Campaign Asia

Publicis buys identity firm Lotame as Arthur Sadoun updates AI pitch to clients

CEO outlined client examples in 23-minute video presentation.

Omnicom-IPG merger gains support, Krakowsky’s $48.6 million ‘golden’ pay raises ‘concern’

Two leading proxy advisory groups recommended shareholders vote in favour of acquisition.

Media is key battleground for agency giants in new world order

Growth in media reflects how the scope has become much broader for clients, and Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG is poised to drive further change in the sector.

APAC headcount drops 4.8% as IPG’s global workforce shrinks by 4,100 in 2024

CEO promises “thoughtful decision-making” as it plans more cuts.

Mark Read on WPP’s creative agencies slump, big clients spending more and four-day office mandate

CEO dismissed idea WPP might sell AKQA in Campaign interview.

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.

Santander on its shift to one global agency, why it picked Publicis and how ‘data is key’

Bank has been rethinking its $1 billion-a-year spend on advertising and communications to drive consistency and effectiveness in age of AI.

Omnicom cut 3,000 roles during 2024 ahead of IPG takeover move

Total headcount fell 1,000, as job reductions more than offset acquisition of 2000-strong Flywheel, and agency group plans further staff cuts to save US$330 million.

Arthur Sadoun on why Publicis didn’t buy IPG and how Omnicom is ‘the new WPP’

In conversation with the Publicis' CEO after the group reported annual revenue growth of 5.8%.

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'.

Omnicom and IPG chiefs visit UK to sell merger to staff and pitch consultants

The two groups will continue to operate independently and compete in pitches for the time being, as the M&A deal could take a year to complete.

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.

Mel Edwards to step down from VML after 13 years at WPP

She has most recently been global president at integrated creative network.

WPP stock plunges 16% to lowest level since 1998 after fresh Q3 downgrade

Declining valuation of about US$4.3 billion (£3.3 billion) means WPP could be at risk of being relegated from the FTSE-100 index.

Omnicom responds to speculation over future of DDB brand

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

CEO also discussed the fight for top talent and how Omnicom’s impending acquisition of IPG has 'already' changed the new-business market in Campaign interview at Q3 results.

‘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.

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.

Cindy Rose has a huge to-do list to get WPP flowering again

The new CEO needs to be clear about what WPP stands for and how it goes to market.

Arthur Sadoun on ‘massively increasing gap’ on rivals, winning in creative, and rethinking Cannes

Publicis CEO spoke to Campaign at Q2 results.

Accenture and WPP have discussed potential M&A deal

Campaign understands there has been high-level contact between the two companies.

WPP recruits Microsoft exec Cindy Rose to replace Mark Read as CEO

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 closes in on new CEO as some big names ruled out

Decision by board coming 'sooner than expected', sources suggest.

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.

Arthur Sadoun: Agencies should be ‘optimistic’ not ‘scared’ about future

Publicis CEO gave exclusive interview at Campaign House on first day of Cannes Lions.

WPP never seized control of its destiny under Mark Read’s leadership

Departing CEO had some notable successes, but the company has struggled.

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.

Arthur Sadoun calls for ‘different approach’ at Cannes amid economic challenges

Publicis CEO says Lions festival should not just be about 'AI theory' or 'celebrating creativity for its own sake', given the toughest conditions since the pandemic.

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.

Publicis media pioneer and former COO Steve King leaves after nearly four decades

Briton plans to stay involved in marketing and communications world.

Havas warns of ‘reputational’ risk from fossil-fuel clients after backlash over Shell win

The Vivendi-owned agency group made the disclosure in its stock market prospectus.

MediaSense buys R3 as it eyes global client opportunities in creative

The change impacts APAC markets, including Singapore, New Delhi, Jakarta, Hong Kong, and Sydney, while R3 China will continue to operate as a MediaSense affiliate.

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.

Why Lions is buying Effie: to help brands make ‘better case’ for investing in marketing

Planned acquisition comes at the same time as Ascential, the parent company of Lions, completes its £1.2 billion ($1.6 billion) sale to Informa this week.

Unilever announces result of global media review with six rivals sharing duties

Publicis has taken over five out of six markets pitched in Southeast Asia, with only Indonesia remaining with WPP's Mindshare.

Omnicom share price hits record high after breaking $100 barrier

Staff who own shares will benefit from rising stock price.

Maurice Lévy on his Publicis legacy: Handing power to Arthur Sadoun ‘worked beautifully’

The emeritus chairman talks about his “passion” for Publicis over more than 50 years, his leadership tips, and how the French company is set to overtake WPP as the world's biggest agency group—on every financial measure.

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.

Creative agency shake-up at WPP: Grey to move into Ogilvy Group

Grey will split from AKQA as part of the move.

Arthur Sadoun on secrets of Publicis’ pitch ‘success’ and how to support clients through tariff dramas

'Stop always being negative about our industry,' CEO says, after strong Q1 growth.

Publicis grows 4.9% in Q1; says new business streak will ‘offset’ Trump tariff fallout

Agency group is “extremely confident” it will hit annual growth forecast, expected to be between 4% and 5% in 2025

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.

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 poised to confirm IPG acquisition and announce leadership

Announcement expected imminently.

Moray MacLennan to leave M&C Saatchi as CEO

New chair Zillah Byng-Thorne takes temporary charge for up to 12 months.

Arthur Sadoun: Our creative agencies are ‘essential’ despite ‘low single-digit’ growth

Publicis CEO spoke to Campaign after group grew 7.1% in Q2 and revealed it is giving staff an average salary increase of 4% in 2023.

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.

Chime to spin off sports marketing arm but VCCP is ‘categorically not’ for sale

VCCP is two-thirds of business.

Campaign global forecast Q3 2023: Creative pitch marketplace across sectors

Despite factors such as a challenging economic outlook, advertising new business is expected to be buoyant in Q3, with retail, media and travel just some sectors predicted to witness plenty of pitches. Campaign looks at what drives activity in these areas in the UK, US and Asia-Pacific.

Uncommon Creative Studio sells majority stake to Havas in deal worth up to $156 million

US expansion is key reason for Uncommon to take investment.

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.

Jacki Kelley quits Dentsu to return to IPG as chief client and chief business officer

Latest in a string of departures from Dentsu.

We need ‘more lighthouse work, not just fireworks’: David Droga on creativity and Cannes

Accenture Song CEO talks to Campaign.

Annette King quits Publicis for Accenture Song

She will be the global lead of communications, overseeing the creative agencies.

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.

Haymarket’s profits climb to $20.4 million as live events boost revenue

UK B2B arm delivered best results in a decade.

Havas sees ‘very good momentum’ in Q2 and has ‘confidence’ about rest of 2022

Organic revenues jumped 11.5% for the period.

Arthur Sadoun: Clients are still spending but there are fewer pitches and ‘clouds’ over 2023

Publicis CEO talks after upgrading growth forecast at Q2 results.

Arthur Sadoun interview: Publicis’ ‘profound transformation’ is paying off

CEO talks to Campaign UK at Q4 results about rewarding talent and paying an average salary increase of 8% last year.

Publicis staff to share ‘record-high’ bonus pool after strong 2022

Second year in a row of 10% revenue growth.

Omnicom high-flyer Alex Hesz on holdco strategy: ‘Clients want one arse to kick’

The recently-appointed global chief strategy officer talks about “reverence” for agency brands and reveals why he pulled out of that big Dentsu job.

Publicis poaches top WPP executive Demet Ikiler for new EMEA COO role

UK is an area of particular focus.

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.

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 $12 million ‘retention’ bonus to stay as CEO until 2027

Share award is worth ten times his annual salary, but ultimate value will depend on the share price in five years’ time.

Arthur Sadoun unveils new top team at Publicis

King, who has been chief operating officer, leaves Directoire.

M&C Saatchi CEO: Takeover saga is a distraction. We want to be independent

Campaign talks to Moray MacLennan after first-half results.

‘I will miss this team greatly’: Wendy Clark’s exit confirmed as Dentsu moves to one global operation

She will stay until December as Japanese parent company plans new management line-up.

