McDonald's Selects Publicis.Sapient, Capgemini For Innovation Assignment
- by Larissa Faw , August 28, 2017
Publicis Groupe's tech arm Publicis.Sapient is partnering with tech service and consultancy company Capgemini to jointly serve as McDonald's global IT strategic provider for restaurant and digital capabilities. The two companies were selected over large consulting and technology players, such as Accenture and HCL during the year-long pitch.
The remit includes leading McDonald's digital and technology innovation strategy to help create the restaurant experience of the future.
Under this agreement, McDonald's will leverage the companies' combined expertise to enhance the customer and employee experience, and restaurant operations.
Publicis will be part of the team deploying and maintaining McDonald's restaurant and digital technology solutions, including kiosk ordering, web applications and mobile ordering. The holding company will also help create innovative digital services internally for employees, in its kitchen and store operations, and for the chain's customers through table service and home delivery.
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Capgemini, for its part, will open a new 'Global Digital Retail Center' in Chicago to support the relationship, develop and showcase industry-applied business innovation, and attract talent to its growing North American operations.
McDonald's is an important client for Publicis Groupe, with the network currently managing the restaurant's advertising in more than 30 countries, including the UK, Germany and Brazil. Plus, the Groupe's Leo Burnett London recently beat out Omnicom and DDB to oversee the international rollout of McDelivery, McDonald's new home-delivery service.
Leo Burnett London will help the brand amplify its sponsorship of next year’s FIFA World Cup across markets worldwide.
Last year, however, the brand selected Omnicom to handle U.S. creative duties, via a new agency, We Are Unlimited that reports to DDB. Previously, U.S. duties were split between Burnett and DDB.
"The McDonald's brand has been a household name for generations and has continued to lead in its category by introducing new products that are uniquely informed by the needs and wants of its customers," said Arthur Sadoun, chairman and CEO, Publicis Groupe. "We're honored to join Capgemini in reimagining ways the McDonald's experience can be a source of competitive advantage on the journey of enterprise transformation."
This is a big win for Publicis, since it validates their strategy of using Sapient to merge technology with more traditional marketing and advertising. As noted, the Sapient unit brings tech consulting to a longstanding client of other Publicis units.
It is a noteworthy win, as you say Henry. I am curious if this is the start of a new direction or a one-off....
Publicis made it a point to retain the entire Sapient systems development and consulting practice when they acquired the firm a few years ago, rather than sell off the large global units not related to interactive advertising and marketing (Spaient Interactive/Nitro.) Then Levy placed the Sapient senior executives into leading positions at the holding company, with the mandate to lead the holding compaqny from a collection of agencies into a global maketing consultancy, including custom martech systems development for the global scale client base. So this seems to be touted as what they envisioned. As to "one off," that may well depend on how long this takes to show results and grow steadily.