Publicis Media expands influencer marketing with new PMCI unit

With the newly created Publicis Media Content & Innovation (PMCI) unit, Publicis Media Germany is focusing on connecting media, commerce, customer experience and data. The investment in the DACH region follows the Publicis Groupe's "Connected Media" strategy announced at the end of 2025.

PMCI bundles products and consulting expertise that enrich reach with emotions and thus make it more effective. The unit is headed by PMCI Managing Director Björn Klaas, who has been with Publicis for 15 years and most recently headed Spark Foundry.

Three areas plus sport

In total, over 65 employees work in the three areas of PMCI. The Branded Experiences and Digital Solutions units have been implementing eye-catching advertising formats and concepts for Publicis clients for years.

The influencer marketing and gaming branch will be newly established. This includes the influencer activation offering from the influencer marketing platform Influential, which was acquired by Publicis in summer 2024. New addition Dennis Wegner leads this team as Managing Partner. He is a proven social media strategist and comes from WPP Media, where he was most recently responsible for the cross-agency social media and influencer offering.

A fourth pillar is already under construction. This involves the connection between sport, influencer marketing and media. This area complements the work of Holger Hansen, who is driving forward Sport & Entertainment at Group level in DACH.

Emotions instead of impressions

Björn Klaas emphasizes the strategic orientation: "Stop counting impressions - make impressions count. That has always been my mantra and it is more relevant than ever. Media consumption is six and a half hours a day, but the attention for an advertising message sometimes lasts just 1.3 seconds. Today and in the future, simply having favorable contacts or a pure focus on reach is no longer enough to positively anchor a brand with consumers."

For communication to make a difference, brand experiences, emotions and relevance must be created. "Emotions as a basis with activation via media is the core of PMCI. All our products and consulting services are based on this," continues Klaas. In addition to innovative brand integrations and specially created special ads, the development of the influencer unit and the sports area play a particularly important role.

The PMCI approach is seamlessly integrated into the services offered by Publicis' sister agencies. This is particularly evident in the area of earned and shared media with "echo by MSL" through the specially developed 5C system: culture, community, connection, creators and content become a lever for relevance and cultural impact, strategically embedded in Connected Media.

Power of One

Karin Ross, Chief Operating Officer Publicis Groupe DACH and CEO Publicis Connected Media, explains: "In PMCI, we are bundling our media, data and influencer competencies within Publicis Media and ensuring connectivity to the capabilities of our sister agencies within Publicis Groupe for all clients. We have been working together for years in the spirit of The Power of One and are now creating a joint offering in the spirit of Connected Media."

The successor to Björn Klaas at Spark Foundry has already been appointed and will be announced shortly.