On Independence
“…once again we are seeing disappointing growth for many of the industry’s flagship agencies — and particularly those owned by the larger holding companies. It’s not entirely clear why this should be. Perhaps they are restricted from expanding their offering out of a concern that will cannibalize sister agencies; perhaps their sheer size makes them […]
It’s About the Clients, Stupid
With the announcement of the Publicis-Omnicom merger, the first thought that comes to mind is “What about the clients?” That does not seem to be the first thought in the minds of either CEO. Maurice Levy of Publicis stated blandly that “…size will matter.” Omnicom chief executive John Wren said the merger would enable the […]
Dispatch from Dubrovnik: An International View on PR and Independence
At a recent meeting in Dubrovnik of public relations agency heads from nearly a dozen different nations, I was struck by the common emphasis on the importance of independence. At a time in our industry when it seems every firm is somehow owned or allied with one of the global behemoths, there remains a strong […]
Client Focus Goes Global
A group of public relations agency leaders met recently in Geneva to talk about their businesses, share ideas and consider ways to collaborate to better serve clients. The agency executives are members of ECP Global Communications and IPAN, two international networks of independent firms. Those in attendance were from countries as diverse as Great Britain […]