due to troubles experienced by international agency Saatchi & Saatchi Co. PLC.

Already this week, the embattled Saatchi top brass have had to write to the Bermuda firm and other affiliates worldwide, to advise they may change Saatchi's corporate name.

The international advertising group is to ask its shareholders next month for permission to change the name of the holding company Saatchi & Saatchi to Cordiant PLC.

Image is everything for one of the largest advertising agencies in the world, especially right now. It has been in turmoil since last month, when co-founder and administrative mastermind Mr. Maurice Saatchi announced plans to form a rival ad agency amid complaints from big US shareholders worried about his potentially lucrative stock options. His breakaway firm is tentatively being called the "New Saatchi Agency.'' His departure sparked a sensational public squabble that has seen the company's share price plunge, as top executives and some clients followed Mr.

Saatchi out the door.

The proposed new company name, Cordiant, would be only for the holding company Saatchi & Saatchi. A key subsidiary, Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Worldwide, which accounts for about 40 percent of the group's business, intends to hang onto the Saatchi name.

The firms have a link with Bermuda's Advertising Associates.

AAC co-owner Mrs. Sue White, said, "As far as we are concerned there is no situation that will really affect us. There is no financial arrangement between our company and their company.'' The local firm bills itself on the top of their letterhead, "A Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide Agency.'' But Mrs. White, who owns AAC with husband John, said, "Our business is totally local. In the past when we were dealing with overseas vendors setting up credit lines and getting work done, it was a useful tool (to be identified with the global firm) because then people would know who we were.

"But we have been in business over 30 years and we know all these people. We really don't use the affiliation and the next time we print our letterhead, we might decide to delete it.'' AAC was asked to be affiliated with Saatchi when the local firm's then US partner, Compton Ltd. was bought out by Saatchi in 1982.

Mrs. White recalled, "We handled British Airways (until recently a Saatchi client) and they wanted an agency for this part of the world. We agreed to it as a gentlemen's agreement. We also assisted them with some work down south.

"But we don't report to them, we don't give them our financials or attend Saatchi meetings.'' Saatchi had advised AAC previously that they were considering a name change, but on Monday they faxed the Bermuda firm that they were proposing the name Cordiant PLC.

"I think our firm is unique in our relationship with Saatchi,'' said Mrs.

White, "because a lot of their associate agencies, they own either in total or in part, and they are very closely associated with them in reporting.

"Our situation is rather unique in that we have been able to maintain the Saatchi affiliation for free. And from their standpoint, it gives them an agency in this area.

"John and I haven't discussed this, but I would think that if they go ahead with the name change, we are not likely to re-print all of our stationery. We will probably just wait until the next printing and drop their name, altogether. We wouldn't replace it with the new name.'' On Friday, Saatchi & Saatchi said it had accepted the resignation of Maurice Saatchi's brother, creative genius Mr. Charles Saatchi, who wants to join forces with his brother. The feuding factions are fighting in court, where the firm hopes to prevent the Saatchi brothers from naming their new agency anything that sounds similar to Saatchi & Saatchi.

"We can't stop them from using Saatchi, because it's their name,'' Saatchi spokesman Mr. Richard Walters said.

"What we're trying to do is prevent them from coming too close to Saatchi & Saatchi. The New Saatchi Agency, I believe, we have a problem with. That's probably a little too close for comfort.'' Saatchi woes touch local firm From Page 13 Maurice and Charles Saatchi had no comment on the name dispute or on the choice of Cordiant, their spokesman said Monday.

"Cordiant'' is the creation of Siegel & Gale, a New York-based specialist corporate identity business owned by Saatchi & Saatchi that came up with several possible new names.

"Derived from the roots `cor' or `cordia,' the name expresses a core or heart, positioning the company at the centre of one of the world's leading communications groups,'' Saatchi & Saatchi said in a statement.

As far as Saatchi & Saatchi knows, it will be easy to gain a trademark for the made-up word Cordiant, and it is not expected to cause any cultural problems in any markets.

Saatchi & Saatchi's spokesman said the name change was not brought about by the recent crisis. Instead, there was a certain amount of confusion created because the holding company and ad agency had the same names, and the company wanted to eliminate any mixups, Walters said.

Several of the company's managers wanted a name change some time ago, although Maurice Saatchi resisted this when he was chairman, Mr. Walters said.

The chief executive and acting chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi, Mr. Charlie Scott, said the new name "will clearly differentiate Cordiant as the listed holding company for a leading global communications group.'' The firm has 400 group offices, 11,000 employees and annual revenues of $6.5 billion.