When Media Agencies merge Canada must adapt or change.

When Media Agencies Merge, Canada must adapt or create change. As a builder I am betting on change 

Omnicom’s bet is clear: scale will be its competitive advantage. For shareholders, that’s a great story. For Canada? It’s a wake-up call.  Rates have a ceiling.  Creativity does not.

 Advertising is about ideas getting noticed.  Tech AI principle sure all help.  But ideas drive this.  And typically that is not what happens mergers.  They are no longer about building they are about adapting.  Is that good for clients?  In 2025, they will have a clear choice.

 Omnicom’s strength lies in media, where the real money is made. Its principal buying structure—where agencies buy media upfront and resell it to clients—has shifted from the backroom to the front line. This isn’t new, Omnicom and others were doing this 20 years ago,  but it’s now a leading financial strategy driving cost efficiencies and funding tech, AI, and data.  It has moved to the front office.

 Clients benefit, sure. But this is about choice: what you get vs. what you give up. Savings might come at the cost of transparency, flexibility, or local investment. That’s the trade-off, and Canadian brands need to pay attention.

 Rates in Canada have hit their ceiling. The devil is in the details:

• MORE Principal-led deals will shake up the market. Clients need to ask, “What am I buying?” (When your agency wins a global pitch for a media company, like same Amazon, dont be shocked when Amazon is now on your buy) In my experience these deals are mixed - some are great, some are good, some are not.
• Local media faces an existential question: If it can’t deliver strategic value, brands will move on. Many “local buys” are Canadian reps pushing US-owned platforms—that’s not local.  Supporting a local media ecosystem should be important to all in Canada - just be aware of what this actually means.
• Media is funding: Data led Performance/creativity and efficiency delivered by AI are table stakes at every agency in every market. We will see tangible examples of this in 2025 in media and beyond.
• Global deals: They will grow and Canada will have to deliver on the top down mandates. Which will impact where investments are made.

Attention is the KPI that matters most—and attention can’t be automated. AI can create a media plan faster and better than a human. But AI doesn’t create ideas (yet).

 Agencies that fuse art and science—media and creativity—will have the greatest advantage. Brands don’t just need placements; they need ideas that earn attention, supported by data, delivered at speed.

And the crystal ball, like many have stated:

1. Layoffs for 2026 : Omnicom has promised $750M in cost synergies. Translation? Fewer jobs. Agencies won’t need two of everything. If you’re in an agency: attach yourself to revenue (is what Omni leaders are saying in market calls). And this is not a merger of equals. It will be interesting to how Canada shakes out.
2. Media and Performance Will Be Inseparable: Expect live final assignments in pitches: “Here’s $100K—prove what you can do.” AI, data and tech driven strategies will dominate, raising the efficiency bar but squeezing human input. A trend that will come to our market.
3. Independent Media Agencies have an opportunity to Thrive: Rates are fixed, but creativity isn’t. Independents—free of holding company constraints—will capitalize on agility, bold ideas, and new models.  They will invest, rent or create new models. They need bold leadership.
4. A Smarter Client Base: Clients will demand clarity: principal vs. agent-led buying. They’ll ask, “Where is my money really going?”
5. More North American and global integration: accounts and brands will be really run out the US/Global.  Canada will now play the role of steward not brand leader.

Omnicom is betting on scale. It’s a smart bet globally, but for Canada, it’s a crossroads. Change is coming. For those ready to evolve, it’s an opportunity. I'm excited.