Everyone needs partners in era of tech hyperscalers
Coming age of agentic AI is forcing more collaboration between “frenemies” across the advertising and tech ecosystem.
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Publicis wins Microsoft media account without a pitch as part of expanded partnership
Two companies “will leverage each other’s expertise to embed agentic AI”.
Omnicom CEO John Wren earned $70m package in 2025
Wren reduced his salary to $1 in favour of stock options, but he will only profit on the amount that Omnicom’s share price rises above a key threshold.
WPP hikes Cindy Rose’s potential package to $14.66 million a year to close pay gap on rivals
WPP also found 'disparity' inside its own company as some US-based colleagues on executive committee earned more than CEO.
Zaid Al-Qassab exits as M&C Saatchi CEO amid boardroom shake-up
Top shareholder Vin Murria rejoins board.
Cindy Rose on new WPP strategy: ‘We don’t want to be a holding company any more’
CEO can “see a path” back to growth for agency group, which will operate as a single company. “I don't think as a holding company WPP had a culture,” she tells Campaign.
WPP launches new Elevate28 strategy with four core divisions
Agency group will lead with media division in three-year plan after 5.4% revenue slump.
Omnicom and IPG jointly cut headcount by 8200 in 2025
Combined staff numbers fell 6.4% as Omnicom took over IPG.
Omnicom to axe and relocate more jobs as it doubles cost savings target to $1.5 billion
Majority of synergies will come from $1 billion cut to staffing costs, including job losses and offshoring.
Arthur Sadoun on Publicis’ growth, sector woes and the ‘kiss of death’
Publicis CEO talks to Campaign after increasing revenue and margin at annual results.
Publicis hits record profit margin, adds 5800 staff and hikes cash bonuses 8%
Revenues grew 5.6% in 2025, well ahead of rivals.
Dentsu shares slump 11% as buyers walk away from sale of international unit
Dentsu says it has made no announcements on its international business, after reports that talks to sell the unit have collapsed.
Jaguar Land Rover picks winner in expanded global agency review
Carmaker enters ‘period of exclusivity’ with agency group—with media-buying added during pitch process in surprise move.
M&C Saatchi CEO’s future under scrutiny as agency looks at succession planning
Headhunter sounds out industry executives about potential interest in role.
Analysts expect Omnicom’s jobs restructuring to last into 2026
Omnicom maintains prediction of significant cuts next year is “speculation and inaccurate”.
Omnicom must show new structure is about more than cutting its way to growth
Changing how Omnicom operates and collaborates in post-IPG era requires shift in mindset and incentives.
Publicis turns 100: history, family, warrior spirit and a huge cake at Paris party
Campaign reports from centenary bash for French agency group.
John Wren on how Omnicom ‘will succeed’: more collaboration, new bonuses, big job cuts
CEO speaks about dramatic post-IPG restructure. “I am not foolish enough to work 14 hours a day for a dollar,” he tells Campaign, after giving up salary in favour of stock.
Omnicom reveals huge agency shake-up, unveils new leadership, cuts 4,000 jobs
Sweeping Omnicom shake-up will scrap three storied creative networks—DDB, FCB and MullenLowe.
Haymarket Media Group wins global B Corp certification
Process has taken nearly three years.
WPP CEO and chair buy 100,000 shares after stock price slump
Cindy Rose and Philip Jansen make co-ordinated purchases worth £280,000 in attempt to boost sentiment.
Publicis CEO hits out at Omnicom’s ‘apples and oranges’ approach on revenue
Arthur Sadoun calls on Omnicom to change how it reports revenues to improve transparency after IPG takeover.
WPP brings in McKinsey to advise on strategic review
Consulting firm is helping to 'facilitate and stress-test' planning for new strategy.
Omnicom looks to scale back DDB network amid ‘rigorous’ review of brands
76 years after Bernbach, Doyle and Dane rewired the ad world, DDB might be headed for exit as Omnicom-IPG merger takes shape.