Dentsu to drop international CEO role in restructure as Wendy Clark heads for exit

Hiroshi Igarashi, CEO of the Japanese parent, is set to take direct control.

Wendy Clark poised to step down as global CEO of Dentsu International

Ex-DDB boss has been CEO since September 2020.

Top earner at Dentsu International collects £13.5m pay package

Payout included £6.3m from 'long-term incentive schemes'.

Dentsu sees ‘tremendous competitive advantage’ in offshoring 10,000 jobs

Trend is accelerating as clients want to cut costs amid rising inflation.

WPP creates Jeremy Bullmore archive to celebrate retiring adman's 67-year career

Ex-JWT boss and WPP sage is retiring at age of 93.

‘This is the real deal’: Recession is starting to bite

From the cost of living to a digital correction, the outlook is tough.

Mark Read on 2023 prospects: WPP’s new-business pipeline is bigger than a year ago

CEO said in Campaign interview that group 'held our margin back a bit' to invest in staff and IT.

WPP flags profit margin squeeze because of staff costs and inflation

Q3 revenues rose 3.8%.

Omnicom recruits MediaLink's Kathleen Saxton to be its first CMO

US group wants to connect its agency capabilities more closely.

Arthur Sadoun on Publicis Q3 results upgrade, bonuses and where clients won’t cut spend

CEO has seen no material impact yet from inflation crisis.

Publicis spends nearly $50 million on ‘exceptional bonus’ for 45,000 staff to cope with cost of living

Upbeat group raises revenue forecast for second quarter in a row at Q3 results.

Justin Billingsley abruptly exits as global CMO of Publicis Groupe

French agency group has 'ended' his employment.

GroupM drops global CEO role at Kinetic as it takes tighter control of outdoor agency

Keith 'Kappy' Kaplan departed as global CEO of Kinetic in November.

Michael Heseltine retires as chairman after 65 years at Haymarket Group

Rupert Heseltine takes over as part of a series of new board appointments

Sadoun hits out at 'childish' Sorrell in row over Publicis staff bonuses

Publicis Groupe chief's sharp defense of its 'cost of living' bonus for employees comes after Sorrell claimed the payout merely attempted to make up for lost incentives during Covid.

Chris Hirst makes surprise exit as Havas joins up creative and health under Donna Murphy

Holding company said merging leadership of the two groups forms part of its simplification strategy.

WPP: Greenpeace is ‘right’ to protest but we will still work with energy clients

CEO Mark Read responds after Greenpeace protested about climate crisis at WPP beach at Cannes Lions.

Dentsu Creative Bengaluru wins agency of the year at Cannes Lions 2022

Event crowns agency, network and most creative company of the year, as Ogilvy and WPP also win titles.

Cannes Lions: Greenpeace protesters scale Palais in latest festival disruption

There are high levels of security to enter the Palais with airport-style scanners.

The power of technology: enabler or enemy of creativity?

In the final part of a three-part series, Campaign's editors from around the world come together to examine the biggest themes facing global advertising.

M&C Saatchi rejects improved bid from AdvancedAdvT

Vin Murria wants to add two board directors, including COO.

‘Challenger’ agency group Dept recruits M&C Saatchi CFO Mickey Kalifa

Finance boss leaves as M&C Saatchi faces takeover approach.

Haymarket doubles profits after faster than expected recovery from pandemic

Media group generated half of annual turnover from US.

IPG was top-performing global agency stock in 2021

Recovery from pandemic drove up share prices by double-digit percentages across the agency sector.

M&C Saatchi clashes with Vin Murria as takeover plan ‘does not benefit’ shareholders

Tech entrepreneur's investment company wants to merge with agency group.

Tech entrepreneur makes takeover approach for M&C Saatchi

Agency group expects an offer from top shareholder Vin Murria.

Wavemaker scoops Danone's global media account in consolidation

Company admitted 'under-investing' in its brands and vowed extra €300 million investment.

Publicis CEO Arthur Sadoun gets first salary raise in five years with 17% hike

His annual bonus and long-term share award are linked to his new €1.17 million salary, but his total pay remains far lower than those of US rivals.

Dentsu turns to Australia to find its new UK & Ireland chief executive

Angela Tangas will start in September 2022.

EssenceMediacom could be a formidable competitor

MediaCom brings street-fighting skills and Essence the tech brains.

S4 Capital axes bonuses and ex-CFO exits as fallout from audit woes continues

The company’s share price slumped by a third at the end of March after it postponed its annual results twice because PwC, the auditor, could not complete its work.

S4 Capital cuts earnings by up to 5% after ‘unacceptable’, ‘embarrassing’ audit issue

Financial results have now been published having been postponed twice.

WPP’s Mark Read on MediaCom merger, pitch pipeline and halving Cannes attendance

CEO talks to Campaign after upgrading growth forecast.

M&C Saatchi’s record profits and forecasts put pressure on Vin Murria to increase bid

Board takes rare step of issuing 2022 and 2023 profit forecasts.

BCW names Brooke Hovey as global president

Hovey was most recently interim president of North America at WPP’s largest PR agency.

WPP upgrades forecast after GroupM and PR fuel Q1 growth

No major reductions in client spend despite economic uncertainty.

Christian Juhl on EssenceMediacom: ‘Clients want a single agency to handle brand and performance’

GroupM CEO talks to Campaign about merger and restructure.

WPP sees surge in whistleblowers with nearly 500 reports by staff last year

'Respect in the workplace' and 'protection of WPP’s assets' were top concerns.

Sorrell: Expect ‘resolution’ to S4 Capital audit delay soon and it is not ‘material’

Company and its auditor would already have been “obligated” to disclose any major issue to investors, he says.

‘Confident’ Publicis shrugs off global jitters with 10.5% growth in Q1

However, French agency group won't upgrade forecasts because of economic uncertainty.

Arthur Sadoun on Publicis' Q1 growth, pay rises, jobs churn and cancer

CEO also talked about retail media and the French election.

Despair and shock: How advertising chiefs have been grappling with Russian exits

As agencies and brands continue to close down Russian operations and sanctions start to bite, many fear that it will be a long time before anyone can even think about reopening.

Publicis pulls out of Russia and hands control of agencies to local management

French agency group, which employs 1,200 in Russia, exits over Ukraine war.

Yannick Bollore on Havas’ ‘momentum’, M&A and staff escaping from Ukraine

Havas CEO talks to Campaign at Vivendi's annual results when agency arm reported 10% revenue growth.

Unilever stops adspend and McDonald's 'pauses all operations' in Russia

Growing wave of brands have halted some or all of their activities in Russia.

Big six global agency groups bounce back by adding 32,000 jobs in 2021

The 8.5% increase in headcount followed 6% decline in 2020.

Is the boom in new advertisers a bubble that's about to burst?

Rising cost inflation and a decline in tech valuations has prompted speculation that some VC backers could rethink investment.

WPP's Mark Read on why Coca-Cola, Google and Unilever are pivotal to the network's future

He talks to Campaign after "very strong" 2021 results and reflects on growing spend in digital marketing, media, ecommerce, data and technology.

WPP smashes bonus targets with big staff payout after 'outstanding' year

Growth in organic revenue of 12.1% puts it near top of the peer group

‘An inspiration’ and ‘pioneering creative force’: tributes to SBTV founder Jamal Edwards

Founder of online video platform has died at age of 31.

Do agency groups’ strong results prove the doubters wrong?

The industry has some strong opinions after the big agency holding companies reported strong 2021 financial results that eclipsed 2019 levels.

Amazon becomes ‘biggest advertiser in history’ with record $16.9bn spend

Ecommerce giant’s ad sales operation is also growing rapidly.

Arthur Sadoun on staff bonuses, the metaverse and Cannes

Publicis CEO talks to Campaign after record annual results.

M&C Saatchi bid talks go into extra time

Board has rejected a third offer from Vin Murria’s AdvancedAdvT.

