Tag: Interpublic Group

Singapore – Omnicom Group has confirmed that its board of directors have unanimously approved a definitive agreement pursuant to which Omnicom will acquire Interpublic Group (IPG in a stock-for-stock transaction. This officially confirms earlier media reports of the advertising giant acquiring another of its rivals.

The combined company will bring together the industry’s deepest bench of marketing talent, and the broadest and most innovative services and products, driven by the most advanced sales and marketing platform. Together, the companies will expand their capacity to create comprehensive full-funnel solutions that deliver better outcomes for the world’s most sophisticated clients.

Omnicom reports that new company will have over 100,000 expert practitioners. The company will deliver end-to-end services across media, precision marketing, CRM, data, digital commerce, advertising, healthcare, public relations and branding.

Moreover, Interpublic shareholders will receive 0.344 Omnicom shares for each share of Interpublic common stock they own. Following the close of the transaction, Omnicom shareholders will own 60.6% of the combined company and Interpublic shareholders will own 39.4%, on a fully diluted basis. The transaction is expected to generate annual cost synergies of $750m.

In terms of the leadership, John Wren will remain chairman & CEO of Omnicom while Phil Angelastro will remain EVP & CFO of Omnicom. Meanwhile, Philippe Krakowsky and Daryl Simm will serve as co-presidents and COOs of Omnicom, with Krakowsky also being co-chair of the Integration Committee post-merger. 

Three current members of the Interpublic Board of Directors, including Philippe Krakowsky, will be welcomed to the Omnicom Board of Directors.

John Wren, chairman & CEO of Omnicom, said, “This strategic acquisition creates significant value for both sets of shareholders by combining world-class, highly complementary data and technology platforms enabling new offerings to better serve our clients and drive growth.”

He added, “Through this combination, we are poised to accelerate innovation and harness the significant opportunities created by new technologies in this era of exponential change. Now is the perfect time to bring together our technologies, capabilities, talent and geographic footprints to bring clients superior, data-driven outcomes. We are excited to welcome Philippe and the entire Interpublic team to the Omnicom family.”

Meanwhile, Philippe Krakowsky, CEO at Interpublic, commented, “This combination represents a tremendous strategic opportunity for our stakeholders, amplifying our investments in platform capabilities and talent as part of a more expansive network. Our two companies have highly complementary offerings, geographic presence and cultures. We also share a foundational belief in the power of ideas, enabled by technology and data. By joining Omnicom, we are creating a uniquely comprehensive portfolio of services that will make us the most powerful marketing and sales partner in a world that’s changing at speed. We look forward to working with John and the entire Omnicom team.”

Singapore – Advertising giant Omnicom Group is reportedly in advanced negotiations to acquire fellow advertising giant Intepublic Group (IPG), as first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

According to people familiar with the matter, the deal could be announced as early as this week. Moreover, it is estimated that the combined entity would have net revenue of more than U$20b, according to 2023 figures for each company.

While details of the purported deal are yet to be announced, it is estimated that  all-stock deal is likely to value Interpublic at between US$13b and US$14b, excluding debt.

With this, the merger would combine some of the world’s biggest agency names in the overall marketing and advertising scene. Omnicom handles BBDO Worldwide, DDB Worldwide, TBWA Group, DAS Group of Companies and Omnicom Media Group. Meanwhile, IPG handles FCB, IPG Mediabrands, McCann Worldgroup, MullenLowe Group and Marketing Specialists.

It is worth mentioning that this is not the first time Omnicom tried to acquire an advertising holding company. In 2013, Publicis and Omnicom tried to undergo a merger which would have been called Publicis Omnicom Group. The merger failed eventually in 2014 due to growing industry concerns as well as dwindling client wins at that time.

New York, USA – Interpublic Group (IPG) has announced ‘Interact’, the latest evolution of its revolutionary marketing engine. This platform delivers connectivity and global reach for its agencies and clients, serving as Interpublic’s core technology platform infrastructure.

Following a series of enhancements, this end-to-end framework integrates data flow across the campaign lifecycle, from brand research and audience insights to creative ideation, production, commerce and CRM programs, and earned media, as well as powering media activation and optimisation.

By connecting the entire Interpublic portfolio, Interact establishes a unified set of standards, practices and a technology layer, built on consumer insights at scale fueled by Acxiom’s data and Real ID capabilities. 

This unified marketing platform, powered by industry-leading intelligence, enables Interpublic companies to drive marketing performance in real time for clients across all media channels and touchpoints, while building brands for long-term success. ‘Interact’ is available and being utilised across Interpublic clients.

Developed and hosted by KINESSO, ‘Interact’ is core to every significant engagement across Interpublic, and has helped power recent new business wins for the company, with existing and new clients.

Moreover, the platform unlocks deeper insights into targeting audiences, driving the creation of more compelling content and enabling real-time campaign optimization. This translates to a dramatic increase in speed to market, leading to significant improvements in business performance.

