17440: ICYMI FTC VS HOLDCO WTF.

MediaPost reported Dentsu, Publicis Groupe, and WPP reached agreements with the Federal Trade Commission to stop engaging in “unlawful collusion that imposed uniform standards on brand safety.”

 

Omnicom and IPG previously reached similar agreements with the FTC during regulatory approval of Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG.

 

The holding companies are not prohibited from continuing to engage in Corporate Cultural Collusion and/or concerted hiring practices that maintain exclusivity.

 

Indeed, the FTC complaints are arguably connected to anti-Woke and anti-DEIBA+ political platforms.

 

FTC: Dentsu, Publicis, WPP Agree To Discontinue ‘Brand Safety’ Standards

 

By Wendy Davis, Joe Mandese

 

The Federal Trade Commission this morning announced agreements with three big agency holding companies — Dentsu, Publicis and WPP — to discontinue what the FTC described as “unlawful collusion that imposed uniform standards on brand safety.”

 

Citing previous agreements by Interpublic and Omnicom as part of the FTC’s regulatory approval of their merger late last year, the federal agency said Dentsu, Publicis and WPP have also agreed to a proposed order that “will stop the alleged coordinated conduct and prevent similar conduct from occurring in the future.”

 

“WPP Media confirms that it has reached agreement on a mutually acceptable consent order with the FTC on a no admit nor deny basis,” WPP Media said in a statement, adding, “We are pleased to finalize this agreement with the FTC which reflects our existing and ongoing commitment to provide our clients with unbiased advice as they decide where to place their media.”

 

“The ad agencies’ brand-safety conspiracy turned competition in the market for ad-buying services on its head,” FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said in a statement, adding, “The antitrust laws guarantee participation in a market free from conduct, such as economic boycotts, that distort the fundamental competitive pressures that promote lower prices, higher quality products and increased innovation.”

 

“As we explain in our complaint, the brand-safety agreement limited competition in the market for ad-buying services and deprived advertisers of the benefits of differentiated brand-safety standards that could be tailored to their unique advertising inventory,” he continued. “This unlawful collusion not only damaged our marketplace, but also distorted the marketplace of ideas by discriminating against speech and ideas that fell below the unlawfully agreed-upon floor. The proposed order remedies the dangers inherent to collusive practices and restores competition to the digital news ecosystem.”

 

The FTC cites all of the named holdco’s utilization of data from “firms like NewsGuard and Global Disinformation Index” to “promote the demonetization of disfavored political viewpoints. In a competitive market, ad agencies compete for advertisers’ business by offering brand-safety tools that provide the best quality at the lowest cost. The brand safety agreement displaced competition by insulating the ad agencies from these competitive conditions, according to the complaint.”

 

The FTC complaint also alleged the holdcos “operated through their trade associations — specifically, the World Federation of Advertisers’ Global Alliance for Responsible Media (“GARM”) and the American Association of Advertising Agencies’ Advertiser Protection Bureau (“APB”) — to establish their common brand-safety standards. Under the agencies’ brand-safety agreement, websites that included so-called “misinformation” were deemed to fall below the brand safety floor and thus risked becoming categorically ineligible for advertising revenue.”

 

The settlement still needs to be approved by a federal judge. 

17439: Getting Goofy On Disney Layoffs.

Adweek reported marketing restructuring at Disney prompted layoffs confirmed via a companywide memo from the CEO.

 

The CEO missed a perfect opportunity to open the announcement with, “Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s out of work you’ll go.”

 

Disney CEO Sends Memo Confirming Layoffs 

 

Disney is expected to lay off as many as 1,000 employees

 

By Bill Bradley

 

Following its marketing restructure, Disney is carrying out layoffs, its CEO confirmed.

 

Today, Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro sent a memo to employees confirming layoffs were being carried out this week, saying that impacted employees were being notified. As the company looks to streamline operations, it is expected to lay off up to 1,000 employees.

 

The layoffs follow Disney’s announcement in January that it was restructuring its marketing divisions under Asad Ayaz, the company’s first chief marketing and brand officer. The restructure was aimed at aligning the company’s marketing teams more closely across the business.

 

Beyond marketing, the company’s studios and TV businesses, ESPN, products and tech, and corporate functions will also be affected, according to reports.

