Publicis exits Russia and condemns Ukraine invasion

Publicis Groupe has pulled out of the Russian market – where it employs more than 1,200 staff – and passed ownership of its agencies to local management, with chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun saying the group “strongly condemns the unilateral aggression against Ukraine”.

The Russian agencies, which include Starcom, Zenith, Leo Burnett, Publicis Commerce and Publicis Moscow will now fall under the remit of Sergey Koptev, a former founding chairman of Publicis in Russia.

The move has been made “with the clear contractual condition of ensuring a future for employees”, the group said.

As the violence and humanitarian crises in Ukraine deepen, Publicis said its first priority remains the safety of its people and their families. The Groupe insists it is more committed than ever to bringing them “the security, relocation and financial support they need in this incredibly difficult time”.

Sadoun commented: “Since the start of the invasion, we have been working on exiting Russia as we strongly condemn the unilateral aggression against Ukraine. We were committed to taking strong actions that fully respond to the gravity of the situation.

“But we were determined to take the necessary time to come with a solution that was truly people-first, because our 1,200 employees in Russia are our people too. We couldn’t just abandon them.

“By ceding control of our Russian operations to Sergey, we are securing a future path for our colleagues while immediately stopping all of our operations, engagement and investment in Russia.”

There has been a mass exodus of agencies and client brands from Russia over the past week in protest at the ongoing invasion.

WPP, Interpublic and Accenture have all withdrawn from the country, while major global brands have also pulled the plug, including Unilever, Procter & Gamble, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Starbucks, Mothercare, Heineken, Universal Music Group, L’Oreal, Ikea, H&M, Burberry, Nike, Net-a-Porter, Boohoo, Asos and Apple.

However, Sadoun maintained that the safety of the group’s people in Ukraine remained “our number one focus”.

He added: “We are in daily contact with all 350 of them on an individual basis and doing everything we can to protect them. From security alert systems, to psychological and mental health support, to help with visas, or guaranteeing salaries for everyone for the entire year, we will continue to stand by their side, be exhaustive in the solutions we bring and immediate in the aid we provide.”