Marsh Flips View of Risk ''Upside'' Down with Bold New Branding Campaign



    Marsh Inc., the world's leading risk and insurance services firm,
    today announced the launch of the most ambitious branding campaign in
    the firm's 136-year history by encouraging businesses to focus on
    another side of risk - the "upside." The campaign, created by the New
    York office of Ogilvy, seeks to disrupt the traditional view of risk
    as a liability to be avoided by asking the reader to also consider
    finding opportunities in risk.

    The integrated branding effort includes print, out-of-home, direct
    mail, event marketing and online components. The central element of
    the campaign is the print component, which focuses on specific areas
    like climate change regulations, supply chain disruptions and
    expansion into China, then outlines the risk-reward paradigm.
    Immediately intriguing, the ads question the "risk is negative" belief
    and literally turn the concept of risk on its head.

    Out of home ads employ a similarly unique approach by taking
    traditionally positive words and exchanging them with the word "risk."
    These ads feature phrases such as "Risk Upon a Star" and "To Risk
    Perchance to Dream."

    The messages are designed to encourage risk managers and other
    senior-level business leaders to break with historic norms and look at
    risk differently. Rather than being solely something to guard against,
    Marsh believes managing risk smartly can give proactive companies a
    competitive advantage in their marketplace.

    "This campaign expresses our belief there should be a new, more
    complete approach to managing risk going forward, and also signals to
    our clients and the market that Marsh is back on its front foot," said
    Brian Storms, chairman and chief executive officer of Marsh. "There's
    no company in the world better positioned than we are to help clients
    understand the new realities of risks, mitigate them, and turn them
    into opportunities for upside."

    The Marsh campaign is running in print publications both in the
    U.S. and globally, including The Wall Street Journal, New York Times,
    Financial Times and key local and trade media. There is also an
    aggressive out of home campaign in several major cities throughout
    North America that includes airports, bus shelters, billboards and
    subway elements.

    "We're thrilled to have created a branding campaign that visibly
    differentiates us within our industry and clearly conveys the value of
    our firm's unmatched intellectual capital," said Nancy Elder, Marsh's
    chief marketing officer. "Today's public and private sector leaders
    face risks that have few historical precedents and limited playbooks
    to operate from. Our message is clear: Marsh can help you minimize the
    uncertainty and find the upside opportunity that's inherent in most
    new challenges."

    The company views its new branding campaign as an investment
    designed to help stimulate both awareness and growth. "We fully expect
    to create a new level of consciousness among risk managers and
    business leaders that should deliver new revenue opportunities for
    clients," said Ms. Elder.

    In addition to the print and outdoor ads that begin this week, the
    campaign has already utilized some internal elements to generate
    excitement among Marsh employees. For example, to build momentum prior
    to the public launch, previews of the new ads were mailed to home
    addresses and primary global locations last week.

    To view the new ads, visit www.findtheupside.com.

    About Marsh

    Marsh has 26,000 employees and annual revenues approaching $5
    billion. The firm provides advice and transactional capabilities to
    clients in over 100 countries. Marsh is a unit of Marsh & McLennan
    Companies (MMC), a global professional services firm with
    approximately 55,000 employees and approximately $12 billion of annual
    revenues. MMC also is the parent company of Guy Carpenter, Kroll,
    Mercer, and Putnam Investments. MMC's stock (ticker symbol: MMC) is
    listed on the New York, Chicago, and London stock exchanges. MMC's Web
    Site is www.mmc.com. Marsh's Web Site is www.marsh.com.