 

“I know this is hard. Those that will be leaving us have done meaningful work here and care deeply about this company. These decisions are not a reflection of their contributions, or of the overall strength of the company,” D’Amaro said in the memo. “Rather, they reflect our continual evaluation of how to more effectively manage our resources and reinvest in our businesses.”

 

Despite the layoffs, D’Amaro said he remained “optimistic” about where the company is headed.

 

“I’m deeply grateful for all of your contributions and for the dedication, professionalism, and care you bring to your work each day. Even in challenging moments, you continue to demonstrate what makes Disney so special,” D’Amaro said.

 

This is the first large-scale layoff under D’Amaro. It also reflects an ongoing trend in the entertainment industry, with companies such as Sony and CBS recently announcing cuts.

 

See the full memo below:

 

Dear Fellow Employees & Cast Members,

 

We have experienced a great deal of change these last few years, both at the company and across our industries. Knowing firsthand how these moments can bring uncertainty, I want to be open about some difficult news that will be communicated this week. 

 

In January, we announced our unified enterprise marketing and brand organization, designed to serve consumers in an even more connected way. Over the past several months, we have looked at ways in which we can streamline our operations in various parts of the company to ensure we deliver the world-class creativity and innovation our fans value and expect from Disney. Given the fast-moving pace of our industries, this requires us to constantly assess how to foster a more agile and technologically-enabled workforce to meet tomorrow’s needs. As a result, we will be eliminating roles in some parts of the company and have begun notifying impacted employees. 

 

I know this is hard. Those that will be leaving us have done meaningful work here and care deeply about this company. These decisions are not a reflection of their contributions, or of the overall strength of the company. Rather, they reflect our continual evaluation of how to more effectively manage our resources and reinvest in our businesses. 

 

Compassion and respect remain at the heart of our company. As we move forward through this transition, our priority is to support those impacted and help each person navigate what comes next with resources, guidance, and direct support. 

 

Despite these difficult decisions, I remain optimistic about where we’re headed as a company. I’m deeply grateful for all of your contributions and for the dedication, professionalism, and care you bring to your work each day. Even in challenging moments, you continue to demonstrate what makes Disney so special.

 

Josh 

17438: FYI WPP CTO WTF ETC.

The previous post spotlighting the Adweek report on WPP’s newish Chief Transformation Officer didn’t mention an important point.

 

Yes, the CTO formerly worked in a similar role for The Estée Lauder Companies.

 

In February 2026, Advertising Age reported The Estée Lauder Companies named WPP as global White media agency.

 

So, it looks like WPP CEO Cindy Rose is landing new clients and poaching talent from them too.

17437: FYI WPP CPO WTF.

 

Adweek reported WPP hired a White man as Chief People Officer, leapfrogging a White woman elevated to the same role less than a year ago, before WPP CEO Cindy Rose arrived.

 

The latest appointment underscores how the White holding company—er, White single operating company—is a flaming dumpster.

 

For starters, Rose once acknowledged constant corporate change can adversely affect employee morale and create a sense of burnout. Yet she is igniting matters by reshuffling the role explicitly intended to address such concerns…?!

 

Additionally, Rose admitted a key charge involved identifying and eliminating redundancies throughout the organization. Yet she has literally created a redundancy by hiring a new CPO and retaining the semi-new CPO.

 

Also, the CPO appointed in 2025 has extensive experience, including formerly serving as CPO for WPP Media and Global Chief Talent Officer for Ogilvy. So, it looks like Rose is actively replacing legacy WPP executives with outsiders—which seems to display old-school house cleaning arrogance.

 

Finally, filling the CPO position with a White man appears to confirm DEIBA+ is officially dead at WPP—and Adland.

 

PS, the new CPO previously worked at Lego, which should come in handy since he must now assemble something from many disparate pieces.

 

WPP Hires Ex-Burberry and Lego Exec Mark Taylor as Chief People Officer 

 

Marie-Claire Barker will move into a performance and culture-focused role

 

By Rebecca Stewart

 

WPP has tapped Mark Taylor as its new chief people officer (CPO), ADWEEK has learned.

 

The exec was most recently chief people advisor at Lego, where he worked from 2017 until 2024 before becoming an independent people consultant to brands.

 

In an internal memo viewed by ADWEEK, WPP chief executive (CEO) Cindy Rose said Taylor would help WPP build the talent strategy and capabilities to deliver on its three-year “Elevate 28” turnaround plan.

