Chime Communications PLC

Chime shareholders vote in favour of disposal of the Bell Pottinger public relations businesses

Chime Communications PLC, today announces that at an Extraordinary General Meeting shareholders voted in support of the disposal of the Bell Pottinger businesses contained within its Public Relations Division.

The transaction is expected to complete on 30th June 2012, at which time Chime’s public relations division will form The Good Relations Group, comprising, Corporate Citizenship, Good Relations, Harvard, InEvidence and Insight and it will also have a significant presence in Germany through MMK, Traffic and Harvard. This excludes companies providing public relations advice in other divisions of Chime, namely Stuart Higgins Communications in sport, Teamspirit in financial services and Reynolds Mackenzie in healthcare. The Good Relations Group will be led by Kevin Murray (former Chairman of the Bell Pottinger Group).

Christopher Satterthwaite, Chief Executive Officer of Chime Communications PLC, said:

“The Good Relations Group is a substantial group of businesses with great people, serving great clients. This provides us with a strong platform to deliver growth in the future. The Group will play an integral role within Chime and will focus on advising clients on how to create and develop ‘trusted brands.”

Kevin Murray has assembled a core management team made up of executives from across Chime together with the managing directors of the Group companies. Commenting on the Group Murray, said:

“A trusted reputation is an intangible asset of immense financial worth, which is why our role is to provide the thinking and doing for our clients so that they can engage and win the advocacy of their own customers by doing what is right. The Good Relations Group will blend the diverse skills and expertise of a number of agencies to deliver campaigns for brands and organisations that seek to engender trust with all their audiences.”

Over the course of the next few months, The Good Relations Group will develop its proposition, placing an emphasis on helping clients build brands and reputations that are trusted and admired. Its organic growth will be strengthened by investment in key teams and an expanded range of services.

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Enquiries
Christopher Satterthwaite, Chief Executive
Chime Communications     020 7861 8515

Victoria Geoghegan
Pelham Bell Pottinger     020 7861 3232

Notes to Editors

Chime is an international communications and sports marketing group. Following this disposal the Group will consist of four divisions: Sports Marketing (CSM Sports and Entertainment); Advertising (VCCP and Teamspirit); Public Relations (The Good Relations Group and Open Health) and Research (CIE Insight and Engagement).

For more information please go to www.chime.plc.uk