NEW YORK: Weber Shandwick Worldwide has unveiled its new leaner,
more organized look, trimming brands and clarifying the agency's
leadership structure. But the simultaneous announcement of WSW's
projected staff numbers for 2001 may show how the tech industry torpor
and recession have impacted on the agency.
Following a meeting of around 200 of the agency's leaders, WSW has
revealed a lineup of 10 key brands that will be maintained following the
merger, many of which will add the WSW moniker to their own (see
sidebar).
"Naturally, more and more we want to tie all the brands into Weber
Shandwick," said CEO Harris Diamond. "Nowadays, it's all about being
able to pull together the intellectual capital from each area. However,
we also had to consider the value of brands such as Rogers & Cowan and
FRB in particular markets."
New US appointments include Andy Polansky of BSMG to be president and
CEO of the Eastern states, Barbara Molotsky of BSMG to hold the same
office for the Central states, and WSW's Tom Tardio to lead the Western
region.
The consumer practice will report to Molotsky, entertainment to Tardio,
and technology and healthcare to Polansky. Donni Case, president of
BSMG-owned Financial Relations Board (FRB), will lead investor relations
and will report to Polansky. Former BSMG man Joe Kessler has been
re-hired to run the global tech practice. BSMG's Laura Schoen will run
global healthcare.
"The strength of our people was the most impressive thing about (meeting
in) Florida," said Diamond. "Not just the US guys, but everyone. We are
going to lead in everything we do."
But, like other firms, WSW has also had to tackle the issue of staff
cuts. In a WSW fact sheet dated February 27, 2001, the agency stated it
had 3,000 employees worldwide. In its PRWeek agency rankings filing
earlier this year, BSMG stated it had 1,092 employees. The combined
entity, however, will have around 3,000 employees, leaving around 1,000
unaccounted for.
Diamond would not talk about specific numbers, but said that the merger
itself has resulted in staff cuts of less than 5%. Senior sources said
the remaining reduction in staff numbers was almost entirely due to
shrinking revenues in the tech and financial sectors, which have forced
WSW to amalgamate and rationalize its offices.
SURVIVING BRANDS
1. Weber Shandwick Worldwide
2. Rogers & Cowan
3. Benjamin Group
4. FRB
5. Sawyer Miller Advertising
6. MPGH
7. KRC
8. Bragman Nyman Cafarelli
9. Rowan & Blewitt
10. Cassidy, along with its Powell Tate, Lunde Berger, Rhoads Maguire,
and SWR units