Philippe Krakowsky, CEO of Interpublic, commented, “Interact links the powerful expertise resident within our agencies with our technology capabilities to orchestrate the full range of marketing and sales activity in one place. In media and CRM, we’ve been delivering true personalization at scale with our marketing engine, and these enhancements allow us to do so consistently across all forms of marketing activity. Interact enables end-to-end solutions that help our clients better engage, convert and retain customers through the entire funnel, assessing and understanding the value of their investments across media, marketing and sales channels, in real-time.”

Jarrod Martin, CEO of Interpublic engineering and data companies KINESSO and Acxiom, said, “Interact, AI-enabled with Acxiom data as its foundation, manages the production and dissemination of campaigns, whether on marketing technology platforms, in earned media, or in paid media investments, across all formats and channels. Mass-personalization done right is a meaningful strategic advantage for our clients, and our enhanced end-to-end solution helps our clients better engage, convert and retain customers through the entire marketing funnel.”

Meanwhile, Jayna Kothary, Interpublic’s Chief Solutions Officer, added, “The Interact platform and functionality is better than anything we currently see in the market. The idea of mass personalization has generally been more of an aspiration than a reality, yet Interact makes it real. This platform takes everything we’ve learned from our partnerships and products — across all facets of our portfolio and the fullest breadth of marketing activities — to transform the entire marketing process. Interact can therefore be leveraged by all Interpublic clients to build brands and drive business growth.”

Singapore – Interpublic Group (IPG) has announced a global partnership with Adobe to accelerate content creation and activation throughout the corporation’s activities.

As the pioneer in this effort, IPG has incorporated Adobe GenStudio, a tool that enables rapid content ideation, creation, production, and activation through generative AI, into its marketing technology platform.

The engine created by IPG automates the entire customer experience, assisting marketers in discovering better ways to engage, convert, and retain audiences across paid, owned, and earned channels, as well as on an individual basis.

Within the IPG engine, Adobe GenStudio manages the content supply chain by combining Adobe Workfront, Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Express, Adobe Firefly, Adobe’s creative generative AI models, and Frame.io. 

Through the IPG engine, the company employs its proprietary Acxiom data and identification products to gain a thorough understanding of consumers and generate authentic connections with brands. Furthermore, the IPG engine optimises marketers’ investments in marketing technology and media by seamlessly integrating customer knowledge throughout the content interaction landscape. 

The IPG engine enhances content, experiences, and commerce on a massive scale by merging partner technologies with its unique data. With different combinations of support for each stage of the content lifecycle creation, curation, assembly, personalization, and measurement—this IPG engine is being deployed throughout the IPG portfolio. This enables all marketing specialties and client teams inside the company to effectively provide brands with outcomes. 

Additionally, Adobe and Acxiom are committed to delivering individualised customer experiences based on thorough consumer insights by improving customer value via their data and identity products. This project will move forward more quickly by leveraging Acxiom’s identity and data solutions to improve the core features of Adobe Experience Platform and Adobe Real-Time Customer Data Platform. From AI-driven audience building to identification resolution, this integration will improve a number of areas.

Speaking about the partnership, Philippe Krakowsky, CEO of IPG, said, “Marketers today are looking to accelerate personalised connections with consumers, with an audience and commerce-led approach to every engagement. This new partnership with Adobe takes our capabilities to a new level. We’re deploying a unified operating system across our entire portfolio, fueled by data and audience insights, to craft content strategies that enhance human creativity with ethically sourced gen AI.” 

Meanwhile, Anil Chakravarthy, president, digital experience business at Adobe, stated, “Brands are struggling to meet the growing demand for digital content, particularly now that consumers rightly expect experiences to be personalised to their individual tastes and preferences and delivered in real-time. By leveraging Adobe GenStudio, IPG is bringing together comprehensive, best-in-class creative and digital marketing capabilities, fueled by generative AI, with IPG Engine to deliver its clients true content velocity at the speed of social.”  

Furthermore, Jayna Kothary, chief solutions officer of IPG, stated, “By harnessing Acxiom’s rich data resources, we’re able to amplify Adobe’s AI tools, enriching customer data profiles and delivering unparalleled insights for enhanced personalization, improved engagement, and superior outcomes. Our operating system transforms the way brands and marketers approach customer experiences, whether it’s for information, entertainment, or shopping. We’re excited to bring this offering to our clients and drive actionable growth for their businesses.” 

Taiwan – Golin, an Interpublic Group agency, has recently appointed Neysa Chou as the its new executive director for Golin Taipei. Neysa will be in charge of leading the consumer and digital teams in Taipei, with a focus on strategic advising, integrated marketing communications (IMC), social media, and digital project management. 

In her new role, Chou will report directly to Terry Chiang, managing director of Golin Taipei. 

Chou returns to IPG after previously working at Golin and DeVries Global in Taipei and Beijing, including experiences in PR, digital, and marketing in areas such as entertainment, tourism, cosmetics, and consumer electronics.

Speaking about the appointment, Chiang commented, “Neysa’s creative enthusiasm, acute business acumen and reputation as a trusted counsellor to brands across a multitude of industries will help us create real change and impact for our clients.”

He added, “Leading our dynamic, energetic and passionate team, I see Neysa’s well-rounded experience further elevating our talents’ skillset, strategic thinking and eagerness to make even bolder moves for brands.” 

