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Tag: Publicis Group

  • Publicis launches global employee-first programme – ‘Work Your World’

    Publicis launches global employee-first programme – ‘Work Your World’

    Mumbai:  Publicis Group has announced ‘Work Your World,’ a global employee-first programme that will allow every employee of the company to work from any accessible country where the group is present, for up to six weeks a year, starting from January 2022.

    “We have been working hard on how to turn the hybrid world into new opportunities for everyone at Publicis, and make the future of work more creative and more daring,” said Publicis Groupe global chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun, adding, “We know the pandemic isn’t over, and we know that the world could close again at any time. But that’s not a reason to close our horizons and perspectives. We will continue to move forward, because one day this crisis will come to an end and because we owe it to our people to make their professional and personal experience at Publicis truly unique.”

    Through this initiative that draws on the group’s heritage and values like ‘Viva La Difference,’ every employee will have the chance to access the program and experience other offices, cultures and lifestyles, via its collaborative community, said the company. It will be sharing more details on ‘Work Your World’ at the group’s second Viva La Différence seminar on its AI platform in December, it further said.

    “Our people have been incredibly resourceful despite the limitations of the pandemic. They deserve to work for a company as resourceful as they are. Work Your World can help every Publicis employee ‘work their world’ in a bigger, better and brighter way thanks to our scale, diversity and Marcel,” said Publicis Groupe global CSO Carla Serrano.  

    Through the landing page on Marcel- its custom-made AI platform, employees will be able to: Browse local and global destinations, in over 100 countries where Publicis has offices and see dynamic updates on accessible countries and locations, with information on local health and business regulations, to take the necessary measures and precautions before travel.

    In a future-facing initiative, the employees would also be able to find accommodation through a feature open to the Publicis community called Home Swap Home that enables them to share and swap accommodation with colleagues.

    Additionally, they can connect with other employees in different countries, via Marcel’s profile intelligence, to discover what it’s like to live and work in a given location, and access a dedicated 24-hour contact center, to receive real-time support from experts for questions related to travel, health regulations, visas, and work permits. 

  • Publicis Groupe’s Sweety Advani joins Wondrlab as CFO

    Publicis Groupe’s Sweety Advani joins Wondrlab as CFO

    NEW DELHI: Platform-first martech start-up Wondrlab has appointed Sweety Advani as its chief financial officer (CFO). She will be based in Mumbai, and will report to Wondrlab founder & CEO Saurabh Varma. Advani joins from Publicis Groupe, where she was the finance director for South Asia.

    “Wondrlab’s exponential growth needed a finance head that can keep up with our momentum. Advani is a proven results-oriented leader with tremendous financial expertise. Her vision and ambition for Wondrlab matches ours, making her the perfect fit for the role,” said Varma.

    Advani has almost two decades of industry experience with stints across key organisations in India. Before taking on her role at Publicis Groupe, she was the finance director for another of the Groupe’s agencies – Leo Burnett India. She has also spent considerable time in companies such as WPP, Essar, Reliance and Pfizer, to name a few.

    “2020 was a great year for Wondrlab and 2021 looks even better; I don’t think this opportunity could have come at a better time for me. I look forward to supporting Wondrlab’s momentum with financial strategy and learnings,” Advani added.

  • Ashish Bhasin hands over charge of AAAI to Anupriya Acharya

    Ashish Bhasin hands over charge of AAAI to Anupriya Acharya

    NEW DELHI: Ashish Bhasin, president of Advertising Agencies Association of India( AAAI)  has handed over charge of  AAAI to Publicis Groupe’s CEO south Asia, Anupriya Acharya, who was elected as the president of Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) for the year 2020-21 at its Annual General Body Meeting held recently. 

    GroupM CEO south Asia Prasanth Kumar was unanimously elected VP of the association.

    Other elected members of the Executive Committee in alphabetical order are:

    Anand Bhadkamkar                       Dentsu Aegis Network Marketing Solutions Pvt Ltd

    Kunal Lalani                                   Crayons Advertising Pvt Ltd

    Mohit Joshi                                     Havas Media India Pvt Ltd

    Pranav Premnarayen                     Prem Associates Advertising & Marketing

    Rana Barua                                    Havas Worldwide India Pvt Ltd

    Vivek Srivastava                             Innocean Worldwide Communications Pvt Ltd

    Ashish Bhasin will be the ex-officio member of the AAAI Executive Committee for 2020-21 as its immediate past President.

