Publicis Groupe to create the world's leading digital network
DigitasLBi will pool the global market leadership and cutting-edge skill-sets of
top agencies Digitas and LBi
Publicis Groupe (EURONEXT Paris: FR0000130577) will merge Digitas and LBi, to
form the leading, fully integrated global digital agency network, with digital
marketing and technology capabilities at the core. The new network, to be named
DigitasLBi, will be led by LBi Chief Executive Luke Taylor, who has been
appointed DigitasLBi's Global CEO.
Highlighting Publicis Groupe's leadership of the crucial, fast-moving digital
sector, DigitasLBi will be the most complete digital agency network in the
world, leveraging the longstanding dominance of Digitas in the USA -- where it
is the largest digital agency -- together with LBi's strong position in Europe
and the leading position enjoyed by both agencies in Asia Pacific. DigitasLBi
will comprise 5,700 best-in-class digital and technology experts in 25 countries
around the world. DigitasLBi clients include American Express, Coca-Cola, Delta,
eBay, L'Oréal, Johnson & Johnson, Mondelez P&G, Nissan, Sprint and Starbucks.
Digitas and LBi share strong grounding in digital, including data, direct,
social, search and platform delivery. Pooling these cutting-edge skillsets,
DigitasLBi's outstanding service offering will provide clients with unique depth
and breadth of expertise across the widest range of digital disciplines,
including strategy & analytics, performance marketing, service design, e-
commerce, brand strategy, content development, mobile, market research, CRM,
search and social media.
The new digital network's 'end-to-end' proprietary technology suite will include
LBi's Audience Engagement Platform as well as Digitas' CRM365 Intelligence
Platform and award-winning BrandLIVE. The combination of these technologies and
surrounding services will allow DigitasLBi to form a uniquely perceptive view of
the customer and distribute creative content efficiently across earned, owned
and paid media channels, driving marketing effectiveness and delivering better
value to brands.
"Advertisers need a truly integrated and global digital network that can
anticipate trends, forecast the 'next', while constantly innovating in our ever-
changing world," said Maurice Lévy, Chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe. "The
combination of Digitas and LBi will create the world's leading concentration of
digital skills and competencies in the world, capable of delivering solutions to
all clients, everywhere. I'm very happy that Luke will be managing this new
global network. I'm sure that he will bring innovative vision and market-
defining services to our clients, and this is and will always be our relentless
focus. The formation of DigitasLBi is an essential landmark. It will certainly
be the most competitive, attractive network in the market for both clients and
talent.
As Global CEO of DigitasLBi, Luke Taylor will report directly to Bob Lord, CEO
of Publicis Groupe's Digital Technology Division. A team of senior LBi, Digitas
and Publicis Groupe executives will oversee the merger process under the
leadership of Stephan Beringer, CEO, Digitas and Razorfish International,
ensuring flawless delivery of the newly enhanced service offering to clients in
every geography.
"One of the key strategic tenets of the combined DigitasLBi offering is the
scalable, flexible technology and product suite that will help meet the full
spectrum of marketer needs from audience engagement, to sense-and-respond
content development and publishing, to real-time relationship marketing," said
Bob Lord, CEO of Publicis Groupe's Digital Technology Division. "This is an
exciting union between two powerful brands, with complementary strengths in
product and service that will redefine the role of an agency."
Between them Digitas and LBi have a strong, shared heritage in digital that
delivers strength and depth across all data, direct, social, search and platform
delivery disciplines. Digitas has long been known for digitally-led, integrated
brand ideas with roots in CRM and connected commerce. LBi meanwhile has a
historic strength in service innovation and multi-channel delivery and,
following its acquisition of bigmouthmedia in 2010 and MRY in 2011, is able to
leverage a breadth of search and social expertise along side its creative,
technology and user experience skillsets. In 2012 LBi and Digitas received a
combined total of over 200 awards globally. Specifically, Digitas won two Cannes
Lions Grand Prix last year, whilst LBi secured the SXSW People's Choice Award.
Digitas was also recently named OMMA Agency of the Year 2012 and LBi UK Digital
Agency of the Year 2012 by Marketing magazine.
