Mark Stewart - Universal McCann

Brandweek, Dec 6, 1999 by Eric Schmuckler

Universal McCann, he is quick to point out, is "not an unbundling, but rather, a rebranding and repositioning. We have a global media product and global media tools; we have processes and systems and a philosophy and a mission and a way of going to market. We're more than the media department of an agency; 30 percent of our business worldwide is AOR. We're a professional practice within the agency, with recognition from our management, which is an incredibly powerful resource.

"People look at McCann as a powerhouse, a global agency," Stewart says. "But, really, it's a very entrepreneurial culture. We have a couple of expressions around here. One is: 'You're on your own until you get caught.' The other is, 'It's better to ask forgiveness than permission.' I think the reason we've been successful is that we're a large agency that doesn't think of itself as such. We're a battleship that thinks of itself as a fleet of destroyers."