Are ‘struggling’ agency groups dragging down valuations across the sector?
The company continues to invest heavily in AI through its new ‘to be determined’ (TBD) Lab, which remains in active hiring mode under Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang.
Omnicom now ‘confident’ IPG deal will close in November as EU approval nears
European Union is the last remaining jurisdiction where Omnicom is poised to win approval.
Havas ‘could be interested’ to buy or partner with some of Dentsu’s international assets
Japanese agency group is 'too big' to buy outright, Havas said.
Arthur Sadoun on why Publicis is ‘winning’ and how ‘struggling’ rivals have dragged down agency valuations
The CEO also discussed the fight for top talent and how Omnicom’s impending acquisition of IPG has 'already' changed the new-business market.
‘Song is changing Accenture’: CEO Ndidi Oteh on media, M&A and ‘Big Four’ agency rivalry
Oteh spoke at Campaign Live in her first UK interview since taking charge.
Haymarket buys Marketing Week, Creative Review and Festival of Marketing
Acquisition ‘reinforces’ the owner of Campaign and PRWeek's market-leading position in marcomms.
Dentsu CEO responds to international sale speculation: ‘No decisions have been made’
'We aim to rebuild our international business on our own,' Hiroshi Igarashi says, although it is considering other options.
Andrew Scott, WPP’s global COO and M&A guru, to step down after 27 years
Close ally of outgoing CEO Mark Read will support new boss Cindy Rose until end of 2025.
Cindy Rose’s debut message to WPP staff: ‘Super-excited’ but won’t ‘sugar-coat’ challenges
New CEO invited staff to a global town hall on September 4 in a video address.
WPP slashes bonuses and dividend; incoming CEO Cindy Rose to review strategy
Agency group cuts staff incentives by 60%.
Top WPP executive Laurent Ezekiel to join Publicis
Ezekiel currently has dual role as CMO of WPP and CEO of WPP Open X, the holding company’s bespoke global agency for Coca-Cola.
Arthur Sadoun on ‘massively increasing gap’ on rivals, winning in creative, and rethinking Cannes
Publicis CEO spoke to Campaign at Q2 results.
WPP has appointed Cindy Rose, a senior Microsoft executive, to replace Mark Read as chief executive
She is already a WPP non-executive director on its board.
WPP's 'pretty grim' profit warning: stock market analysts react
Analysts assessed whether further downgrades will be a broader industry issue.
WPP, DDB and Publicis Conseil win creative company, network and agency of year at Cannes Lions 2025
Winners announced on final night at Palais.
Scrutiny over media trading will be a top story in next year, Campaign editors say
Five of Campaign's global editors spoke on a panel at Campaign House in Cannes.
Mark Read to step down as WPP CEO after seven years
Board begins formal search for new CEO.
Why has GroupM lost its way for so long? The buck stops with WPP
The visceral response to the latest restructuring has been a lament for the way the holding company has moved too slowly and downgraded its agency brands over many years.
Creative agency shake-up at WPP: Grey to move into Ogilvy Group
Grey will split from AKQA as part of the move.
Will the 'big six' become the 'big three'?
Gideon Spanier explains the likely impact of the impending Omnicom takeover of Interpublic.
Omnicom and IPG shareholders approve takeover in key ‘milestone’
US-based Omnicom still requires consent of regulators in 17 markets to acquire IPG.
Publicis buys identity firm Lotame as Arthur Sadoun updates AI pitch to clients
CEO outlined client examples in 23-minute video presentation.
WPP shares slump as revenue declines and headcount drops by 6000
The operations in India grew 2.8% but China declined by 20.8% on the back of pressures surrounding Group M.
Publicis hikes salaries 7% after record 2024 and is ‘confident’ on outlook
Agency group 'reinforces talent pool' as it sees 'opportunity' in challenging 'new Omnicom'.
GroupM axes global agency CEO roles in major centralisation push
EssenceMediacom, Mindshare and Wavemaker brands will still operate globally and local market CEOs will retain their roles.