"DigitasLBi represents the first time that insight, content and distribution has
been brought together in one agency, providing clients with a truly integrated,
best-in-class, global offering," said Luke Taylor, Chief Executive of
DigitasLBi. Â "I'm thrilled to have been appointed to oversee the genesis and
strategic evolution of DigitasLBi and harness the unique opportunity to leverage
an unparalleled breadth of geographies, services and proprietary technologies to
pace set the markets."
Sitting alongside sister Publicis Groupe digital brands Razorfish and Rosetta,
DigitasLBi cements Publicis Groupe's ambitions in this critical area for its
clients and the future of the communications sector. Publicis Groupe's share of
revenue derived from digital operations is now over 35%, enhancing its ability
to deliver innovative and best-in-class services to clients.
Colin Kinsella continues in his role as Chief Executive, Digitas North America,
while Ewen Sturgeon remains Chief Executive of LBi, Europe, Middle East and
Asia.
The creation of DigitasLBi will not affect MRY, which will remain a standalone
entity under the leadership of founder and Chief Executive Matt Britton. With an
enhanced headcount and service offering, MRY will continue to operate as an
integrated agency with a social center of gravity.
About Publicis Groupe
Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, part of the CAC 40 index] is the
third largest communications group in the world, offering the full range of
services and skills: digital (Digitas, Razorfish, Rosetta, VivaKi, LBi),
traditional advertising (BBH, Leo Burnett, Publicis Worldwide, Saatchi &
Saatchi), public affairs, corporate communications and events (MSLGROUP), media
buying and strategy (Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia) and
specialized communications with PHCG (Publicis Healthcare Communications Group).
Present in 104 countries, the Groupe employs 58,000 professionals.
www.publicisgroupe.com
About Digitas
Digitas, a digitally-led, integrated global brand agency, builds brands for some
of the foremost companies in the world. In 2012 Digitas was named OMMA
Magazine's Agency of the Year, AdAge's Standout List, and The Drum's London
Integrated Agency of the Year. Digitas was also the winner of nine Cannes Lions
in 2012. The agency also counts Agency of the Year honors from the Festival of
Media, BtoB Magazine, and Les Agences de l'Année, France. Digitas also operates
the brand content platform, The Third Act:, producers of first and most well
renowned event on digital content, The NewFront. With sister agencies Starcom
MediaVest Group, ZenithOptimedia, Denuo and Razorfish, Digitas is a unit of
Publicis Groupe. Publicis Groupe [listed on the Euronext Paris Exchange -
FR0000130577 - and part of the CAC 40 index] is the world's third largest
communications group. With activities spanning 104 countries on five continents,
Publicis Groupe offers local and international clients a complete range of
advertising services.
www.digitas.com
About LBi
LBi is a global marketing and technology agency, expert at blending strategic,
creative, media and technical expertise to build business value. We help
companies of all shapes and sizes decide what's next for their business - and
then we take them there. We define and execute transformational digital
strategies for clients including Coca-Cola E.ON, Lloyds TSB, Play.com and Virgin
Atlantic. Across our 32 offices in 17 countries, there are more than 2,200
digital specialists collaborating with brands to enrich people's lives via
service design, branded content, mobile, CRM and social media. We also set the
pace in digital display, search, affiliate marketing, usability and analytics.
There are many things that make LBi unique, but if we had to choose one it would
be our ability to bring together diverse teams of experts to suit any brief. We
call this blending, and it's the reason why all types of organisations - from
famous global businesses to disruptive start-ups - choose LBi to help make their
brands desirable wherever, whenever and however people choose to engage with
them.
LBi is Marketing magazine's Digital Agency of the Year 2012.
www.lbi.com
Contacts
Publicis Groupe
Peggy Nahmany
Corporate Communications
+ 33 (0)1 44 43 72 83
Martine Hue
Investor Relations
+ 33 (0)1 44 43 65 00
Stéphanie Attelian
Investor Relations
+ 33 (0)1 44 43 74 44
Digitas
Jill Kelly
EVP, Global Director
Corporate Communications
+1 646 735 7330
LBi
Gareth Jones
Global Brand & Marketing Director
gareth.jones@lbi.com
+44 (0) 207 063 6263
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Source: LBi International N.V. via Thomson Reuters ONE
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