USAA Shifts Model, Consolidates Agency Support Under Publicis Groupe

Move mirrors internal marketing, communications structure; puts a focus on diversity

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Oct 11, 2016, 03:20 ET

SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- USAA is adopting a consolidated and streamlined approach to marketing and communications with the selection of Publicis Groupe as its single supplier of agency support. Several agencies have supported or are supporting USAA's communications and marketing initiatives. By the end of the first quarter of 2017, all that ongoing work will be transitioned to Publicis Groupe.

This fresh approach puts diversity front and center and includes a pledge to hire 30 percent of new employees on the account from diverse communities. The move also increases collaboration, improves efficiency, and reflects USAA's integrated marketing and communications team structure.

"Publicis Groupe is the right fit with USAA's culture, sharing our passion for serving America's military community and belief in the value of diverse perspectives," said Roger Adams, USAA senior vice president for marketing and communications. "Their integrated service offering and approach to diversity perfectly complement our team at USAA. We will be better equipped to deliver integrated and impactful communications to our employees, members, prospective members and community partners."

"Publicis Groupe has transformed itself with two goals in mind: to put our clients' needs at the heart of everything we do and to tear down our silos. To that end we created The Power Of One, a strong collaborative model unleashing all our assets. For USAA, we delivered a customized strategy and program that demonstrated the positive impact of this new organization under one client leader who can leverage all our capabilities and competencies," said Maurice Lévy, chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe. "We have great admiration for the services and commitment of USAA; we are thrilled to work closely with them and to deliver state-of-the-art communications and marketing solutions in the new age of connectivity."

USAA selected the Publicis Groupe after several months of rigorous interviews, onsite visits and in-depth discussions with several companies. As the winning company, Publicis Groupe has built a Power Of One team specifically for USAA that integrates services across three of Publicis Groupe's four Solutions hubs: Publicis Communications, Publicis.Sapient and Publicis Media.

In addition to its world-class capabilities, Publicis Groupe demonstrated a strong commitment to diversity. Their pledge to hire employees from diverse backgrounds matches USAA's belief in the competitive advantage of diversity and the value of differing points of view.

"We believe Publicis Groupe is taking the right actions to ensure diversity is a key part of its success as a company and our success as a team," said Adams.

Publicis Groupe agencies will provide support across all of USAA's channels and platforms. This includes creative development, marketing, advertising and media buying, content creation, social media, corporate responsibility, public relations, and issues and crisis management.

Publicis Groupe agencies leading the engagement include Razorfish, Saatchi & Saatchi, MSLGROUP, Mediavest|Spark and Prodigious.

USAA will retain WME|IMG to support sponsorship-related activities, such as the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA.

"All of our current agencies have made valuable contributions to the financial security of our members and the success of USAA," said Adams. "This decision was not easy or taken lightly but the shift to a single-supplier model is in the best interests of the association moving forward."

Financial terms and other details of the contract are not publicly available.

About USAA
The USAA family of companies provides insurance, banking, investments, retirement products and advice to 11.7 million current and former members of the U.S. military and their families. Known for its legendary commitment to its members, USAA is consistently recognized for outstanding service, employee well-being and financial strength. USAA membership is open to all who are serving our nation in the U.S. military or have received a discharge type of Honorable – and their eligible family members. Founded in 1922, USAA is headquartered in San Antonio. For more information about USAA, follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@USAA), or visit usaa.com.

About the Publicis Groupe– The Power of One
Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40] is a global leader in marketing, communication, and digital transformation. Active across the entire value chain, from consulting to creation, and production, Publicis Groupe offers its clients a transversal, unified and fluid model allowing them access to all the Groupe's tools and expertise around the world. Publicis Groupe is organized across four Solutions hubs: Publicis Communications, Publicis Media, Publicis.Sapient and Publicis Health. These 4 Solutions hubs operate across principle markets and are carried across all others by Publicis One. Publicis One is a fully-integrated services offering making the Groupe's expertise available to all clients under one roof. Present in over 100 countries, Publicis Groupe employs nearly 80,000 professionals.

SOURCE USAA