M&C Saatchi
International advertising and communications group; joint-venture partner with Breakthrough Media in Horizon PR (used on the RICU contract); awarded large Home Office counter-extremism / Prevent communications contracts; CSSF creative services sub-contractor (Tunisia); former head of Middle East operations later became head of RICU
| M&C Saatchi
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Advertising and communications group |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Headquarters | 36 Golden Square, London, W1F 9EE |
| Key people | Moray MacLennan (Worldwide CEO); Jeremy Sinclair (Chairman); David Kershaw (Chief Executive); Maurice Saatchi (Executive Director) |
| Website | mcsaatchi.com |
M&C Saatchi is an international advertising and communications group founded in 1995. It has held major UK government contracts for counter-extremism and Prevent-related communications, was the joint-venture partner with Breakthrough Media in Horizon PR (used on the Home Office Research, Information and Communications Unit contract), and has provided creative services under CSSF-funded projects. A former head of its Middle East operations later became head of RICU.[1][2]
Background
According to the company, “M&C Saatchi is founded on the principle of Brutal Simplicity. It is the only agency to be international from birth. It was born in 1995 in London, Sydney, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore.” In 2004 it floated 49% of the agency on AIM. It has maintained multiple offices internationally.[3]
In February 2009 Matthew Freud acquired a 3.3% stake, making him the largest individual shareholder after the four founders (each holding 6.44%).[4]
Prevent, RICU and counter-extremism work
In 2015 Breakthrough Media set up Horizon PR as a joint venture with M&C Saatchi. A Saatchi spokesman told The Guardian: “Horizon was created to support the public relations of civil society groups, voluntary organisations and NGOs who want to drive positive social change.” Horizon promoted the work of community groups as part of Breakthrough’s contract with RICU. Journalists contacted by Horizon were not told that the company was representing the groups as part of the RICU contract; Breakthrough is reported to have said there was no obligation to disclose the government’s involvement. Horizon PR Limited was incorporated on 16 March 2015 and dissolved on 20 August 2019; its directors included figures from both Breakthrough and M&C Saatchi (including Scott Brown, formerly an M&C Saatchi account director).[1][5]
In May 2016 Campaign reported that the Home Office was set to appoint M&C Saatchi to handle a £60 million counter-extremism account. The brief covered the creation of up to ten campaigns a year, including awarding and evaluating community groups’ involvement as well as production of videos, websites and posters. The paper noted the existing Horizon PR joint venture with Breakthrough. A spokesman for M&C Saatchi declined to comment. Subsequent reporting has referred to a large multi-year communications-services contract with the firm (figures in the region of £50 million have been cited in trade and transparency coverage for the period from 2019).[2][6]
In February 2017 The Guardian reported that M&C Saatchi was working with the UK government to tackle racist myths perpetuated online by the far right, as part of a broader £60 million fight against extremism.[7]
CSSF and international work
In a 2018 parliamentary answer, the Cabinet Office stated that M&C Saatchi had been competitively appointed to offer creative services on a CSSF project providing technical assistance to support the Tunisian civil service to communicate transparently with citizens. The value of the sub-contract was up to £275,000; Cabinet Office civil servants undertook implementation and M&C Saatchi did not work directly with the Tunisian government.[8]
In 2013 NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps hired M&C Saatchi to help counter terrorist propaganda on Twitter and increase online influence. Two of the firm’s consultants participated in a large-scale exercise at RAF St Mawgan involving a simulated Twitter environment (“Critter”).[9]
M&C Saatchi (UK) Limited has appeared on the CSSF Framework Agreement supplier list.[10]
The firm’s World Services division has described itself as delivering communications in fragile, conflict and climate-affected contexts for governments, multilaterals and NGOs, drawing on behavioural insight and data-led strategy.[11]
People
- Moray MacLennan – Worldwide CEO; one of the founding members; former President of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising.
- Tom Dery – Executive Chairman, Asia Pacific & US.
- Maurice Saatchi – Executive Director.
- Jeremy Sinclair – Chairman.
- David Kershaw – Chief Executive.
- Bill Muirhead – Executive Director.
- Molly Aldridge – Global CEO (later).
Former executives
- Richard Chalk was head of Middle East operations in 2008; he later became head of the British government’s RICU (2012–c.2016).
- Scott Brown (later chief executive of Breakthrough Media / Zinc Network) previously worked as an M&C Saatchi account director.
Political donations
Recorded by the Electoral Commission:
| Date | Name of donor | Amount | Donated to | Subsidiary (parties only) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/05/2010 | M & C Saatchi PLC, M & C Saatchi PLC | £60,000.00 | Conservative Party | Central Party |
| 12/05/2009 | M&C Saatchi, 36 Golden Square | £2,281.75 | The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP |
Contact
Address: M&C SAATCHI, 36 Golden Square, London, W1F 9EE Phone: +44 (0)20 7543 4500 Fax: +44 (0)20 7543 4501 Website: http://www.mcsaatchi.com/
See also
External links
- The Guardian, 2 May 2016 (Horizon PR and RICU)
- Campaign, 24 May 2016 (£60m counter-extremism brief)
- The Guardian, 6 February 2017
- Civil Service World, 3 May 2022
- Companies House: Horizon PR Limited
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ian Cobain et al., “Inside Ricu, the shadowy propaganda unit inspired by the cold war”, The Guardian, 2 May 2016.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Maisie McCabe, “M&C Saatchi wins brief to counter extremism”, Campaign, 24 May 2016.
- ↑ M&C Saatchi website, Facts & Figures, accessed 27 February 2009.
- ↑ Katherine Griffiths, “Matthew Freud buys stake in M&C Saatchi”, The Daily Telegraph, 25 February 2009.
- ↑ Companies House and contemporary reporting on Horizon PR Limited.
- ↑ “Home Office’s secretive anti-extremism comms unit signs £1m media monitoring deal”, Civil Service World, 3 May 2022.
- ↑ “UK government hires M&C Saatchi to fight far-right threat”, The Guardian, 6 February 2017.
- ↑ Written parliamentary question, Tunisia: Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, answered 18 July 2018.
- ↑ “Nato launches Saatchi missile to fight terror”, The Sunday Times, 24 November 2013.
- ↑ CSSF Framework Agreement (2023–2027) supplier list.
- ↑ M&C Saatchi World Services written evidence to the International Development Committee.
- ↑ Electoral Commission, Donation Search, accessed 2 March 2015.