Weber Shandwick
Weber Shandwick is a successful international public relations and communication agency with a heritage in Asia Pacific. The agency was established more than 50 years ago and has offices in 82 countries. Additionally, its teams have disregarded the status to create a new form of a commitment firm for the hyperconnected, ultra-transparent globalized marketplace of the contemporary devoted era. Besides the standard boundaries of traditional service lines, the agency integrates social, digital, content, publishing, advertising, PR, corporate reputation and public affairs into solutions that stimulate business results (Weber Shandwick, 2016).
Weber Shandwick was regarded a Best Place of working by Ad Age in 2014 as well as PRWeek in 2013 and 2014. Additionally, the agency employs extensive expertise across sectors and specialty fields that include consumer marketing, corporate reputation, healthcare, technology, public affairs, financial services, corporate and social responsibility, financial communications, and crisis management, using suitable social, digital, and analytics methodologies. Weber Shandwick is also a segment of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG).
The firm comprises thinkers, strategists, analysts, producers, designers, developers, and campaign activators (Weber Shandwick, 2016). The agency’s team was able to win prominent awards internationally due to innovative, creative techniques and impactful work. The team was also recognized as the 2014 and 2015 Ad Age A-List Agency and won 25 Cannes Lions with the Prime unit since 2009
The global firm serves its clients effectively through full access to resources, an ecosystem of specialty, engagement agency brands, and a diverse talented team. The agency is committed to offering eccentric thinking and a culture of cooperation that produces the best results for clients and best chances for people. Additionally, the agency is committed to being “engaging always” (Weber Shandwick, 2016). Weber Shandwick also strives to promote a very collaborative culture that enhances teamwork, innovation, and open-idea sharing to establish bold, unconventional work for customers. Moreover, its team is diverse, highly motivated, creative, and energetic.
The yearly Making an Impact Awards program rejoices and recognizes Weber’s team for participating in pro bono partnerships and community outreach programs in the world.
The agency is committed to establishing and promoting diversity and inclusion in the entire firm. Moreover, efficiency workforce engagement, brand reputation, and success are enhanced by tapping into various life experiences and personal perspectives.
The agency flourishes on creativity and deeper thinking that it nurtures through innovative employee enrichment programs. Being an agency with a global vision, it harnesses resources from the entire world for workforce enrichment- establishing training and education programs that broaden perceptions and provide an extensive understanding of different cultures. Webershandwick.edu is the agency’s learning and development initiative intended for combining live classroom training with instructor-led webinars, e-learning, on-the-job learning, self-directed learning, and external development opportunities. The agency also advocates for various apps for learning on the go (Weber Shandwick, 2016).
Besides standard benefits, Weber Shandwick provides various wellness programs, as well as yearly flu shots, reimbursed gym memberships, wellness fairs and free healthy breakfasts and snacks. The firm offers additional days off during summer and concierge style resources through the “More to Life” program to enhance work-life balance among the staff.
The agency also has a 10*10 inter-office exchange program that sends employees from Brussels to Shanghai and beyond. The aim of the program is to get inspiration in the people and cultures in its offices globally. Additionally, the firm has “No Boundaries” program that provides employees rewards-and time off- to take up passions that lead to a personally or professionally inspiring experience (Weber Shandwick, 2016).
Internationally, Weber currently receives above 50% of its income from customers from sveral regions: 55% of the top 100-client work is across 2 regions and 35% across three or more. For example, an increasing percentage of the clients like Nestle have their headquarters outside North America (“Weber Shandwick Named 2015 North America Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report,” 2015). The agency’s new business wins comprised Abbott, Chobani, Getty Images, Kohl’s, TripAdvisor, and Burger King in the UK and Ireland. Moreover, the organic growth emerged from clients, such as Amazon, Bayer Group, Campbell’s Soup, Eli Lilly, Johnson &Johnson, Nestle, Nike, Satate Farm, Unilever, and Verizon (Weber Shandwick. 2015).
In February 2014, the agency lost its work with PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew brand to sister IPG firm GolinHarris. Additionally, it stopped working with Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Zipcar, Partners Healthcare systems, and Colt Telecom in EMEA. Weber launched a professional content creation and distribution unit in the course of the year, which besides social and digital demand, stimulated the agency’s achievement in 2013. The agency has currently invested highly in content, and since 2010, it has tripled its employees who concentrate on digital. The agency has also invested a lot in paid media capabilities and analytics, integrating teams of individuals with different talents, as well as developers, media buyers, creative, and Tec experts (Weber Shandwick, 2015).
The agency has been devoted to brand publishing and content creation since 2013, as the majority of clients seek PR agencies for this kind of services. Regardless Of the environment, engaging campaigns in various platforms has transformed the game and the agency’s manner of operation. Such campaigns usually entail the agency functioning in partnerships with agencies from numerous disciplines, particularly within its holding company IPG (“Weber Shandwick Named 2015 North America Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report,” 2015). Weber is currently focusing on scaling the business through its international engagements, provision of content and good geographical coverage (Weber Shandwick. 2015).
References
Weber Shandwick Named 2015 North America Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report (2015, May 6). PR Newswire US. Retrieved from:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/weber-shandwick-named-2015-north-america-agency-of-the-year-by-the-holmes-report-300079163.html
Weber Shandwick. (2015). PRWeek (U.S. Edition), 37.
Weber Shandwick. (2016). PRWeek (U.S. Edition), 19(5), 50-51.