 

“[Mark] has deep expertise in enterprise-wide transformation and understands how to drive the cultural shifts required to win,” Rose wrote to employees.

 

He will sit on WPP’s executive committee, bringing with him decades of experience working in the pharmaceutical, CPG, retail, and digital entertainment sectors. He was the CPO at British fashion giant Burberry for nine years and steered the people division of Candy Crush maker King from 2015 to 2017, before joining Lego.

 

As part of his appointment, Marie-Claire Barker, who took on the CPO remit for WPP in May 2025 before Rose joined, will now report into Taylor in a more specialist role as CPO, performance and culture.

 

“In this role, she will focus on shaping our evolving culture, elevating our employee experience, and embedding the high-performance mindset that winning teams embrace,” said Rose in her memo.

 

She added: “This powerful leadership combination gives me incredible confidence in our ability to modernize our People function at pace and make WPP the best place to build a career in our industry.”

 

At the time of writing, WPP did not respond to ADWEEK’s request for comment on the reshuffle.

 

Another brand-side hire from WPP

 

Taylor’s hire marks the second big leadership announcement from former Microsoft exec Rose in the space of a week.

 

On April 10, the business revealed that Anne-Isabelle Choueiri would be joining from The Estée Lauder Companies as chief transformation officer (CTO).

 

Both appointments come as WPP orchestrates a turnaround strategy designed to return it to growth following an 8.1% year-on-year revenue decline in Q4.

 

The reset plan includes a commitment to deliver annual cost savings of $676 million (£500 million), and intends to stabilize WPP in 2026, build momentum in 2027, and return it to growth from 2028 onwards. 

 

Having joined just as WPP’s share price hit a 16-year low in September 2025, Rose has already started gaining some new business momentum.

 

Since her arrival, wins have included Jaguar Land Rover, The Estée Lauder Cos., SC Johnson, and Kenvue. In Q1 2026, WPP topped JP Morgan’s new business rankings, pulling in an estimated $820 million in deals, followed by Publicis’ at $700m.

17436: FYI WPP CTO WTF.

 

Adweek reported WPP hired a Chief Transformation Officer: someone with a somewhat vague ambition to do something to somehow actualize Eviscerate28 someday, presumably by sometime in 2028.

 

WPP couldn’t get its story straight, claiming the role was new, even though a former WPP executive held the title. Plus, ex-WPP CEO Mark Read once declared the White holding company would become a “creative transformation” enterprise.

 

At WPP, transformation is a buzzword typically preceding transition in the form of mass layoffs.

 

At this point, it’s hard to distinguish Autobots from Decepticons in the corporate drama. Optimus Prime would concede defeat if faced with WPP’s transformers saga.

 

Wonder if McKinsey & Company recommended hiring a CTO in the recent strategic review, as the consultancy has defined the fuzzy function.

 

The new executive previously worked at Estée Lauder, which should come in handy since she must now put lipstick on a pig.

 

WPP Taps Estée Lauder’s Anne-Isabelle Choueiri as Chief Transformation Officer 

 

She’ll be central to the group’s three-year turnaround plan

 

By Rebecca Stewart

 

WPP has hired Anne-Isabelle Choueiri from The Estée Lauder Companies as chief transformation officer to help reset the business as it seeks to return to growth by 2028.

 

Based in New York and reporting to CEO Cindy Rose, Choueiri will be tasked with designing, implementing, and embedding the operations to execute WPP’s “Elevate28″ three-year turnaround plan. The advertising network announced its turnaround strategy in February, after it posted an 8.1% year-on-year revenue decline.

 

In a press release, WPP said Choueiri will lead efforts to make WPP more innovative, efficient, and better connected for clients.

 

She will sit on the executive committee, and key parts of her role will include baking AI and tech into WPP’s day-to-day processes, as well as working with its people team to bring staff along with the changes.

 

Choueiri has spent the last six years working at Estée Lauder’s parent group, most recently as SVP of transformation. While there, she shaped the beauty giant’s operating model and its marketing, data, and analytics capabilities. She also led its AI strategy.

 

Previously, Choueiri held leadership roles at consultancies including Accenture, Bain’s Masaï, and Kearney.

 

WPP described the transformation chief role as newly created. However, holdco veteran Lindsay Pattison previously held the position in 2017, subsequently becoming chief client and chief people officer, before departing in 2025.

