Publicis bites back at WPP over 'CEO handshake' comments

Publicis Groupe has hit back at comments made by WPP CEO Cindy Rose during the holding company's Q3 earnings call, taking issue with her suggestion that some peers are winning business through what she described as a "CEO handshake thing".

In an Instagram post titled "Dear Cindy", the French network said it had always enjoyed "a bit of industry back and forth, à la Maurice and Martin", but could not let Rose's theory on how it wins new business go unchallenged.

Publicis took particular issue with the suggestion that it secured business through a "CEO handshake", calling it an "insult to clients' intelligence". It argued that global companies would not hand over the keys to their data, media and technology operations over a "friendly espresso", adding that it had undergone months of rigorous testing before being entrusted with the business.

"Skipping an old-school pitch circus isn't skipping due diligence. It's clients knowing what they need and testing us to the limit," Publicis said.

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The network also defended its investments in technology and talent, pointing to its connected identity and media solutions, intelligent creative capabilities and AI engines as factors underpinning its partnerships with enterprise clients.

Taking another swipe at WPP, Publicis alluded to the recent Coca-Cola media review, questioning Rose's comments about the burden of pitching.

"You can't be a passionate defender of pitch culture and plead exhaustion in the same breath. If an extra six-week run was enough to sideline your teams, it's not an endurance problem; it's a capability one," the post said.

Publicis ended the statement by acknowledging the pressures of communicating with financial markets, while calling on the industry to give agencies and their work the credit they deserve.

"We understand the pressure of building a narrative for the financial markets and the urge to celebrate a win. But it shouldn't require denigrating our clients, our people and all of our efforts. Our industry does extraordinary work. Let's give it the credit it deserves."

The accompanying caption tagged WPP's official Instagram account, adding: "We're not angry, we're just disappointed."

The post was a response to comments Rose made during WPP's Q3 earnings call, when she was asked why the group did not participate in Coca-Cola's North American media pitch and whether she had observed peers winning assignments without pitching.

Rose said WPP was pleased with the outcome of the review, noting that it had been appointed in every market it competed in. She explained that WPP had opted not to participate in the North American pitch largely because it had already secured the business across the rest of the world.

"We made a tough call between spending yet another six weeks pitching for North America versus delivering against what we had already won. It was a fine judgement call, which I made, and it's as simple as that," Rose said.

Addressing the question of peers securing assignments without pitching, Rose described it as a "CEO handshake thing".

"Nobody loves pitching. The cost and burden of the process seems to be increasing. But I think what's really important to me is that my clients fully understand the implications of the decisions they're making," she said.

"These are really high-stakes decisions with material business consequences, and they deserve careful consideration. I don't think we do ourselves any favour as an industry of professionals by encouraging clients to bypass proper due diligence," she added.

Last month, WPP emerged with the bulk of Coca-Cola's global media business following a major agency review, retaining the account across most international markets while Omnicom secured the North American business.

Coca-Cola confirmed that WPP Open X would retain its media business across most of Asia Pacific, with Dentsu continuing to handle Japan and South Korea. In Australia and New Zealand, the business also remains with WPP Open X, with EssenceMediacom continuing its involvement in the account.

"We began this process with a clear objective: ensure we have the right partners, capabilities and operating model to continue to lead in a rapidly changing marketing landscape," Manolo Arroyo, Coca-Cola's executive vice president and chief marketing and customer commercial officer, said.

"The outcome reinforces our confidence in the strength of our global marketing ecosystem and positions us to accelerate growth through deeper consumer understanding, greater agility and the responsible application of emerging technologies."

Coca-Cola said Omnicom's appointment in North America reflected the need for a more integrated regional operating model, bringing media, data, CRM, loyalty and creator capabilities together. The company aims to move beyond channel-based advertising execution towards more connected consumer experiences in the region.

Meanwhile, in September, PepsiCo appointed Publicis Groupe to its global media account, expanding the holding company's remit across the food and beverage giant's worldwide media operations. Publicis was reported to have won the business from incumbent Omnicom's OMD in key markets without a pitch, ending a relationship that had spanned more than two decades.

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