LONDON, Jan. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Specialist, a content marketing agency designed to help brands and businesses engage customers and employees, today has merged its operations into FleishmanHillard's FH ContentWorks as one of the lead content studios in EMEA. The move brings together professionals from news media, public relations and marketing to meet the growing need of brands for the constant delivery of engaging content.

"Brands are driving huge spend shifts out of paid media into owned channels," said Specialist CEO Niki Webb. "We are perfectly placed to help them with this move; our expert newsroom team will be enhanced by the skills and global scale of FleishmanHillard, especially in social analytics and listening."

Specialist, like FleishmanHillard, is part of the DAS Group of Companies. It is armed with teams of editors, writers, researchers, videographers, photographers and social media content specialists. Clients will be able to maintain branded content hubs - virtual newsrooms that can deliver high-value content with editorial integrity on a continual basis. Specialist's clients include Peugeot, HSBC, Henkel and Specsavers.

"We are already working together on digital projects, and this move makes a great deal of sense for FleishmanHillard as it continues to grow," said John Saunders, FleishmanHillard president of Europe, Middle East and Africa. "We are witnessing huge demand for content production on a larger scale. Niki and the Specialist team will further build on our considerable content strategy and production skills."

In addition to high-quality branded publications, Specialist has evolved its offer to provide content platforms, which intelligently serve content to customers on demand and digitally.

"The evolving digital and marketing landscapes are driving a new reality of brands as publishers," said Dave Senay, FleishmanHillard president and CEO. "Digital content has become such a multifaceted marketing tool that the demand has outgrown the resources for most companies. The need for hybrid media-marketing production teams has become more apparent than ever."

To learn more about Specialist's content creation service, visit www.specialistuk.com.

About Specialist
With a 45-year heritage in contract publishing for brands, Specialist has successfully evolved to be a full-service content agency. Clients include HSBC, Specsavers and Peugeot. In 2010 Specialist successfully launched a responsive content hub called 1touch which is now used to manage content for RAC, NFUMutual and many other brands. Based in Bristol, UK - the home of digital animation - it is owned by DAS, a division of Omnicom Group Inc.

About FleishmanHillard
FleishmanHillard is the world's most complete global communications firm, specializing in public relations, public affairs, marketing, paid media, and transmedia and social content. FleishmanHillard delivers on The Power of True, reflecting the firm's high values, and unique ability to guide clients through a world demanding unprecedented authenticity and transparency. FleishmanHillard was named PRWeek's 2014 Global Agency of the Year, "Standout Agency" on Advertising Age's 2013 A-List; NAFE's "Top 50 Companies for Executive Women" for 2010-2014; and among PRWeek's 2013 "Best Places to Work." The firm's award-winning work is widely heralded, including at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity. FleishmanHillard is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc., and has more than 85 offices in 31 countries, plus affiliates in 42 countries. Visit us at www.fleishmanhillard.com.

About The DAS Group of Companies
The DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), is a global group of marketing services companies. DAS includes over 200 companies in the following marketing disciplines: specialty, PR, healthcare, CRM, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. Operating through a combination of networks and regional organizations, DAS serves international, regional, national and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

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SOURCE FleishmanHillard