Publicis Groupe to acquire majority stake in heathcare advertising agency Watermelon
23 Mar 2011
Publicis Groupe is set to acquire a majority stake in Watermelon Healthcare Communications, a full-service healthcare advertising agency.
On completion of the transaction, Watermelon will be renamed as Publicis Life Brands Watermelon and will become a part of Publicis Healthcare Communications Group (PHCG).
The transaction is still subject to customary local closing conditions.
Abhijit Shitut and Kiran Pai, Watermelon's founders, will be the joint managing directors of Publicis Life Brands Watermelon while Debasish Mukherjee, co-founder of the digital arm - Watermelon Digital Solutions, will spearhead the digital offerings of PLB Watermelon.
''We are excited to be a part of PHCG and believe this will help us change the landscape of healthcare communications in India,'' said Shitut.
Ash Kuchel, president, PHCG Asia Pacific region, said, ''Watermelon is the right fit and has the expertise to further develop our healthcare communications credentials in new media and best-in-class practices in this important and rapidly emerging market.''