Meanwhile, Chou expressed, “I couldn’t be happier to join Golin Taipei.  I’ve watched as the team has created meaningful, award-winning work, alongside truly progressive DEI programs.”

She added, “I’m keen for the experience I’ve accumulated across the past decade – especially insights into the travel and FMCG industries –  to benefit our clients and people, while becoming part of the fantastic workplace culture Golin is renowned for.” 

New York, USA – Global advertising company The Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG) is the latest advertising company that has announced its exit from the Russian market following the Ukrainian crisis caused by Russian invasion.

In a public letter posted by its CEO Philippe Krakowsky on LinkedIn, he stated that they immediately applied all international sanctions and informed clients in Russia who are prohibited parties that they would no longer continue working with them. Krakowsky also added that since IPG never owned a media business in Russia, they did not have significant concerns that their media buying was either fueling the local economy, or funding media being used by the state.

“As you know, we are first and foremost a company that always strives to live up to our values. We believe in speaking up against oppression, whether that has to do with issues of race, or on behalf of other marginalised communities, and speaking up on behalf of democratic principles. We’re committed to initiatives that support sustainability. And we have always been clear that we value and stand by our people and their well-being,” he said.

The Interpublic Group of Companies is composed of five major networks namely FCB, IPG Mediabrands, McCann Worldgroup, MullenLowe Group, and Marketing Specialists.

Krakowsky also added that they will leave their Russian team, approximately around 200 of them, with enough capital on their balance sheet to pay their people for a minimum of six months.

He further said that they will also be engaging with the team in the coming weeks, as they cede control of all aspects of management and operations to the local leadership team, in order to ensure continuity for any non-Russian clients who remain active in the market.

“We have always been clear that we value and stand by our people and their well-being. That’s core to our culture, since the nature of our business requires that we have the industry’s best talent – and that we each act as part of an interconnected global network, showing up for each other and working together for the common good,” Krakowsky said.

IPG is the latest advertising group to exit the Russian market after WPP previously announced that it will be discontinuing its work in Russia. Outcry in the advertising industry has been rampant regarding the crisis, including a statement from the renowned award-giving event Cannes Lions, which said that it has banned Russian entries and delegates for this year’s awards ceremony.

Singapore – Interpublic Group (IPG) has announced that its bespoke solution, Team Dynamic, has been named the regional production and operations partner for luxury vehicle company BMW Group.

Team Dynamic integrates production and operations resources on a responsive, data-driven technology platform. It incorporates both onshore and offshore production solutions, delivering quality outputs in a streamlined, efficient way. 

The new partnership consolidates remit across 11 markets with IPG, following Team Dynamic’s appointment as a production partner in Japan and India in early 2021. The new markets include Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand, as well as the Middle East, and South Africa. 

Through the new partnership, Team Dynamic will be handling content production for both BMW and MINI’s media requirements, including digital and offline production, website management and maintenance, marketing campaign services, and after-sales and financial services marketing support.

Mish Fletcher, IPG’s chief growth officer for APAC, commented that they are thrilled to extend their partnership with the BMW Group in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and South Africa through their proven Team Dynamic production model. 

“Our connected technology solution allows for real-time optimization, consistency, and flexibility while ensuring unbeatable content production quality at speed and scale,” said Fletcher.

Singapore – Golin, a public relations agency under the umbrella of the Interpublic Group (IPG) has appointed Shouvik Prasanna Mukherjee as the new chief creative officer for the agency in its APAC operations, where he will be responsible in leading Golin’s data-driven, earned-first creative ideas to inspire and create change for clients across the region. 

Mukherjee brings over 16 years of experience across advertising and public relations disciplines to this role and is a sought-after thought leader. He regularly speaks at industry conferences, engages in mentorship programmes and delivers guest lectures at multiple universities in Singapore. Mukherjee has been a member of the jury for industry awards including the Cannes Lions, Spikes Asia and the SABRE Awards.

In his new role, Mukherjee’s first point of business will be to shape and grow a global creative team across the agency’s markets in Asia Pacific to deliver ideas that earn attention, build businesses and deliver exceptional client results. 

In addition, He will oversee the firm’s conceptual creators, graphic designers and content production teams for the region, and he will take an active role in building the data analytics capabilities in Singapore where he previously held the role of executive creative director since 2015.

Speaking about his appointment, he said, “Earning attention requires brave creativity that is culturally relevant and fuelled by insights and analytics. It delivers business results, as well as inspires awe, breaks stereotypes, and basically blows the mind. I’m excited to expand this incredible team so we can service more clients across the region with bold ideas.”

He will be reporting to Darren Burns, president for Asia Pacific at Golin. In addition to his chief creative officer role, Mukherjee will continue to lead the data, analytics and content team in Singapore.

“Shouvik has been an integral part of the Golin team for over a decade, leading multiple award-winning campaigns. He will bring unparalleled energy and passion to drive growth by focussing on regional collaboration and earned-first creative ideas,” Burns stated.

Mukherjee has conceptualized and executed award-winning campaigns for Golin clients including Guinness, Heineken, McDonald’s, Magnum, Nespresso, Panasonic, Porsche and Twitter.