PARIS—Hopscotch Group and Comexposium Group have opened negotiations to each acquire a minority position in Sopexa, an international communication agency focused on the food, wine and lifestyle sectors. Sopexa has 26 agencies around the world employing 280 people working in about 60 countries. The negotiation process is due to end on 29 September 2016.

LONDON—Four Communications Group has acquired Rain Communications, a move that sees the business extend into the retail, destination and luxury sectors. Rain, founded more than a decade ago, billed £1.6 million in fees in 2015. Clients include New West End Company, McArthurGlen Designer Outlets, Midtown BID, Centre MK, Wyevale Garden Centres and Springboard, Walpole British Luxury and London Luxury Quarter. This acquisition is the fifth since Four secured a £10m investment of equity finance from BGF (Business Growth Fund) last year.

AMSTERDAM—Cohn & Wolfe Netherlands has been named PR agency for Stichting Kringloop Blik, an organization for metal packaging in the Netherlands. The team will be leading a consumer awareness campaign, featuring a new logo, celebrity spokespeople and influencer relations, that positions metal as sustainable packaging.

LONDON—Former deputy editor of ITV News Richard Zackheim has been appointed as Porter Novelli London’s media director. He will join a creative, digital and strategy team led by Jo Patterson, head of strategic planning. 

MUNICH—Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has selected Munich based technology PR specialist Schwartz Public Relations to support its activities in Germany.

LONDON—Lansons has promoted Katherine Hobby and Suzanne Ellis to the board. At the same time Emma Beresford, Maddy Morgan Williams, Alice Stevens and Jess Warner are promoted to associate director. Ellis joined Lansons as an associate in August last year with a focus on senior leadership development programmes. Hobby joined as a trainee 10 years ago, she was promoted to associate in 2012.

LONDON— French media monitoring company Visibrain has appointed technology PR agency Wildfire to build awareness of its online platform for brand crisis management.

BERLIN—Bosch has extended its corporate communications operations to Berlin, with representatives in press and public relations, marketing communications, and digital communications. Bosch marketing expert Marc Zolnai has been based at the company’s liaison office in Berlin since the beginning of May, developing marketing communications strategy for the mobility solutions business sector. Trix Böhne will be relocating to Berlin from Stuttgart in mid-August, responsible for press and media work on political and international business topics. 

LONDON—Eurowings, Europa-Park, Stuttgart Airport, and the State Tourist Board Baden-Württemberg are partnering to promote their destinations and brands in the UK and have appointed London based collab-ed Communication Creatives to deliver their Summer campaign. An integrated marketing campaign will include out-of-home, social, experiential, video, and digital media touch points.