As we speculated about half an hour ago, Saatchi EMEA boss Robert Senior (left) is to replace Kevin Roberts as CEO of Saatchi Worldwide (Roberts is staying on for another couple of years in a job coaching senior management at Publicis Groupe) while two of PG’s big digital companies Razorfish and Rosetta are to merge.
Now this is surprising. PG bought Rosetta for $575m a couple of years ago, since when the consultancy has appeared to prosper as a ‘customer engagement agency.’ In fact it’s made great play of its independence from PG’s other digital agencies that gather under the VivaKi banner.
Sorry guys, looks like you’ve lost out in yet another Publicis power struggle. PG also merged two of its other hefty digital buys, Digitas and LBi, into one unit.
It seems as though (eventually) departing PG CEO Maurice Levy is determined to weld all his big digital buys (together they’ve cost north of $2bn) into one great big behemoth. But don’t brands matter? Maybe Levy is trying to save money.
You’d think an advertising-based group would recognise that.
“Roberts is staying on for another couple of years in a job coaching senior management at Publicis.” Kev’s classes will include… How to travel the world on the BDHC’s shareholders expense whilst staying at 12 star hotels and eating at 12 Michelin rosette nosheries. How to be at the most convenient BDA office when rugby tournaments are taking place. How to get away with the THREE 24/7 PA’s necessary to organize all this shit. However, the good news is that GroupeSaatchi will save millions on Kev’s 12 star global expense account, and Kev will be able to devote himself to rugby full time.
Cheers/George