Publicis to pay €400m in bonuses ‘for everyone’ after annual profits jump 75%

Analysts say results “validate” the company’s strategic shift to data-driven marketing and digital transformation.

Publicis was top-performing agency stock in 2023 with 41% share price leap

French group cements status as most valuable agency holding company among global peers.

2023 was more of a ‘slog’ than adland expected

Inflation and job cuts have dogged the sector.

Second high-level departure at Omnicom as CMO steps down

Departure will raise questions over holdco strategy.

Omnicom strategy chief Alex Hesz departs to focus on UK general election

He leaves the holding company role after just over a year.

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.

Publicis promotes Loris Nold to global CFO as Demet Ikiler takes over as EMEA CEO

UK will report financial numbers directly to CEO Arthur Sadoun.

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.

Yannick Bolloré: Why Havas was happy to pitch for Shell and the rise of ‘super-creativity’

CEO tells Campaign he is optimistic, after reporting 4.5% growth in Q3, ahead of some key rivals.

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.

Adland must reframe the creative narrative

The story must change as the industry comes under financial pressures and the power of technology and AI looms large.

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.

Top investor David Herro on WPP vs Publicis and why he's keeping faith in agencies

WPP has been 'moving the ball forward,' despite 'extremely disappointing' share price, top US fund manager says in an interview with Campaign.

After five years of evolution, does WPP need to be more radical?

Agency group, which used to be the world's biggest, faces pressure on multiple fronts.

‘Moray isn’t working’: M&C Saatchi’s poster tribute as CEO leaves after 40 years

MacLennan says he is “hanging up my advertising boots”.

WPP promotes chief operating officer Andrew Scott to board

His focus is on driving ‘operational effectiveness’.

Hiroshi Igarashi wants to reshape Dentsu on global stage: ‘We will move very fast from here’

In his first interview with international media, the global chief executive of the Japanese holding company talks to Campaign about his vision, client-centricity, the exodus of international talent, M&A and more.

WPP’s Laurent Ezekiel set to do U-turn and pull out of job move to Publicis

He is expected to land a new, bigger role as new CEO Cindy Rose takes charge.

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%.

Four agency groups in race to win Jaguar Land Rover global marketing account

Integrated review encompasses most of British car-maker’s creative and marketing services globally.

WPP brings in McKinsey to advise on strategic review

Consulting firm is helping to 'facilitate and stress-test' planning for new strategy.

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 is ‘significantly stronger company’ than when Sorrell left, chairman says

Company has lost crown as most valuable agency group since 2018.

WPP’s Mark Read: Why 2024 will improve after Q1 despite client delays and China challenges

New business pipeline looks good overall, but some project work is under pressure because 'client decisions are taking longer to happen', CEO tells Campaign.

M&A rumour mill is buzzing as Publicis pulls ahead of agency pack

Speculation has created what one insider calls a 'febrile' atmosphere at the top of the agency sector.

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'.

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.

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%.

M&C Saatchi to appoint Zaid Al-Qassab as group chief executive

Appointment of Channel 4 CMO to top job is likely to be seen as a surprise because he has not worked in agency sector.

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.

Global chief financial officer departs Dentsu after 20 years

A string of senior executives from outside Japan have departed after Wendy Clark and Jacki Kelley left.

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.

Dentsu’s highest-paid international director earned $14.8 million

Revenues grew in 2022 but went into reverse in 2023.

IPG turns down investor who made approach to buy MullenLowe

News coincides with IPG exploring a potential sale of RGA to Tata Consulting Services.

Bigger crowd at Cannes Lions shows ad industry is getting ready for new era

Festival is becoming more inclusive but inequalities persist.

Publicis Conseil, Ogilvy and WPP win agency, network and most creative company of year at Cannes Lions 2024

WPP takes back holding company award from Omnicom.

Havas pushes integration with new ‘Converged’ strategy and invests $429.3 million in AI and tech

French agency group’s moves come ahead of possible stock market float.

M&C Saatchi teases new logo and ‘Plus’ brand proposition at Cannes

Chief executive Zaid Al-Qassab to announce planned changes at festival.

Cannes Lions entries drop slightly as new humour category attracts 798 submissions

While entries from the US and UK were “broadly flat,” submissions from Singapore were up 93%, and New Zealand jumped 47%.

Omnicom poised to retain Volkswagen Group media account after global pitch

Omnicom Media Group expected to create new operating model for client.

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.

Will stars align for an agency mega-merger, 10 years after Publicis-Omnicom failed?

A new era of consolidation could beckon.

Publicis stock price hits €100 for first time as valuation soars

Employees who are entitled to shares will benefit from jump in the stock price.

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.

AKQA and Grey merge operations in five markets in efficiency drive

AKQA will become the sole brand in Australia while Grey will lead merged operations in China as part of a 'strategic realignment' to allow Grey to focus on 'growth markets'.

Yannick Bolloré on leading Havas until 2035, break-up ‘rationale’ and staff pay

CEO talked to Campaign about the plan to spin off Havas from Vivendi and why AI is an opportunity.

Cannes agency of the year GUT doubles profits as it eyes global expansion

Five-year-old independent network has said 'our plan is global domination'.

Does adland’s jobs boom show companies cut too deeply last year?

Industry leaders and headhunters respond to pressing question.

P&G defies pandemic with 12% jump in annual adspend

Adspend leap over the past two years marks a strategic shift after four years of previous cuts.

Pitch consultant MediaSense sells significant stake to PE fund Apiary Capital

Firm's £30 million raise will help fuel “ambitious expansion plans.”

WPP’s Mark Read on the surprising recovery, delayed office return and JWT case

CEO also discussed bonuses and war for talent.

WPP hikes staff bonuses after GroupM fuels H1 growth

Revenues were ahead of four main rivals in first half.

Interview: William Eccleshare quits as Clear Channel CEO after ‘fantastic run’

Departing chief talks to Campaign.

Interview: William Eccleshare quits as Clear Channel CEO after ‘fantastic run’

Departing chief talks to Campaign.

JWT sex discrimination case: why two ousted male creatives won

Senior creatives Chas Bayfield and Dave Jenner claimed they were ousted from J Walter Thompson as part of a diversity drive and took the firm to an employment tribunal.

Arthur Sadoun: 'Publicis is recovering from Covid faster than expected but I worry about mental health'

CEO talks to Campaign about a 'very strange quarter'.

Publicis revenues exceed pre-pandemic levels after 17% growth in Q2

Group now expects to recover all of 2020's lost revenue this year, rather than taking two years.

Michael Roth retires as Interpublic chairman

Departure contrasts with peers Maurice Lévy and Sir Martin Sorrell, who have continued to work.

A four-way fight? Race to be most valuable agency group heats up

Revenues are growing again and size matters, including for clients and investors, Gideon Spanier says.

Stephen Allan joins Brainlabs as full-time chairman to drive global expansion

The former global MediaCom boss becomes a 'significant' shareholder in the digital-media agency.

Mark Read on proving WPP doubters ‘wrong’

The CEO, who says Q3 results showed the resilience of the agency sector, talks to Campaign about battling Publicis to be the biggest agency group.

Omnicom promotes Daryl Simm to COO as it eyes succession plans

He emerges as contender to succeed John Wren.

'More than a cyclical recovery': WPP Q3 growth exceeds pre-Covid levels

Share price rises close to its highest level since pandemic.

Publicis overtakes rivals to be world’s most valuable agency group

French group has surpassed Omnicom and WPP.

'Stark' results of ad industry's first global inclusion census

“No company or industry can ignore this,” WFA says.

Arthur Sadoun on growing again, talent, pitches and BBH shake-up

Publicis CEO spoke to Campaign on how attracting and retaining talent in the coming months "will be paramount".

Publicis' return to growth above pre-pandemic levels accelerates in Q3

Revenues grew 5% against 2019 fuelling a rise in its share price.

M&C Saatchi’s Moray MacLennan on ‘renewed belief in marketing’ and war for talent

Creativity is still 'front door' for clients, Moray MacLennan says.

Omnicom bags Chanel in global media pitch win

WPP has handled account for two decades.

