REDMOND, Wash., and PARIS — April 8, 2026 — Ten years after co-creating Marcel, an innovative AI platform, Microsoft and Publicis Groupe announce the expansion of their strategic partnership to build a full-stack marketing solution that unifies legacy systems, AI agents and identity-based data to accelerate marketing outcomes in the era of agentic AI.
At a time when companies are moving faster than ever to adapt as customer behavior shifts and increasingly need to connect their investments directly to revenue and outcomes, AI fundamentally changes the equation.Through the partnership, Microsoft and Publicis will leverage each other’s expertise to embed agentic AI across the entire flow of work so marketers can focus on what they do best: strategy, creativity and the pursuit of original ideas.
“Ten years ago with Microsoft we co-created Marcel, marketing’s first AI platform,” said Arthur Sadoun, CEO, Publicis Groupe. “Now we’re partnering again to shape the industry, this time as our clients confront the dynamics of the agentic era. Together, we are combining Microsoft’s unmatched technology and AI capabilities with Publicis Sapient’s transformation expertise on top of Epsilon’s industry-leading identity data to deliver agentic solutions that are truly game-changing for clients. Both our companies believe that the future of AI requires agents in service of people and humanity, and with this partnership we are creating a unique opportunity for our clients to lead against this ambition.”
In a market crowded with fragmented AI point solutions, most companies need but rarely achieve connected transformation. To address the needs of marketers today, the companies will deliver:
“This partnership reflects our belief that AI must do more to serve humanity by empowering creativity and innovation,” said Judson Althoff, CEO of Microsoft’s commercial business. “By bringing Microsoft’s cloud and AI capabilities together with Publicis Groupe Solutions built on Azure, we are giving creatives and makers the freedom to spend less time on repetitive execution and more time shaping ideas, building brands and driving meaningful growth for our customers.”
As part of this partnership, Publicis is putting Microsoft 365 Copilot in the hands of all 114,000+ employees worldwide. They have also selected Microsoft Azure as a preferred cloud provider. By working with Microsoft, which offers the most scalable and secure cloud and AI platform in the industry, Publicis is strengthening its ability to deliver personalization at scale and expanding Marcel’s role from pioneering AI in marketing to powering the next generation of enterprisewide AI.
Additionally, Publicis will become Microsoft’s global media agency of record. Through focused co-innovation, built with Microsoft Azure, the companies will better link audiences, signals and performance data to maximize business outcomes.
About Publicis Groupe – The Power of One
Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40] is a global leader in communication. The Groupe is positioned at every step of the value chain, from consulting to execution, combining marketing transformation and digital business transformation. Publicis Groupe is a privileged partner in its clients’ transformation to enhance personalization at scale. The Groupe relies on ten expertise concentrated within four main activities: Communication, Media, Data and Technology. Through a unified and fluid organization, its clients have a facilitated access to all its expertise in every market. Present in over 100 countries, Publicis Groupe employs around 103,000 professionals.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
For more information, press only:
Microsoft Media Relations, We. Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, [email protected]
Amy Hadfield, Director of Global Communications, Publicis Groupe, +33 (0)1 44 43 70 75, [email protected]
Michelle McGowan, Corporate Communications, Publicis Groupe, +1 312 315 5259, [email protected]
Eleanor Conroy, Corporate Communications, Publicis Groupe, +447736746466, [email protected]
Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit Microsoft Source at https://news.microsoft.com/source. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at https://news.microsoft.com/microsoft-public-relations-contacts.
