Five questions every CMO should ask after Omnicom–IPG merger

New Delhi: Omnicom Group’s USD 13.5-billion acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG) has now closed, creating the world’s largest advertising and marketing holding company by revenue and billings.

Announced on December 9, 2024 and cleared unconditionally by the European Commission this week, the all-stock deal combines two of the biggest global networks into what Omnicom describes as a “premier marketing and sales company,” with more than USD 25–26 billion in annual revenue and USD 750 million in targeted cost savings.

For chief marketing officers, the merger is more than headline news. For brands already working with Omnicom, IPG, or both, the new structure will influence agency rosters, pricing, data access and team stability over the next 12 to 24 months. For advertisers outside the combined group, it still changes the competitive field in media pitches and integrated mandates.

As CMOs reassess their partnerships, five questions can serve as a practical starting point.

What happens to conflicts and governance around my brands?

The first task is to map whether any of your brands now sit alongside direct competitors within the enlarged Omnicom–IPG portfolio. The combined group will house a wide spread of rival clients across categories such as telecom, auto, FMCG, technology and financial services.

CMOs should seek clear answers on how these conflicts will be managed. That includes the use of firewalled teams, “red cell” units, separate P&Ls, physical or virtual separation of teams, and reporting lines that avoid overlap. It is equally important to know what audit or review rights clients will have if they are uncomfortable with the arrangements later.

Without early clarity, decisions taken by integration committees could preempt choices that marketers might otherwise have made for themselves.

How will my contracts, pricing and value equation change?

Consolidation gives the new Omnicom greater buying power and operational efficiency. The open question is how much of that benefit flows through to clients.

CMOs should review existing contracts in detail. They need firm assurances that current scopes, rate cards, volume discounts and performance incentives will be honoured for their full term. At the same time, they should be prepared for attempts to reframe fee models or bundle services in the name of integration.

The key is to link any change in pricing to demonstrable value. If Omnicom claims savings from scale, marketers are entitled to ask how those efficiencies will appear in their own media costs, CPMs, production budgets or performance outcomes.

Launching a structured review or benchmarking exercise now can give CMOs leverage while the holding company is still in transition.

What will service delivery and talent look like after integration?

Holding companies often say that client-facing teams will be protected and that most cuts will fall on back-office roles. In practice, large restructurings usually trigger movement at every level.

CMOs should talk early with both global and local leadership to understand which senior people will continue to run their business, what succession plans exist for key roles and how the company plans to retain high-performing individuals.

This applies across creative, media, strategy, data and production. In media buying especially, the merged group’s greater leverage with media owners could yield better deals, but only if experienced teams remain in place and are not distracted by months of internal uncertainty.

If clients sense instability in their account, they should not wait for problems to surface. Agreeing on service-level expectations and escalation paths in advance can prevent disruption later.

What new data, technology and integrated capabilities will I actually get?

One of the main rationales for the deal is scale in data and technology. Omnicom’s Omni platform and IPG’s assets, such as Acxiom, now sit inside one architecture, promising deeper audience insight and more integrated planning.

CMOs should move quickly to understand what this means in practical terms. Key questions include:

• What additional data sets or tools will become available to my brand, and on what commercial terms?
• How will these integrate with my own first-party data and existing tech stack?
• How will privacy, consent and data governance be managed across markets?

Marketers should push for pilots and case studies that show measurable improvements in targeting accuracy, conversion, brand lift or attribution. The risk is that “integration” remains a slide rather than a deliverable. The opportunity is to lock in early access to better tools and cross-network talent while the new Omnicom is defining its offer.

Do I need to rethink my overall agency and portfolio strategy?

Finally, the merger is a moment to step back and look at the bigger picture. The combined Omnicom–IPG group moves the holding-company model closer to a unified operating structure, with integrated capabilities that resemble large consulting and technology firms.

Some CMOs may decide to consolidate more of their work within the new Omnicom to benefit from that breadth. Others may feel that concentration risk is now too high and look to rebalance towards other holding companies, independent agencies or in-house teams.

Questions to consider include:

• Is my current mix of network agencies, independents, and internal resources still fit for purpose
• Where do I need scale and integration, and where do I value specialism and agility more?
• How exposed am I if one group faces prolonged integration challenges or leadership churn?

The merger also signals that further consolidation among other holdcos is likely. Planning for that scenario now, rather than reacting later, can give marketers more room to manoeuvre.

For CMOs, the Omnicom–IPG merger is a prompt to revisit contracts, scopes, expectations and measurement frameworks, not a story to watch from the sidelines. Those who engage early, ask detailed questions and set clear performance-linked objectives with their agencies are better placed to turn this period of change into an advantage. Those who wait may discover that the most important decisions affecting their brands were made elsewhere.