Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick is a marketing communications firm formed in 2001 by merging the Weber Group, Shandwick International and BSMG.[5][6] The company is part of global agency network Interpublic Group (IPG), as part of the parent company's IPG DXTRA operating division.[7]

Weber Shandwick
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryMarketing communications
PredecessorWeber Group
Shandwick International
BSMG
FoundedJanuary 2001 (2001-01)
Headquarters909 Third Avenue,
New York, NY 10022
United States
Number of locations
65 offices[1]
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Andy Polansky
(Executive chairman)[2]
Gail Heimann
(CEO)[2]
Susan Howe
(President)[3]
Revenue$831 million (2020)[4]
Number of employees
4,670 (2020)[4]
ParentInterpublic Group
Websitewww.webershandwick.com

History

Shandwick International, founded in 1974, was acquired by IPG in 1998. In September 2000, IPG announced it was merging Shandwick with IPG's Weber Group, itself founded in 1974, to form Weber Shandwick.[8] The merger was completed on 1 January 2001, and in October, BSMG (formerly Bozell Sawyer Miller Group), which had been acquired by IPG as part of IPG's March 2001 acquisition of True North, merged with Weber Shandwick.[9][10][11] BSMG Chairman Jack Leslie was named Chairman of the new combined group, and CEO Harris Diamond became the group's CEO.[6]

In 2010, Weber Shandwick's internal developers and social media teams created a social media crisis simulator called Firebell.[12]

In January 2012, after a Weber Shandwick executive moved to Hill & Knowlton, Weber Shandwick secured a restraining order after alleging the firm was taking their employees and clients.[13] In May, the agency was appointed global agency of record for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.[14] In November, Andy Polansky was named CEO.[15]

In March 2013, Weber Shandwick launched MediaCo, a content marketing unit providing services to clients including native advertising and digital media buying.[16]

In May 2014, the firm acquired a Sweden-based agency, Prime, and its business intelligence division, United Minds.[17]

In October 2018, Weber Shandwick relaunched United Minds as a global management consultancy, combining the agency’s global Employee Engagement & Change Management practice with United Minds Sweden, the management consultancy within Prime Weber Shandwick.[18]

In July 2019, Gail Heimann was named President and CEO of Weber Shandwick, with Andy Polansky became the firm's Executive Chairman.[2]

In December 2020, the agency announced a permanent hybrid model for its workforce.[19]

In May 2021, the United Minds consultancy and fellow IPG company KRC Research launched new diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) research.[20] United Minds also started a DE&I initiative called Code+ify, to help business leaders looking to improve their DE&I efforts.[21] In June, Susan Howe was named President.[3] In September, the firm partnered with AI-driven threat intelligence and detection platform Blackbird.AI to launch its Media Security Center, to help clients proactively identify and fight disinformation.[22] In October, the firm announced that Chairman Jack Leslie was stepping down as chairman in March 2022.[23]

In January 2022, it was announced that Andy Polansky, Weber Shandwick executive chairman and Interpublic Group Dxtra CEO, would retire in June 2022.[24]

Operations

Weber Shandwick is based in New York City, and as of January 2022, listed offices in 67 cities worldwide, as well as other affiliate city offices in six continents.[1] As of December 2021, Andy Polansky was Weber Shandwick's executive chairman, Jack Leslie was chairman, Gail Heimann served as the agency's CEO, and Susan Howe was the agency's president.[2][3][23]

The agency and the eight sub-brands Cappuccino, Flipside, KRC Research, Powell Tate, Prime, Resolute, Revive Health, That Lot, and United Minds make up the Weber Shandwick Collective, within Interpublic Group's IPG DXTRA division, formerly known as IPG's Constituency Management Group.[25][26]

The agency also does work as 3PM, a dedicated holding company group formed with fellow IPG company PMK-BNC to coordinate efforts for multinational brewing company InBev, primarily with the beer brands Bud and Bud Light.[27]

In December 2022, Weber Shandwick announced a 'work from anywhere' policy in response to the post-COVID-19 trend of home-working.[28]

Research

The agency also performs surveys and releases research reports highlighting business trends. The reports include:

