Publicis Groupe ramps up China luxury play with expanded Publicis Luxe unit

Publicis Groupe is sharpening its focus on China’s luxury market, expanding its dedicated luxury practice Publicis Luxe China and appointing Marc Leclerc as head of Publicis Luxe China. 

The move formalises and scales up Publicis’ luxury offering in the market with a cross-disciplinary team of more than 100 specialists across strategy, media, cultural insight, content, data and technology. The China unit is tightly plugged into Publicis Luxe hubs in Paris and New York, drawing on a global network of over 2,000 people working on luxury brands across the Groupe.

Leclerc, a French native who has spent the past decade in China, steps into the newly created role of head of Publicis Luxe China, reporting to Mickey Zhang, president of Publicis Media China. He joins the Groupe’s global luxury practice with a clear mandate: translate global brand platforms into culturally attuned programmes that resonate with Chinese consumers and drive sustainable growth for luxury maisons.

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Leclerc is a familiar name within Publicis Groupe. He has spent 14 years at the company, holding senior roles at Starcom China, including head of strategy and transformation, managing director and CCO. 

Under his leadership, Leclerc will ensure the seamless and precise execution of strategy, creativity, and media. The practice is also designed to break down traditional silos between media, creative and data and consulting to deliver end-to-end solutions. 

Furthermore, Publicis Luxe China aims to enable brands to achieve a seamless balance between global vision and local insight, serving as a strategic bridge between brand DNA and the local market. 

“Today, luxury marketing is no longer about fragmented campaigns, but about designing immersive experiences grounded in cultural understanding and data insights,” said Leclerc. 

"I am honored to bring together the global resources of Publicis Luxe, insights drawn from 2.3 billion consumers worldwide through Publicis Groupe’s combined data and identity assets, and the expertise of our local teams in China to offer clients a brain trust and execution engine, partnering with brands to drive sustainable growth," he added. 

China remains one of the most strategically important markets for global luxury brands, but growth dynamics are shifting. After years of expansion driven primarily by scale and new store openings, brands are now under pressure to deliver more culturally rooted, differentiated experiences for increasingly sophisticated local consumers.

Zhang frames the expansion of Publicis Luxe China as a response to that shift. “The Chinese luxury market is undergoing a pivotal shift, from scale-driven growth to culturally rooted growth. Over the past decade, Leclerc has supported numerous brands through market cycles in China, combining his European luxury heritage with on-the-ground market expertise."

At a regional level, the build-out of Publicis Luxe China sits within Publicis Groupe’s broader APAC expansion and integration efforts.

The network recently created a new Japan–South Korea (JSK) sub‑region, bringing together Publicis Groupe Japan and Publicis Groupe South Korea under a connected leadership and operating model. The move reflects the growing importance of the region to global brands and responds to increasing client demand for greater connectivity, scale and consistency across Japan and South Korea.

The JSK sub‑region will strengthen shared capabilities and accelerate collaboration, while maintaining the distinct cultural and market strengths of both countries. As part of the shift, Gareth Mulryan, CEO of Publicis Groupe Japan, assumes an expanded remit as CEO, Publicis Groupe JSK, working closely with Nicole Roe, CEO of Publicis Groupe South Korea.

Mulryan will also join the Publicis Groupe Asia-Pacific executive committee and continue reporting into Jane Lin-Baden, CEO, Asia-Pacific, Publicis Groupe.

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