Saatchi’s NZ announces structural changes
Furtherto CB reports on Monday and this morning, new CEO Nicky Bell (left) hasconfirmed structural changes at Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand. Bellsays the positions of three Auckland-based executives; Sonya Berrigan(MD), Matt Shirtcliffe (CD, Direct) and Tony Gardner (GM, Digital),will be disestablished in a move aimed at removing silos betweendisciplines and flattening hierarchies to better enable the developmentand delivery of ground-breaking ideas for clients and consumers.
“Theseare very difficult but necessary changes which have evolved throughrobust discussions within the agency,” says Bell. “Our senior team hasgiven their all to Saatchi & Saatchi over the years, particularlythrough a period of huge transformation in the industry. Each has madea strong contribution to building our capability platform, and we’reenormously grateful for their contribution.”
The new structure moves away from traditional agency hierarchies, withsenior account leaders now reporting directly to Bell, and anintegrated multi-disciplinary (digital, direct, retail and advertising)creative department reporting into new ECD, Dylan Harrison.
“Saatchi & Saatchi has a stewardship responsibility for some of NewZealand’s best-loved brands, and we’re placing our emphasis ondelivering irresistible ideas and content to inspire consumerparticipation across all media. The new structure aims to promote amore organic process for delivering compelling and effective ideas forclients,” says Bell.
“Consumers no longer differentiate between ‘online and offline’channels, nor should agencies,” she says. “Our clients are astutemarketers; hungry for progressivecommunications solutions to help them achieve profitable growth. We arefortunate to be entrusted with their brands, and have been thrilledwith their response to our early creative ideas and plans for the NewZealand agency.
“This process has been good for us. We’ve taken an objective look atwhere we stand in the world, and approached the changes with honestyand integrity. While this has resulted in very difficult decisions forseveral people, we’re confident the changes will benefit our clients’brands and services, and the wider Saatchi & Saatchi team over thelonger term,” says Bell.
Bell confirmed the earlier CB report that Tony Gardner will work through June on several key projects.
12 Comments
“disestablished” ?
This part in particular sounds quite Orwellian: “disestablished in a move aimed at removing silos between disciplines and flattening hierarchies”
we are the jargon kings indeed.
Jargon.
It allows you to take the unpalatable:
“We sat around fingering our own anuses”
and turn it into something that sounds far less distasteful:
“we established a regime of exploratory digital self-analysis which engaged multiple facets of our beings, resulting in an enhanced sense of fulfillment across the group as a whole”
I think we should all rise up against this blatant case of antidisestablishmentarianism entering our industry!!
mmm… the smiling assassin me thinks
I wonder if they were told to ‘pack their bags and proceed to the nearest capability platform to take the first train out’
I can’t wait to hear what Sonya does next – she is the most inspiring person I have worked under, she kicks but but always has the creative at heart. She is certianly a massive loss to Saatchi’s. But the world will go on…
So Saatchi DGS = RIP and folded back into the agency?
Does disestablished mean that Sonya is redundant or moved to a new role?
Can somebody translate this for me? I’ve never heard of their new CEO but for the head of a communication’s company, she’s terrible at it. Doesn’t bode well. For future reference, jargon doesn’t make you sound smart. It makes you either sound like you actually have nothing new or important to say, or you have something unpleasant to hide. In this case, I’d go for all of the above.
Hey, I thought I had seen all the jargon coming out of those foul mouthed grubs Rudd and Swan. I reckon Ms Bell could teach them a few things. What a load of crap… removing silos….ground breaking ideas….. flattening hierarchies….. robust discussions…. capability platform…. inspire consumer participation…. progressive communications solutions…WTF is going on, you should be embarrassed Ms Bell. Pity the poor buggers who have to work under that garbage
Original:
“move aimed at removing silos between disciplines and flattening hierarchies to better enable the development and delivery of ground-breaking ideas for clients and consumers”
Attempt at a translation:
“We’re encouraging people in different departments to work together more closely. This will help the agency create more original ideas.”