From 2002 to 2006, Publicis Groupe successfully integrated Bcom3, following Saatchi & Saatchi, and brought together a large number of entities. At the same time it made a number of acquisitions to create a coherent range of services that would address clients’ needs and expectations, particularly offering different types of marketing services and access to the principal emerging markets.
In late 2005, Publicis Groupe obtained its first official rating (“investment grade”) from the two leading international rating agencies, Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. In late December 2006, Publicis Groupe launched a friendly tender offer for Digitas Inc., a leader in the digital and interactive communications sector in the United States and worldwide. This operation, which was completed in January 2007, was the first step in the Group’s remarkable advance into digital technology. At the time, the Group correctly foresaw the profound changes that the arrival of digital communications would have on the media world and, with the acquisition of Digitas, it immediately positioned itself as a market leader in that space. With the launch of The Human Digital Agency project, the Group clearly indicated its intention to integrate digital technology into the heart of its business, thereby reaffirming the desire and vision of its founder to make the Group a “pioneer of new technologies”.
During 2007 and 2008, Publicis Groupe undertook a profound reorganization of its structures and operational methods in order to adapt to the requirements of the digital era. It has thus added digital services to its well-known holistic service offer, while simultaneously pursuing the consolidation of its positions in fast-growing economies, both of which will be major challenges in the years to come.
2007 was the year of Publicis’ integration of Digitas Inc. This rapid and successful integration triggered a series of acquisitions in the digital domain in order to complete the Group’s global offer in the fields of interactive and mobile communication. In 2007, the Group chose to end its listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
2008 and 2009 saw Publicis Groupe pursue the drive to develop in the fast-growing area of interactive communications and expansion into emerging markets.
In January 2008, Publicis Groupe and Google publicly announced a collaborative project. This collaboration, which began in 2007, is founded on a shared vision of using new technologies to develop the advertising business. The arrangement is not exclusive and is expected to complement other established partnerships with leaders in interactive media.
Amid brisk growth in the digital arena, the most visible sign of the Group’s transformation was undoubtedly the launch of VivaKi, a new initiative aimed at optimizing the performance of advertiser investments and maximizing Publicis Groupe’s market share growth. This initiative allows clients to reach precisely defined audiences in a single campaign and across multiple networks.
The global economic crisis in 2009, which saw numerous economies enter into recession and global trade shrink by 12%, did not hinder the development of Publicis Groupe’s strategy.
The acquisition of Razorfish – the number two interactive agency in the world after Digitas – from Microsoft in October 2009, brought new strengths to the Group’s digital activities, notably in e-commerce, interactive marketing, search engines, strategy and planning, social network marketing and the resolution of technological architecture and integration issues.
During 2009, Publicis Groupe and Microsoft entered into a global collaboration agreement defining three core objectives for the development of digital media. Microsoft’s and VivaKi’s respective teams will be able to provide clients with greater added value and effectiveness in all the domains of the digital sphere: contents, performance, definition, targeting, and audience ratings.
These developments prove Publicis Groupe’s capacity to constantly anticipate changes in the market, to meet new client needs and provide solutions in line with consumer expectations—ensuring the Group’s continued growth.
In 2009, Publicis Groupe became the world’s third-largest communications firm, overtaking its competitor IPG. This position as number three has been considerably strengthened since then.
Thus, having confirmed the success of its strategy, in 2010 the Group continued its investments in digital activities and in developing areas of the world such as China, Brazil and India.
Despite the economic disruption in 2011, which was primarily due to sovereign debt in the euro zone and to another financial crisis in August, followed by the United States’ debt rating downgrade, Publicis accelerated the development and implementation of its strategy, prioritizing digital businesses and developing countries. Accordingly, the Group purchased Rosetta, one of the largest digital agencies in North America; Big Fuel, based in New York, and the only agency specializing in social networks, thus significantly strengthening the Group’s position in digital media, before also acquiring Talent and DPZ in Brazil and Genedigi in China.
During 2012, a difficult and uncertain year for growth, especially in Europe, Publicis Groupe continued to pursue an action plan that involved acquisitions and agreements designed to intensify the implementation of its strategic choices. The Group thus made a number of targeted acquisitions, particularly in the digital sector, in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States, Russia, Brazil, China, Singapore, India, and Israel and, for the first time, in Palestine. Additionally, still in the digital arena, Publicis Groupe and IBM formed a global partnership based on their unparalleled influence on the future of e-commerce.
