NEW YORK Publicis Groupe has been cut from HSBC Group’s $600 million global marketing services review, leaving teams from Interpublic Group, WPP Group and Omnicom Group contending, the client said on Friday.
The remaining contenders will be briefed on a strategic assignment in early March and make final presentations in May, said Peter Stringham, client group general manager, marketing. In between, HSBC executives will visit offices of the agency teams in the 13 countries where the company spends the bulk of its marketing dollars, Stringham said.
“The object really is to get it all into one holding company,” Stringham said. Still, each team has potential conflicts in certain parts of the world, and if a single holding company solution cannot be realized, HSBC will consider hiring across entities, he added.
Each team includes agencies for advertising, media services and below-the-line duties such as direct marketing. For example, IPG’s team features Lowe, Initiative Media, Plus Consultancy Group and MRM Partners, sources said. WPP’s team includes J. Walter Thompson, MindShare and 141; Omnicom’s BBDO, OMD and Proximity.
HSBC Trims Publicis Groupe From Review
