Public Relations Boutiques International Launches As New

Global Network of Smaller PR Agencies

Answers Worldwide Demand for Experienced Firms Offering

Quality, Personalized Service from Senior Counselors

NEW YORK, February 4, 2008 – In response to global demand for more seasoned, hands-on public relations counselors with international expertise, 11 “boutique” public relations firms from around the world have joined forces to create a collaborative network with comprehensive public relations capabilities. The newly formed Public Relations Boutiques International (PRBI) will jointly pursue international new business opportunities as well as partner to provide an extended range of services to each member firm's clients.

PRBI's founding members have offices in the US, UK, Canada, China, Japan and Korea. They are: Bridge Global Strategies, New York City; Campaignteam, Sussex, U.K.; C.J.'s World Public Relations & Communications, Seoul; High View Communications, Toronto; Japan Public Relations Institute, Tokyo; Lang/Pan/Chan Public Relations, Los Angeles (headquarters), Shanghai and Beijing; Marx Communications, Trumbull, Conn.; Media & Communications Strategies, Washington, DC; Metrospective Communications, Philadelphia; Scott Phillips + Associates, Chicago; Shira Miller Communications, Atlanta; and Weisberg Communications Company, Salt Lake City.

PRBI offers clients several advantages over large multinational PR firms and other networks. “We are all senior counselors and offer clients the benefit of years of experience and expertise in our fields. Most of us have worked for large and mid-size agencies and know the shortcomings for clients in those settings,” said Lucy Siegel, president and CEO of Bridge Global Strategies, New York, who was elected president of the group for its first year. “Clients of large agencies are too often assigned to junior and inadequately supervised personnel. We started our companies to provide clients with hands-on work by seasoned professionals. We are oriented to producing meaningful client results. Our lower billing rates reflect our overhead; not those of big, top-heavy agencies with distant shareholders.“

“Big agencies may market their 'wholly owned networks' as an advantage, but the people in those networks many times have never met or worked together. We’ve built

a global team. We know each other and make time to meet and collaborate on many levels,” added Bill Cowen, the group's vice president and president of Metrospective Communications in Philadelphia. “As a network, we collectively offer an extensive array of professional services, but we're free to go outside our network if need be. We have the best of both scenarios, so the big winner is always the client – and that’s what’s most important to all of us.”

To provide seamless client service to an ever-expanding global marketplace, PRBI plans to increase its membership. “Our bylaws require that each new member be approved by every other member, and we are placing the bar high for approving new member applications. We are all acutely aware that the members we vote to accept now are the people we will rely on later to help us serve our clients,” Siegel said.

Other officers elected by the group for the first year include: Secretary:
David Watson, president of Campaignteam, Sussex, U.K.; Treasurer:

Ann Gallery, president of High View Communications, Toronto; and Member at
Large: Nancy Choi, C.J.'s World Public Relations & Communications, Seoul.

About PRBI:

Public Relations Boutiques International (PRBI) is an international network of boutique public relations firms. The principals of member firms are experienced practitioners who have held senior positions in large PR agencies and/or corporations but now put service first and work directly with clients. PRBI member firms excel in meeting a huge range of client needs in a large number of industries, including corporate public relations, consumer PR, health care PR, investor relations, crisis management, business-to-business PR, economic development PR, not-for-profit, academia, government, financial, technology, legal, multicultural and international PR. Member practitioners have won the highest levels of professional awards, with qualifications ranging from PhDs to former top journalists. They also represent memberships in the most noteworthy international public relations and business associations. For more information, visit www.PRBoutiques.com.

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