COLLE+MCVOY LAUNCHES EXPONENT PUBLIC RELATIONS

Minneapolis PR firm establishes new brand to reinforce best-in-class services

MINNEAPOLIS (April 8, 2005) — Given its ongoing growth with stand-alone public relations clients and ambitious plans for the future, Colle+McVoy announced today that the agency is establishing an independent brand: Exponent Public Relations.

Known for years in the industry as Colle+McVoy PR, the new brand helps reinforce the agency's position as a best-in-class public relations firm and offers greater opportunities to reach out to an ever-increasing number of companies that are specifically searching for public relations expertise.

"As Exponent, we will make the great work we've been doing for years as part of Colle+McVoy available to a much bigger universe of PR prospects," said Riff Yeager, managing director of the newly re-branded agency. "Exponent defines what we commit to accomplish for them -- to champion and advocate on their behalf, in ways that deliver meaningful, measurable ROI."

While the agency will market itself under the name Exponent Public Relations, the firm will remain a business division of parent-company Colle+McVoy, an advertising agency that is part of the MDC Partners network of agencies.

"Re-branding makes our PR expertise more visible to prospects and clients," said John Jarvis, chief executive officer and chief creative officer of Colle+McVoy. "Our PR group has continually demonstrated its ability to deliver great ideas to our clients, and launching Exponent will help us further underscore our culture and reputation as an idea-driven organization."

Exponent's expertise includes brand marketing and public affairs in selected practice areas, including food and nutrition, healthcare, lifestyle and agribusiness.

Recent idea-driven highlights originated by Exponent include the creation of an urban orchard in Manhattan to promote pie crust, giant mosaic wallscapes to draw attention to pets overcoming painful conditions, national promotion of a FDA health claim for olive oil designed to improve eating habits and a first-of-its-kind initiative to build support for a new treatment for patients suffering from narcolepsy.