Omnicom agrees to acquire IPG: “The threat of AI is part of the story”

Omnicom agrees to acquire IPG and take the AI fight to Big Tech 

 By Zac Wang

• The acquisition would likely create the world’s largest advertising holding company by revenue.
• The move comes as agencies grapple with Big Tech and AI tools pose a threat to their businesses. 

💡 Lightbulb moment

“If Interpublic is three-quarters our size, whereas yesterday, I had $1 to invest in [AI] efforts, now I have $1.67 to invest in those efforts.”

— John Wren, CEO, Omnicom Group 

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What does the first AI-powered shopping season mean for retailers, advertisers and consumers? 

By Lisa Lacy

• Retailers like Kroger, Amazon and Walmart are leaning into AI-powered product recommendations and shopping assistants like never before this holiday season.  
• Traffic to retail sites from AI chatbots increased nearly 2,000% on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, according to Adobe Analytics.   

💡 Lightbulb moment

“I think product recommenders will evolve not just to surface brands that consumers have previously shopped or product categories that they’ve previously found interest in, but they’ll start to get to know that consumer and introduce them to new areas.”

— Kassi Socha, director analyst, Gartner for Marketers

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The key to a lasting brand: When stopping power turns into staying power 

By Kris Tait, managing director, Croud U.S.

• If brands can’t transform their stopping power into effectiveness, success and popularity over time, it is all for nothing.
• Measuring staying power takes time and patience — research from Binet and Field finds that a 60 to 40 split between long-term brand-building and short-term attention-grabbing methods offer the best combination for marketers. 

💡 Lightbulb moment

 “Logic doesn’t sell. Feelings do. While a brand’s tangible benefits may set it apart compared to a competitor, consumers will always lean toward connection.”

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