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Talent, Trust and Transformation

Publicis Media is the home to leading world-class media agencies – Starcom, Zenith, Mediavest | Spark (now rebranded as Spark…

Talent, Trust and Transformation

14th July 2017

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Talent, Trust and Transformation

Publicis Media is the home to leading world-class media agencies – Starcom, Zenith, Mediavest | Spark (now rebranded as Spark Foundry), Blue 449 and Performics – and a range of centralised global practices that focus on everything from analytics to business transformation to content. Selected as part of the Influential Businesswomen of 2017 Awards, we interviewed CEO, Marta Ruiz-Cuevas to learn more about the firm and her own success within it.

Mediavest | Spark, a full-service media agency under Publicis Media, announced that it is rebranding as Spark Foundry. This move underscores the company’s ongoing commitment to evolution, and reflects the agency’s offerings that extend well beyond the parameters of media and investment to include analytics, technology and innovation, insights, content, commerce and more.

Additionally, the Spark Foundry name reflects the bold energy of a start-up spirit with a powerhouse soul – the company’s foundational vision that blends an entrepreneurial, innovative business approach with the full resources, capabilities and marketplace clout of Publicis Media.

Since coming together as Mediavest | Spark in March 2016, the agency, guided by this vision, has welcomed numerous new clients including BEL Groupe (Global), MTV, KFC, Mattel, H&R Block (USA), Expedia (SEA), EuroLoan (Poland), Virgin Mobile (MENA), OnePlus (UK) and Diageo (Australia). Spark Foundry aims to aggressively roll out its winning proposition to its 3,500 employees across the world, while amplifying its best-in-class capabilities for clients.

“Spark Foundry’s unique vision brings a palpable energy that is proven to drive results for our clients,” said Publicis Media CEO Steve King. “I am confident that Spark Foundry will build on this momentum, and continue to deliver exceptional results for our clients as we unlock new and exciting opportunities together in markets across the world.”

Publicis Media is the media solutions hub of Publicis Groupe. It is home to leading world-class media agencies – Starcom, Zenith, Spark Foundry, Blue 449 and Performics – and a range of centralised global practices that focus on everything from analytics to business transformation to content. Marta Ruiz-Cuevas, CEO is keen to start the interview with more detail about the services her firm offers and which aspects of her current job role interests her the most.

“In keeping with Publicis Groupe’s ‘Power of One’ model, we provide a seamless and flexible way for our clients to get the best media services available. They specifically benefit from the scale and clout we hold collectively in the marketplace; the range of services we provide; the
centralised, data-driven practice specialties that help power some of our best work; and broader access to the best solutions from across Publicis Groupe.

“Each of Publicis Media’s brands (Starcom, Zenith, Spark Foundry, Blue 449 and Performics) have their own unique propositions and ways of working. Across each of those brands, clients will find a range of full service media capabilities. In addition to the brand offerings, we have a deep bench of specialised expertise sitting within our global practices, that cover: analytics and insight; business development and communications; business transformation; content; data, technology and insight; performance; trading and buying (also known as Publicis Media Exchange or PMX).

“Publicis Media’s unique structure, has allowed us to transform from a service to a platform business. What excites me the most, is having the flexibility to work with the many experts within our network, to craft unique solutions for our clients’ needs. Publicis Groupe’s ‘Power of One’ model breaks down silos and ensures we’re working collaboratively across our agencies, disciplines and geographies.”
On being selected as part of the Influential Businesswomen 2017 Awards, Marta is keen to share her thoughts plus the changes she has seen during her time at the helm of Publicis Media.

“I am beyond honoured to be part of the Influential Businesswomen 2017 Awards. Our industry is filled with smart, powerful women who are changing the face of advertising. I am grateful to call them my peers and grateful that awards like this exist to recognise some of the many contributions women make every day. I hope that I can inspire women to reach high and passionately pursue their goals. I’m a big believer of the phrase ‘yes, you can.’ We need other women to continually push, challenge and build us up – even when things seem tough.

“I’ve been in this business long enough to know that you can never sit still. It is constantly changing and you need to be nimble and flexible; you need to go where the consumer is going. Consumers are adopting technology at a much faster rate and consuming content in ways, and at a speed, we never dreamed about previously.

“During my time at Publicis Groupe, I’ve seen our agency evolve to meet those changing client needs. I’ve been fortunate to work across many different disciplines, clients and regions. I’ve spent time in the US, Spain and Mexico and helped move digital from a separate silo into the very core of our organisation. The latest evolution of Publicis Media is very exciting for me, as it gives us a powerful proposition in the marketplace. We can add more value for our clients by bringing together our collective insights, innovation, technology and data. We are not just transforming marketing our clients; we are also transforming their business.”

Marta turns the conversation towards what their clients say about the work they do, plus she gives a fascinating insight into her own role in the firm as a female CEO.

“Clients are thrilled with our more simplified and streamlined organisation and we are consistently recognised for our commitment to ‘Talent, Trust and Transformation’ – the core tenets that drive our business. We’ve recently secured new clients in Abbott, Lamundi.com and Vans, Inc. and we look forward to apply our unique insights and scale to help them transform their business.

“As CEO of Publicis Media Mexico, I am responsible for cultivating a powerful platform for which our agency brands can flourish. In addition, I drive operations and transformation across the business through our data, technology and innovation practice. Together, with our global agency brand and practice teams, we are continuously looking for ways to innovate, refine and deliver on our clients’ business objectives. My greatest responsibility will be delivering on Publicis Media’s three pillars of ‘Talent, Trust and Transformation’, as well as continuing to shape and differentiate the agency of the future.”

Marta then turns our thoughts towards the firm’s most significant achievements from the past calendar year and closes with her hopes and plans for 2017 and beyond.
“The launch of Publicis Media was a massive undertaking. We brought all the Publicis
Groupe media agencies in the market together – ultimately, we moved 500 people in a month! The momentum we experienced was just incredible. We believed in the approach and we knew we had client support, but never imagined it would happen so quickly. I’ve seen this organisation evolve over nearly two decades, so it was great to be able to work alongside of our talented leadership to bring this vision to life in the Mexico market. “The lines are blurring between innovation and marketing. It’s up to us to employ technology to deliver across the whole consumer journey. As new patterns of consumer behaviour are increasingly built on access to mobile, it forces companies to adapt the way they design, market and deliver products and services. Innovation and marketing can no longer be siloed. We’re helping clients drive transformation and business in this new environment.

“We are a people business, and strive to make Publicis Media a destination for the best talent in our industry. Thus, we have rolled out several programs to further education, offer unique experiences and continue to grow talent. In addition to what is offered on a Publicis media-level, I am also personally dedicated to our people in Mexico and will look for opportunities to localise these programs as well as mentor talent, both men and women.”

Name: Marta Ruiz-Cuevas, CEO

Email:[email protected]

Web Address: www.publicisgroupe.com

Address: Bosques de Duraznos 47, 4th floor, Mexico City 11700, Mexico

Telephone: +52 55 5246 5800

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