Interview with Christine Saouda — COO of Publicis Groupe Colombia
“This business has to be backed by data to protect margins.”
Christine Saouda is clear: there is no healthy margin without visibility. She believes the biggest differentiator today lies in being able to measure productivity precisely and turn that information into strategic decisions.
—How do you achieve the balance between profitability and team well-being?
“This business has to be backed by data. If margins are not healthy, it completely affects the operation, the deliverable, and the people.”
For Christine, technology platforms not only help gain efficiency but also promote healthier environments, which in turn strengthen client relationships. “When there is a healthy relationship and people are happy in a balanced environment without overload, you generate more passion for the business.”
—What role does talent play in the equation for a creative agency?
“The core is the people. If our people are not well, the deliverable will not be good.”
Beyond tools and technology, Christine does not hesitate: the real value lies in the team. She believes that taking care of people is also taking care of the business. The balance between profitability and well-being is non-negotiable, especially in a context where new generations set clear limits. “This business is being redefined by technology, by new generations, and by the agility that clients are looking for,” she explains.
“Humans still need to be behind the big ideas,” she says.
—How is a good creative idea valued today?
“Creative ideas always need a person behind them who is thinking.”
Christine acknowledges that one of the biggest challenges in the creative business today is restoring the value of ideas. “Before, ideas were highly valued,” she recalls, highlighting that the pressure to cut budgets leads to losing senior profiles — precisely those who ensure quality and strategic thinking.
Although she recognizes the contribution of artificial intelligence, she is categorical: “Technology can inspire us, but it will never replace the mind of a person thinking on behalf
of that brand.”
For her, creativity is neither disposable nor replaceable — great ideas still depend on human talent.
—What impact does COR have on the operation of Publicis group Colombia?
— Having platforms like COR helps us measure how productive we are and, at the same time, helps our partners understand—through data—where we stand. I believe it makes a huge difference.
Christine emphasizes that everyone working within a holding company ultimately knows that profitability is the company’s core axis. And when margins aren’t healthy, it directly impacts operations, deliverables, and people. “We all know this is a revenue-driven business—for both our clients and us. If those three pillars aren’t healthy, there’s no business that can survive.”
— This is a business that needs to be backed by data. Having technology platforms like COR helps us continuously build and evaluate which solutions we need to put on the table to sustain revenue.
— COR helps us be more productive, in a healthy way.
In an ecosystem as broad and collaborative as Publicis, integration is key. Christine highlights how COR enables a unified view of the client and prevents operating in internal silos: “If we don’t have a platform that helps us integrate, we’ll continue to be fragmented. When you look at a client’s business, you have to see it as a whole.”
— COR helps us integrate different solutions and optimize the business. When you have integrated data across all fronts, every stage of the process, and all the solutions offered to the client, you’re able to optimize the business in the best possible way.
From this holistic perspective, teams can work with consolidated data, identify opportunities for improvement, and increase real productivity. “COR isn’t for a company that does just one thing—it’s for truly integrating different solutions and helping us be more productive and better optimize the business,” she states.
— Continuously reviewing the data is, in my view, what truly helps us get better every time.
—What strategic challenges do you see for the future of the industry?
“The industry has to evolve toward different forms of remuneration.”
Christine points directly to a change in the model and believes that with the incorporation of technology into creative and production processes, the focus should not be on reducing budgets, but on rethinking the value generated. “Technology doesn’t mean it will cost 50% less. What it will help us do is be more agile,” she reflects. For her, the real challenge is changing the mindset of both agencies and clients: moving from fee-per-person models to ones that value impact, agility, and
strategy. “The way we used to work has to evolve,” she concludes.