BBH shake-up: Annette King to chair global board as CEO Neil Munn exits

Arto Hampartsoumian, managing partner and executive chairman of Publicis Groupe China, Christine Ng, chairwoman of BBH Singapore and China and Sid Tuli, managing director of BBH Singapore part of board.

Publicis Media retains China, UK and wins Italy in Ferrero review

Dentsu International is also understood to have expanded its remit in Japan and South Korea.

How Omnicom won Mercedes: ‘holistic marketing’ and buying two agencies

Florian Adamski, chief executive of OMD, talked to Campaign.

Omnicom beats Publicis to clinch Mercedes' global agency consolidation

In unusual move, Omnicom buys two German agencies that already work with client.

Philippe Krakowsky: IPG’s growth shows ‘a way forward’ for holding company model

New CEO talks about integration – without 'brute force' – and why clients need to combine creativity and narrative storytelling with data and technology to thrive in a digital economy.

Ascential sells Michael Kassan’s MediaLink to talent agency giant UTA for $125m

Cannes Lions owner bought media consulting firm in 2017.

Dept acquires digital shop Feed to tap into personalised creative content boom

Days after announcing its Asia entry, the Dutch digital 'challenger' agency acquires UK-based Feed, which has offices in Sydney.

Meta’s Nicola Mendelsohn promises change: ‘We’re not satisfied with where we are’

Mendelsohn has acceded to the role of ad chief at a tricky time for the owner of Facebook, as it faces both reputational questions and growing competition. So how will she approach her two main priorities: supporting clients and agencies on ad plans and working on trust and safety issues?

Dentsu International recruits DDB’s Alex Hesz as global chief strategy officer

Dual role includes strategy for clients and corporate strategy for agency group.

S4 Capital ‘growing in line’ with tech giants as it upgrades forecasts for third time

Gap between Sorrell’s firm and legacy players is increasing, analysts say.

M&C Saatchi chiefs can triple pay if they hit new bonus targets

Almost a quarter of shareholders revolted over pay last year.

Airbnb halves performance marketing spend with $100m cut in Q1

Total marketing spend fell 45% as Airbnb used 'brand to attract more guests via direct or unpaid channels'.

The bull case for advertising is back on

Advertising forecasters have upgraded their growth predictions for this year.

Yannick Bolloré interview: ‘Havas is stronger now than before virus crisis’

Investors understand agency sector is 'a great business to invest in', CEO says.

WPP refuses to pay final long-term bonuses to ex-CEO Sorrell in new clash

Agency giant claimed Sorrell was responsible for “disclosure of confidential information” to the media.

WPP hails faster recovery than expected in Q1 with 3.1% growth

Return to growth in “all business lines and most major markets", with the strongest performance coming from Greater China.

Nick Emery & David Jones interview: There’s a gap in the market for in-housing media

Ex-Mindshare CEO Emery is “not interested” in revenge and has written a novel about advertising.

Oatly IPO reveals ‘crucial’ role of in-house creative team and risk of losing talent

“Creativity is at the centre of the Oatly brand,” the prospectus said, as it stressed importance of 51-strong in-house team.

In-housing is here to stay and growing

As digital communications have become more central to the way that companies do business since the pandemic, it makes sense for brands to invest in their own capabilities – whether external agencies like it or not.

Vodafone unveils ‘Together We Can’ as new global brand positioning

New Commercial Arts worked on strategy and campaign.

Big field of agencies set to line up for Unilever media review

At least five agency groups could be competing for international account, which is unlikely to include China.

Publicis shares rise on fresh M&A speculation about interest from Havas owner

Vivendi describes French media report as "unfounded".

M&C Saatchi names Richard Thompson as UK chair, Tim Duffy global strategy director

Most significant appointments made by Moray MacLennan since he stepped up to become global chief executive in January.

Adland worries about media targeting, not enough about creative, WPP CEO says

Mark Read on rebooting creative agencies and hiring new talent.

Accenture Interactive sees faster recovery amid ‘hotter’ demand

All staff below managing director get bonus of one week's pay.

Coca-Cola eyes more efficiency after 35% adspend plunge in 2020

Drinks giant is beginning global agency review.

WPP makes $3.89 billion annual loss after Covid hits value of agencies

Impairment relates to "historic acquisitions".

Airbnb slashes spend in permanent shift from performance marketing to brand

CEO describes move as 'very important'.

Do agency groups employ too many CEOs?

Dentsu International had 250 people with CEO title.

US ad giants Omnicom and Interpublic cut 10,000 roles in 2020

Annual reports show extent of jobs cull.

Dentsu's Wendy Clark: ‘If I don’t use my position to change the face of the industry, shame on me’

New Dentsu International CEO talks to Campaign.

Dentsu reports $1.3 billion annual operating loss after tough Q4

Merkle was a rare bright spot as the holding company outlines a new four-year management plan.

Ad agencies will resolve their identity crisis

Creative agencies are in a state of flux but they will emerge stronger, albeit perhaps in a different guise, because the role of creativity itself remains paramount.

Accenture Interactive returns to growth after six-month decline

Business suffered a “low single-digit decline” across the previous half-year between March and August during the worst of the coronavirus lockdowns.

WPP's 'punchy' growth plan: 10,000 extra jobs, one third drop in travel

There will be £600 million in savings from new ways of working, says network's CEO Mark Read.

WPP and Walgreens Boots Alliance on client-agency model that won $600m pitch

Data, diversity, in-housing and 'outcomes-based' remuneration were all on the client's agenda.

Amazon cuts ad spend for first time in 17 years

Pandemic led to lower costs for top global advertiser.

Publicis CEO on repaying salary sacrifice and why its transformation is ‘complete’

'We are trying to do tangible things that show that we care,' CEO says.

Publicis pays back Covid salary sacrifices after encouraging Q4

The company's organic revenue decline improved to 3.9% in Q4. APAC organic revenue fell 8.6%.

Unilever's Conny Braams on 'purpose-led creativity', ecommerce and in-housing during Covid

Chief digital and marketing officer discusses the rise of brands with purpose in Campaign Connect interview.

Thousands of jobs at risk as Dentsu cuts one in eight international roles

As many as 6,000 roles expected to be cut.

Netflix slashes annual global adspend by 23% despite record year

Revenue soared by 24% in 2020 as platform cut ad expense.

Christian Juhl interview: 'GroupM should look more like a software company'

The global CEO talks about his vision for GroupM, why TV is still 'best place' to reach people at scale, the responsibility inherent in GroupM's size, how easy it was to dismiss Nick Emery and the outlook for 2021.

Making sense of AKQA-Grey merger: 'absolutely necessary' but with risks

WPP says past mergers of creative and digital agencies mean this new combination should work but there are hurdles.

Unilever prepares to call international media-buying review

FMCG giant uses three agency holding companies.

Haymarket records annual profits of £8.3m despite effects of Covid-19

More than 75% of revenues came from digital, data and live activity.

Does Publicis M&A chatter show holding companies are undervalued?

Private equity has been looking at agency groups.

Publicis Groupe holds sale talks with private equity investor

Discussions have taken place in recent months.

Risk-taking vs risk management: creatives and consultants at odds

The worlds of creativity and consulting are moving closer but they are finding it hard to co-exist.

WPP won’t rush to drop Grey brand after AKQA merger

Sources say it was always WPP's intention that Grey and AKQA brands would co-exist 'for some time'.

WPP merges AKQA and Grey to form AKQA Group

Grey agency brand is to be dropped after 103 years as part of merger to create brand experience agency that combines digital and creative.

Sir Martin Sorrell interview: 'S4 Capital's real competition is Accenture'

When Sir Martin Sorrell acrimoniously left WPP after three decades in 2018, he responded immediately by launching S4 Capital. Two years later, it is worth £2 billion. Campaign went to visit him to discuss what drives him and why he keeps attacking his old company.

Uber chooses agency for global customer experience projects

Transport technology brand has picked UK agency startup New Commercial Arts.

