It’s no lie that 2016 was a tough year for all involved. It threw us some real curveballs many in our industry did not see Brexit or the Trump presidency coming and the effects of these decisions are yet to properly hit, or be felt, by our business and clients. Positive or negative.
That said, these changes across the Y&R offices in Europe is nothing to do with Brexit, or Trump. (I’m pleased to say).
London may well feel like the centre of the universe for many of us, but the truth is that this Europe-wide change, which brings all of our companies under one, clear, brand, is about strength and unification. The decision to change the names of the agencies within the Y&R network was about business sense and harnessing the power of our network while also delivering cultural relevance within each market. After all, we wouldn’t have renamed the agencies after the cities they’re based in if we didn’t want to pay homage to where we source our inspiration from, where we belong to, and where our employees live, from London to Madrid.
This is a small step-change for all of our agencies, but for London it only serves to highlight further the agency’s strong global profile and its formidable leadership team, while also being tightly integrated into a powerful network.
But truly, while it’s important to remember that while a new name signifies new beginnings, new chapters and new challenges for any brand or agency that decides to update its look, the values at the heart of a successful business will always be the same. As Mark Roalfe eloquently puts it: “The name may have changed but the ambition stays the same, it’s always about providing the best possible solutions for our clients.” And that goes for all of us across Europe, too.
And while we are at it, there’s tremendous underlying momentum in the Y&R LDN office, from the best new business performance in two years to winning new clients and seeing the success of new hires through the success of the M&S Mrs Claus. The new team is performing and the work is improving. We may have taken a few hits at the agency over the past couple of years, but we’ve also taken action and the benefits of which we’re starting to reap.
Andrew Dimitriou is president of Y&R Europe.
So Y&R has become Y&R? Or is it the acronym for London that’s the big idea?
No wonder this Industry is in crisis. These people are fucking morons.
To think I was ashamed of working for Allen, Brady and Marsh.