 

‘Bold, lasting change’

 

Rose said delivering on “Elevate28” would mean transforming how WPP operates and shows up for clients, adding that Choueiri was “exactly the leader [WPP] needs to drive bold, lasting change.”

 

She has already started transforming the business, having joined just as its share price hit a 16-year low in September 2025. Her reset plan has been designed to stabilize the business in 2026, build momentum in 2027, and return it to growth from 2028 onwards. 

To achieve this, WPP is now oriented around four units: WPP Media, WPP Creative, WPP Production, and WPP Enterprise Solutions, across four key regions: North America, Latin America, EMEA, and APAC. This new setup is underpinned by its proprietary AI platform, WPP Open.

 

When she announced the plan two months ago, Rose said the sweeping restructure would deliver annual cost savings of $676 million (£500 million) and was informed by six months of “rigorous analysis” and conversations with WPP’s clients, which include Coca-Cola, Unilever, Nestle, and Ford. The holdco brought on McKinsey to lead a strategic review in November.

 

At the time, the CEO offered little detail on what specific cuts or asset sales would deliver this target.

 

While Rose declined to go into specifics about potential further layoffs, she stated that WPP would consolidate leadership at “global, regional, and market levels” and remove duplicate roles across its creative agencies. She also said the group would de-duplicate functions across its finance and people teams over the next three years.

 

In a statement on her new role, Choueiri said she was joining WPP at a “pivotal moment.”

 

“Lasting transformation requires the right culture and operational mindset, and I’m excited to help build an environment where innovation thrives, and our people are empowered to embrace change,” she said.

17435: On Meta & Google Platform Addiction.

 

MediaPost published commentary on the recent court case ruling Meta and Google (YouTube) liable for platform addiction—a milestone being referred to as social media’s Big Tobacco moment.

 

Will further investigations uncover Menthol moments targeting Blacks?

 

The ‘Big Tobacco’ Moment For Social Media

 

By Maarten Albarda, Featured Contributor

 

Be honest, how many times have you discussed “dwell time” and “session frequency” with your agency or marketing team? We’d look at a chart showing a user spiraling down a three-hour rabbit hole of auto-playing videos and infinite scrolls and think the targeting was super-efficient.

 

But this week, a jury in Los Angeles just looked at those same charts and called them something else: a defective product.

 

For the first time ever, a U.S. jury has found Meta and Google (YouTube) liable for platform addiction. Hot on the heels of that moment, a New Mexico jury slapped Meta with a $375 million verdict over child safety and misleading “safety” claims.

 

This isn’t just another “Big Tech is mean” news cycle. Many have called this the Big Tobacco moment for the social media industry. And if you’re a CMO, your media plan may just have become a potential legal and ethical liability.

 

For years, platforms hid behind a legal framework called Section 230, a “shield” that says they aren’t responsible for what people post. But these recent rulings did something different: They ignored the content and went after the conduct.

 

The courtroom arguments weren’t about a specific bad video or objectionable meme. It was about the design of the platform. The infinite scroll? That’s not a feature; it’s a hook. The aggressive autoplay? That’s a dopamine trap. The court ruled that these platforms are designed to be addictive by nature—and that the companies knew the harm they were causing.

 

For decades, and by the platform’s own guidance, they claimed to be neutral utilities. We assumed if our “brand safety” filters kept our pre-roll ads away from extremist content or the “wrong” target audience, we were the good guys.

 

But here’s how these verdicts have reframed the advertisers’ position: We’ve been funding the R&D of addiction. And with that, are advertisers therefore complicit?

 

Let’s look at this through the lens of your 2026/27 strategy. If Meta and Google are forced to dismantle the very features that drive their “efficiency” (if they have to kill the infinite scroll or opt everyone out of algorithmic “hooks”) your reach is going to diminish.

Your “cost per minute” is going to skyrocket, because those minutes will suddenly become much harder to manufacture. And it will be much harder to identify and single out specific groups of users, based on their interest or behaviors.

 

The “efficiency” we’ve been bragging about to our boards was built on a foundation that a jury just declared negligent. That’s a structural collapse of the very medium.

 

So what should you do? Well, you don’t need to panic and delete your accounts today (there will be appeals), but you do need to stop being a passive advertiser.

