Omnicom/IPG merger: key client Geico weighs its options
When the impending Omnicom/IPG merger was announced Omnicom CEO John Wren remarked that, these days, client conflict isn’t the determining issue for clients it used to be. Adland’s version of Chinese Walls no doubt.
But is that really the case? US insurer Geico, one of IPG’s biggest accounts reportedly, is reviewing from IPG’s The Martin Agency after a scarcely believable 31 years.
None of the parties seem to be saying anything and it’s possible Geico just wants to add an agency of two to increase its options, as many clients now do. Over the years Martin has produced a stream of outstanding ads. This was a big Cannes winner from 2015.
The Omnicom/IPG merger isn’t expected to clear regulators until later this year. So far Omnicom shareholders seem less than enthused about the deal and IPG’s agencies are finding themselves under siege. Some senior people are jumping ship, others will be turfed overboard as the merged entity aims for “savings.” All of which destabilises clients, even ultra-loyal, longstanding ones.