WPP to pay annual bonuses despite Covid-19 and cut offices by up to 20%

Staff below board level will be eligible for bonuses.

China and India drag down WPP revenue improvement in Q3

Revenues in China and India were down more than 16% last quarter, though globally WPP halved its rate of decline to 7.6%

Anatoly Roytman, a key brain behind Accenture Interactive, departs

He oversaw many key acquisitions, including that of Karmarama.

Why do founders no longer name their agencies after themselves?

There can be risks for a business such as M&C Saatchi that trades on its founders' involvement.

Nick Brien exits as Dentsu Aegis Americas CEO as Jacki Kelley takes over

Brien is one of biggest beasts to exit in wave of recent departures.

Crisis at M&C Saatchi: what went wrong and what's next?

Allies say founders 'are not going to abandon ship before they set it right'.

M&C Saatchi founders buy £1m in shares to show support after stock crash

David Kershaw, Jeremy Sinclair and Bill Muirhead have increased their stakes.

Publicis Media drops Blue 449 brand, except in France

Agency becomes part of Spark Foundry in widely expected move.

'What was the alternative?': shock at WPP over Nick Emery’s sacking

Companies are becoming 'less forgiving' of mistakes, lawyers say.

Michael Roth: IPG leads the way on creativity and integration

Looking back: In April 2017, Michael Roth, chairman and chief executive of Interpublic, spoke of 'open architecture' approach, sale rumours and why Interpublic was in in a stronger position than ever.

IPG to keep pay reductions for top executives for rest of 2020

Network's plans differ from WPP and Publicis, which have both ended Covid-related salary cuts.

GroupM drops mPlatform brand in shake-up to improve 'consistency'

WPP media buyer is focusing on operations, shared services and tech innovation.

Sorrell denies 'slapping' Superunion's Prior over Campaign Asia interview

Former WPP chief was angry that ex-colleague called S4 Capital 'speck in rear-view mirror'.

Nick Emery was ousted from Mindshare after video call 'prank'

Last week's incident triggered complaint that led to the long-serving CEO's departure.

Arthur Sadoun on out-performing rivals, ending salary cuts and a second Covid wave

Publicis chief talks to Campaign after better than expected Q3.

Publicis claims its model is working during Covid as Q3 decline eases to 5.6%

Organic revenue fell in every region, including by 9% in Asia Pacific, although performance was ahead of ad spend forecasts.

Accenture repositions brand with campaign from Droga5 and triples media spend

'Our brand was under-leveraged,' consulting giant says.

Nick Emery is ousted as Mindshare global CEO after 'breach of conduct'

WPP said "inappropriate and offensive behaviour is not tolerated."

Are trading scale and size of billings no longer vital in media?

IPG Mediabrands' CEO thinks it is all about strategic capabilities. What about the rest of the industry?

Michael Karg abruptly exits as Ebiquity CEO

Surprise exit came week before group was due to present to investors.

Mark Read: Integrated accounts make up third of WPP's new-business pipeline

WPP CEO sees surge in number of clients that want to "join together" creative and media.

M&C Saatchi shares suspended after it misses audit deadline

The group admitted another £2.4m in accounting 'adjustments' for past misstatements.

IPG Mediabrands CEO Daryl Lee: Media agencies are 'moving away from scale to strategic capabilities'

Business is fifth-largest media buyer and fastest-growing last year.

WPP chiefs buy more shares despite Covid second-wave jitters

Stock price underwent a temporary bounce as investors considered the move a vote of confidence.

Shares in troubled M&C Saatchi rise amid speculation about future

Agency group is talking to advisors but has not started a formal sale process.

Ebiquity picks up 20 clients after Accenture quits media auditing

Revenues still slumped by a quarter because of Covid-19.

Two agency groups face off in Walgreens Boots Alliance global review

Race hots up for US pharmacy giant's integrated account.

Facebook touts role in 'building brilliant brands' amid another boycott

Most advertisers have 'come back' since pulling spend in July, company says.

WPP returns to growth in Q3 with 0.5% revenue increase

Best quarterly performance since start of 2017.

Revealed: M&C Saatchi wanted to reunite with Saatchi & Saatchi

Two sides had informal conversations about a merger on multiple occasions.

Tackling ageism needs to move up adland’s agenda

WPP CEO Mark Read's inadvertent comments have triggered a necessary debate.

New Accenture CEO eyes M&A as Interactive revenues hit $10 billion

Consulting giant's digital marketing services arm is now as big as Interpublic.

Mark Read on reopening offices, job cuts and growing competition from Accenture

WPP chief executive speaks to Campaign about the outlook after Covid-19 hit Q2 results.

WPP falls 15% in Q2 as creative holds up better than media during Covid-19

Global headcount falls by 5,000, as network writes down Y&R acquisition.

Carat captures Vodafone global media account

WPP's Wavemaker has held business since 2014.

Time for a reboot at GroupM, again?

The business has struggled to articulate its purpose in a changed market or even why it needs to exist as a brand.

The Essence of media: people, data and automation together

WPP's Essence has a culture that's more like a tech company than a traditional buying shop. And now its global CEO has been picked to transform parent company GroupM. How much does Essence's rise point the way to the future?

IPG promotes Philippe Krakowsky to global COO and Daryl Lee to Mediabrands CEO

Krakowsky is frontrunner to succeed Michael Roth as global CEO.

Diageo calls global media agency review

Drinks giant is focusing on media planning and data.

P&G hikes adspend 8%: first increase for four years

The $575 million extra, to $7.33 billion, is the first annual boost since 2016.

GroupM global investment chief Nick Theakstone expected to step down

Theakstone has spent nearly 20 years at the world’s biggest media-buying group.

Virus accelerates need for agencies to change 'at speed of WhatsApp'

Q2 results show how the crisis has magnified pre-existing trends.

MediaCom's Josh Krichefski takes on global COO role

He will continue existing responsibilities as EMEA chief executive, but plans to spend much time on APAC and the US.

Havas Q2 organic revenue dives 18%

Asia-Pacific records sharp declines, but healthcare is a bright spot.

Christian Juhl: Group M's future depends on recruiting from different places

New CEO wants creative and mathematical people with more 'diverse' backgrounds.

Publicis Groupe's Sadoun: Nothing would make me happier than to prove agency doom-mongers 'wrong'

Arthur Sadoun on resilience during Covid-19, pay cuts and Maurice Levy's advice.

WPP sees 'slightly subdued' new business outlook for big pitches

No 'material change' in the threat from consultants such as Accenture.

The $100m question for agencies

The pursuit of big clients is forcing agency groups to choose their partners more carefully because the stakes are higher.

Essence promotes Kyoko Matsushita to global CEO

WPP media agency turns to former APAC boss as Christian Juhl takes on top Group M job.

P&G slashes adspend by $350m after cutting 'waste' and agency fees

Annual advertising expense fell for third year in a row to $6.75bn.

PepsiCo: More in-housing has been 'terrific' way to cut costs during Covid-19

Soft-drinks giant has been 'a bit more selective' about adspend.

WPP to end salary sacrifice for top agency executives

About 3,000 executives took pay reductions of up to 20% for three months.

Generali launches global brand campaign after appointing Dentsu Aegis

Four agencies are supporting Italian insurer on integrated work for Campaign that will hit several regions including APAC.

Christian Juhl to succeed Kelly Clark as Group M's global CEO

Juhl takes over world's biggest ad buyer on 1 October.

Tim Andree takes a giant leap for Dentsu

The chief executive and executive chairman is a growing force at Dentsu Aegis Network and, having expanded his role in January, is in a position to shake things up to go 'more global'.

MediaCom promotes Nick Lawson to global COO

The agency also named new CEOs for EMEA and the UK.

Sanofi puts agencies on alert in global media pitch

Pharmaceuticals giant spends estimated €900m a year.

Accenture Interactive 'significantly impacted' by coronavirus slump

Clients focused on 'shoring up what they had', owner of Droga5 said.

UM wins Mattel media across Europe and Asia

Carat was incumbent in number of key markets for maker of Barbie.

