The Groupe’s strategy is described in detail in Chapter 1 of this document. For the ESRS, the description of inputs and products and results are presented in the Business Model and Value Creation pages in the Introduction section of this document; the strategy is presented in Chapter 1.
Publicis Groupe is a consulting company, i.e. the provision of intellectual services (intangible goods) for its corporate clients, with responsible marketing and communication at the heart of the offer and the three strategic pillars:
Sustainability in the Company’s business strategy is based on three pillars that permeate all activities: the fight against climate change, social equity and equal opportunities for our employees, and responsible marketing and technology at the heart of what we achieve for our clients. [ESRS 2 SBM-1-38]
Our talents and all the teams in each business line are Publicis Groupe’s main asset; they are passionate and curious, well-trained and connected to all types of innovation, experts in countless fields and attentive to societal changes. They are at the forefront of strategic transformations.
The Power of One organization places the client at the center: it is the operational lever enabling highly effective client support and project implementation and monitoring.
Publicis Groupe made the shift towards technology and data very early on, investing more than euro 10 billion over the last ten years, integrating acquisitions in technology with Sapient and in data with Epsilon, as well as internal developments around Core AI. Artificial intelligence is a growth driver for Publicis. The Groupe continues to gain market share and assert itself as a "Category of One", thanks to its unique model, powered by AI. This performance is the result of increased interest from our clients in the Groupe’s AI products and services, and is reflected in the sustained growth of the “Connected Media” business, which includes Epsilon. Its strong growth is based on its ability to connect the entire media ecosystem, commerce, and influence through AI, for the benefit of its clients.
Core AI unifies client proprietary data and allows each client to draw on thousands of useful data points. Core AI feeds into and enhances Publicis’ three strategic pillars and helps to support the modernization of clients’ business models in a world where everything is connected.
In terms of organization and operations, the experience of the pandemic in 2020 & 2021 validated the Groupe’s resilience in the face of a major physical impediment, with employees around the world having ensured good business continuity and client service, and demonstrated a real agility to adapt to exceptional circumstances. Major climatic hazards can physically impact offices (power cuts, temporary inaccessibility, etc.), just as employees and their living quarters can be affected (tornadoes, floods, fires, etc.), but the local teams are trained to be able to quickly implement solutions adapted to the needs of employees and clients. [ESRS 2 SBM-1-40, ESRS 2 SBM-1-42 (a) & (b), ESRS 2 SBM-3-48 (f)]
Upstream, the Company needs suppliers and partners to carry out the consulting service, then execute the action plan approved by the client. In addition to real estate lessors for offices, Publicis’ main suppliers include technology companies offering products and services such as hardware, cloud services and digital solutions as well as software essential for employees to work worldwide.
Under the contract between them and their clients, the agencies act in the name and/or on behalf of their clients, in particular for media purchases. When technological solutions are developed for clients, this is often done in cooperation with other technology companies.
Downstream, Publicis Groupe’s clients contact their own clients and end-users interested in their brands, products or services.
The Groupe’s client portfolio is fairly balanced between the various sectors and industries: automotive, finance, health, food and beverage, technology, consumer goods, retail, etc. (see Key figures in the Introduction to this document). [ESRS 2 SBM-1-42 (c)]
