London, 9 June 2009

Mindshare launches new social marketing joint venture with SocialMedia8

LONDON-Mindshare has formed a new joint venture with SocialMedia8, a social media marketing specialist agency owned by Mindshare holding company WPP, it was announced today.

The new unit-dubbed Mindshare SocialMedia8-will provide Mindshare's clients with a complete suite of social marketing services that will be fully integrated into the agency's existing media services, both traditional and digital. The new entity will combine current staff from each unit and will be London based.

Ciaran Norris, a veteran social marketing expert, has been hired to lead the new venture. Norris previously worked as Head of Search and Social Marketing at Altogether Digital in London where he managed the company's social and search capabilities. His new title will be Head of Social Marketing and he will report to Norm Johnston, Mindshare's London-based Global Digital Leader.

"SocialMedia8 accelerates our social marketing capabilities and enables us to help our clients capture and build earned media in a way that fully complements and integrates with their paid and owned media strategies-both traditional and digital," said Johnston.

Norris added: "I'm thrilled to join the Mindshare team and look forward to working in a fully integrated environment to help build highly-effective social marketing strategies for the world's top brands."

Igor Beuker, founder of SocialMedia8 said: "Video and social networking are impactful online trends across the globe. Even Oprah Winfrey, the Pope and Barack Obama are engaging millions of consumers with YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, so brands feel the need to get their own social marketing strategy or consumer connectivity program."

About Mindshare
Mindshare is a global marketing and media services network with billings in excess of $23 billion (source: RECMA). The network consists of 97 offices in 67 countries throughout the USA, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific; each dedicated to forging competitive marketing advantage for businesses and their brands. Mindshare is a member of WPP, the world's leading communications service group with $63.5bn in billings (source: RECMA). For more information, please visit www.mindshareworld.com.

About SocialMedia8
SocialMedia8 is a global social media marketing agency with offices in Amsterdam, London and Milan. With social media marketing strategies, programs and ideas SocialMedia8 refreshes international consumer brands like Nike, Nokia, LG and Heineken. SocialMedia8 is part of Grupo LaComunidad and WPP. For more information: www.lacomunidad.co.uk, www.socialmedia8.com, www.viraltracker.com, www.viralblog.com and www.wpp.com.