Up to now all we’ve had from the large advert holding corporations on their response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine is that they’re supporting their workers – Publicis has 350 in Ukraine and WPP 200 though a lot of them are leaving or attempting to go away – however nothing on severing ties with Russian shoppers or doing enterprise in Russia (the place they’ve many extra workers.)

After all you possibly can hardly assist workers in these places should you shut down operations however that’s a dilemma for each firm.

Some massive corporations are severing ties with Russia (they are saying) together with a lot of oil giants and, most notably maybe, Apple which has stopped promoting merchandise there and closed down apps. Which means, amongst different issues, that ApplePay doesn’t work.

PR and lobbying companies are most clearly within the firing line, having trousered huge quantities of Russian money from the oligarch-dominated kleptocracy in recent times – the so-called ‘Caviar Categorical.’

Up to now US fianncial PR big FTI Consulting says it has severed ties with Russia and main UK impartial Brunswick has stopped working for the Russian Nord Stream 2 gasoline pipeline challenge, now in abeyance anyway as Germany has refused to finish it.

However all the large advert holding corporations have in depth international PR operations alongside, in lots of instances, lobbying. WPP is an investor in Peter Mandelson’s International Counsel agency. It owns Hill+Knowlton Methods and BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe) amongst many others. Ogilvy has a giant PR arm.

Publicis’ PR operations are largely grouped underneath MSL whereas Omnicom Public Relations Group contains Fleishman Hillard and Ketchum. Interpublic has Golin, amongst others.

Doing PR for the Kremlin is relatively a misplaced trigger in the mean time however are any of those entities nonetheless receiving charges from Russia?

Amongst manufacturers (other than Apple) Ford has suspended operations within the area whereas Nike has paused Russian on-line orders. Boeing says it’s suspending “giant operations,” hardly shocking as its tech and components should play some position within the Russian army. Disney and Warner have delayed movie releases in Russia.

These are practically all giant American corporations, so might don’t have any selection. Others like Coca-Cola and Pepsi are nonetheless mulling what to do. The choice could also be made for them anyway as, with the Western monetary squeeze, Russians may not have the ability to pay for his or her merchandise anyway. Visa and Mastercard are principally not working any extra in Russia.

However again to the advert holding corporations: taking care of your workers is one (vital) factor however there’s additionally the necessity to take a stance. Within the social media age the penalty for doing nothing is widespread condemnation.

It’s time for WPP’s Mark Learn and his holding firm friends to be extra clear on precisely the place they stand.