Finn Partners Acquires Paris Arts Agency

(MENAFN- PRovoke) NEW YORK - Finn Partners has acquired Claudine Colin Communication (CCC), a Paris-based PR agency specializing in arts and culture, expanding the agency's work in the sector.

CCC will operate under the name Claudine Colin Communication, A Finn Partners Company, and collaborate with Finn's arts division led by Philippa Polskin.

Established in 1990, Claudine Colin Communication represents some of France's leading arts organizations including such as the Musée national Picasso-Paris, musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac and the Pinault Collection. Its client roster extends across Europe and internationally, including names like the Centre Pompidou-Metz and Art Basel. The agency has a 25-person team.

"We already have one of the largest and most esteemed arts practices in the PR agency world, and we are excited to expand and deepen this work by having Claudine and her team join us. We are also very pleased to enhance our presence in Paris,” said Finn Partners CEO and founder Peter Finn.

CCC will integrate into Finn Partners EMEA, led by Chantal Bowman-Boyles, bringing the EMEA division's total staff to about 270 people and annual fees to approximately $27 million.

With this acquisition, Finn aims to strengthen its presence in the global arts and culture PR market, leveraging CCC's extensive expertise and client base. Finn's arts practice, Polskin Arts, has an extensive client base in the US and around the world, and for decades has worked on international projects in close collaboration with CCC in Paris, and the Finn Partners network around the globe.

“I founded Claudine Colin Communication over 30 years ago and developed the business both in France and internationally with a professional and committed team to support managers in the artistic and cultural sphere, both public and private, in designing and implementing the communication and influence strategy for their projects,” Colin (pictured) said.

“I am delighted to announce that my team and I are joining Finn Partners, with whom we share the values of high standards, rigor and independence. We have worked closely with Polskin Arts, A FINN Partners company, for many years in the field of art and culture. It is a natural next step for us to join forces and further extend the scope of the select international projects on which we already collaborate,” she said.

Finn Partners' acquisition of Claudine Colin Communication coincides with the recent and ongoing strategic expansion of Polskin Arts, which has added key senior executives and extended its deep connections to all areas, for-profit and not-for-profit, of the rapidly evolving field of arts and culture.

The acquisition is latest move in a years-long series of acquisitions by Finn to expand its worldwide offerings and reach.

Last November, Finn Partners expanded its education expertise with the acquisition of C. Blohm & Associates , a Madison, Wisconsin-based agency specializing in B2B education and education technology.

In February of 2023, Finn expanded its global health and policy operations with the acquisition of Hyderus , an Irish health-focused firm whose work spans Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. Just weeks before, the agency purchased creative and digital design agency Outré Creative , a 15-person firm specializing in financial services with offices in New York and London.

In October 2022, Finn announced two acquisitions - social impact firm Winston Agency and Rachel Kay Public Relation , which expanding the agency's work with food and beverage brands.

The previous July, Finn purchased Asia healthcare firm SPAG , bolstering its APAC presence with one of the biggest acquisitions in the agency's history, and in February 2022 the agency acquired brand strategy and creative agency AHA in a move that enable the firm to launch a global internal communications & employee engagement practice.

In December 2021, Finn acquired the platform Medika Life , adding a second healthcare news and information outlet to the content unit that launched with the agency's purchase of The Pharmacy Podcast Network in November of that year.

Finn also acquired Dublin communications agency 360 in December 2021, creating the firm's first Irish outpost.

In November 2021, Finn announced the purchase of luxury travel PR firm Hawkins International and another travel firm, Hawaii-based Anthology Marketing Group .

In 2019, Finn acquired Hong Kong travel specialist CatchOn , and travel and lifestyle consultancy Brighter Group in 2018.

Other 2021 moves include the firm buying Health IT specialist Agency Ten22 and tech agency Barokas Communications .

Finn also purchased digital marketing agency MintTwist . The move marked Finn's fifth acquisition in London in the past four years, coming on the heels of
financial services firm Moorgate Communications
and consumer and lifestyle agency ZPR in 2019;
Brighter Grou in 2018; and
B2B specialist ABI in 2017.

In May 2021, Finn bought back Stagwell Group's minority stake in the firm, putting an end to the companies' four-plus year financial partnership that enabled Finn Partners to grow in 2021 into a $162 million operation .

MENAFN09072024000219011063ID1108422098