    Acharya said “It’s a tremendous honor and also an enormous responsibility to be elected as the President of such a prestigious organisation. I am acutely aware that our industry, like the rest of the world, has just witnessed the most unprecedented times and it’s a difficult time for most. The pandemic has only underscored the relevance of collective thinking and the heightened role that AAAI can play. I will strive to do my best to further the interests of the advertising industry and take AAAI to greater heights as we emerge into the new normal. Many top advertising professionals have contributed very selflessly and relentlessly to the AAAI, both with and without executive positions. And that is what inspires me immensely as I take on this position. Many thanks to Ashish Bhasin for his leadership in the last two years as President – he has made great progress in making the association more inclusive, diverse, and future-ready. Also, thanks to all the Executive committee members and the secretariat for all the learning they have given me in the past many years”.

    Bhasin stated, “I have had the privilege to lead AAAI for two years as its president, I wish to thank all my fellow executive committee members for their wholehearted cooperation and valuable support. I would also like to congratulate Anupriya Acharya on her election as President. Anupriya has been a key member of the Indian media and advertising industry for a long time. I’m sure she will play a stellar role in taking forward the Association and its work. I wish her the very best for this role.”

    The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) is the apex national organisation of advertising agencies, formed in 1945, to promote their industry interests so that they continue to make an essential and ever-increasing contribution to the nation. The AAAI today is truly representative, with a large number of small, medium, and large-sized agencies as its members, who together account for almost 80% of the advertising business placed in the country. 

  • Publicis co MSL bags gold, silver & two bronze Lions

    MUMBAI: MSL India (Publicis Groupe’s Strategic Communications and Engagement Firm) is honoured to share the spotlight with its sister agencies, in four wins at the recently concluded Cannes 2017.

    The winning campaigns of #GiveHer5-The Ammada Trust, HPCL Roads That Honk and Vicks #Touchofcare, involved crucial strategic communication approach to drive conversations and impact. It has thus made MSL India’s role and involvement significant.

    “The wins are a true reflection of the power of strategic PR counsel in creating the right conversations that lead to measurable impact. As we continue to work with greater collaboration under Publicis Groupe’s ‘Power of One’, our mission is to consistently raise the quality of our work and partner our clients to deliver integrated solutions. All in-line with our promise to be a communication partner that provides strategic counsel and creative thinking,” said MSL India CEO Amit Misra.

    The wins include: #GiveHer5, The Ammada Trust – Gold Glass Lion, entered by Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi.

    In rural India, ‘period’ is a dirty word. Women are not allowed to water plants, wash her hair, sleep in the same room as anyone else, or enter religious spaces, kitchens. Period-shaming had stunted necessary dialogue about menstrual hygiene. Lack of affordable protection, and culturally-ingrained practice of segregation, meant that over 400 million rural women are being forced to miss 5 days every month. India’s women are falling behind for being women. So, the campaign turned to the urban advantaged to help bridge the gap. For just 2.5$ with Saafkins – the 12-hour, antimicrobial, reusable menstrual protection could help these women. Thus #GiveHer5 was born.

    Acknowledging MSL India’s significant involvement which contributed to the win, Praveen Kenneth, Chairman, Co-owner and MD at L&K Saatchi & Saatchi said, “I am a firm believer that passion and hard-work always deliver great results. Born from a self-interest to support betterment of girl child in India, the mission and goals of #GiveHer5 have surpassed all our expectations. In a campaign of such nature, while it was definitely imperative for us to drive mass reach to crowdsource support, the more important and tougher task was bringing to light the issue and creating awareness with action; a task more than well managed by MSL. Their strategic communication counsel and approach, makes them an equal partner in this win.”

    Roads that Honk, HPCL – Silver Innovation Lion, entered by Leo Burnett India and Bronze Lion in Design (Promotional Item Design) Category.