WPP set to defend Disney media review in Asia despite declining elsewhere

Mindshare is expected to give up Fox account in Europe.

Kantar and Bain on their $4bn deal: Now we can invest and acquire more

Staying wholly owned by WPP would have limited ambitions, Kantar CEO says.

MediaCom's Toby Jenner named global CEO of Wavemaker

Appointment ends long period of limbo for WPP's newest media agency.

Ogilvy nabs Deloitte Digital boss Andy Main to be next global CEO

Main succeeds John Seifert, who announced plan to step down in April.

Kraft Heinz shortlists four agencies in global media review

Industry pitch activity remains 'healthy', despite Covid-19, analysts say.

Accenture Interactive growing at well over 20% and 'vast majority' is organic

'Strong double-digit' growth is higher than 'the teens', consulting giant says.

WPP 'has work to do' on racial diversity as Angela Ahrendts joins as non-exec

New global inclusion council aims to build 'more racially diverse leadership teams' at top of WPP.

The smart money for TikTok shows China is a growing force in media

TikTok's growth raises a wider question about whether the Western ad industry is slipping behind.

Global Alliance for Responsible Media launches to fight for digital safety

Ad industry issues "call to action for more collective responsibility in media practices".

Dentsu Aegis expects Q2 revenue to drop 15-20%

Forecast is better than worst predictions for global agency sector.

'Sorrell? He's the reason WPP's in the mess it is today'

Ghost of former CEO still hung over this year's AGM, but the 'burden' is easing.

Wendy Clark vows to bring fervour to hot seat at Dentsu

Wendy Clark, Dentsu Aegis Network's incoming global CEO, has plenty of client and creative experience, gained from Coca-Cola and DDB, respectively. But what will she bring to the Japanese media giant beside her love of red?

MediaCom wins Duracell global media account

Starcom was incumbent but did not take part in pitch.

Stephen Allan to step down as MediaCom global CEO

Allan, who has worked at agency for 38 years, hands over to Nick Lawson.

Tech entrepreneur Vin Murria takes 13% stake in M&C Saatchi

She has become biggest shareholder in troubled group.

Mark Read earned $3.3m last year and WPP reveals executive committee

Former boss Sir Martin Sorrell got £517,000 from long-term incentive.

'Every day is like Sunday': how Spotify listening habits changed in lockdown

Sleep, cooking, housework, well-being and yoga playlists are all popular on music-streaming platform.

Mark Read: 'We have to be very cautious about second half of 2020'

WPP CEO is making redundancies but says China has shown recovery 'can be quick'.

FBI subpoenas LVMH in US media-buying probe

Industry-wide investigation into media trading is advancing.

WPP axes Tenthavenue in latest agency cull

Out-of-home buying agency Kinetic, the best-known business within Tenthavenue, is understood to now sit within GroupM.

NME and Uncut sold to Singapore's BandLab

Ex-NME editor suggests digital brand can be 'more valuable' outside publishing company.

Timeline: The fastest advertising downturn in history

A global pandemic was a health emergency that epidemiologists feared for years but the scale, speed and savagery of the coronavirus outbreak has been staggering.

Merkle staff and shareholders receive $100m windfall as Dentsu takes control

Top managers are in line for further $60m from retention scheme.

Philippa Brown named CEO of PHD Worldwide

UK chief executive of Omnicom Media Group wins promotion to global role.

UM wins Just Eat's global media account

Remit for the online food-delivery company includes Australia and New Zealand.

Mike Cooper named Omnicom Media Group CEO for APAC and EMEA

PHD's global boss is taking new role to drive consistency across two key regions.

DDB's Wendy Clark quits to become Dentsu Aegis Network global CEO

Her experience as client and on creative side made her 'standout choice'.

WPP suffers 'whopping' 8.5% Q1 plunge in North America

Like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs fell 2.8% globally.

Some agency groups won't send delegates to Cannes Lions in October

A number of holding companies say they will not enter the awards, while others have yet to decide.

UK ad market faces drop of 50% in April

"It's a car crash."

Vodafone calls global media review after in-housing digital buying

WPP's Wavemaker has held account since 2014. Key markets include Australia, Germany, India, South Africa, Spain and the UK.

GSK hikes online spend due to 'higher return' than TV

Google partnership led to 74% improvement in ad impressions.

Caroline Foster Kenny named Wunderman Thompson global chief client officer

Senior IPG media executive is moving to creative side.

PHD and Omnicom Media Group capture Diageo global media account

Drinks giant reached decision despite coronavirus outbreak.

HSBC consolidates global creative account with WPP as lead agency

Publicis is expected to keep working on creative projects and digital duties.

Wavemaker rebrands with focus on 'provocative planning'

Clients 'want to to be provoked' to drive growth, CEO says.

The battle to reverse WPP's dramatic decline

As the first anniversary of Sir Martin Sorrell's shock exit looms, Campaign UK offers a compelling long read on WPP's 'hair-raising' year.

Unilever saves €500m as in-housing is 'more efficient' than agencies

FMCG giant is increasing spend on digital media and in-store.

WPP warns revenue slump will worsen in 2019

Shares rise since forecast is not as bad as investors feared.

WPP shares crash on Q4 'deterioration' in North America, UK

Stock price plunges 16% on London Stock Exchange Thursday morning.

MediaMonks bets on martech as it rebrands BizTech unit

Managing marketing technology can matter as much as creativity, production outfit says.

LadBible looks to diversify revenue as Colin Gottlieb becomes chief growth officer

Youth publisher sees 'wide range of new potential revenue streams'.

Avon taps MediaMonks to run digital content creation hubs globally

Beauty brand's 'always on' content studio will create thousands of assets.

Havas annual revenue drops 1% but 'cost control' lifts profit

Vivendi was 'satisfied' as decline was better than that of Publicis and Dentsu Aegis.

The rise of in-housing: Is it really cheaper, faster, better?

Is in-housing a more efficient alternative to traditional shops, or is it having a detrimental effect on creativity? Campaign talks to Simon Martin, founder of in-housing agency Oliver.

IPG Mediabrands set to land Emirates' global media account

Havas has run the airline's business for six years.

UBS banker to head business operations at Dentsu Aegis

He has a record of 'transforming global organisations'.

Publicis shares fall sharply after creative agencies slump

WPP, Interpublic and Omnicom also saw stocks slide.

Amazon's marketing spend soars to $8.2bn to rival P&G and Unilever

The ecommerce giant is now a contender as the world's biggest advertiser.

Jerry Buhlmann returns to agency sector as chairman of Croud

Joining upstart is surprise move by former Dentsu Aegis boss.

Talon Outdoor names Barry Cupples as global CEO

Former Omnicom media buyer will drive expansion.

Amazon is 'biggest advertiser on Earth' as ad spend hits $11bn

Ecommerce giant accounts for nearly 2% of global ad expenditure.

Accenture shuts media auditing arm amid 'conflict' questions

Consulting giant wants to focus on agency operations.

Publicis Media promotes ANZ chief to Zenith global brand president

Matt James will return to London, as CEO Steve King cites rise of in-housing and economic headwinds as top agenda items.

Diageo shortlists three agency groups in global media review

Payment terms have been issue for some participants.

Haymarket's profits jump 150% to £8.6 million

'More opportunity today than there ever has been,' company says.

IPG Mediabrands names global client officers

Media buyer wants to be more consultative and strategic.

Advertising versus subscription

It's one of the great, unresolved issues in the industry, and advertising people should worry.

Adam Smith, GroupM's media forecasting guru, dies aged 58

Expert used intellect and wit to explain global trends for WPP.

WPP poaches Laurent Ezekiel from Publicis to pursue new business

Ezekiel becomes holding group's first chief marketing and growth officer.

Wavemaker's Tim Castree named Group M North America CEO

Castree is tasked with boosting WPP's biggest market.

Analysis: 'New WPP' needs its own creative transformation

Campaign reports from WPP's investor day.

Mark Read interview: 'No more major agency network mergers are planned'

WPP chief executive outlines plan to be 'creative transformation company'.

