• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, February 17, 2016

In partnership with Adobe, Publicis Groupe has launched a training program called VivaKi IQ Academy. The program is said to be the first of its kind and is designed to better equip Publicis Groupe agencies with the necessary expertise and skills to better serve today's campaigns -- which, unlike the past, are heavily reliant on data, technology and automation.

The Academy will be served up via Adobe's self-serve learning management platform, Captivate Prime. The initial interactive curriculum will focus on programmatic media -- and upon completion, Publicis employees can receive what is nicely dubbed the VivaKi Programmatic Certification.

Of the Academy's launch, Publicis Groupe Chairman and CEO Maurice Levy said: “We made a very bold statement to the industry with Power of One [the company’s recently announced corporate reorganization]. Breaking down silos will enable greater flexibility for our clients to access the best of Publicis Groupe. VivaKi IQ Academy is one clear example of an offering that sits at the center of our organization so that all agencies can benefit. Programmatic has never been more important and clients are hungering for greater understanding. Our curriculum ensures that our people are prepared to lead their clients into the future.”

More specifically, VivaKi CEO Stephan Beringer added: “VivaKi sits at the center of Publicis Groupe and our mission is to scale data, automation and tech solutions across the organization. VivaKiIQ Academy has been developed expressly for Groupe clients, who demand the highest levels of programmatic acumen from all of our agencies. We are launching the industry’s most advanced programmatic training and certification to ensure we provide un-compromised capabilities, and our content road map will evolve so that we continue to expand our competencies ahead of the market.”

The IAB supports the launch of the program and, of the program, IAB SVP of Learning and Development Michael Theodore said: “We applaud VivaKi for creating an industry-leading, programmatic certification offering. They have made a significant investment of time and resources to develop a training curriculum that has the power to shape the industry’s understanding of programmatic.”