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PUBLICIS GROUPE S.A.

Headquartered in France, Publicis is the world's third-largest ad holding company based on revenue. Publicis' services, which include traditional and digital advertising, public relations, and consulting, are provided worldwide, with over 80% of its revenue coming from more-developed regions such as North America and Europe.

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The U.S. Department of Justice is conducting a criminal investigation into the consulting firm McKinsey &amp; Company for its role in advising major opioid manufacturers on increasing sales. The investigation also focuses on potential obstruction of justice related to McKinsey&#39;s consulting records for opioid producers.

McKinsey Faces Criminal Probe By DOJ For Opioid Consulting: Report

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In a historic move, Publicis, a French advertising company, has agreed to a $350 million settlement over its alleged role in the opioid crisis. This marks the first time an advertising firm has been held accountable for its part in the epidemic.

Publicis To Pay $350M In First-Ever Opioid Marketing Settlement

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Publicis Groupe allocates €300M to integrate CoreAI, signaling a strategic move towards evolving into an Intelligent System, boosting efficiency and productivity.

Advertising Giant Publicis Groupe&#39;s AI Leap: Reveals €300M CoreAI Investment Plan

PUBLICIS GROUP SA S/ADR by Publicis Groupe S.A.

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The U.S. Department of Justice is conducting a criminal investigation into the consulting firm McKinsey &amp; Company for its role in advising major opioid manufacturers on increasing sales. The investigation also focuses on potential obstruction of justice related to McKinsey&#8217;s consulting records for opioid producers.
What Happened: The investigation, which has been ongoing for several years, has led to the formation of a grand jury in Virginia. The U.S. attorney&#8217;s offices in the Western District of Virginia and the District of Massachusetts are jointly conducting the probe, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/mckinsey-faces-criminal-probe-over-opioid-related-consulting-a3f816d4">reported</a> The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the investigation.
The criminal investigation revolves around McKinsey&#8217;s advice to pharmaceutical clients, including Purdue, Endo International, and Mallinckrodt, which previously triggered a wave of civil litigation against the firm. McKinsey reached a $642 million settlement with all 50 states and other entities in 2021, without admitting wrongdoing.
The firm&#8217;s former clients, Purdue, Endo, and Mallinckrodt, filed for bankruptcy while facing mass lawsuits alleging they sold drugs through misleading marketing practices, exacerbating addiction. McKinsey helped Purdue develop an initiative to boost OxyContin sales, including advising the company to focus on high-volume prescribers.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/24/04/38388306/moderna-faces-pfizer-biontech-in-london-patent-battle-over-covid-19-vaccines-in-legal-showdown?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moderna Faces Pfizer, BioNTech in London Patent Battle over Covid-19 Vaccines In Legal Showdown</a>
McKinsey has previously stated that it ceased work on opioid-specific businesses in 2019 and that its work for Purdue was intended to support the legal use of opioids and patients with legitimate medical needs.
McKinsey did not immediately respond to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga</a>'s request for comment.
Why It Matters: The criminal investigation into McKinsey&#8217;s opioid-related consulting is a significant development in the ongoing legal battle surrounding the opioid epidemic. This investigation follows a series of similar actions against other entities involved in the crisis.
Earlier this year, in a landmark move, Publicis Groupe (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PUBGY#OTC">PUBGY</a>) agreed to a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/02/36906250/publicis-to-pay-350m-in-first-ever-opioid-marketing-settlement">$350 million settlement</a> over its alleged role in the opioid crisis. This marked the first time an advertising firm was held accountable for its part in the epidemic.
Moreover, the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/23/08/33748967/sackler-familys-6b-commitment-in-spotlight-supreme-court-suspends-purdue-pharmas-settlement-over-opi">temporarily suspended</a> a multi-billion-dollar bankruptcy agreement involving Purdue Pharma, the producer of the opioid OxyContin. This arrangement would have shielded the company&#8217;s Sackler family owners from civil lawsuits linked to the opioid epidemic.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/24/04/38363518/eli-lilly-aims-to-close-supply-demand-gap-for-zepboundmounjaro-as-it-acquires-manufacturing-facil?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eli Lilly Aims To Close Supply-Demand Gap For Zepbound/Mounjaro As It Acquires Manufacturing Facility From Nexus Pharma</a>
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In a historic move, Publicis Groupe SA (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PUBGY#OTC">PUBGY</a>), a French advertising company, has agreed to a $350 million settlement over its alleged role in the opioid crisis. This marks the first time an advertising firm has been held accountable for its part in the epidemic.
What Happened: Publicis, the marketing company behind Purdue Pharma&#8216;s OxyContin campaign, has settled with the New York and Colorado Attorneys General, reported <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/01/investing/oxycontin-publicis-settlement/index.html">CNN</a>. The company will pay the sum within two months and will no longer take on any opioid-related clients.
The settlement, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, involves eight other states. The agreement also prohibits Publicis from taking on any future opioid-related projects.
"For a decade, Publicis helped opioid manufacturers like Purdue Pharma convince doctors to overprescribe opioids, directly fueling the opioid crisis and causing the devastation of communities nationwide," said James in a statement. "No amount of money can compensate for lives lost and addiction suffered, but with this agreement, Publicis will cease their illegal behavior."
Publicis was accused of aiding Purdue Pharma in convincing doctors to overprescribe opioids, thus contributing to the opioid crisis. The company&#8217;s campaign, &#8220;Evolve to Excellence,&#8221; allegedly misled doctors about OxyContin&#8217;s addictive properties and encouraged them to increase patient doses, regardless of medical necessity.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/01/36837684/trumps-nemesis-e-jean-carroll-to-donate-83m-defamation-award-to-opposing-causes-if-itll-cause-him-pa?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump&#8217;s Nemesis E Jean Carroll To Donate $83M Defamation Award To Opposing Causes: &#8216;If It&#8217;ll Cause Him Pa</a>
Publicis, which worked with consultancy McKinsey on the campaign, has denied any wrongdoing. However, the company hopes that the settlement will aid in the fight against opioid addiction.
"We recognize the broader context in which that lawful work took place," Publicis said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publicisgroupe.com/en/news/press-releases/u-s-wide-settlement-agreement-reached-concerning-opioid--related-work-by-rosetta-bringing-to-a-close-three-years-of-discussions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>. "The fight against the opioid crisis in the United States requires collaboration across industries, lawmakers, and communities, and we are committed to playing our part. That is why we worked to reach this agreement, and why we are also reaffirming our long-standing decision to turn down any future opioid-related projects."
Why It Matters: This settlement is a significant development in the ongoing legal battle against the opioid crisis. It sets a precedent for holding advertising companies accountable for their role in promoting addictive drugs.
Publicis&#8217; settlement comes after McKinsey, its former partner, agreed to pay $573 million in 2021 for its alleged <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/23/08/33748967/sackler-familys-6b-commitment-in-spotlight-supreme-court-suspends-purdue-pharmas-settlement-over-opi">contribution to the opioid crisis</a>. This series of settlements highlights the increasing scrutiny on companies involved in marketing and promoting opioids.
Publicis&#8217; settlement also comes on the heels of the company&#8217;s announcement of a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/01/36788848/advertising-giant-publicis-groupes-ai-leap-reveals-300m-coreai-investment-plan">€300 million investment in AI</a> to enhance its advertising capabilities. This move suggests that Publicis is looking to pivot its business model in response to the changing regulatory landscape.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/01/36860738/is-trump-really-worth-10b-biographer-shatters-claim-says-ex-president-begging-for-money-from-people?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Is Trump Worth $10B? Biographer Shatters Claim: &#8216;Begging For Money From People&#8217;</a>
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 Engineered by 
 Benzinga Neuro, Edited by 
 
