Meet the Man Behind Marcel, Publicis' New AI Platform | Special: Cannes Lions - AdAge: Register is nonplussed by the reaction to the announcement, which has included trolling by rival agencies on Twitter and sneering that Marcel is nothing more than an amped-up Alexa or publicity stunt executed by a newbie CEO trying to improve the bottom line.
"I expect and expected the skeptics," said Register, who works out of Arlington, Va., but lives in New Orleans. "That is always the case whenever you've got the idea and nerve to step out like this. My only comment to them is, 'See you at VivaTech.' "
VivaTech is Publicis' annual technology conference in Paris and where the company plans to debut Marcel next year.
Here's how Register describes what Marcel, named after Publicis founder Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, will be able to ferret out. "In a group of 80,000 people that have 200 capabilities across 130 countries, where is the best talent to work on a project once you've received an RFP or a brief?" he said. "Where is the absolute best talent in the group to work on that and how can we assemble that team and allow that team to work and collaborate virtually to bring the best ideas and values we can to a client at a moment's notice?"
Marcel is "a transformation to go from a group to a platform," he said. "A bunch of organizations to a flat leveling of capability that can be compiled in new creative ways that can solve new and creative problems for our clients. What Marcel does is create the mechanism for that happen."
"I expect and expected the skeptics," said Register, who works out of Arlington, Va., but lives in New Orleans. "That is always the case whenever you've got the idea and nerve to step out like this. My only comment to them is, 'See you at VivaTech.' "
VivaTech is Publicis' annual technology conference in Paris and where the company plans to debut Marcel next year.
Here's how Register describes what Marcel, named after Publicis founder Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, will be able to ferret out. "In a group of 80,000 people that have 200 capabilities across 130 countries, where is the best talent to work on a project once you've received an RFP or a brief?" he said. "Where is the absolute best talent in the group to work on that and how can we assemble that team and allow that team to work and collaborate virtually to bring the best ideas and values we can to a client at a moment's notice?"
Marcel is "a transformation to go from a group to a platform," he said. "A bunch of organizations to a flat leveling of capability that can be compiled in new creative ways that can solve new and creative problems for our clients. What Marcel does is create the mechanism for that happen."