Publicis

The fourth largest communications groups in the world. From the Publicis Groupe website

Publicis Groupe is the world's 4th largest communications group and ranks No. 3 in Europe and No. 4 in the US. Publicis Groupe is also the world's 2nd largest group in media buying and consultancy.

The Groupe is structured around:

- Advertising, with 3 global networks (Publicis, Leo Burnett Worldwide and Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide), 2 creative multi-hub networks (Fallon Worldwide and 49%-owned Bartle Bogle Hegarty), and regional agencies with a high creative profile.

- Media buying and consultancy, with a No. 1 position worldwide through two major global networks (Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia), as well as Médias & Régies Europe (sale of advertising space).

- Specialized Agencies and Marketing Services (SAMS), in particular direct marketing, public relations, events, corporate and financial communications, multicultural and healthcare communications.

The Groupe is present in 196 cities in 104 countries on 5 continents, with 36,384 employees.

2003 2004

Revenues €3.86 billion €3.83 billion

Operating Income €553 million €590 million

Activities

Its activities include creative advertising, media and campaign planning, public relations and marketing. The group operates in Europe,Asia, the Americas and other parts of the world through through two networks - Saatchi & Saatchi (acquired in 2000) and Publicis Worldwide - and standalone units such as Nelson Communications. It boasts 170 offices in over 100 countries, with around 38,000 employees.

Japanese print and advertising group Dentsu has a substantial stake (15% as of May 2002) in Publicis.

History

The group dates from 1926, when Publicis was founded in Paris by Marcel Bleustein as a print advertising agency. It expanded into radio advertising (including operation of France's first commercial station prior to 1939) and operation of a chain of cinemas. After 1946 it expanded into the UK and Germany before buying existing advertising groups based in the US and creating new groups.

In March 2002 Publicis, Bcom3 and Dentsu announced agreement about merger of Publicis and Bcom3 (in practice a US$3 billion takeover by Paris) to create the world's fourth largest advertising group in the world. A "strategic, long-term partnership" between Dentsu (which had held 21% of Bcom3) and Publicis was announced at that time.

Bcom3 encompassed Leo Burnett, D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, Manning Selvage & Lee, Bartle Bogle Hegarty, and Starcom MediaVest.

The expectation was that the expanded group would gain 49% of its US$4 billion revenues from North America, 37% from Europe and 14% from Japan and the rest of the world. It would be the largest advertising group in Europe and third largest in the US. Source [1]

Website http://www.publicis.com/corporate/en/

Subsidiaries

• Capital MS&L - London

• MS&L - London

• Rowland Communications - London

   Publicis
   Bcom3
   Burrell Communications Group
   Fallon Worldwide
   Frankel & Co
   Nelson Communications
   Publicis Worldwide
   Publicis & Hal Riney
   Saatchi & Saatchi
   Leo Burnett
   D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles
   Manning Selvage & Lee
   Bartle Bogle Hegarty
   Starcom MediaVest
   Zenith Optimedia Group (75% held by Publicis, 25% held by Cordiant)
   Medicus Group
   Publicis Consultants
   Publicis Dialog
   Burrell, Conill
   Publicis Sanchez & Levitan
   Bromley Communications
   Lapiz
   New-A
   Vigilante
   Pangea
   Relay
   Publicis Prakit
   Publicis-Basic (Philippines)
   Publicis-Eureka (Singapore)
   Mojo Partners
   Publicis Capurro
   Publicis Unitros
   Hal Riney
   Evans Group
   Publicis Technology
   Casadevall-Pedren
   Publicis Welcomm (South Korea)
   Publicis Ad-link (China)
   Publicis Zen
   Publicis AMA
   Publicis CB
   Publi-graphics
   Publicis Dialog New York
   Gramercy Group
   Lobsenz/Stevens

Further reading

Ivan Fallon, The Brothers: The Saatchi & Saatchi Story (Chicago: Contemporary 1989) Kevin Goldman Conflicting Accounts: The Creation and Crash of the Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Empire (New York: Simon & Schuster 1997) Philip Kleinman's The Saatchi and Saatchi story (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson 1989) Alison Fendley's Saatchi & Saatchi: The Inside Story (New York: Arcade 1996).

Supercollector: A Critique of Charles Saatchi, (London: Ellipsis 2000) by Rita Hatton & John Walker.