WPP to be 'creative transformation company' as strategy review focuses on growth

Mark Read will focus on communications, experience, commerce and technology.

Sorrell and MediaMonks lift lid on S4 Capital's ambitions

Media buying, particularly performance marketing, is high on the agenda, Sir Martin Sorrell and Victor Knaap revealed at a Campaign event in London.

WPP merges Wunderman and JWT

Advertising network and customer engagement specialist to join forces.

Buhlmann on leaving DAN: 'I'm proud we were able to transform the business'

He remains bullish about the 'robust' agency model.

Sprint: In-house buying has 'blown away' expectations

Mobile carrier has saved $150 million, chiefly in marketing efficiencies.

GroupM names Marc Bignell as head of global trading

Ex-Omnicom executive is making return to media-agency sector.

WPP revenues plunge 1.5%; Kantar sale confirmed

Mark Read warns: 'We have been slow to adapt'.

Intel hands $300m global media to Dentsu Aegis

Chip giant consolidates media activity with ‘Team Intel’, a bespoke offering uniting talent from Carat, Merkle and Amnet.

Just how radical will Mark Read be at WPP?

As WPP agency leaders prepare to find out the answer, a picture is emerging of their new chief executive as a "steely decision-maker" who is unafraid to upend tradition and keen to impress clients.

WPP names Pretorius chief technology officer and Pattison chief client officer

Mark Read has also detailed the responsibilities of Andrew Scott, who was named chief operating officer in September.

Accenture Interactive reveals 'very strong' revenue growth

Estimated revenues would make Accenture Interactive about the same size as Interpublic.

Michael Roth talks to IPG board about potential CEO successors

Roth has run the holding company since 2005.

WPP names Mel Edwards as Wunderman global boss

Move is new chief executive Mark Read's first significant appointment.

Sorrell's investor pitch: S4 will bypass agencies and take on consultants

The comments are striking because when Sorrell was running WPP, he downplayed the impact of the same factors.

WPP's Read: Clients are driving 'fundamental' shift in role of creative agencies

WPP's new CEO says turning around the fortunes of WPP's traditional creative networks, Ogilvy, JWT, Y&R and Grey, is a "business priority".

Sorrell: WPP CEO search a 'complete waste of time'

Sir Martin Sorrell congratulated his successor, Mark Read, but also said Read and COO Andrew Scott should bea CEO 'twosome'.

WPP interview: Read and Quarta promise 'radical evolution'

"The industry overall is growing and we need to grow at or above our peers. You’ll see the evidence over the next few quarters."

WPP to appoint Mark Read as CEO

The world's largest ad agency group has ended its search for Martin Sorrell's successor.

'If WPP's next CEO isn't Mark Read, it's got to be a spectacular choice': Analysts

There is speculation that the board will make a decision by 4 September.

Dentsu in pole position to win Jaguar Land Rover's $500 million global media account

WPP’s Mindshare has held the account for 17 years.

Nick Emery on Mindshare at 20: Media agencies need punk spirit, not navel-gazing

"The reason why every Mindshare show-reel has a Clash soundtrack—and everyone groans—is that I think there’s a punk, rebellious spirit that people need to harness and foster."

Unilever moves global comms planning to Mindshare from PHD

PHD's media-buying duties in Australia and some Asia markets is not affected by the planning shakeup.

Accenture wins Maserati as first global experience agency client

Accenture Interactive will have an all-encompassing role covering customer experience, brand, creative, content and programmatic media.

MediaMonks duo 'very comfortable' that Sorrell has voting power over S4 Capital

Welsey ter Haar and Victor Knaap "will gladly defer to Sir Martin".

Rob Norman retires from Group M to make way for 'young generals'

Media agencies need to be on a "war footing" and focus on "core principles", as he makes way for "young generals".

Sorrell on MediaMonks buy: "We need to be in India and probably Japan"

In an interview with Campaign, Sir Martin Sorrell insisted his new company, S4 Capital, is listening to clients because they are "questioning" how agencies are delivering work.

Sorrell reveals 'very different approach' with €300m MediaMonks deal

Sir Martin Sorrell's S4 Capital has agreed to buy Dutch content business MediaMonks in a deal that is strikingly different from how he structured acquisitions at WPP.

WPP names Lindsay Pattison as chief transformation officer to drive 'horizontality'

The new role makes the former Maxus executive one of the most senior women within WPP.

Sorrell's S4 Capital, WPP eye MediaMonks as potential acquisition

Sir Martin Sorrell's S4 Capital is looking at buying MediaMonks, the Dutch-based digital content production company, as its first acquisition.

WPP net sales down 1.1% as it talks of 'a changing industry'

Holding company outlines a "new normal of a low growth, low inflation, limited pricing power world".

MediaCom scores with $300m Adidas global media-buying win

Carat has held the account in many markets including in the US and UK.

This is the start of a new era for media agencies

The era of media agency domination is over. It's finished. The model that sustained media agencies and fuelled the profits of the big six holding companies over the past decade is broken.

OMD Worldwide names Adamski as CEO and Gottlieb as chairman

Mainardo de Nardis will become executive vice-chairman in charge of corporate development at OMG.

Facebook tackles brand safety with tougher ad 'monetisation eligibility' standards

Facebook has launched tougher rules on brand safety because it admits some marketers are "feeling uneasy" about where their ads have appeared and want "clearer guidance".

Accenture wants to be world's biggest 'experience agency of record'

Accenture Interactive claims it is building the first global "experience agency of record" and that it can cater for the needs of brands better than traditional agency holding companies.

Sorrell under pressure to streamline WPP as FMCG clients cut back on marketing

Several observers have said WPP could consider merging two or more of its four legacy creative agencies: Ogilvy, J Walter Thompson, Grey and Y&R.

WPP unveils Wavemaker as name of merged MEC-Maxus agency

Taken from the name of MEC's content division, Wavemaker is "a real word" that's "memorable" and in abbreviated form "reflects the agency’s heritage" as part of WPP and its media-buying arm, GroupM.

Cannes Lions owner: Agency groups may have found 'right level' by sending fewer delegates

As the festival inches to a close, Ascential CEO reflects on whether the lower attendance will be the new normal.

IPA UK: Google and Facebook are not moving fast enough to tackle ad problems

The UK IPA director-general, Paul Bainsfair, said Google and Facebook have been too slow in tackling the brand safety problem.

P&G global adspend falls to 11-year low after digital cuts

Procter & Gamble's annual ad expenditure has dropped 1.7 percent to $7.12 billion, the lowest level since 2006, after it abruptly cut its digital adspend.

Accenture marches further into marketing with Brand Learning acquisition

Brand Learning Group has 120 staff with offices in London, New York and Singapore.

WPP's Read: We're focusing on collaboration, rather than 'collapsing' brands

"I don’t think WPP needs to be smaller. We need to be simpler to navigate [for clients]," Read tells Campaign.

Wunderman's Read: 'We are different from Accenture. We're creative'

Wunderman global chief executive Mark Read explains how he is transforming the digital shop, why it's merging with Possible, and what he has learned from Sir Martin Sorrell.

FBI probes media trading practices in the US

One source suggested the FBI is taking an interest in certain companies and the role of senior leaders in those companies.

Sorrell's $26 million payoff triggers shareholder rebellion

27% of investors voted against the remuneration report in a non-binding vote at the AGM in London, and 15.5% voted against the re-election of chairman Roberto Quarta.

Dentsu Aegis raises 2018 forecast for global, APAC adspend

Asia will contribute more than 40% of the global adspend growth, according to the company's latest forecast.

'The elephant in the room': Absent Sorrell inspires anger and affection at WPP

While Sir Martin Sorrell faces claims of bullying behaviour and paying for a prostitute, the ad group will be breathing a sigh of relief after an AGM that avoided a showdown.

WPP faces protest over Sorrell pay-off but Quarta is set to stay as chairman

There could be greater opposition against the remuneration report because of the way WPP treated Sorrell as a "good leaver".