    #RoadsThatHonk is aimed at safer highways across Indian roads. The innovation, was launched on NH1 in North India, along the Jammu-Srinagar Highway (a road that is touted as one of the most precarious highways by National Geographic). The idea of “Roads that Honk,” was to build the world’s first ever road that honks at drivers to avoid head-on collisions and casualties. With the use of radar and sound, the product was the first of a kind solution to respond directly with speeding drivers, getting them to slow down and drive safely around deadly hairpin turns.

    “A great example of how collaboration and the right strategic communication mix can create a big impact. MSL’s role was instrumental in the win, since it was imperative for the campaign to create the right conversations around the idea and its innovation and earn credibility. MSL delivered and deserves as much credit for the win as Leo Burnett,” said Saurabh Varma, CEO, Publicis Communications India and CEO, Leo Burnett South Asia.

    Vicks #TouchofCare – Bronze, Entertainment Lion: Vicks, for decades, has centered its communication on ‘family-care’. With changing lifestyles, Vicks understood that contemporary families are no longer defined by biological ties alone. Acknowledging this evolving dynamic, Vicks decided to be a beacon for redefining the modern family in India through #TouchOfCare. The centerpiece of the campaign was a film that shared the heartwarming real-life story of Gauri Sawant, a transgender woman who takes on the responsibility to care for a young girl, Gayatri.

    Endorsing MSL’s contribution Nitin Darbari, Chairman and CEO P&G Teva JV China, Marketing Director Asia, Middle East and Africa said, “Vicks #TouchofCare work by MSL is a great example of how power of an idea coupled with strong agency can delivery wonders even at low budgets. The MSL team tapped creatively into the full network of celebrities and influencers with virtually no budget and based on the strength of the idea delivered outstanding value in amplifying the story of Vicks Touchofcare.

    So, did Ritu Mittal, Country Brand Marketing Manager, Procter & Gamble, “MSL team was exemplary in working the end to end PR plan & execution on TouchOfCare campaign. The team managed everything within a very limited budget and demonstrated superb agility. The campaign received an overwhelming response across global and national publications as a result of the relentless efforts made by this team.”

  • Publicis acquires mobile agency Monterosa

    MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe continued with its shopping streak by acquiring global mobile agency Monterosa.

    The newly acquired entity will report into Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), providing the network with a core specialty in mobile communications and a team of dedicated specialists around the world.

    The move follows Publicis Groupe‘s pioneering expansion into the mobile advertising market with its acquisition of Phonevalley in 2007. Like Phonevalley, Monterosa is exclusively committed to mobile marketing and communications, one of the high-growth digital sectors in which Publicis Groupe is committed to expanding its footprint.

    Monterosa will retain its name after the acquisition. It will also continue to work with its own clients in addition to other advertising agency partners throughout BBH and Publicis Groupe.

    The deal will enable Monterosa to grow its footprint to other areas in the world and work more closely with its clients. Carl Norberg, a co-founder of Monterosa, will continue to manage the agency and will report to BBH Group‘s CEO, Gwyn Jones.

    Monterosa was founded in 2009 by four Swedes — Johan Hemminger, Johan St?hle, Anton Holmquist and Carl Norberg and has offices in New York, Singapore. It is headquartered in Stockholm and has a team of 30 that works with brands like Carlsberg, Google, Mercedes Benz, Samsung and Vodafone. Its work for Mini Cooper‘s ‘Getaway‘ campaign (2011) and a number of global apps such as Buick Encore‘s ‘Hide and Seek’ in China, Lufthansa‘s ‘Anywake’ in Scandinavia, AT&T‘s ‘Daybreak’ in the US and the Pan-Asian Axe ‘Dare’ app for Unilever have won the agency accolades and awards.

    BBH Group CEO Gwyn Jones said, “The ubiquity and intimacy of smartphones make mobile campaigns an entirely new way to communicate with consumers. Mobile ads can be uniquely useful and pertinent — but they can also be perceived by consumers as disruptive. It‘s vital that we help our clients develop campaigns that are not just technically seamless, but also friendly and relevant. We‘ve been working with Monterosa for 18 months now. They have a great team, and a culture and approach that fit well with ours. We‘re very excited about the potential for this strategically important move.”

