Twenty years ago, I sold my namesake agency I founded at age 27 to Edelman. At the time, many accused me of being a sellout, but the truth is I would have sold out had I not sold the agency. I never intended to establish a shop of my own. But after a rather chilling...
WPP boss Mark Read has described Omnicom Group's acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG) as a "moment of opportunity" for the U.K.-based ad network, urging employees to keep delivering for clients "without distractions." "Clients will not have missed the fact that, in the last week or two, several of our competitors have spent a lot of...
Havas is now officially an independent, publicly traded business following a successful spin-off from parent company Vivendi. On Monday (Dec. 16), the agency network debuted on the Euronext Amsterdam exchange with a valuation of $2.6 billion (EUR2.5 billion). Havas has been under Vivendi's management since its acquisition in 2017, operating alongside sister companies including French...
IPG Mediabrands plans to lay off 103 people on Jan. 2., according to a WARN notice filed in the state of California. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires companies with 100 or more employees to provide notifications of facility closures or mass layoffs 60 calendar days in advance. IPG Mediabrands filed the WARN...
As much as the story has generated a lot of buzz, I find the news of Omnicom's acquisition of IPG to be unsurprising and part of the natural order. I am sad for the great agency legacies that will be mothballed. I am sad for the jobs that will be cut. I am sad that...
Publicis Groupe chief executive (CEO) Arthur Sadoun has addressed Omnicom Group's acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG) in a video memo circulated to its 107,000-plus employees. In his speech, Sadoun cautioned staff not to get too comfortable being the world's biggest holding group by revenues and predicted the deal would be "positive for the industry at...
On December 13, 1996, Miller Beer pulled all its business out of Leo Burnett, literally overnight. Officially, it was about lackluster sales, but rumors abounded that Miller discovered a subsidiary of Burnett had taken a small project from Anheuser-Busch, and Miller was livid. Now that holding companies own a huge part of the advertising landscape,...
The recent announcement of Omnicom's acquisition of IPG got me thinking about my early days working for both holding companies. I started my career in media at BBDO, buying television. Back then, media and creative worked together under one roof, and holding companies were only beginning to consolidate their power. It was a simpler time...
Omnicom's Monday announcement of its plans to acquire Interpublic Group became the latest tremor in the already shaky ground of the agency world. If the deal goes through, it'll create the largest ad shop in the world and one that, to quote the joint press release, will "bring together the industry's deepest bench of marketing...
Four companies -- WPP, Publicis Groupe, Omnicom Group, and Interpublic Group (IPG) -- have dominated the advertising industry for years, yet they aren't all the same. Some chief executive officers, for example, earned a lot more than the others last year. Now that Omnicom and Interpublic plan to merge, creating the world's largest ad conglomerate,...
In what is without a doubt one of the top five episodes of Seinfeld, George is regaling his moment as a "marine biologist" with Jerry, Kramer, and Elaine: "The sea was angry that day, my friends, like an old man trying to send back soup at a deli!" George's "perfect storm" also perfectly captures what...
In light of THE news (do we treat this like the Super Bowl without saying exactly what it is?)--for me, as the CEO of an independent agency, it's an interesting time to reflect. As a former employee of both holding companies, Omnicom and IPG, and truly growing up a child of "Big Advertising," I'm fascinated...
If Omnicom's acquisition of Interpublic (IPG) goes as planned, the 'big six' holding companies will become the 'big five' before 2025 is done. Through its reported $13.25 billion acquisition of its rival, Omnicom will now be the dominant network in the U.S., competing with French powerhouses Publicis Groupe and Havas, U.K.-based WPP, and Japan's Dentsu...
Adtech M&A has started to pick up the pace in the last few weeks. Third-quarter deal volume was up 118% year-over-year and up 26% quarter over quarter, according to data from Luma Partners, Axios reports. That's the highest rate since the first half of 2022. Driving the deal growth is an increase in digital ad...
The blockbuster tie-up between Omnicom Group and Interpublic Group on Monday offers valuable clues about the future of dealmaking in the ecosystem, and telegraphs what parts of the combined business Omnicom might look to spin-off, according to interviews with five corporate strategy and financial advisors. The acquisition reflects the growing value of data and digitally...
Omnicom CEO John Wren and Interpublic Group (IPG) CEO Philippe Krakowsky were in merger talks for eleven and a half months before the transaction was announced on Monday Dec. 9. It's been more than ten years since the derailed merger between Omnicom with Publicis Groupe and this time, Wren made sure there was agreement between...
Omnicom's IPG takeover could make it a stronger retail media competitor to Publicis. Retail media's growth is a bright spot for ad holding companies, and all of them are building and acquiring commerce and retail services. But Publicis has led the space in terms of acquisitions. Over the past five years, Publicis has acquired data...
Though initially described as a mega-merger, the deal between Omnicom and Interpublic Group is structured as an acquisition by Omnicom, and the new entity will continue to be called Omnicom and trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the OMC ticker. A new leadership structure was announced Monday (Dec. 9) morning. The combination brings...
After less than 24 hours of rumors, reports, and speculation, Omnicom has confirmed its acquisition of Interpublic Group. Expected to close in the second half of 2025, the deal has the potential to upend the ad industry by creating a holding company behemoth that could take on the dominance of WPP and Publicis Groupe. First,...
Omnicom Group has confirmed a takeover of rival holding company Interpublic Group (IPG). The mega-merger between the two New York-listed businesses will create the world's largest advertising group. John Wren, chair and chief executive (CEO) of Omnicom, said in a statement the deal would combine "highly complementary data and technology platforms" to drive growth for...