Former JWT chief Gustavo Martinez exits WPP two years after sexual harassment row

Former JWT global chief executive Gustavo Martinez has departed WPP in a sign that the ad group's new leadership wants to draw a line under his controversial tenure.

Accenture faces 'conflict of interest' questions over buying programmatic and auditing media

Media consulting firms and media agencies charge that Accenture's launch of a programmatic media planning and buying unit presents a "clear conflict" of interest.

Accenture Interactive launches programmatic unit in response to 'significant' client demand

The unit will focus on programmatic consulting and in-housing; media strategy, planning and activation; and ad tech implementation and support.

PHD to scoop HSBC's $400m global media account

PHD is poised to win HSBC's estimated $400m (£298m) global media planning and buying account from incumbent, Mindshare.

Accenture Interactive hits 25,000 staff as it wins global Radisson brief

Radisson will use Accenture Interactive to run 'personalised and targeted campaigns' and curate 'unique, tailored content' for its 1,100 hotels in 80 countries.

Mark Read interview: WPP must focus more on clients, less on internal organisation

Wither 'horizontality'?

Havas launches 'fully transparent' programmatic platform

Havas has launched what it claims is a "fully transparent" software platform for clients to "track and monitor" the programmatic ad-buying process "for the first time."

Vivendi to buy Bollore's 60% stake in Havas in $2.5B swoop

Vivendi, the owner of Universal Music and Canal+, is to buy Havas in a long-expected merger that will create an advertising, media content and entertainment giant.

Read and Scott: Break-up of WPP makes no sense

Memo to WPP’s 130,000-plus staff says that "in a world where clients need faster, more agile, integrated solutions, we need to get closer together, not further apart."

Consulting or IT giant to buy big six ad group 'within next five years'

WPP, Omnicom, Publicis Groupe, Interpublic, Dentsu and Havas are merely "minnows", according to an M&A advisor.

Boyle expands CEO role as Publicis Media unites EMEA and APAC

Gerry Boyle will split his time between Singapore and Europe until the end of the year, when he will move back to the UK.

WPP staff stunned by 'serious' Sorrell investigation

Most WPP staff were stunned by the news that Sir Martin Sorrell is facing an investigation into his personal conduct and use of company assets.

Marketers must tell their boards '60% of programmatic spend is wasted'

Michael Higgins, the chairman of Ebiquity, said only 40 percent of digital programmatic advertising reaches the consumer.

Accenture looks to set up in-house client trading desks

Consulting giant moves further onto ad-industry turf, but draws the line at buying media.

Australia's DT to join AKQA network

WPP AUNZ's DT, with offices in Australia, Singapore and New Zealand, will rebrand as part of AKQA within the year.

MediaLink to open in Hong Kong within weeks after sale to Ascential

Michael Kassan says news office will be up "as soon as possible".

Nigel Vaz named global president of DigitasLBi as Luke Taylor exits

Nigel Vaz has been named as the global president of DigitasLBi, replacing Luke Taylor, the chief executive, who has decided to leave.

Mindshare launches fast idea-generation service Mindshare 24

As the name implies, the service will come up with solutions within 24 hours of a brief. Singapore, Shanghai and Sydney are among the global hubs.

M&C Saatchi: Record results show agency model is still a 'wonderful business'

With revenues up 23%, APAC (including Australia) have played a big part in the agency's strong performance.

Unilever claims 30% saving from handling content production in-house

The company says its 17 U-Studios in 12 countries are faster and cheaper than external agencies.

New entrants shake up agency M&A market; ad groups 'distracted' by restructuring

Big groups such as Dentsu and WPP bought fewer agencies in 2017, while consulting giant Accenture led the way as a new entrant.

JWT and MediaCom on alert as Shell calls global creative and media review

Shell, which has reportedly appointed R3 to handle the process, spends an estimated $200 million on marketing annually.

HSBC launches $400 million global media review

WPP has a close relationship with HSBC, which uses JWT for creative duties as well as Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & Saatchi.

Accenture juggernaut sets pace in sector ripe for disruption

Accenture showed it was serious about moving into marketing services in 2017. It must prove it can win business in 2018, writes Campaign UK's head of media.

Mars puts agencies on alert with $1.4 billion global media consolidation

MediaCom, Publicis Groupe’s Starcom and Zenith and Omnicom’s OMD currently share the buying duties globally.

Accenture: Large-scale agency M&A is 'not our game'

"Our game is to drive organic growth on top of acquisitions of very specific companies with very specific and differentiated capabilities," says chairman and CEO.

Chanel invites agencies to pitch in global media beauty parade

WPP created a specialist shop for the client in 2013.

‘Battlecry’ declaration: Ad executives group vows to hold abusive men ‘accountable’

Group says it knows the names of some of the men responsible and could 'escalate' matters.

WPP’s Mark Read on ESG and turning down clients who don’t ‘do the right thing’

“Demand is off the scale” for ESG-related work, agency giant says.

M&C Saatchi simplification strategy gains ‘traction’

Group has shut 20 loss-making subsidiaries and cut HQ office space by 30%

Four agencies race for Zwift's global media

As in-home fitness market heats up, the Peloton competitor looks to appoint global agency network as it focuses on brand-building.

AMV BBDO wins top global agency, WPP top holding company at Cannes Lions 2021

AMV BBDO won five Grand Prix awards, five gold Lions, nine silver Lions and eight bronze Lions.

Global ad industry’s first diversity and inclusion census gets underway

Survey runs from 21 June to 2 July and aims to improve DE&I across the workforce around the world.

Twitter's Japan revenues overtake UK to be biggest market outside US

Japan has overtaken the UK to become Twitter's largest market outside the US.

Ikea launches $435 million global media review

GLOBAL - Ikea is reviewing its estimated €400 million (US$434 million) global media-buying arrangements with at least five agency holding groups.

Steve King on Publicis' simplified structure

The boss of Publicis Media claims its new structure with four media agencies will "simplify" and "reinvigorate" the business after losing a string of top clients.

Publicis Media names regional CEOs and axes brands in agency shake-up

Publicis Media boss Steve King has named regional chief executives to cover three key areas of the world and streamlined its media agencies into four global networks.

GroupM launches 'unified' data business [m]Platform

New business unites data, analytics and technology from GroupM, Kantar, Millward Brown and Wunderman.

PHD takes Volkswagen's US$2.8 billion global media account

PHD has triumphed in the race to win Volkswagen Group's estimated US$2.8 billion global media planning and buying account.

ANA warns agencies: 'Don't dismiss report on rebates'

CEO Bob Liodice says the "cold war" between agencies and clients is more about trust than rebates, and needs to be resolved.

Mixed response to ANA report: 'one-sided', 'damning' and 'a great job'

Industry reaction to the ANA report has been mixed with the body representing US agencies, the 4A's, calling it "inconclusive and one-sided" and analysts saying it looked "fairly damning".

ANA report finds 'numerous non-transparent' practices at US media agencies

American advertisers have attacked US media agencies for "numerous non-transparent business practices", including cash rebates and hefty mark-ups, in a long-awaited report.

Ikea picks GroupM and Dentsu Aegis in ground-breaking $388.4m media review

Ikea has picked two media-buying groups, GroupM and Dentsu Aegis Network, to be its global partners in a ground-breaking deal for its estimated $388.4 million media account.

Havas Media scoops Swarovski's global media account in 35 countries

Havas Media has won Swarovski's global media account in a competitive pitch against rivals, including the incumbent Zenith.

Vice Media plans India launch in major global expansion

Vice Media is to launch in India as the youth-oriented media company targets "the largest millennial population in the world" as part of a major push to 50 new countries and an expansion in TV.

Publicis Media does best out of Mars' £400m media review

Publicis Media has done best out of Mars' media-buying review, landing the lion's share of the estimated £400m business in seven major markets.

Mars reviewing $500m media buying in Asia, Europe

The buying review includes China, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand and Southeast Asia.

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.

Mel Edwards to step down from VML after 13 years at WPP

She has most recently been global president at integrated creative network.

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.