Omnicom Group

Omnicom Group Inc.

File:Omnicom Group logo.svg Logo of Omnicom Group Inc.
Company type	Public
Industry	Advertising, Marketing, Corporate communications
Founded	1986 (1986)
Founder	Allen Rosenshine, Keith Reinhard, John Bernbach
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Area served	Worldwide (over 100 countries)
Key people	John Wren (Chairman and CEO), Phil Angelastro (CFO and EVP), Daryl Simm (President and COO), Florian Adamski (CEO of Omnicom Media Group)
Products	Advertising, Customer relationship management, Public relations, Media planning and purchasing, Digital marketing, Interactive campaigns, Sports and event marketing, Field marketing initiatives, Brand consulting
Number of employees	74,900+ (2024)
Website	www.omnicomgroup.com

Omnicom Group Inc. is a multinational American holding company specializing in media, marketing, and corporate communications, with its headquarters located in New York City.

Omnicom’s network of branded agencies and specialized firms provides services spanning four primary areas: advertising, customer relationship management (CRM), public relations, and various specialty offerings. These encompass media planning and purchasing, digital marketing, interactive campaigns, sports and event marketing, field marketing initiatives, and brand consulting.

As the parent entity of Omnicom Media Group—which comprises agencies such as OMD, PHD, and Hearts & Science—Omnicom also manages three major global advertising networks: BBDO, DDB, and TBWA. Other subsidiaries include Flywheel, the DAS Group of Companies (which covers Health, Precision Marketing, Commerce, and Advertising Collective sectors), along with the Communications Consultancy Network.

Recognized by The New York Times in 2002 as one of the top four worldwide advertising agencies, and ranked as the second-largest advertising holding company by The Wall Street Journal in 2014, Omnicom employs more than 74,900 individuals across upwards of 100 countries. This expansive global footprint strengthens its position within the advertising sector.

History

Omnicom was established in 1986 when Allen Rosenshine, Keith Reinhard, and John Bernbach merged BBDO Worldwide, Doyle Dane Bernbach, and Needham Harper Worldwide. In 1989, Rosenshine resigned as chairman to rejoin BBDO, with Bruce Crawford succeeding him as chairman of Omnicom. John Wren assumed the CEO role in 1997 while Crawford continued as chairman.

In July 2013, Omnicom revealed plans to merge with Publicis Groupe to create Publicis Omnicom Group; however, this merger was called off by May 2014. By that year, Omnicom had grown to become the second-largest agency holding company globally with revenues exceeding $15 billion.

April 2014 saw the launch of Omniwomen, an initiative aimed at boosting female leadership worldwide, establishing chapters in countries including the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, China, and the UAE. Gracia Martore joined Omnicom’s Board as an independent director in July 2017; Ronnie S. Hawkins followed in February 2018.

In May 2018, Omnicom extended its language strategy agency maslansky + partners into the Australian market. Leadership updates included Daryl Simm’s elevation to president and COO in November 2021 and Florian Adamski’s appointment as CEO of Omnicom Media Group in December 2021.

October 2023 marked Omnicom’s agreement to acquire Flywheel Digital for $835 million to bolster its digital service offerings. In December 2024, according to The Wall Street Journal, Omnicom entered advanced negotiations with Interpublic Group (IPG) to merge into the largest advertising firm globally by market share and revenue. The combined company will retain the Omnicom name and ticker symbol "OMC," with John Wren continuing as chairman and CEO and Phil Angelastro serving as CFO and EVP.

Operations

Omnicom is composed of five principal agency networks that oversee over 1,500 agencies worldwide: BBDO Worldwide, Diversified Agency Services (DAS), DDB Worldwide, Omnicom Media Group (OMG), and TBWA Worldwide.

BBDO Worldwide, a foundational part of Omnicom’s merger origins, is a globally renowned creative agency network celebrated for its innovation and effectiveness. Proximity Worldwide, established in 2000, functions as BBDO’s digital marketing division. In 2016, BBDO acquired a controlling interest in Wednesday Agency Group. BBDO’s accolades include multiple Network of the Year awards at Cannes Lions alongside top placements in both the WARC 100 and The Gunn Report rankings—underscoring its leadership in advertising effectiveness.

The DAS Group encompasses more than 200 companies specializing across public relations, CRM, healthcare marketing, events management, promotional marketing, vehicle testing services, branding strategies, and market research. Between 2016 and 2017, Omnicom created two holding entities: Omnicom Health Group and Omnicom Precision Marketing Group. These subsidiaries expanded the company’s footprint in healthcare and CRM sectors through acquisitions such as Biopharm Communications, Rabin Martin, Snow Companies, and Credera—strengthening its presence in niche marketing services.

DDB Worldwide, another founding member of Omnicom’s portfolio, operates as a global advertising network with a strong foothold in Latin America following its acquisition of Grupo ABC—the largest independent ad group in Brazil—in 2015. The creation of DDB Health in 2016 incorporated healthcare-focused advertising into DDB’s offerings. Prominent DDB businesses include Tribal Worldwide, adam&eveDDB, TracyLocke among others that contribute significantly to its broad industry impact.

Omnicom Media Group represents the media sector within Omnicom Group Inc. At Cannes Lions in 2017, OMG’s agencies were highly competitive; notably OMD Worldwide earned Media Network of the Year honors—a testament to their industry prominence.

TBWA Worldwide, dubbed 'The Disruption Company,' was acquired by Omnicom in 1993 and merged with Chiat Day two years later. Certain U.S.-based offices continue operating under the TBWA\Chiat\Day brand name. TBWA’s portfolio includes Media Arts Lab, Digital Arts Network (DAN), Lucky Generals (majority ownership acquired in 2017), Designory, NEBOKO among other regional agencies. TBWA emphasizes disruptive strategies and creative innovation aimed at driving growth for clients on a global scale.

See also

• History of advertising