Publicis Groupe and Microsoft Announce Partnership for Marcel AI Platform

Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris: FR0000130577, CAC 40] announced today its partnership with Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) to develop and roll out Marcel, its disruptive platform that will radically change the way the group’s teams and clients connect, interact and work together.

Publicis Groupe and Microsoft are joining forces to combine their unique expertise to build the platform of the future for Publicis Groupe employees and its clients. Through Publicis.Sapient, its technology and consulting arm, Publicis Groupe is defining the architecture and design of Marcel, and conceiving the user experience. Microsoft will build the platform, and connect it to its deep technology and AI capabilities, leveraging Microsoft Azure AI and Office 365.

The Marcel platform will use cognitive services and AI to empower Publicis Groupe’s people, clients, and business to seamlessly collaborate in three ways:

• First of all, by identifying relevant connections amongst the organization's 80,000 employees. If there is someone out there in one of Publicis Groupe’s agencies who can help an employee, Marcel will find her or him.  
• Second, by collecting, organizing and curating Publicis Groupe’s collective knowledge Marcel will enable employees to take full advantage of the combined experiences and insights that exist around its group. 
• Finally, and perhaps most importantly, by giving every employee the power to participate and create more, beyond their immediate boundaries. Through the M-Labs, the incubator for the Marcel platform, Publicis Groupe has been testing new collaborative models that are already driving results for some of its major global clients. 

“AI is one of the most transformative technologies of our time, but its real power lies in how it can be applied to amplify human ingenuity. And that’s the beauty of Marcel,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “At Microsoft, we believe that people no longer just work for companies – companies need to work for their people. Marcel embodies that belief. That’s what makes this collaboration so seamless and natural.”  

“Marcel is a crucial step in Publicis Groupe’s commitment to radically change our industry, for the good of our clients and our people,” said Arthur Sadoun, Chairman & CEO, Publicis Groupe. “It’s why we’re thrilled to be able to draw on Microsoft’s ground-breaking talent, capabilities and resources in artificial intelligence, to build the platform of the future, today. Thanks to the dedication of Satya and his teams we’re accelerating on putting Marcel at the heart of the Groupe, to deliver big ideas that harness creativity in all of its forms”.   

Publicis Groupe and Microsoft will present Marcel for the first time at Viva Technology in Paris on May 24, 2018.