 <a href="None" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="color: #225aa9;text-decoration: none"> 
 Kaustubh Bagalkote</a> 
 
 
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 The GPT-4-based Benzinga Neuro content generation system exploits the 
 extensive Benzinga Ecosystem, including native data, APIs, and more to 
 create comprehensive and timely stories for you. 
 <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="color: #225aa9;text-decoration: none">Learn more.</a>
 
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French advertising and public relations company&nbsp;Publicis Groupe S.A. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PUBGY#OTC">PUBGY</a>) said it is<a target="_blank" href="https://www.publicisgroupe.com/en/news/press-releases/after-another-record-year-ahead-of-expectations-publicis-unveils-ai-strategy-to-lead-group-into-its-second-century" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;infusing</a>&nbsp;a layer of artificial intelligence across its platform organization to connect its enterprise&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/artificial-intelligence" rel="noreferrer noopener">knowledge under one entity &#8211; CoreAI.&nbsp;</a>
The company plans to invest 300 million euros over the next three years as it becomes a true Intelligent System. For 2024 alone, the group anticipates an investment of 100 million euros, with 50% on people, focused on upskilling, training, and recruitment, and 50% on technology through licenses, IT software, and cloud infrastructure.
&#8220;Putting CoreAI at the heart of our organization and truly becoming an Intelligent System company will make our people more efficient and more productive,&#8221; said Arthur Sadoun, CEO &amp; Chairman of Publicis.
The group began engineering CoreAI in the second half of 2023 and plans to roll out capabilities in the first half of 2024.
The company expects the investment in AI of 100 million euros in 2024, which will be fully funded by internal efficiencies, to have no dilutive impact on its operating margin in 2024 and be slightly accretive on operating margin in 2025.
Publicis Groupe also pre-released its net revenue, with full-year organic growth coming in at +6.3%, above the +5.5% to +6% guidance range last upgraded in October.
Price Action: PUBGY shares traded higher by 3.53% to $24.91 on Thursday.
Photo Via Wikimedia Commons

