17446: Previewing, Purging, And Pruning Problems At WPP.

 

Burson Is Not the Problem headlines a LinkedIn article commenting on the proposed pruning of PR from the global flaming dumpster known as WPP.

 

The commentator opined abandoning Burson makes sense. “Following their clients’ lead,” wrote the author, “WPP is doubling down on a model built around media, data and integration at global scale.”

 

The strategic maneuvers highlighted in the LinkedIn article seem to indicate WPP is embracing a media-first identity.

 

Okay, except WPP Media is hardly viewed as category leader.

 

Holding companies—as well as corporations purporting not to be holding companies—have fueled the commoditization of Adland, whereby all people, practices, processes, products, and platforms are repetitive, redundant, and replaceable.

 

WPP Media is a fish in a small sea of sameness.

 

What’s more, WPP Media is attached to mediocre network units:

 

• WPP Creative erased almost all the iconic creative mastheads—and it’s now run by the leader of VML. Nuff said.

 

• WPP Enterprise Solutions features everything historically labeled “below-the-line”—allegedly available at costs below the industry standards.

 

• WPP Production is the in-house studio on a global scale, providing cheap labor via offshore resources—exactly like the offerings of every holding company.

 

• WPP Open is the AI equivalent of Omni, Publicis Sapient, dentsu.Connect, AVA, and whatever Stagwell cobbles together.

 

In summation, Burson is not the problem. WPP is.

 

Burson Is Not the Problem.

 

By Arthur Fleischmann

 

It’s The Preview.

 

There’s a slightly unfashionable take on the proposed sale of #Burson. It probably makes sense.

 

Not because Burson is weak. Quite the opposite. It’s a near-billion-dollar global business, built by combining BCW and Hill & Knowlton, and still winning clients like Heineken, Levi’s and Google. It continues to invest in new capabilities — from AI-driven reputation tools to expanded influence and corporate strategy.

 

By any normal definition, it’s a strong, well-run business.

 

But #CindyRose has been very clear about #WPP’s direction. And if you look at where WPP is winning, the logic starts to reveal itself.

 

Over the past six months, the pattern is hard to ignore. The biggest wins are not coming from traditional creative. They are not coming from PR. They are overwhelmingly media-led, often global, and increasingly tied to data, commerce and AI-enabled operating models.

 

#JaguarLandRover is the obvious headline — a roughly $500M global mandate spanning media and creative. But it’s the exception that proves the rule. Most of the other meaningful wins are media at scale: #EstéeLauder’s global media consolidation, #Reckitt across Europe and India, #SCJohnson in North America, #IKEA in Malaysia. Even where creative is involved, it tends to sit inside a broader, integrated system.

 

And just as interesting is where these decisions are being made.

 

They’re not particularly U.S.-centric anymore.

 

That doesn’t mean the U.S. is necessarily declining. It does suggest something subtler: global brands are no longer organizing themselves around it. Coordination is moving. Singapore. London. Regional hubs. Multi-market systems. Growth coming from outside North America, and increasingly managed that way too.

 

Following their clients’ lead, WPP is doubling down on a model built around media, data and integration at global scale.

 

The issue is not whether Burson is good. It is. The issue is where value now sits.

 

Even the strongest PR firms do not control media budgets. They do not own the first-party data infrastructure that increasingly drives modern marketing. They do not sit at the centre of AI-enabled operating systems. And too often their revenues are still project-based rather than embedded in the day-to-day machinery of growth.

 

This calls into question other businesses in a similar predicament such as @Landor, @Ogilvy, @David, @Grey, @AKQA and other smaller networks within WPP.

 

Burson, and these other business units look less like a problem and more like a mismatch. They are largely narrative-led, market-by-market-relevant, and harder to plug into a global operating system in the same way as media and data. Sure, their services matter. They’re valuable. But it’s not at the centre of this particular strategy or clients’ focus at the moment.

 

I take an uncynical view of this sale. Rather than seeing it as a weakness or failure, I believe it is an act of focus. The bigger question is, who will buy Burson, and what does that say about the buyer’s strategy?

 

For WPP, this is an acknowledgement that the shape of the industry has changed — and not every strong business still sits at the centre of it.

17445: WPP Media QSR WTF.

 

MediaPost reported WPP Media was named integrated media agency for KFC and Pizza Hut in Singapore, allegedly after a competitive shootout.

 

The four-sentence report stated spending for the brands was not disclosed; plus, incumbents and competitors were not identified.

 

Was the victory sealed via Corporate Cultural Collusion, cronyism, or colonization? Probably a conspiratorial combination of all three.

 

WPP Media Wins KFC, Pizza Hut Singapore Assignments

 

By Steve McClellan

 

WPP Media has been appointed integrated media agency for KFC Singapore and Pizza Hut Singapore, following a competitive pitch.   

 

The agency’s remit includes media strategy, planning, and buying for both brands across the market.

 

Spending was not disclosed, and the incumbents on the account were not identified.  

 

WPP Media has existing relationships with both brands, working with them in parts of Europe, Asia Pacific, and other regions.  

17444: FCB Health Transformed To Olixir.

