Agency mega-mergers are reshaping the market. The case for senior-led studios
Omnicom’s takeover of IPG brought more than 4,000 job cuts and folded famous agency names. What consolidation means for growing brands choosing a partner.
Omnicom completed its roughly $13bn acquisition of Interpublic and announced more than 4,000 job cuts, folding DDB, FCB and MullenLowe into its remaining creative networks [1][2]. Analysts expected restructuring to continue into 2026 [3].
What changes for clients
Bigger groups, fewer names. Consolidation creates scale, but also reorganisations, new teams and changing points of contact.
More automation. Large groups are investing heavily in AI platforms to do more with fewer people.
Priorities follow size. The biggest clients get the most senior attention. Growing brands can end up with the most junior teams.
Why smaller, senior-led studios are gaining ground
For founders and marketing leads with focused budgets, the trade-offs look different. You want the person you brief to be the person who does the work, fixed and clear pricing, and a partner who can connect creative to commercial results.
Questions to ask any agency now
Who exactly will work on my account, and how senior are they?
What happens if your group restructures?
How do you use AI, and how does that show up in price and speed?
How will you measure whether the work has helped us win business?
That’s the model we built Kyndra on. You can read more about how we work.
Sources
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