ARC, the experiential and shopper marketing division within Leo Burnett Middle East and Africa, will become an independent agency effective July 1. Leo Burnett is a creative offering of PR-firm Publicis Communication.   

Raja Sowan, currently regional director of retail engagement practice at ARC, will now head the independent agency as regional managing director of ARC MEA, reporting directly to Raja Trad, chief executive officer of Publicis Communications MEA.

As per global directives, ARC will be the specialized arm of Publicis Communications in all activities to do with shopper communication and marketing, in-market activation, customer engagement and experiential marketing.

These services, powered by proprietary tools and research, will deliver shopper specific insights and behaviours so that brands can conduct better-informed and more relevant conversations with shoppers, thereby converting them to loyal buyers and brand advocates, the firm said.

Trad commented: “I cannot stress enough the importance of this collaboration to deliver against the spirit of The Power of One. By sharing the strengths that ARC brings to the table, with all the agencies under Publicis Communications, we will be able to create a marked and positive difference in the lives of Shoppers in the Middle East, and around the world.”

Sowan added: “Arc will continue to deliver shopper solutions rooted in a deep understanding of shopper behaviour and fuelled by proprietary ShopperBack thinking and PeopleShop research tools to help connect shoppers with brands along their path to purchase, and motivate them to shop these brands.” –TradeArabia News Service