 

Ask your media agency for a breakdown of how much of your budget is going toward “forced” or “hook-based” engagement versus intentional, lean-forward viewing. If your ROI is entirely dependent on a user being “trapped” in a feed, you’re in need of a redo.

 

Traditional brand safety is about adjacency: What am I next to? Start asking if the platforms you support are legally compliant with these new standards of design safety.

 

And if the largest part of your budget is in the duopoly, you’re overleveraged in a damaged model. Move toward environments where the user is by choice, not by “loop.”

 

As it turns out, the algorithm might just be a legal liability.

17434: The #1 And #2 Reasons To Hate Huggies Pull-Ups Campaign.

   

Huggies Pull-Ups campaign features animated pee and pooh critters…?

 

The responsible creative team should receive golden showers before being shat on.

17433: FYI Omnicom IBM WTF.

Advertising Age reported Omnicom offset its Acura creative business loss by landing the IBM global media account.

 

Given the Acura account was creative, any fired drones are unlikely to benefit from the IBM media acquisition.

 

Then again, IBM is conducting a creative review and prefers to consolidate its marketing partners roster. And incumbent White advertising agency Ogilvy is declining to defend its 32-year relationship. So, Omnicom could eventually pick up IBM creative duties too.

 

No IBM technology exists to compute, coordinate, and clarify the Corporate Cultural Collusion, conspiring, and chaos ahead.

 

Omnicom wins IBM’s global media account

 

By Ewan Larkin and Brian Bonilla

 

IBM has awarded Omnicom its global media account following a review, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

 

Omnicom Media referred calls for comment to IBM, which could not be immediately reached. The review was handled by Michael Kassan’s 3C Ventures, which wasn’t immediately available for comment. Publicis Groupe was a finalist in the review, Ad Age has learned. The holding company did not return a request for comment.

 

IBM’s global media spend totaled $190 million in 2025, down sharply from $330 million in 2024, according to COMvergence estimates. Initiative, which is now part of Omnicom following its acquisition of Interpublic Group of Cos., had been handling IBM’s media business in EMEA, according to COMvergence.

 

WPP Media, the incumbent, declined to defend the media account. And WPP’s Ogilvy, IBM’s longtime creative partner, is not participating in the tech giant’s ongoing creative review.

 

“Ogilvy has made the decision not to participate in the upcoming creative RFP for IBM,” Ogilvy said in a statement shared with Ad Age in March. “We are immensely proud of our 32-year partnership, a tenure nearly unrivaled in this industry. Together, we have built one of the world’s most iconic brands through campaigns that defined eras of technological progress … We celebrate our shared history and wish the IBM team continued success.”

 

IBM stunned the ad world on May 24, 1994, when it summarily fired more than 40 ad agencies and consolidated its then-$500 million global ad account at Ogilvy in what at the time was the biggest-ever account switch. Ogilvy resigned the Microsoft Corp. and Compaq Computer Corp. accounts to take on IBM.

 

IBM’s advertising and promotional expenses totaled $1.129 billion in 2025, down from $1.173 billion in 2024, according to its annual filing. It reported advertising and promotional spending of $977 million back in 1994; that figure included spending beyond the advertising account that landed at Ogilvy.

 

IBM adds to a run of media wins at Omnicom that also includes On and Delta Air Lines—retained after the holding company deployed a bespoke team to handle the account, as first reported by Ad Age’s Agency Review Tracker—and Raymour & Flanigan. It also recently lost the U.S. media account for SC Johnson to WPP, and its business with CVS Health, Bristol Myers Squibb and Gilead Sciences is facing review.

17432: On Automobiles & Autocracies In Adland.

 

The previous post on Acura racing out of the Omnicom lot underscored how Adland is a car wreck—and people working in the field regularly become crash victims.

 

Surely the Omnicom Overlords—and co-conspirators from the former IPG—identified conflicts that would result from the acquisition.

 

In this AI era, the collateral damage—in the form of lost livelihoods—must have been defined and accepted in advance. Right down to employee name, location, and demographics.

 

Managers were unlikely alerted, as they’d probably be casualties in the impending fiery-firing pileup.

 

For “leaders” like Omnicom Chairman-CEO-Pioneer of Divestiture John Wren, AI stands for Autocratic Indifference.

17431: How Omnicom Lost Its Car Keys To Acura.

