Company Backgrounder
Pleon – The first communications consultancy with a European business model
Pleon is the first genuinely European communications consultancy It is an international consulting firm which creates and implements strategies for private and public sector organisations around the world. With deep understanding of business, politics and communications, Pleon is uniquely placed to devise compelling solutions which deliver measurable and tangible results. Going beyond traditional marketing and communications, we make a real and positive difference to our customers' competitiveness and profitability.
Our name has real significance for our business. Derived from ancient Greek, “pleon” is the comparative of “polus“ meaning “much”; so “pleon” means “more”. Pleon brings more value to our clients by using communications to deliver real business benefits. Additionally, “more” for Pleon means constantly searching for new ways of thinking; new perspectives on communications which allow us to understand the bigger picture and influence opinions and perceptions more effectively.
Europe – Unity in diversity
Europe is diversity. A population of 680 million Europeans living in 27 countries speaking more than 30 different languages makes Europe a continent with many different traditions. With such a diverse landscape comes an equally diverse media: In the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden, there are 2,300 newspapers, 5,200 magazines, 12,100 publications for trade press, 660 TV stations and 3,750 radio stations. Moreover, there is an irritating number of institutions: 2,400 governmental institutions, 2,600 associations and pressure groups, 30,000 lobbyists, 1,600 chambers of commerce and 6,200 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). With various devolved federal structures, a mind-boggling number of players in the opinion building process, and the Euro-pean tendency to ensure that minority positions are taken into account, there is a strong requirement for coherent communications and a fluid exchange of opinions, much more so than in any other part of the world.
At the same time Europe is unity. The Europeans adhere to a large set of shared values; most of them are members of the European Union with all its shared institutions. The European Union has delivered half a century of stability, peace and prosperity. It has helped to raise living standards, built a single Europe-wide market, launched the single European currency - the Euro - and strengthened Europe’s voice in the world. As Europe grows closer there is also a new perspective for business: European integration is more than the ability to conduct international business without barriers; it also means that the characteristics of socio-economic consumer groups become increasingly similar across member countries. For example, the investment banker in Frankfurt has more in common with his counterpart in London than he does with most of the people he meets on a daily basis. The consumers most likely to buy high-end 3G mobile devices are likely to be the same regardless of whether they are in Stockholm, Paris or Madrid. As the barriers to international business within Europe disappear, companies will need to communicate more efficiently to bigger and bigger European audiences.
Facing the new European challenge for communication: Pleon
While Europe develops its own profile in politics, culture and economics, European companies are recognising the need to use all of the main communications disciplines – marketing, public relations and public affairs – to create an integrated, coherent European identity. And that’s where Pleon comes in.
Beyond communications: combining political, economic and communication thinking
Pleon’s consultants combine business understanding, political insight and creative thinking to go beyond communications. They have strong expertise in key markets such as automotive, health care, technology, utilities, finance, consumer goods, government and retail. They combine a deep knowledge of the business issues affecting those markets with the know-how to handle complex political matters. Social and overtly political factors have either a direct or indirect influence on almost every major decision taken by businesses large and small. By building strong and lasting relationships with stakeholders in local markets, Pleon manages the dialogue between society and politics from the local to the international level, providing our clients with an effective voice in the key political and social arenas. Pleon’s political insights and public affairs expertise are one element in our corporate communications consultancy which delivers real business benefits to clients. There are many more. With a strong track record in disciplines such as change management, crisis and issue management, marketing and research, our consultants are uniquely placed to recommend strategies that best meet your business objectives. In keeping with our core European identity, the scope of Pleon’s people is truly international, with hubs of expertise in our key market sectors which work across Europe and Russia. All of these qualities add up to an ability to think, act and deliver results which go beyond communications, to actually help our clients become more profitable.
One company
Firstly, Pleon is a truly European company. It has gone beyond a loose network of local agencies to create “one company“ with a European corporate culture and shared approaches, methods and working ethics. Combining the resources of ECC Group Germany and Brodeur Europe, Pleon has an established presence in European key markets. Pleon is majority owned by BBDO Europe, one of the world’s leading advertising groups. With more than 1,000 employees, Pleon is present with 32 offices in 15 European key markets.
Local entrepreneurs
Secondly, Pleon goes beyond conventional thinking and takes local factors into account. With local offices and entrepreneurs on the ground, Pleon’s consultants know how to live and work in a “family of cultures.“ Due to a long and successful multi-centric entrepreneurial tradition, Pleon believes that the shared ownership of its partners reinforces their business thinking. In the same way that the identity of Europe is based on its regions rather than its countries, so is Pleon. It is the agency’s presence in places like Stuttgart, Milan, Genoa, Graz, and Bonn, combined with our established offices in the major cities of Europe that makes Pleon truly European.
Beyond Europe
Thirdly, Pleon goes beyond its home market. As a European PR consultancy, Pleon is part of a world-wide network. Europe has its own distinct cultural, economic and political role in the world, independent from the United States and Asia. However, it remains – and will be increasingly – influenced by global trends and developments as this century progresses. With strong partners in the US and Asia Pacific through the Brodeur | Pleon Worldwide network, Pleon is able to orchestrate truly global communication solutions.