Advertising Giant Publicis Groupe's AI Leap: Reveals €300M CoreAI Investment Plan

UBS Group AG&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UBS#NYSE">UBS</a>) reportedly disclosed its biggest branding campaign to drive growth and boost its image after the takeover of Credit Suisse.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/12/36406860/credit-suisse-slapped-with-3m-fine-by-singapore-in-effort-to-curb-financial-malpractices" rel="noreferrer noopener">Credit Suisse Slapped With $3M Fine By Singapore In Effort To Curb Financial Malpractices</a>
The Swiss bank will be spending tens of millions of dollars and declined to give the exact amount for the campaign, which comprises online and printed advertising, sponsorship, events, social media, and billboards, reported Reuters.
UBS will use the slogan &#8220;Banking is our craft&#8221; to attract new customers to its wealth management, asset management, and investment banking franchises.
Chief Marketing Officer John McDonald told Reuters, &#8220;This is the most we&#8217;re investing in the brand since 2016. This is about driving the business towards its growth ambitions.&#8221;
&#8220;We want to make sure prospective customers become more familiar with UBS so they&#8217;re more likely to consider us when it&#8217;s time to choose a wealth manager, for instance.&#8221;
As per the report, UBS has created a new campaign with advertising firm&nbsp;Publicis Groupe SA&nbsp;(OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PUBGY#OTC">PUBGY</a>) and brand strategy company&nbsp;Prophet.
According to the report, the global campaign will go live first in Britain and the U.S. from Tuesday before being rolled out to 10 other countries, including Japan, Singapore, Australia and Germany.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/01/36527780/ubs-remains-resolute-in-expanding-wealth-and-asset-management-operations-in-china-amid-economic-chal" rel="noreferrer noopener">UBS Remains Resolute In Expanding Wealth And Asset Management Operations In China Amid Economic Challenges And Global Tensions</a>
Price Action: UBS shares are trading lower by 0.12% at $29.08 premarket on the last check Tuesday.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Large Cap

UBS Unveils New Slogan To Charm Customers: Report

<ul>
<li>Apple Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/aapl#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) and&nbsp;Alphabet Inc&#39;s&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/goog#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/googl#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google&#39;s digital privacy initiatives have widely impacted advertisement strategies,&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/15/apple-google-force-rethink-in-advertising-industry-maurice-levy.html" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">CNBC reports</a>.</li>
<li>Advertising company&nbsp;Publicis Groupe SA&#39;s&nbsp;(OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/pgpef#OTC">PGPEF</a>) (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/pubgy#OTC">PUBGY</a>) Maurice Levy acknowledged the importance of privacy, which forced the advertising companies to revisit their tactics.</li>
<li>Apple started forcing its platform app developers&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/04/20521960/apple-to-impose-new-app-privacy-notifications-soon-reuters" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">to seek permission</a>&nbsp;to collect unique identifiers used by advertisers to target mobile ads and measure their effectiveness.</li>
<li>Apple also banned unauthorized third-party cookies, which helped advertisers track internet users and serve them with personalized ads on its Safari browser.</li>
<li>Google also disclosed plans to&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/03/20234294/googles-chrome-browser-cookie-blocking-triggers-antitrust-probe-reuters" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">ditch third-party cookies</a>&nbsp;on Chrome and is searching for an alternative. Last week, Google agreed to Britain&#39;s competition regulator&#39;s say in its proposal to replace cookies.</li>
<li>Facebook Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/fb#NASDAQ">FB</a>) was the worst hit following Apple&#39;s privacy updates and focused on new business lines like online shopping.</li>
<li>Publicis&#39; $4.4 billion acquisition of data company Epsilon is estimated to shield the advertising company from Apple and Google&#39;s privacy change repercussions.</li>
<li>Apple, Google, and other large tech firms are subject to growing global regulatory scrutiny over everything from their sheer size to their tax payment.</li>
<li>The Group of Seven (G-7) wealthiest nations agreed to set a global&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/06/21446570/g7-agrees-to-minimum-15-corporate-tax-reuters" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">minimum corporation tax of</a>&nbsp;15%. They also set up a new tax system linked to the places where the firms are doing business to prevent digital giants like Google, Apple, Facebook, and&nbsp;Amazon.com Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) from escaping taxes.</li>
<li>Levy endorsed the G-7 move as the tax slab was reasonable for companies with hundreds of billions and trillion market caps.&nbsp; &nbsp;</li>
<li>Price action:&nbsp;AAPL shares traded lower by 0.50% at $129.85 in the market session on the last check Tuesday.</li>
</ul>