The $31 billion Omnicom-IPG deal has industrial logic but also many caveats
The biggest beneficiary might not be the two companies involved, but the wider agency sector itself, writes Campaign UK editor-in-chief, Gideon Spanier.
Omnicom and IPG chiefs on merger: Moving beyond ‘legacy advertising’, $750 million synergies and succession
John Wren and Philippe Krakowsky speak to Campaign.
Omnicom agrees to buy Interpublic in deal to create world’s biggest agency group
Agencies hail their “complementary” assets and cultures.
Omnicom in talks to buy Interpublic—report
Omnicom and IPG: Rumours of a merger surfaced a year ago.
Industry sources dismiss ‘uncooked’ rumour about potential Publicis bid for IPG
M&A report surfaced on financial blog.
MediaSense buys R3 as it eyes global client opportunities in creative
Combined business will work for brands who spend more than $60 billion on marketing and media investment.
Havas to offer staff up over $40 million in incentives as it lines up Dutch stock market debut
Bosses could get extra $8 million in cash bonuses for working on separation from Vivendi, prospectus reveals.
Two hedge funds increase short positions in WPP in bet against share price
The agency group cut revenue forecast in August but won Amazon and retained Unilever in key markets.
Unilever announces result of global media review with six rivals sharing duties
South Asian countries including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan remain with incumbents Mindshare.
WPP’s Mark Read on how GroupM needs to improve, China woes and ‘cautious’ clients
Holding group CEO spoke to Campaign at Q2 results.
WPP now expects revenues to decline in 2024 after cutting forecast and 3,000 roles
China's Q2 revenues declined by 24.2%, impacting overall Asia-Pacific performance.
Arthur Sadoun on defying doubters, Q2 revenue upgrade, ‘very high’ staff bonus pool and Paris Olympics
Publicis CEO talks to Campaign at Q2 results.
Zaid Al-Qassab is on a mission to change how ‘the outside world thinks of M&C Saatchi’
The new CEO tells Campaign why the agency group must become a solutions-based business, look beyond traditional advertising, and embrace learnings from markets including Singapore and Sydney.
Bigger crowd at Cannes Lions shows ad industry is getting ready for new era
Festival is becoming more inclusive but inequalities persist.
Havas pushes integration, invests $430 million in AI and tech
French agency group’s moves come ahead of possible stock market float.
Cannes Lions entries drop slightly as new humour category attracts 798 submissions
Entries were “broadly flat”, down less than 1% on a year earlier.
Bravo! Maurice Lévy leaves on an elegant high at his last Publicis AGM
Campaign went to Paris to witness a piece of advertising history as Lévy chaired his final AGM after 37 years, although no one expects him to disappear from Publicis.
Publicis wins vote for Arthur Sadoun to head single board after seeing off critics
Maurice Lévy says it was a “total absurdity” for proxy advisers to oppose Sadoun's combined role as chair and CEO on new unitary board.
WPP blames Pfizer loss and tech client cuts for 1.6% revenue fall in Q1
In contrast, Publicis, Omnicom and IPG all increased their revenues.
Publicis to shake up board: Arthur Sadoun takes sole charge, Maurice Lévy moves to emeritus role
Two boards become one as supervisory and management boards merge.
Publicis organic growth jumps 5.3% in Q1
Groupe says growth driven by 'new business tailwinds' with a 'clear rebound in the tech sector'.
Pfizer moves creative from IPG to Publicis after just 10 months
Pharma giant consolidates global creative business with Publicis months after splitting duties between the two holding companies last May; IPG retains PR and health briefs.
