World's Premier Strategic and Financial Public Relations Firm

    PARIS and NEW YORK, July 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Publicis Groupe
[Euronext Paris : FR0000130577] announced today that it has acquired Kekst
and Company, Incorporated, a leading strategic and financial public
relations firm based in New York. Kekst and Company, Incorporated, which
was privately held, will operate autonomously under its name as a member of
Publicis Groupe's Specialized Agencies and Marketing Services, and will
continue to be led by founder and Chief Executive Officer Gershon Kekst.

    Maurice Levy, Chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe, said, "Kekst and
Company is the premier strategic and financial public relations firm in the
world with a client base that is second to none. Its well-earned reputation
reflects the cumulative judgment and experience of professionals who have
been at the center of many of the most high-profile, complex business
communications challenges over the past three and a half decades. Whether
advising clients on how to handle a crisis or how to maximize an
opportunity, there simply is no other financial communications firm in the
world like Kekst and Company.

    "We are investing in Kekst and Company today because of the depth of
its professional capability and its future growth potential. I am very
pleased that Kekst and Company will continue to be led by my good friend
and trusted advisor, Gershon Kekst, as well as the senior leadership that
has built Kekst since its founding. We view this as an extremely important
addition to our Groupe's capabilities and its strategy to provide clients
around the world with the highest-quality communications services
possible," said Maurice Levy.

    Gershon Kekst said, "I have known Maurice for 20 years and have
enormous admiration for his unique success in making Publicis Groupe the
global leader it is today. We have high expectations for this combination
as it will preserve the best characteristics of our firm and its culture,
while offering us opportunities to grow with the support of a well
respected global communications partner."

    About Kekst and Company, Incorporated

    Kekst and Company, Incorporated is a leading strategic and financial
public relations firm headquartered in New York. It was founded in 1970 and
has approximately 70 employees. Kekst serves a broad array of publicly
traded and private enterprises in virtually every business sector around
the world. Its practice areas of focus include: investor and media
relations; crisis communications; bankruptcy/restructuring; litigation
support; reputation management; board and corporate governance issues; and
investor activism/proxy fights. Additionally, mergers & acquisitions,
domestic and cross border, has long been a core specialty of the firm. Over
the past two decades Kekst has advised on more mergers and acquisitions in
the U.S. marketplace than any other public relations agency in the world as
reported by Corporate Control Alert. Moreover, for each of the past five
years, Kekst has been ranked as the #1 public relations agency by
mergermarket in terms of the number of M&A transactions it has advised on
in North America. Kekst has also been named Financial PR Agency of the Year
and Strategic Agency of the Year three times each by The Holmes Report.

    Web Site: http://www.kekst.com

    About Publicis Groupe

    Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris: FR0000130577] is the world's fourth
largest communications group. In addition, it is ranked as the world's
second largest media counsel and buying group, and is a global leader in
digital and healthcare communications. With activities spanning 104
countries on five continents, the Groupe employs approximately 44,000
professionals.

    The Groupe offers local and international clients a complete range of
communication services, from advertising through three autonomous global
advertising networks, Leo Burnett, Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi and two
multi-hub networks, Fallon and 49%-owned Bartle Bogle Hegarty; to media
consultancy and buying, through two worldwide networks, Starcom MediaVest
Group and ZenithOptimedia; interactive and digital marketing led by
Digitas; Specialized Agencies and Marketing Services offering healthcare
communications, corporate and financial communications, sustainability
communications, shopper marketing, public relations, CRM and direct
marketing, event and sports marketing, and multicultural communications.

    Web Site: http://www.publicisgroupe.com

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