Omnicom Group

Omnicom Group is the world's third-largest advertising conglomerate (behind Interpublic and WPP in billings). It has three global agency networks - BBDO Worldwide, DDB Worldwide, and TBWA Worldwide - and US agencies such as Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Chiat/Day and GSD&M. Like its competitors it also includes several direct marketing, media buying and public relations units such as Wolf-Olins and has a stake in online services firm AGENCY.COM. source [1]

The group's three global advertising networks are -

BBDO Worldwide - has around 350 offices in 76 countries.

DDB Worldwide (centred on the former Doyle Dane Bernbach Needham) - has 206 offices in 99 countries and as of 2001 was the second largest agency network in the US on the basis of consolidated gross income.

TBWA - has 225 offices in 72 countries

Marketing services and customer relationship management units include major direct marketing businesses such as Rapp Collins, public relations agencies such as Fleishman-Hillard and specialists such as Doremus

Omnicom revenues in 2001 were $6,889 million. The Omnicom Group organises its PR work under the umbrella of The Diversified Agency Services (DAS). DAS comprises over100 companies, which operate through a combination of networks and regional organizations. They serve international and local clients through 600 offices in over 65 countries. DAS includes three of the top seven public relations firms in the world, Fleishman Hillard, Ketchum, and Porter Novelli International, as well as specialist agencies including Brodeur Worldwide, Clark & Weinstock, Gavin Anderson & Company, and Cone. According to the 2001 Omnicom annual report: ‘our agencies have more than 5,000 active client relationships in the aggregate. Our single largest client in 2001 DaimlerChrysler represented 5.4% of worldwide revenue [about $350 million] and no other client represented more than 2.5%. Our 10 largest and 200 largest clients represented 17.0% and 48.0% [average spend of $17 million] of our worldwide revenue, respectively’ (Omnicom, 2001, p. 14)

Further reading

• Bob Levenson, Bill Bernbach's Book: A History of the Advertising That Changed the History of Advertising (New York: Villard 1987).

• Mary Wells Lawrence A Big Life In Advertising (New York: Knopf 2002).

• Karen Stabiner, Inventing Desire: Inside Chiat/Day: The Hottest Shop, the Coolest Players, the Big Business of Advertising (New York: Simon & Schuster 1993).