Following a year of transition and transformation, this week saw OMD, Omnicom Media Group (OMG)’s largest media agency network, named in the top position globally in not one but two leading industry reports.

“Our results in 2022 prove that we are a trusted partner to brands in pivotal moments of transformation,” says George Manas, CEO of OMD Worldwide, “enabled by truly differentiated capabilities in digital, data and tech to navigate new paths to growth.”  

It’s been a little over a year since George Manas took the reins of OMD as our Worldwide CEO, and in that time, he has implemented a global focus on three passions; clients, capabilities, and talent, which is known as FAST.FWD, and elevated and appointed new talent into the key roles of regional CEOs.  

FAST.FWD is laser-focused on one mission; to be our clients’ most trusted business transformation partner. We succeed in our mission by supporting clients as they pivot towards more digital or eCommerce within their business models. We do this through our capabilities like Omni, Omnicom’s marketing orchestration platform; retail media partnerships, including Walmart  Connect (cross-screen planning with Omni ID), Instacart (joint clean room development), and Kroger Precision Marketing (supply chain optimization for media targeting); and operational excellence in offshoring, automation, and data & technology. 

But our success is only possible with our talent. At OMD, we are privileged to work with some of the industry’s brightest, most brilliant, and most talented individuals. In the last year, we have celebrated new regional leadership with the appointments of Blake Cuthbert to CEO of EMEA (joining May 2022 from Bain & Company), Charlotte Lee to CEO of APAC (joining June 2022 from Mindshare), and Christina Hanson to CEO of USA (promoted July 2022 from global CSO at OMD), joining Juan Nino as CEO of LATAM and Cathy Collier as CEO of Canada. 

“In my first year, I have been inspired by how our open and connected approach has not only allowed us to form truly cross-functional teams around data, content, commerce, and more but also how our consistently collaborative culture across all our markets continuously delivers impactful results for our clients.” Blake Cuthbert, CEO of OMD EMEA.

Together, the team has driven OMD to new heights worldwide. We are Cannes Lions’ Media Network of the Year, Effie’s Most Effective Media Agency Network, and now we celebrate numerous pole position rankings from RECMA and COMvergence. 

RECMA’s Diagnostic report assesses 700 media agencies in 47 countries through 19 criteria over three years. Since 2020, OMD has risen from third place to number one globally, to first from third in North America, to first from second in EMEA, second from fourth in APAC, and sixth from ninth in LATAM, proving strong leadership, growth, and expertise across all regions is fuelling our number one position globally. 

“We are particularly proud of the growth and improvement we have seen in APAC, driven by our digital expertise and strength in new business from both a net new and a retention perspective. This is a testament to our focus on driving business transformation for our clients, and our investment in the right capabilities to deliver this across the region.” Charlotte Lee, CEO of OMD APAC.

The gap between the newly formed EssenceMediaCom and us is currently sitting at 437 points, which has never been wider between first and second positions.

With a number one position in ‘Structure’ (resources and client profile) and a number two for Vitality (compitches and momentum), our consistently high scores make us market leaders across all criteria.

 We are also leading the market globally across digital, data & content expertise and have the highest number of “dominant” and “highly” ranked markets worldwide, at 27*.

“At OMD USA, we empower our clients to write their next chapter of transformative growth through our commitment to enduring partnerships that align our peoples’ path to purpose with our client’s brand and business ambitions. We’re very disciplined in how we harness our Omni platform data + tech capabilities to gain competitive advantages for our clients through data, commerce, content, and creativity at scale, and it’s an honor to lead the US market to deliver consistent and continued success.” Chrissie Hanson, CEO of OMD USA.

“OMD continues to lead the Canadian market, leveraging our significant resources to inform our clients’ digital transformation.  This leadership is elevated by Omni, our Marketing Orchestration Platform that empowers experts from integrated media strategy to digital & content to measurement & attribution in driving better client outcomes.  RECMA’s most recent ranking is another illustration of how successful our formula has been in attracting and retaining a balance of local clients and large global clients.” Cathy Collier, CEO of OMD Canada.

This accumulation of our FAST.FWD mission, talent, and client portfolio & expertise, as recognized by RECMA, has led to us being named the global leader in new business billings by COMvergence for 2022 this week.

The New Balance Barometer saw OMD take the top slot globally, in North America, EMEA, the Middle East, Singapore, USA, and UK.

Globally we added over $1.5bn in incremental billings to our roster to put us in the number one position. Additionally, and rarely seen, with the inclusion of retained business, we also held the top spot with over $3.1bn in new business billings recorded. 

“You are not number one by chance, this is the result of a very dedicated process of change and evolution, loaded with high levels of commitment and passion for what you do, tremendously proud to be in the place where these pillars and values ​​are not negotiable.” Juan Nino, CEO of OMD LATAM.

In North America, we led with over $700m in incremental billings. In EMEA, we saw healthy gains fuelled by excellence in the UK. APAC takes the second spot only $3m below the lead agency.

Additionally, our parent company, OMG, is ranked #1 for 2022 incremental billings growth among global media management groups, adding more than $2.5 billion in incremental client billings last year.  

This was also the week that saw Omnicom named Holding Company of the Year in AdAge’s A-List, powered by media agency wins for accounts such as Expedia, three Restaurant Brands International chains, L’Oreal and Kimberly-Clark.

“This win is a testament to the incredible talent housed within our strong agency brands and specialized practice areas,” said John Wren, Chairman and CEO of Omnicom Group. “Our people across the globe service our clients with unparalleled comradery and innovation, a key reason both new and existing clients trust us with transforming their businesses. We’re proud to see our teams’ efforts and our operational enhancements recognized at such a high level.”

 We close Q1 with pride at OMD, OMG, and OMC’s success and thank our OMDers, clients, and partners in leading the charge and being with us on the journey. 

 *Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Middle East, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, UK, USA.