Omnicom is coming round after the pandemic but it’s a slow business with Q1 organic revenue still in reverse at -1.8%. Last year the owner of BBDO, TBWA, DDB and Omnicom Media Group (OMG) posted negative growth of -9.6%.
By region the US fell 1% in Q1, North America as a whole 3.2% and Europe the same. The UK, where one-time biggest agency AMV BBDO has had a torrid time, fell 6.4%. By discipline ad agencies fared best, up 1.2%.
Publicis Groupe was the first of the ad holding groups to report Q1 numbers, posting better than expected organic growth of 2.8%.
With the US ad market set to recover strongly (including TV advertising) Omnicom’s big agency networks should thrive. The UK remains a worry although adam&eveDDB remains the biggest agency by billings while Manning Gottlieb OMD handles the UK Government’s massive anti-covid campaign.