 

Advertising Age spotlighted the latest escapade at Omnicom involving collateral damage from the acquisition of IPG, whereby the Acura creative account drove away from Omnicom and parked at independent White advertising agency RPA.

 

MullenLowe, formerly within the former IPG, had serviced Acura since 2013. The conflict pileup began when MullenLowe was absorbed by TBWA, the latter being a longtime partner of Nissan.

 

Omnicom sought to remedy matters via Corporate Cultural Collusion, offering other White advertising agencies like Deutsch. Acura wound up accelerating toward RPA, which has worked on parent brand Honda since 1987, and had already been handling Acura media duties since 2017.

 

Ad Age made no mention of the Omnicom drones who suddenly find themselves without a ride and may be forced to seek employment as Uber drivers.

 

How Omnicom tried—and failed—to keep hold of the Acura creative account

 

By Ewan Larkin

 

American Honda Motor Co. has moved Acura’s creative business to RPA, a longtime agency for the Honda brand and its media partner for both Honda and Acura, without a formal review.

 

The shift came after Omnicom couldn’t figure out where to park Acura within its expanded creative agency lineup. MullenLowe, which was part of Interpublic Group of Cos., had held the Acura creative account since 2013. After Omnicom acquired IPG in November, the holding company ran into an issue with MullenLowe’s creative relationship with the Honda-owned car brand.

 

Omnicom couldn’t place the Acura business with TBWA, which absorbed MullenLowe in the deal, because of that agency’s relationship with Nissan, which presented a conflict, according to people familiar with the matter. TBWA\Chiat\Day has worked with Nissan since it won the creative account in 1987, and that relationship has evolved into Nissan United, Omnicom’s bespoke creative and media team for the brand.

 

The situation follows the collapse of merger talks between Honda and Nissan in February 2025.

 

Instead, Omnicom proposed placing the account under IPG creative agency Deutsch, which has experience in the automotive sector from its time on the Volkswagen U.S. creative account, according to people close to the situation.

 

American Honda confirmed it had moved the Acura creative account to RPA, but pushed back on the idea that the shift stemmed from Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG.

 

“American Honda made a strategic decision to consolidate creative work for both the Honda and Acura brands within a single agency to better align with business objectives,” American Honda said in a statement to Ad Age. “Effective April 1, 2026, creative work will be led by our longstanding agency partner, RPA—which is already managing media buying for both brands.”

 

Asked about potential conflicts with Nissan and Omnicom’s plan to place the business with Deutsch, American Honda stated: “We would ask that you talk to Omnicom about its internal strategies.”

 

The auto company also thanked MullenLowe for its tenure: “We extend our sincere appreciation to the entire team at MullenLowe for 12 years of creative partnership and valuable contributions to the success of the Acura brand.”

 

The shift means Omnicom will move forward without an account MullenLowe had held since 2013, when Honda split its agency roster, keeping RPA on Honda creative but moving Acura creative to MullenLowe and media for both brands to MediaVest (now Spark Foundry). RPA took back media duties for both brands in 2017.

 

Omnicom, Nissan and RPA declined to comment on the account move. Deutsch deferred calls to comment to Honda.

 

Acura spent $128 million on U.S. measured media in 2025, down from $152 million in 2024, according to MediaRadar. The brand recently reported its best first-quarter performance in four years, with deliveries rising 5.2%.

 

Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG, which closed in November, has necessitated some reshuffling of accounts. For instance, McCann, not FCB (which has been folded into BBDO), is now leading the Kimberly-Clark Co. business.

 

Marketers don’t seem to be as concerned about conflicts these days—Omnicom itself works with a spate of automotive brands—but the Acura account move serves as a reminder that sensitivities still exist.

 

“Conflict is an ongoing challenge for clients and agencies,” said Greg Paull, president of global growth for consultancy Mediasense, adding that as holding companies have leaned harder into integrated services, managing those conflicts has only gotten harder.

 

When Omnicom announced its plan to acquire IPG, Chairman and CEO John Wren downplayed conflict concerns. “I’m not aware or threatened by any conflict as a result of us announcing that we’re joining forces,” he said on a December 2024 call with investors. He went on to acknowledge that some clients may ultimately move their business elsewhere because of the deal, which created the world’s largest agency company by revenue when it closed last year.

 

“Could it happen? Yes. Will it happen? Yes,” Wren previously said. “But I think people will be short-sighted in doing that.”