Omnicom Wins IBM's $190M Global Media Account From WPP

Omnicom has won IBM's global media account following a competitive review, securing a mandate that spans the Americas, EMEA, and APAC including Japan. The network beat out Publicis and Dentsu in the process, which was managed by LA-based consultancy 3C Ventures.

WPP Declines to Defend as IBM Restructures Its Agency Relationships

Incumbent WPP Media did not defend the account. The exit follows a separate development in March 2026, when Ogilvy, part of WPP Creative, ended its 32-year global creative partnership with IBM. IBM's global creative review remains ongoing.

IBM and Ogilvy End 32-Year Partnership Over Trade Tensions

WPP's Ogilvy exits IBM's creative review after 32 years, citing commercial tensions. The split signals how balance-of-trade friction between tech and agency giants reshapes agency-client relationships.

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IBM's global media spend totaled US$190 million in 2025, down 42% from US$330 million the prior year, according to COMvergence estimates. The company's total advertising and promotional expenses also declined, from US$1.17 billion in 2024 to US$1.13 billion in 2025, per IBM's annual filing.

Omnicom and Publicis declined to comment. IBM and Dentsu did not respond to requests for comment.

Omnicom's Post-Merger Scale Shapes Competitive Pitch Landscape

The IBM win comes months after Omnicom completed its US$13.3 billion acquisition of IPG in November 2025. The merger created the world's largest media organization with US$73.5 billion in combined billings, consolidating six media brands including OMD, PHD, Hearts & Science, Initiative, UM, and Mediahub under a unified Omnicom Media structure.

Notably, Initiative already held IBM's EMEA media business prior to the global review, giving Omnicom an existing relationship in one of the three geographic regions under consideration.

Omnicom Media CEO Florian Adamski has previously stated that 2026 will "eclipse any previous pitch cycle in volume and frequency." The IBM win adds to a string of recent account gains, including Dyson's global media account in March 2026, estimated at US$502 million in annual spend, where Omnicom again defeated WPP Media and Publicis.

APAC Mandate Reinforces Omnicom's Regional Position

The explicit inclusion of APAC and Japan in IBM's global mandate is significant for the region's media agency market. PHD China secured Volkswagen China's US$550 million media account in early 2025, and Omnicom Media Group recorded US$7.7 billion in net new business billings in 2024, outperforming all competitors by more than US$1 billion.

Forrester recognized Omnicom as a Leader in Media Management Services in Q4 2024, with perfect scores in innovation and marketing technology. The network captured 24% of approximately US$39 billion in total industry new business that year, while limiting losses to 8%.

IBM's 42% reduction in global media spend reflects a broader pattern among major technology companies rationalizing marketing budgets while demanding greater efficiency from agency partners. For APAC marketing leaders, the account movement signals continued consolidation of large global mandates within Omnicom's expanded post-merger network.