M&C Saatchi details global rebrand and strategy shift focusing on 'cultural power'

M&C Saatchi is rebranding globally with a new look and strategic focus under the banner "Cultural Power".

The group is “galvanising around the principle to create cultural power for clients” in reaction to marketing’s fragmentation as new channels, social media platforms and consumer behaviours emerge. 

Jo Bacon, group chief executive of M&C Saatchi UK, told Campaign that brands need to understand the power of culture “to be able to influence, because [advertising] is about understanding and reacting and creating content in a modern world”. 

The revamped identity includes swapping the ampersand in the agency's name for a plus sign to represent the group’s integrated operating model, which it revealed earlier this year. The visual identity and website are still in development but will be made official in March 2025, the agency said.

Zaid Al-Qassab, global chief executive of M&C Saatchi, said the “milestone” proposition is a “whole new way of working”. He referred to a squad-based mentality, which brings bespoke and diverse crews together to answer client problems.

The model draws together expertise from across its disciplines of creativity, PR, global social issues, brand experience, performance marketing and talent management. 

M&C Saatchi went through a restructure in November 2023, which led to the departures of global and UK chief executives Steve Martin and Jamie Wynne-Morgan, respectively, from M&C Saatchi Sports and Entertainment. 

The agency then took steps to “de-risk” and tighten processes, followed by a strategy shift to the integrated model made reference to by Al-Qassab.

The agency is set to announce a chief marketing officer as well as a chief strategy officer to replace Sophie Lewis, who was made redundant last year. Alongside Bacon, Al-Qassab and joint global chief creative officers Rob Doubal and Laurence "Lolly" Thomson, many of the leadership team have been in place less than a year.

Driving brands' value in culture

In 2025 the creative shop will celebrate its 30th anniversary. The rebrand marks an evolution of the agency’s founding principle of “brutal simplicity of thought” to include diversity of thought and thinkers. 

Bacon said that this “future-facing” proposition “cuts through complexity” and is “the one thing our clients need in order to have impact in the world”. 

She told Campaign, “We've always talked about applying brutal, simplistic thought, but actually there's one thing that that is really good at cultivating, and that is cultural power. That's the diversity of thinking, the diversity of thinkers, and the ability to pull big, strategic thoughts into how to position brands and culture, but then also to bring them to life in whatever solution is right for a client's business problem.”

Bacon claimed that 60% of marketing organisations are currently restructuring in order to manage complexity. 

“How do you keep that simplicity of thought and understanding of the platforms and the way to then operate with those platforms? How do you keep the brand's value as potent as you can possibly make it? It is about understanding how you drive brands in culture today, and how you drive their value in culture.”

The rebrand includes the launch of ‘The Cultural Power Index’, which tracks the brands and organisations that possess the greatest cultural power, as well as a tool for brands to map societal trends and shifts.

Doubal and Thomson said, “Possessing cultural power is key to any brand or business looking to exert influence and make change. 

“Whether in marketing, business or public affairs, cultural power is really the only currency that unlocks behaviours and commercial outcomes that enable clients to make the changes they want to see in the world.”

M&C Saatchi’s clients and work aim to create meaningful change, including launching global beauty juggernaut Sephora in the UK, immersing Heineken into cultural experiences with F1 and Uefa Champions League and campaigning with The Archewell Foundation to improve online safety for children.