Indiantelevision.com Team

(31 July 2006 5:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe has recently acquired French healthcare communications agency the Boz Group.

By joining the Publicis Healthcare Communications Group (PHCG), Boz will now be able to achieve its ambition of becoming a top player in Europe. With this operation, PHCG France becomes the leader in medical communications in France and consolidates its importance throughout Europe.

Boz will now enjoy the strategic support of a truly global network, skilled in all areas of healthcare communication. The increasing globalisation of medical communication through the harmonisation of medical practices and the international approach to rolling out new molecular compounds makes such a choice necessary.

PHCG France will now operate through three distinct poles: Medicus Paris, Saatchi & Saatchi Healthcare Paris and Boz Paris. In order to guarantee its clients complete confidentiality, each structure will maintain independent management and operations.

The acquisition of Boz will allow PHCG France to double in size and expand the range of services offered to its clients. “Medical Education” will be covered by two trademarks: Cascade and Discovery with their (CMT) Continuing Medical Training programmes and pathology observatories. CMT will be provided by the VIP Institute, market studies by Yssup Research, digital communications by Melody Healthcare, media relations by Core Press and professional relations by Discovery and Tasse de Thé. Medicus International Paris will continue to manage global and international communications projects.

The Boz Group chairman Alain Sarraf will manage PHCG France. His ambition is to provide an unparalleled French offer, by expanding PCHG’s scope of expertise and capabilities, and increasing its global reach.

Publicis Groupe Management Board chairman Maurice Levy said, "The pharmaceutical sector is of very great strategic importance for Publicis Groupe. We already offer a wide range of services and we intend to become stronger with these first-rate teams. Boz is a very fine group, with first-class skills and recognized talents which will enable us to set up a centre of excellence in France with a strong international potential."

Sarraf added, "I wanted to give Boz the means of expanding in Europe given that we have now reached a critical size in France. Publicis Healthcare Communications Group, the worldwide leader in our sector, was the best candidate for a long-lasting alliance. The real synergies both with regard to skills and to our clients have led us to combine forces. We will participate in creating the widest offering in healthcare communications in France and in its international development."