A year later, French media giant Publicis proposed a merger with the American firm. Although some worried that Fallon's reputation for highly innovative campaigns might be compromised by the presence of a new parent company, Fallon's founders knew that the only way to serve their clients on a global basis was to partner with a larger organization. In addition, rapid changes in the technological environment meant that ad agencies had to now search for new ways to serve their clients rapidly-yet with a personal touch. "It will take a new kind of branding communications company to succeed in the emerging worldwide digital economy," noted Fallon at the time,