INTERNATIONAL: Publicis beats two to Coke Euro task

<p>Publicis has been picked by Coca-Cola to handle its pan-European </p><p>branding assignments in a further move by the US soft drinks giant to </p><p>make its marketing more responsive to local conditions. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Paris-based group saw off the other Coke roster networks, </p><p>McCann-Erickson and Leo Burnett, as well as the fledgling UK agency Soul </p><p>to win the task to develop the brand's "Enjoy" theme for European </p><p>markets. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>It is the first time Coke has appointed a network to produce work on a </p><p>regional basis. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>It is believed that the Publicis agency in London will take pole </p><p>position in the development of the work, drawing on creative resources </p><p>from other Publicis offices. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Commercials will be offered to local managers for use either in addition </p><p>to or instead of more locally produced work. They alone will decide </p><p>whether or not they wish to run it. The appointment does not affect </p><p>existing agency assignments. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Publicis handles Coke business in some 40 countries, including the UK, </p><p>where it produces creative work for the Coca-Cola and Diet Coke </p><p>brands. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Last year, the group was appointed to spearhead a crisis communications </p><p>programme after tainted Coke cans were found in Belgium. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The latest assignment is in line with the company's mandate to 'think </p><p>local, act local' and with the declared intent of Mr Douglas Daft, </p><p>Coke's worldwide president, to devolve marketing control out of the </p><p>company's Atlanta headquarters and allow local managers greater </p><p>autonomy. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Until now, 90 per cent of Coke's advertising in the UK has been driven </p><p>and controlled from Atlanta," an industry source said. "Now they want to </p><p>go local and get away from a situation in which Atlanta creates </p><p>advertising solutions to be disseminated around the world." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The contamination scandal in Belgium - and Coke's slow response to it - </p><p>as well as a sluggish domestic market have all helped fuel the </p><p>trend. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The devolvement is not expected to lead to advertising on a </p><p>country-by-country basis but campaigns which would run across countries </p><p>with similar cultures. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>