    Monterosa Stockholm CEO Johan Hemminger added, “Our two companies share a passion for producing highly creative, disruptive ideas with a dedication to craft. This deal will enable us to take our work to the next level. ”

    The interactive and mobile advertising and communications sector is currently experiencing spectacular growth as it benefits from convergent technological developments and the massive spread of smartphones. According to eMarketer, worldwide mobile-ad spending will reach $6.4 billion in 2012 and more than $23.6 billion by 2016. Monterosa‘s strong expertise in mobile and its multi-region profile will provide BBH with a core specialty in this key sector, which is one of the fastest growing media channels.

  • Publicis Group buys out BBH

    MUMBAI: A wave of consolidation is sweeping across global media agencies. France-based media communications conglomerate Publicis Groupe has taken full control of Britsh creative agency Bartle, Bogle Hegarty (BBH), acquiring its remaining 51 per cent stake for an undisclosed amount.

    In a separate deal, Publicis has also gobbled up Brazilian idea shop NEOGAMA/BBH, buying out the founder and chief creative officer Alexandre Gama‘s 64 per cent stake. The balance 34 per cent was held by BBH.

    NEOGAMA/BBH, which ended 2011 with a revenue of 42.2 million euros, will retain its name and continue to be led by Gama. Triacom and Made in Moon, the two affiliate agencies that provide digital and retail consulting services respectively, have also become part of Publicis Groupe through this deal.

    Post the acquisition, Gama will succeed BBH founding partner Sir John Hegarty as worldwide chief creative officer (WCCO) and group chief executive officer Simon Sherwood will take over as group chairman. Gwyn Jones will be group chief executive officer and Neil Munn, who is currently Zag (BBH‘s brand ventures company) CEO, has been given additional responsibility as group chief operating officer. The founding partner duo of Bogle and Hegarty will continue their roles in the creative sphere, but will not be actively involved in the executive functions at the agency. Bogle will also be involved in coaching and mentoring the new management team.

    The Board of the BBH holding company will consist of three members of the Publicis Groupe Management Board – Maurice Lévy, Jean-Yves Naouri, and Jean-Michel Etienne along with ZenithOptimedia global CEO Steve King, Bogle, Hegarty and Sherwood. This board will delegate full responsibility and authority for the day-to-day management and operation to a BBH Global Management Team led by Gwyn Jones.

    Publicis Groupe chairman and CEO Maurice Lévy said, “These transactions will enable the unification of the BBH network. Publicis Groupe has been a good partner to BBH and NEOGAMA/BBH over the past ten years; we‘ve managed to understand the rare and special company ethos of BBH, its symbol (the black sheep) and its community of men and women, who are recognized as some of the best professionals in our industry. Faithful to our motto, ‘Viva la Difference,‘ we have decided, together with Nigel, John and Alexandre, to engineer an integration that will preserve and protect their specific culture, their working methods, and the characteristics of the agencies through an approach of ‘autonomy inside‘ the Groupe. BBH‘s management will continue to be independent and the network will develop in its own way, in its own style, while benefiting from the support of Publicis Groupe‘s resources to accelerate its growth both geographically and via the expansion of its capabilities into more diverse areas.”

    BBH, founded in London in 1982 by John Bartle, Nigel Bogle and Sir John Hegarty, had reported revenues of 112.2 million euros (excluding Brazil) in 2011. The agency employs close to 1000 people worldwide and has to its credit many iconic campaigns like Audi‘s “Vorsprung durch Technik”, Johnny Walker‘s “Keep Walking”, British Airways‘ “To Fly. To Serve”, Axe Deodorant‘s “The Axe Effect” and the most recent “The Web is what you make of it” for Google.

    Bogle said, “The decision was very clear. We were looking for an opportunity that would ensure that our agency maintained a high degree of autonomy and could continue to abide by the values characterised by the black sheep. The key point for us was the preservation of our operational independence in managing the BBH brand, which has produced almost uninterrupted growth for thirty years. The new ownership not only ensures our autonomy, but brings us considerable advantages through Publicis Groupe‘s resources and global infrastructure.”

    Hegarty added, “Creativity is at the very heart of BBH. The quality of our work and the people who produce it have always been central to our success and will continue to be so into the future.”

    Headquartered in Sao Paulo, with an office in Rio de Janeiro, NEOGAMA/BBH was founded in 1999 by Gama and today employs a staff of approximately 270. In 2002, the agency merged with BBH.