Saatchi & Saatchi brand, brought back on Romanian market by Publicis Groupe Romania
Publicis Groupe Romania announced the return on Romanian advertising market of the Saatchi & Saatchi brand. The agency returns on the market as part of an association with The Geeks, as Saatchi & Saatchi+The Geeks. According to a press release sent by the group, the 2 agencies will work in an “operational association”, following an already functional model within Saatchi network and with the purpose of offering to the clients integrated communication programs built on a digital basis.
Publicis Groupe’s move brings together not only 2 different agencies, but also professionals renown on the local market. This way, the new Saatchi & Saatchi+The Geeks combines the over-18 years of experience in integrated communication, sell-in sell-out platforms, trade & consumer solutions from Radu Luca, Managing Director Saatchi & Saatchi Romania, with the experience in digital strategy from Costin Radu, Managing Director The Geeks.
Luca and Radu will manage from an operational point of view the 2 divisions of the association, namely Saatchi & Saatchi and The Geeks and will develop the needed work processes in order to bring together all the competencies of the 2 teams.
We’re stronger when we are together and we managed to create in Saatchi EMEA a creative community unusually connected, fluid and involved, whose benefits are felt in different way in all the offices
John Pallant
Creative Director, Saatchi & Saatchi EMEA
Radu Luca, managing director of Saatchi, worked over the time for important Romanian agencies: group account director Publicis until 2007, Executive Director Prospero (Graffiti BBDO) and Focus Advertising (2008-2009) and, starting 2012, at Publicis Dialog.
The association of the 2 brands is based on a functional model adapted to the times we’re living in. We are talking about a harmonious combination of cultures and expertises in a dynamic formula, open to developing new and creative ideas. The association Saatchi & Saatchi+The Geeks will allow clients to opt in not just for a classical agency, but also for a formula which answers to the actual marketing challenges and, especially, to the future challenges the brands are facing
Radu Luca
Managing Director, Saatchi & Saatchi
Costin Radu will continue to manage the digital native agency The Geeks, after he has done so since 2010. Previously, Radu worked 10 years in advertising in agencies like Biblos Advertising, Sister&Co., Leo Burnett&Target and in online publishing (IQads.ro/Smark).
The Geeks showed, during the last couple years, the capacity to run, with excellent results, integrated projects for digital businesses. The new formula, created through association with Saatchi & Saatchi brand, is, for The Geeks, an opening towards a wider range of opportunities. Those are meant to show that, starting from the premises we’re living in an environment profoundly changed by digitalization, communication strategies developed are the ones who really functionCostin Radu
Managing Director, The Geeks
Publicis Groupe Romania’s press release didn’t mention the portfolio of clients the agency resulted through this operational association is going to work for.
As previously announced, Saatchi & Saatchi brand passed from the agency owned by Radu Florescu (that continues to be active on the Romanian market under Centrade brand and maintains its portfolio of clients) to Publicis Group starting January 1st , as part of Publicis Groupe’s global strategy of consolidating its brands under a sole legal entity which has as main shareholder Publicis and to insure the integrity and regional cooperation on the markets it is present.
The plans related to opening of a new Saatchi & Saatchi agency on Romanian market within Publicis Romania Groupe are known since last year. Back in November 2014, Teddy Dumitrescu, Country Chairman Publicis Groupe Romania, was stating, for Hotnews.ro:
We have the responsibility to offer to the international clients of Saatchi & Saatchi at least the standard they are expecting and, implicitly, to grow and develop the agency and the Saatchi & Saatchi brand. We will form a new team to answer these objectives (…)