Agencies Modus and BPCM London join forces

Two leading PR agencies Modus and BPCM London have joined forces to create a new agency ModusBPCM.

The businesses provide strategy and advice to brands within luxury, fashion, beauty, travel and technology on both sides of the Atlantic and say that the merging of the London operations will increase the scope of services they can offer clients.

"We have been friends and colleagues for nearly two decades. The BPCM and Modus company cultures and strategic vision have been aligned for years. Merging our London businesses felt like a natural step. What we are most excited about is bringing BPCM’s depth of experience in Beauty, Travel, Spirits and Digital to enhance Modus’s existing expertise in Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle," said Vanessa von Bismarck who co-founded BPCM with Carrie Ellen Phillips in 2009.

Following the deal Modus founder Diana Hall has left the business and creative director Julian Vogel, who becomes CEO of the newly merged entity, took the opportunity to look for synergies within an international network. ModusBPCM will be "intimately networked" with BPCM’s offices in New York and Los Angeles, which will open up new services to all clients, while ModusBPCM’s access to Europe will offer a wider range of possibilities to the company’s American clients.

"Vanessa, Julian and I all agree that the old ways of doing PR are becoming obsolete.  Our business model has already moved away from pure publicity and we are instead using traditional media as one piece of an overall strategy that combines experiential, digital, influencer and customer acquisition strategies. For years Julian, Vanessa and I have acted as a sounding board for one another and merging feels like a natural evolution for our businesses and our teams,” explained Carrie Ellen Phillips.

Modus’s current mix of fashion, beauty and lifestyle clients will be complemented by additional fashion brands from BPCM London such as Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, ALDO, Kering Eyewear and Longchamp. ModusBPCM’s digital capabilities will be enhanced through partnership with BPCM’s Digital and Influencer Marketing teams in New York and Los Angeles. The new company will also share integrated services with BPCM LA, led by partner Ali Taekman, which offers VIP, West Coast Communications, Events and a recently created Beauty and Influencer Marketing Division.

ModusBPCM’s combined operation will be located at 10-12 Heddon Street in London. Catherine Bowman (nee Chapman), current managing mirector of BPCM London, former head of global public relations for Net-a-Porter.com and former Modus fashion director, will become managing director of ModusBPCM while Vogel becomes CEO. BPCM founders Philips and von Bismarck will continue to be based in New York and will work alongside Vogel to grow ModusBPCM. BPCM LA and BPCM NY remain entities of BPCM Worldwide.

"The opportunity to work alongside Vanessa and Carrie on an international stage and to be reunited with Catherine for the merging of ModusBPCM is the perfect next chapter for me. Brand communication channels are ever changing and evolving. Together we are strategically placed to understand, analyse and guide our clients with deep insights, clear thinking and planning that works across global markets with local focus,” said Vogel.