Publicis Groupe : OUTSTANDING SUCCESS FOR PUBLICIS90

Thanks to the mobilization of Publicis networks and agencies worldwide, the initiative achieved a great momentum with the number of total applications exceeding initial expectations. Since its launch, the Publicis90 website (www.publicis90.com) has attracted more than 138,000 visitors.

In total, 5,996 candidates registered to Publicis90, and 3,732 completed applications from 141 countries were submitted.

As the initiative is restricted to the countries where Publicis Groupe operates directly, the total number of validated applications is 3,555. These eligible applications will now be reviewed as part of a two-phase voting process to select the most promising ones.

The top five countries who submitted projects to Publicis90 are as follows:

The mobilization of the French start-up community is another important catalyst to highlight in the success of this initiative, and displays the dynamism of the French digital sector.

Moreover, 305 projects were submitted from students coming from 186 different colleges and universities around the world. The operation has also attracted great interest from Publicis Groupe employees: nearly 600 projects were submitted by potential "intra-preneurs".

The applications cover a wide array of sectors. The top 5 of sectors are as follows:

The validated applications will now go through a thorough selection process. They will be reviewed anonymously by all 77,000 employees of Publicis Groupe and closely analyzed by regional juries of digital experts from Publicis Groupe in the Americas, APAC and EMEA.

A shortlist will be announced at the beginning of April and these shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide a business plan and a short video. A global jury will then collaborate to choose the final 90 projects or start-ups that will be supported by Publicis Groupe.

Each project will receive equity funding of between €10,000 and €500,000 and one year of mentoring in management, technology, marketing and communication from an executive from a Publicis Groupe agency. In addition, all 90 selected projects will be invited to attend Viva Technology Paris, a major digital event co-organized by Publicis Groupe and Groupe Les Echos for three days at the end of June in Paris
(www.vivatechnologyparis.com).

Maxime Baffert, CEO of Proximedia and in charge of the Publicis90 initiative commented: "The feedback on Publicis90 is extremely positive, both internally and externally. The selection of the 90 most interesting projects among these 3,555 will be exciting and difficult, considering the quality of the applications that we have received."

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