Publicis Groupe’s much-heralded revamp continues apace with the news that Saatchi & Saatchi Fallon global CEO Robert Senior (left) is to head all its agencies in the UK under the new entity Publicis Communications. Senior’s new remit includes Leo Burnett, Publicis Worldwide, production agency Prodigious, PR outfit MSL and ‘incubator’ Drugstore as well as his own dual agency.
BBH apparently has a legal agreement in force which keeps it free of such machinations until 2022.
On a global level Publicis Communications is headed by Arthur Sadoun, Publicis boss Maurice Levy’s likeliest successor. Sadoun is also CEO of Publicis Worldwide – worldwide – and MSL. In which case he presumably reports to himself. As for the unfortunate CEO of Publicis London, Karen Buchanan, she probably hasn’t a clue who she’s reporting to.
Levy announced the changes – derided as a ‘fig leaf’ by long-time adversary Sir Martin Sorrell of WPP – last year, supposedly to make the organisation more client-centric. He also announced the appointment of Starcom media executive Laura Desmond as ‘global chief revenue officer,’ charged with overall client relations (I think).
It’s all very confusing and heaven knows how Senior, who seems to spend as much time jetting around the world as his predecessor Kevin Roberts, is going to find time for it all. Senior says his job is “helping each other do the right thing for brands with creativity and collaboration.”
Sadoun says: “What has not changed is the quest for creative excellence or the importance of the individual brands and culture.”