WPP’s Mark Read on the outlook for 2024, bonuses, fewer freelancers and job cuts
The CEO talks to Campaign after WPP's revenues grew less than 1%
WPP creative agency revenues down 1.6% in 2023 while GroupM's rise by 4.9%
North America saw revenues fall by 2.7% for the year, while APAC, Latin America, Africa, Middle East and Central and Eastern Europe grew organic revenues by 3.7%
Publicis pays record $578 million bonus pot but slashes freelancers by 27%
Using fewer freelancers has improved margin and saved nearly $133 million
Verdict on WPP’s AI pitch to investors: ‘If only the company were growing more strongly’
Campaign reports from capital markets day where WPP presented to investors
Unilever launches global media review
WPP’s Mindshare is the incumbent in the UK, US and other major markets
Publicis was top-performing agency stock in 2023 with 41% share price
French group cements status as most valuable agency holding company among global peers
VML’s chiefs on new super-agency, redefining creativity and making cost savings
Jon Cook and Mel Edwards say criticism over the loss of legacy agency brand names like J Walter Thompson and Young & Rubicam disrespects the work put into evolving them.
Omnicom makes biggest ever acquisition with $900 million deal for Ascential’s Flywheel
US agency group buys digital commerce business from owner of Cannes Lions
Mark Read: We haven’t been slow to simplify WPP, we’re dealing with Sorrell’s ‘30 years of inactivity’
WPP's CEO talks to Campaign after Q3 revenue decline
WPP suffers surprise Q3 decline and plans US$120 million savings drive
Job cuts are likely to be part of plan focused on simplification at Group M and VML
Havas claims to be among ‘best in class’ with 4.5% growth in Q3
French agency group expects organic revenue to be ahead of most rivals
Cannes Lions launches Luxury & Lifestyle award category and drops Mobile
There has been demand from luxury sector to recognise creativity, awards organisers say
Arthur Sadoun on ‘taking share’ from rivals and why ‘I like everything’ about office working
Publicis CEO talks to Campaign after Q3 results beat forecasts
Publicis continues hot streak as it upgrades Q3 forecast and ‘gains market share'
“Publicis will undoubtedly be the industry leader for organic growth”, analyst says
WPP promotes chief operating officer Andrew Scott to board
His focus is on driving ‘operational effectiveness’
Publicis ups pressure on rivals as ‘double-digit’ growth in media powers Q2
Organic revenue rose 7.1% for second quarter in a row despite economic uncertainty
Omnicom buys global media agency Ptarmigan for ‘deep’ financial services expertise, with five key offices in APAC
Agency has more than 150 staff and $160 million in billings
Publicis shares jump briefly on Vivendi tie-up rumour but ‘planets don’t seem aligned’
Deal is 'unlikely' for a number of reasons, Bank of America says
We need ‘more lighthouse work, not just fireworks’: David Droga on creativity and Cannes
Accenture Song CEO talks to Campaign
GUT, DDB and Omnicom win agency, network and most creative company of year at Cannes Lions 2023
Omnicom seized back crown from WPP
Cannes Lions 2023 countdown: CEO Simon Cook on what to expect, from awards to AI
Sustainability and inclusion will be under scrutiny at festival
Publicis to award Arthur Sadoun US$12 million ‘retention’ bonus to stay as CEO until 2027
Share award is worth ten times his annual salary
Mark Read: Fears about agencies were ‘overblown’ after we grew faster than FAANGs
Inflation encourages clients to invest in marketing, WPP CEO says
WPP to pay £424m in annual bonuses as ‘momentum’ drives profit up 22%
Ad group forecasts between 3% and 5% growth in 2023
Dentsu chiefs: Wage inflation has peaked and hiring is ‘easier’ since tech slowdown
'Automation-first' mindset will increase profitability, agency group says
Arthur Sadoun: Publicis’ ‘profound transformation’ is paying off
CEO talks to Campaign at Q4 results about rewarding talent and paying an average salary increase of 8% last year
Publicis staff to share ‘record-high’ €500m bonus pool after strong end to 2022
Second year in a row of 10% revenue growth
Publicis leads global business initiative to support employees with cancer
More than 30 major companies have already committed “to erase the stigma of cancer in the workplace” by guaranteeing jobs for staff living with cancer
Omnicom was best-performing stock among agency giants in 2022
WPP was weakest performer among 'big four'