Saatchi & Saatchi S Expands Communication Practice

SAN DIEGO, June 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- SUSTAINABLE BRANDS '12 -- Saatchi & Saatchi S, an award winning sustainability consulting and communications agency, today expanded its communication practice to include earned and social media capabilities. The agency hired PR veteran Jessica Appelgren to the role of VP, Communication. Jessica, 35, comes from Blue Practice, a public relations boutique agency devoted to sustainability.  She will report to CEO Annie Longsworth, who joined Saatchi & Saatchi S in January with a charter to strengthen the agency's brand marketing offering.

While communication strategy and brand campaign development have long been one of the core capabilities of Saatchi & Saatchi S, the firm is now pleased to offer an expanded suite of services to its clients, which range from global Fortune 500 brands to early stage companies. The communication practice is available as both a stand-alone service, as well as blended in conjunction with the strategy and engagement services.

"We see communication as a critical part of the sustainability mix for brands of all sizes," said Saatchi & Saatchi S CEO Annie Longsworth. "For well-established brands, communication creates competitive differentiation and helps to advance innovation. For startups, a thoughtful PR and social media strategy is absolutely essential as a cost-effective approach to establishing credibility and building buzz."

Founded in 2008 when global advertising powerhouse Saatchi & Saatchi acquired industry visionary Adam Werbach's grassroots Act Now Productions, Saatchi & Saatchi S is dedicated to making sustainability irresistible to all stakeholders. In the US, Saatchi & Saatchi S has worked on sustainability projects with Wal-Mart, AT&T, Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola, POET, Duke Energy and, recently, cellulosic ethanol producer Edeniq.

"The global challenges we face are intensifying and it's time to turn up the volume in the business community," said Saatchi & Saatchi S Chairman Adam Werbach. "We believe authentic integrated communication is essential for brands to excite and educate consumers, to propel governments into action and to engage shareholders, who should be demanding more from the brands in which they invest."

Jessica Appelgren's experience spans solar, LEDs, lighting control, smart grid, energy efficiency, sustainable building materials, electric vehicles, biofuel, and green architecture design. Her past clients include smart grid and energy-efficiency companies Silver Spring Networks and Adura Technologies, solar companies MiaSole and Solar City, LED leaders Lemnis Lighting and Soraa, and Perkins+Will, named the greenest architecture firm in the US. Jessica's deep relationships with journalists on the front lines of sustainability have proven an asset in her career. Jessica began her career as a journalist in several posts at Bay Area lifestyle magazines.

"In addition to her considerable experience, Jessica also holds a deep commitment to authentic, transparent communication designed to advance business goals. She is the right person to build Saatchi & Saatchi S' communication offering," added CEO Longsworth.

"Saatchi S has a global reputation for advancing sustainability within organizations and forwarding the business goals of leading brands," said Jessica Appelgren, VP Communication. "The opportunity to expand on the firm's offering to include strategic external communications programs is a thrill. I look forward to a dynamic dialogue with the companies charting a path towards a more sustainable future."

In support of the expanded capabilities, Saatchi & Saatchi S also today unveiled a new website at www.saatchis.com.

About Saatchi & Saatchi S

Founded in 2008, Saatchi & Saatchi S is a leader in architecting social and brand movements designed to make sustainability irresistible to all stakeholders. Their offices in San Francisco and London collaborate with some of the world's largest corporations and most revered brands, developing and executing powerful ideas that inspire and engage people. Their work also solves a wide variety of corporate, brand and reputational challenges.

Saatchi & Saatchi S was named among the ten "Most Innovative Companies in Advertising and Marketing" by Fast Company, and has received an Effie Award for its groundbreaking, culture change initiative with the world's largest company, Wal-Mart.  Saatchi & Saatchi S is part of the Saatchi & Saatchi network and is owned by Publicis Groupe S.A., the world's 3rd largest communications group. For more information, visit www.saatchis.com.  Follow Saatchi & Saatchi S on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.

SOURCE Saatchi & Saatchi S