"A powerhouse is being created"
Agencies: The merger of Saatchi & Saatchi and Simko has created the largest advertising agency in French-speaking Switzerland, based in Geneva. CEO Pedro Simko provides details.
Agencies The merger of Saatchi & Saatchi and Simko creates the largest advertising agency in French-speaking Switzerland in Geneva. CEO Pedro Simko provides information.
WW In the 2002 BSW ranking, Saatchi&Saatchi was in 17th place with a BBE of around six million francs. How many places would the merged agency move up? Pedro Simko: Due to the Oxley Act, I am unfortunately not allowed to say more than that we will become a large agency and that we achieved a cumulative BBE of around ten million francs in 2002. (Editor's note: this would have put the agency in 11th place).
What is the ownership structure of the new agency?
I am also not allowed to comment on this topic at the moment. The important thing is not the ownership structure of the new agency, but that the management of the agency will consist of the best minds from Saatchi & Saatchi and Simko.2003 was a difficult year for the industry - so a merger like this makes sense.Our merger has nothing to do with the economy, but solely with strategic considerations. Moreover, initial talks had already taken place before 2002. The idea for the merger came about through a long acquaintance between the CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi, Kevin Roberts, and myself. We knew each other from our time at Procter & Gamble in Geneva.
So Procter & Gamble (P&G) is the reason for the merger?
On the one hand, Saatchi & Saatchi is one of P&G's main agencies worldwide, and on the other, P&G's European headquarters are right on our doorstep. It is very obvious that this new proximity will lead to closer cooperation. If you like, P&G is the cherry on the cake. However, the basic idea behind the merger is clearly the complementarity of the agencies. Saatchi & Saatchi is strong in the B-to-B sector and internationally, Simko in the B-to-C sector and locally. Bringing them together should create a powerhouse, because the merger is more than the sum of the individual agencies. That way we can keep the number of redundancies to a minimum.
Saatchi & Saatchi, Nyon, and Simko, Geneva, are a stone's throw away from each other. Are the agencies moving under one roof?
The Nyon office will soon be moving in with us, where - despite new offices on the second floor - it will be a little cramped with 35 new employees. We have a better solution for 2005: we have already found beautiful premises.
With the merger, Simko is now also part of the largest network in Switzerland, Publicis. Isn't there a danger that you will mutate into a satellite agency?
Absolutely not. All the agencies in the Publicis network work very independently and have different cultures. Throughout the negotiations, I had no contact with Publicis Switzerland; only with the people in the group in Paris. Saatchi & Saatchi Simko positions itself as 'The Ideas Company', which corresponds to the positioning of both Simko and Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide.
What will the internal division of tasks look like in the future?
The key positions are shared by Olivier Girard as CD, Tony Shone as Client Service Director in the international business, Nina Hugentobler in the national business as Client Service Director and myself as CEO. Interview:
"The Ideas Company": Pedro Simko (46) from Saatchi & Saatchi Simko.
Luca Aloisi
WW In the 2002 BSW ranking, Saatchi&Saatchi was in 17th place with a BBE of around six million francs. How many places would the merged agency move up? Pedro Simko: Due to the Oxley Act, I am unfortunately not allowed to say more than that we will become a large agency and that we achieved a cumulative BBE of around ten million francs in 2002. (Editor's note: this would have put the agency in 11th place).
What is the ownership structure of the new agency?
I am also not allowed to comment on this topic at the moment. The important thing is not the ownership structure of the new agency, but that the management of the agency will consist of the best minds from Saatchi & Saatchi and Simko.2003 was a difficult year for the industry - so a merger like this makes sense.Our merger has nothing to do with the economy, but solely with strategic considerations. Moreover, initial talks had already taken place before 2002. The idea for the merger came about through a long acquaintance between the CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi, Kevin Roberts, and myself. We knew each other from our time at Procter & Gamble in Geneva.
So Procter & Gamble (P&G) is the reason for the merger?
On the one hand, Saatchi & Saatchi is one of P&G's main agencies worldwide, and on the other, P&G's European headquarters are right on our doorstep. It is very obvious that this new proximity will lead to closer cooperation. If you like, P&G is the cherry on the cake. However, the basic idea behind the merger is clearly the complementarity of the agencies. Saatchi & Saatchi is strong in the B-to-B sector and internationally, Simko in the B-to-C sector and locally. Bringing them together should create a powerhouse, because the merger is more than the sum of the individual agencies. That way we can keep the number of redundancies to a minimum.
Saatchi & Saatchi, Nyon, and Simko, Geneva, are a stone's throw away from each other. Are the agencies moving under one roof?
The Nyon office will soon be moving in with us, where - despite new offices on the second floor - it will be a little cramped with 35 new employees. We have a better solution for 2005: we have already found beautiful premises.
With the merger, Simko is now also part of the largest network in Switzerland, Publicis. Isn't there a danger that you will mutate into a satellite agency?
Absolutely not. All the agencies in the Publicis network work very independently and have different cultures. Throughout the negotiations, I had no contact with Publicis Switzerland; only with the people in the group in Paris. Saatchi & Saatchi Simko positions itself as 'The Ideas Company', which corresponds to the positioning of both Simko and Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide.
What will the internal division of tasks look like in the future?
The key positions are shared by Olivier Girard as CD, Tony Shone as Client Service Director in the international business, Nina Hugentobler in the national business as Client Service Director and myself as CEO. Interview:
"The Ideas Company": Pedro Simko (46) from Saatchi & Saatchi Simko.
Luca Aloisi
