Publicis has merged its digital networks Sapient with Razorfish into a single unit to be known as SapientRazorfish, confirming rumors which have been circulating for some time. Despite contrary gossip, Rosetta will not be folded into the new organization. It will continue to operate as a dedicated Samsung unit.
For the record, we had been chasing this story for weeks and knew it was going to happen, but Publicis decided not to play. The news also apparently came as a surprise to most of the two organizations’ 12,000+ employees today.
SapitentNitro CEO Alan Wexler will lead the new entity as chairman, with Razorfish CEO Shannon Denton pivoting to a role as global chief strategy officer. Wexler will also serve as co-CEO of the Publicis.Sapient “solution hub” which SapientRazorfish is a part of, along with Chip Register.
“By creating SapientRazorfish, and by implementing a more integrated management structure, we are combining the very best digital and technology assets in one combined unit,” Publicis.Sapient chairman Alan Herrick said in a statement. “SapientNitro and Razorfish have been clear market leaders since the invention of digital. To now bring them together builds on the great success we have seen in many recent collaborations with clients.”
Publicis sees the merger as a way to advanced its “Power of One” approach behind a “more integrated management structure” which can provide a diverse array of solutions for clients.
“For the past 10 years, Publicis Groupe has been leading the way in reshaping our company to be more digital,” said Publicis Groupe CEO and chairman Maurice Levy.
“We are now taking this next, important step, to further integrate these formidable assets,” he added. “SapientRazorfish is a powerful new entity in the marketplace uniquely combining customer experience strategy, omni channel commerce, and technology deployment to create a new breed of digital transformation partner pointed at today’s most critical client need – reshaping their businesses for the future. I am confident that Alan and Chip, together with the new Publicis.Sapient structure and management in place, will continue to drive digital revenue to our goal of 60% by 2018.”