Omnicom Just Marked Its Territory—Hope IPG Likes the Smell

Was at a private event with Sir Martin Sorrell yesterday. You know, one of those rooms where the wine is expensive, the smiles are practiced, and the conversations sound like war plans disguised as business strategies. Naturally, the Omnicom-IPG merger came up.

Sir Martin, ever the seasoned strategist, laid it out like this: Omnicom didn’t just buy IPG—they claimed it, like a dog marking its territory. Not for immediate gains, not because it made perfect financial sense, but because an old alpha doesn’t let another pack leader sniff around its turf.

Timing? Off. IPG had already lost five major accounts in the past year. Wait a few months, and they could’ve gotten the same company at a discount. But when a chairman wants to go out with a victory lap, patience is a luxury. Publicis was rumored to be circling, and Omnicom decided to lunge first. Now, they’ve got a $13.3 billion chew toy and a $1.3 billion ‘efficiency’ plan—aka, layoffs.

The plan? Cut the fat. Middle management, regional offices, back-end roles—gone. Client-facing teams? Supposedly safe, for now. And the IPG execs? They’re trotting off with golden parachutes, wagging their tails all the way to the bank.

Sir Martin didn’t say whether Omnicom just secured its dominance or bit off more than it can chew. But in adland, when the big dogs fight, the ones who get hurt aren’t the ones making the decisions.