputation management, cross-border market development and brand presence. As part of this focus, Farner and Edelman intend to intensify collaboration between their sector- and service teams regarding account management and new business. Intrinsic to this will be sharing methodologies, training programs and thought leadership.
Steve Heywood, EMEA Head of Affiliates, Edelman comments: “Edelman’s competitive advantage is brainpower and in these unusual times, we are really looking forward to working alongside the smartest experts in the Swiss market to intelligently and diligently provide best in class work in this region. For many of the global organizations we work with—particularly in important heartlands such as tech, e-commerce, finance and pharma – Switzerland is an important territory and we are confident that the combination of Farner’s world-class, award-winning local talent alongside our operating scale will be a compelling offer. I’m excited about what we can achieve together.”
About Edelman
Edelman is a global communications firm that partners with businesses and organizations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. Our 6,000 people in more than 60 offices deliver communications strategies that give our clients the confidence to lead and act with certainty, earning the trust of their stakeholders. Our honours include the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for PR; Advertising Age’s 2019 A-List; the Holmes Report’s 2018 Global Digital Agency of the Year; and, five times, Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work. Since our founding in 1952, we have remained an independent, family run business. Edelman owns specialty companies Edelman Intelligence (research) and United Entertainment Group (entertainment, sports, lifestyle).
About Farner Consulting Ltd.
Farner Consulting Ltd. is Switzerland’s leading agency for communications consultancy (agency ranking on www.bpra.ch). Founded in 1951, the agency now employs more than 190 staff at locations in Zurich, Berne, St. Gallen, Lausanne, Basel and Chiasso. It offers a comprehensive array of services, covering all aspects of communications – from public relations, public affairs, content creation, research and analytics, digital marketing and change through to advertising and events – and brings together multidisciplinary communications consultants with industry-specific expertise and the requisite know-how. Farner is one of the Global Top 100 Agencies (The Holmes Report) and for many years has headed Switzerland’s PR agency ranking. Farner is also the first Swiss agency to receive Europe’s most important award for excellent communication on three occasions: The Holmes Report, Agency of the Year in the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) in 2012, 2015 and 2018. Internationally, Farner is an exclusive affiliate of Edelman in Switzerland and works together with other international networks.