Agency news you need to know this week

Happy Friday, and welcome back to Agency Brief. This week, we’ve got the scoop on Omnicom and IPG’s meeting with consultants, plus plenty more. Want to be included in a future edition? Reach out to ewan.larkin@adage.com and brian.bonilla@adage.com for consideration. Omnicom and IPG pitch consultants On Wednesday, Omnicom Group and Interpublic Group of Cos. Chief Executives John Wren and Philippe Krakowsky met with consultants in New York to field questions about Omnicom’s proposed acquisition of IPG, which is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025. Consultancies in attendance included R3, Mediasense, Roth Ryan Hayes, MediaLink, Flock Associates, ID Comms and Michael Kassan’s new company, 3C Ventures. Kassan, R3, Mediasense and MediaLink declined to comment. Flock Associates confirmed its attendance while ID Comms did not provide comment by press time. Also read: Inside Philippe Krakowsky’s $49 million golden parachute One person in attendance described the meeting as a sounding board for consultants’ reactions to the merger. The executives offered the consultants the opportunity to ask questions, but attendees said the answers were necessarily vague, given that the deal is undergoing regulatory review. One topic that did come up was the issue of whether clients would be reluctant to sign on with creative shops, specifically IPG agencies, given the possibility of agency consolidation following the deal. In response, Wren said Omnicom will honor any client contracts reached with IPG and downplayed any plans to consolidate shops. “I’m not going to tinker with the front end,” Wren said, according to one of the attendees. Also read: IPG plans $250 million restructuring Asked for confirmation, an Omnicom spokesperson referred Ad Age to the holding company’s fourth-quarter earnings call, in which Wren said that Omnicom plans to maintain IPG’s advertising brands while integrating them into Omnicom Advertising Group’s structure. When asked for comment, IPG responded: “Interpublic has not seen reduction in pitch volume and has done very well in creative reviews since the start of the year.” One attendee, Roth Ryan Hayes CEO Matt Ryan, applauded Omnicom and IPG for conducting a “really well-run” meeting. But, given the limited amount Wren and Krakowsky could say, he added it “may have been two or three months too soon.” Tracking the latest Omnicom-IPG merger news and analysis ICYMI Here are a few of Ad Age’s biggest agency stories this week: Watch this space Agencies are making moves to expand their businesses in Latin America. This week alone, Publicis Groupe entered into an agreement to acquire Brazilian influencer marketing agency BR Media Group, and Havas bought independent creative shop Don. Neither company disclosed the financial details of their respective deals. “Latin America is a very important market, both for our clients and for Publicis. Our activities there delivered double-digit growth last year and will strongly contribute to our performance again in 2025,” Publicis Groupe Arthur CEO Sadoun said in a press release about the acquisition. Last August, Tombras expanded beyond the U.S. for the first time with the acquisition of Buenos Aires, Argentina-based creative agency Niña. Read more about the Publicis acquisition here Crossmedia restructures In what the media agency described as a “unifying” play, Crossmedia has appointed Kamran Asghar to the new role of global CEO. Asghar, who was formerly U.S. CEO, will oversee Crossmedia’s worldwide operations, including its offices in New York, London and Toronto. Additionally, Crossmedia Germany has rebranded to Unbound Media. Quote of the week: “The new creativity isn’t making pretty shiny things that people talk about after the Super Bowl.”—Justin Billingsley, chief growth officer at Monks and former global chief marketing officer at Publicis, on how creativity is evolving as tech, media and data grow in importance. Ad Age Small Agency Awards Showcase your agency’s creativity, business success and commitment to a thriving workplace. Enter today Just briefly Code and Theory named Jessica Giles, the former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, as managing director of its newly created media experience practice. She starts on Feb. 24. At the Stagwell agency, Giles will help publishers use AI to build new digital experiences, find fresh ways to make money and strengthen audience connections. The National Women’s Soccer League hired Known as its media agency of record. The appointment came without a competitive review and there was no incumbent on the account. Havas Media Network named Jon Stimmel as chief investment officer for North America. He replaces Amy Ginsberg, who left in 2023. Stimmel previously served as chief growth officer at Sabio Holdings. Contributing: Jack Neff

Agency news you need to know this week

Featured Stories