Long live the new Sun King – and his second banana (media)
From the bizarre press release to Steve King’s impressive rise through the ranks, Dominic Mills unpicks the changes under way at the top of Publicis Groupe
Ah, the joy of agency corporate communications. Apart from having the dullest imaginable headline – ‘Publicis Groupe Governance as of June 1, 2017’ – the long-awaited press release anointing Arthur Sadoun as Maurice Levy’s successor is the most gush-tastic piece of corporate tosh I’ve seen in a long time (and I count myself a connoisseur of this kind of crap).
And at 1,250 words, it is also long-winded, self-indulgent and self-congratulatory. To borrow rhyming slang, it’s a huge collective J. Arthur Rank.
Anyone looking to history for a parallel need go no further than Louis XIV, aka the Sun King.
The Sun King, historians will know, believed in the divine right of kings and absolute power. He centralised control, encouraged factionalism among his courtiers, waged war across Europe and, as a physical manifestation of his power, built Versailles. We can debate whether his autocratic style bred the conditions that led, 70 years after his death, to the French Revolution. Sound familiar?
Those of a tolerant disposition can read the Publicis announcement in its full glory here.
Here’s a sample of Levy congratulating Sadoun and, indirectly, himself for his amazing powers of selection: “It’s not just any choice, it’s a measured and well thought out choice that opens new doors for the future of our amazing Groupe. I have known Arthur for many years. We have worked very closely together. He is a seasoned professional with an inspiring vision of our industry and of our clients’ needs. He knows them well, he understands them well and he knows how to deliver the solutions and services they need to grow, develop and transform by selecting the best talent. He has the intelligence, the energy and the passion necessary to master our trade in a connected world that is changing and evolving constantly. He’s also a man with admirable human qualities…yada yada yada zzzzz.”
Sadoun and Levy
Further down this column you can read the alternative version, as penned by moi. Short, gush-free and, well, unvarnished.
But first let’s focus on the promotion of Sadoun’s second banana, Medialand’s very own Steve King, global boss of Publicis Media, to the group’s management board. This comprises just three others – Sadoun, the finance boss and the company secretary (helpful hint: the web page is now out of date).
This is some achievement for King, and we should acknowledge it. It is, as far as I know, the highest ascent by any non-French person in Publicis. Was he ever going to get the top job ahead of Sadoun? Of course not.
This may prompt some to look at it cynically: first, it’s a consolation prize; second, it binds him to Sadoun in a ‘keep-your-friends-close-and-your-enemies-closer’ way; third, it’s a recognition that media, King’s bailiwick, is the big profit driver these days; and four, as one senior Publicis person tells me, Levy always likes to muddy the waters if he can.
Steve King
But let’s put those thoughts to one side for now, and salute the achievement. It is no mean feat for a non-French person to climb and survive the greasy pole of Publicis corporate politics. Other prominent Britons like Richard Pinder and Ric Bendel have jumped/fallen off.
I think King has done so without losing either his integrity or his humanity (or his mind, come to think of it).
And just in case the wheels fall off Sadoun’s regime, King is well placed to take over. After all, it won’t be the first time that the successor to a dominant figure trips up when the going gets tough – think Tesco, Man Utd and Tony Blair/Gordon Brown.
And now here’s the unofficial version…
Levy hands top Publicis roles over to Sadoun
After years of teasing and toying with his underlings, Maurice Levy has finally chosen his successor. He is Arthur Sadoun, groomed for this role for the last two years, despite the ups and downs (a lot of big losses, really) over the same period.
An earlier plan envisaged a smooth handover to the Americans, but those Omnicom douches proved even more slippery than us. So it’s back to our own.
However, just in case Sadoun really messes it up, Levy will be upstairs as chairman of the Supervisory Board. This way he can interfere all he likes and, who knows, ride to the rescue if it all goes tits up. Ok, is that clear? He’s no intention of retiring.
We’ve had to make it look as though Sadoun has been through a really rigorous selection process, including looking outside the group. That way we can pretend we actually do employ the best people in the whole world, better even than John Wren and Sir Martin.
Of course the truth is that no-one in their right mind would enter the Publicis snakepit from outside, certainly a non-French person or knowing that Levy is still hanging around like a bad smell.
But just to prove that we’re not rabid nationalists, we’ve given Steve King a hefty promotion. It looks good and costs us nothing, and in any case it’s good to show we take media seriously. It’s where the money is these days, or at least that’s what we think looking at the WPP accounts. Besides, it will keep Arthur on his toes.
Vive Arthur! Longue vie au roi!
There you are, you see. All is clear. And less than 280 words.
And while it’s easy to poke fun at Levy, we should also note his achievements. He has taken Publicis from a dominant local force but an international joke to a global player. He has persuaded some formidable agency brands to fall into the Publicis embrace – among them Saatchis, Leo Burnett, Sapient and Razorfish – and almost Omnicom too. He could be brave and daring. He got digital way ahead of his peers. He never hid in the shadows, even when the going got tough. And he clearly loves the ad business.
Life will be duller without him around.