  • A February 2018 report identifying the growing trend of "buycotts", a form of consumer activism whereby consumers buy from good companies to show support.[29]
  • A November 2018 study of CEO activism along with involvement in politics, and its influence on government action.[30]
  • A 2019 study of company chief diversity officers identifying the challenges and benefits of pursuing DE&I initiatives.[31][32]
  • December 2020 employee activism research performed in conjunction with Weber Shandwick's United Minds consultancy.[33]
  • May 2021 DE&I research done by the United Minds consultancy and fellow IPG company KRC Research.[20]
  • An August 2021 report on geopolitics and major implications for corporate risk.[34] (Fortune)

References
  1. "Global Network". Weber Shandwick. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  2. Bradley, Diana (July 17, 2019). "Andy Polansky named Interpublic CMG CEO; Gail Heimann appointed Weber Shandwick chief". PRWeek. Retrieved January 11, 2022.(subscription required)
  3. "Susan Howe promoted to president of Weber Shandwick". PRWeek. June 10, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.(subscription required)
  4. "Agency Business Report 2021: Weber Shandwick". PRWeek. April 20, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.(subscription required)
  5. "IPG Announces Weber Shandwick-BSMG Merger". PRovoke. July 10, 2001. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  6. "BSMG Worldwide to merge with Weber Shandwick". Dallas Business Journal. July 12, 2001. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  7. "Interpublic Group rebrands CMG division as IPG DXTRA | Marketing". Campaign Asia. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  8. "IPG unites PR brands into two mega-firms". PRWeek. September 25, 2000. Retrieved January 11, 2022.(subscription required)
  9. "IPG Announces Weber Shandwick-BSMG Merger". PRovoke. July 10, 2001. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  10. "Mastering the message". Bangkok Post. March 18, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  11. Sriramesh, Krishnamurthy; Verčič, Dejan (21 October 2019). The Global Public Relations Handbook: Theory, Research, and Practice. Routledge. ISBN 978-1351700405.
  12. "Weber Shandwick Builds Social Media Crisis Tool". PRWeek. November 19, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2022.(subscription required)
  13. "PR firm, two execs agree to restraining order in dispute". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  14. "Tokyo 2020 Appoints Weber Shandwick for Olympics Bid". PRWeek. May 25, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2022.(subscription required)
  15. "Harris Diamond Succeeds Nick Brien as McCann Worldgroup CEO". AdAge. November 13, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  16. "Weber Shandwick Sets Up New Unit To Capitalize on Content Marketing Craze". AdAge. March 27, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  17. "Weber Shandwick Acquires Swedish PR Firm Prime". The Wall Street Journal. May 6, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  18. "Weber Shandwick Launches Management Consultancy United Minds". PRWeek. October 24, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2022.(subscription required)
  19. "Weber Shandwick Unveils Permanent Hybrid Model For Global Workforce". PRovoke. December 20, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  20. "DE&I-Committed Firms Attract Talent". O'Dwyers. May 18, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  21. "The methods agencies are using to hold themselves accountable on DE&I". July 28, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.(subscription required)
  22. "Weber Shandwick launches media security center via partnership with Blackbird.AI". PRWeek. September 23, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.(subscription required)
  23. "Longtime weber Shandqwick chairman Jack Leslie to retire in March 2022". PRWeek. October 27, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  24. "IPG Dxtra CEO Andy Polansky to retire". www.prweek.com. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  25. "Interpublic Group rebrands CMG division as IPG DXTRA". Campaign Asia. October 28, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  26. "Weber Shandwick Repositions As Collective Offering & Steps Up Futures Investment". PRovoke Media. December 16, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  27. "A-B InBev Shifts Budget Toward Working Dollars With Dedicated Shop". AdAge. November 17, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  28. Wickens, Zoe (2022-12-07). "Weber Shandwick introduces work-from-anywhere policy". Employee Benefits. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  29. "Don't Boycott Bad Companies, Spend More With Good Ones". Fast Company. February 1, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  30. "C.E.O. Activism Has Become the New Normal". NY Times. July 25, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  31. "Toward a Racially Just Workplace". Harvard Business Review. November 14, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  32. "Making the 'Business Case' for Diversity and Inclusion: raceAhead". Fortune. September 18, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  33. "How corporate leaders can respond to employee activism". Quartz at Work. December 13, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  34. "Business leaders must grapple with geopolitical risks—and expect to take a stand". Fortune. August 3, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
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