Ruder Finn Continues Asia Expansion through Partnership with Japan's Kyodo Public Relations

NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A month after establishing its first office in India, Ruder Finn has further expanded its Asian footprint by forming a partnership with the largest independent consultancy in Japan, Kyodo Public Relations. Kyodo PR, based in Tokyo, is one of the pioneer agencies in Japan, a leader in the PR industry and the first PR agency to be listed on the Tokyo stock exchange.

Ruder Finn and Kyodo have been working together on global and regional projects for a decade. Through the partnership both agencies will be able to tap into each other's specialised expertise and long-term experience to establish a global network and trans-regional cooperation to benefit the clients of both groups.  Kyodo will have access to Ruder Finn's global network of offices in the United States as well as Paris, London, Jerusalem, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Singapore and New Delhi. Ruder Finn will have access to resources, knowledge and insight through Kyodo PR's extensive network especially in Japan as well as Korea.

"Japan is now the world's fourth largest importer of goods after USA, China and Germany. It is also the fourth largest exporter and the second most technologically advanced and powerful economy in the world. It is a well-developed country with customers who can afford and appreciate quality and remains a significant market in the global economy," Mr. Sakae Ohashi, Kyodo PR's President and CEO, said. "This partnership will provide Ruder Finn's global clients and Kyodo PR's clients with the means to tap into each other's markets."

Jean Michel Dumont, Chairman of Ruder Finn Asia added, "With a strategic and centralized market location in Asia, Japan is a platform for most important technologies to be disseminated from or through Japan. We believe that this partnership will be critical in strengthening our existing Asia offering."

Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO of Ruder Finn Inc. said, "We are delighted to form this strategic partnership with Kyodo in Japan, which further strengthens our footprint in Asia and globally.  This underpins our strategy to be set up in the best way in all major hubs around the world to help our clients respond immediately to the 24-hour global news cycle to protect or enhance reputation. Asia will remain a strategic region for us and we will continue to build on our four strategic pillars; corporate reputation, health & wellness, technology and innovation, and consumer lifestyle brands, all supported by a very strong digital business underpinning these activities."

Kyodo Public Relations Co. Ltd. Established in 1964, Kyodo PR has not only grown to become a leading, independent public relations agency in Japan, but is highly regarded by both Japanese and international clients as the only agency capable of offering comprehensive media relations services. Kyodo PR was founded by Sakae Ohashi, who is still its president. The company now has over 260 clients, and 20% of them are multinational ventures. During the years Kyodo PR has developed a philosophy based on efficiency and personal contacts with the media.

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Ruder Finn, Inc. is one of the largest independent integrated communication firms in the world, with offices in the United States and Europe, as well as in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Singapore and New Delhi in Asia.  Through these offices and our affiliates worldwide, the agency serves the global and local communication needs of over 250 corporations, governments and non-profit organizations.  For more than 60 years, the Ruder Finn name has been synonymous with excellence in communications. Ruder Finn's global strategic focus is on four operational pillars which constitute the core of our growth – Health & Wellness, Corporate & Public Trust, Global Connectivity and Life+Style.

In Asia, Health & Wellness includes GE Healthcare, Mead Johnson, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi and Weight Watchers. Corporate & Public Trust includes L'Oreal, Founder Group, Michelin, Boeing, Bosch, Volkswagen, Citic Bank, Singapore EDB, Visa and  LANXESS. Life+Style includes luxury brands like Cartier from the Richemont Group, Givenchy from the LVMH Group, as well as Hermes, Bang & Olufsen, Lamborghini, Tod's, Breitling and the Jumeirah Group. Global Connectivity includes  DHL, Emirates and Hawker Beechcraft. Those four pillars are supported by award-winning divisions such as RFI, focusing on Interactive, Social Media and ePR and INSIGHT which focuses on research and trends, producing the China Luxury Forecast and the CSR Index with Tsinghua University. For more information on Ruder Finn, please visit www.ruderfinn.com or www.ruderfinnasia.com, or Chinese website http://cn.ruderfinnasia.com

For more information, please contact:

Mr. German Saa, Kyodo Public Relations, Tokyo
Tel : + 81-33571-5257  Email: [email protected]

Jean-Michel Dumont, Chairman, Ruder Finn Asia
Mobile: + 65-8533 8363   Email: [email protected]

Emmanuel Tchividjian, SVP Ruder Finn, Inc. New York
212-583-2782 Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Ruder Finn