 

Omnicom published a press release announcing the White healthcare agency formerly known as FCB Health New York is being renamed Olixer New York, partly because the FCB masthead was erased when Omnicom acquired the White holding company formerly known as IPG.

 

The name combines the Omnicom ‘O’ with ‘elixir’ to underscore the mediocre creativity prevalent in pharmaceutical marketing.

 

The move also underscores the shuffling shitshow resulting from the acquisition.

 

Most of the White advertising agencies were blended into legacy mastheads including TBWA, BBDO, and McCann—all under the umbrella of Omnicom Advertising.

 

Olixir likely launched to appease clients and address conflicts—also underscoring Omnicom’s commitment to the health and wellness of its shareholders.

 

BTW, the name isn’t original, as evidenced by the logos below.

 

FCB Health New York Becomes Olixir New York, Launching a New Global Brand for Omnicom Health

 

Rebrand marks the evolution of one of healthcare marketing’s most awarded agencies, with plans to expand the new brand beyond the US

 

NEW YORK, April 15, 2026 – Omnicom Health today announced that FCB Health New York, one of the most awarded agencies in healthcare marketing, is rebranding to become Olixir New York – the first chapter of a new global brand that’s launching in the US and will soon expand to additional markets. The move marks the next evolution of Omnicom Health’s healthcare professional and consumer advertising offering, pairing the agency’s legacy of creative excellence with the scale, connectivity and AI‑enabled capabilities of the broader network. Proven network veterans Linda Bennett and Kathleen Nanda will continue to lead as President and Chief Creative Officer, respectively.

 

“FCB Health NY has never stood still, and Olixir NY reflects that same drive to keep evolving for clients and relentlessly seeking what’s next,” said Bennett. “We’re building on a powerful legacy with a brand designed for what modern healthcare marketing demands – bold thinking, deeper connectivity and access to the full strength of Omnicon Health’s talent, capabilities and intelligence.”

 

Olixir takes inspiration from the word ‘elixir’ and marries it with the Omnicom ‘O’ to demonstrate the magic that happens when its storied success, creative and strategic prowess and commitment to innovation are paired with the breadth and depth of the interconnected network’s vast resources and AI‑enabled capabilities.

 

“Our evolution to Olixir NY reflects exactly who we are – fearless creators and thinkers who stop at nothing to improve lives,” said Nanda. “Our clients trust us to spark understanding, shift mindsets and show people there is a better way. That drive comes from one question we ask ourselves every day: Where else? Where else will you find a bench this deep that leads with grit, passion and ingenuity? The answer has pushed us into our next era.”

 

This transformation comes on the heels of a momentous 2025 for the agency, with wins including “Agency of the Year – Category I” at the Manny Awards and multiple prestigious creative award wins across shows including The One Show, D&AD, London International Awards, MM+M Awards, Creative Floor Awards and more. Its renowned and award‑winning Snowball, The Trial for #ClinicalEquality and Disappearing Doctors campaigns are in their second, fifth and seventh year, respectively, demonstrating the agency’s longstanding commitment to important causes and using their creative firepower for good.

 

About Olixir New York

 

Olixir NY is a full‑service healthcare marketing agency built on the legacy of FCB Health New York, one of the industry’s most awarded agencies. Combining creative excellence and strategic depth with the scale, connectivity and AI‑enabled capabilities of Omnicom Health, Olixir NY helps health and life sciences brands spark understanding, shift mindsets and drive meaningful impact. Powered by Omni and Acxiom’s unparalleled life sciences data, Olixir delivers faster, smarter, more human solutions for clients across the healthcare landscape. Olixir NY is part of Omnicom Health, the world’s leading healthcare marketing communications network. Visit OlixirNY.com to learn more.

 

About Omnicom Health

 

Omnicom Health is the world’s leading and most awarded healthcare marketing communications network designed to accelerate intelligent growth for health and life sciences brands. Uniting best‑in‑class healthcare professional and consumer advertising agencies and specialized capabilities including patient engagement and support, medical communications, market access and more – we deliver connected solutions that drive measurable impact across the full healthcare landscape. Powered by Omni and Acxiom’s unparalleled life sciences data, we drive faster, smarter, human solutions for clients including Fortune 500 pharma and life sciences companies and countless startups, biotech and biopharma companies. We are part of Omnicom (NYSE: OMC). Learn more at omnicomhealth.com.

17443: Burson, Ya Burnt…?

More About Advertising reported WPP plans to sell Burson, the PR behemoth created two years ago by blending Burson Cohn & Wolfe and Hill & Knowlton.

 

When birthing Burson in 2024, former WPP CEO Mark Read gushed, “Hill & Knowlton and BCW are two high-performing businesses with complementary strengths, shared ambitions, and many shared clients... The new agency will be the standard bearer as the most modern, strategic, technology-driven, full-service communications offer in the industry.”

 

Looks like Read’s words were puffery, hype, and/or bullshit.

 

Funny thing is, WPP could benefit from having onboard PR professionals to fabricate positive press releases now.

 

BCW on the block as WPP weighs exit from PR

 

By Stephen Foster

 

WPP is reportedly planning a sale of Burson, what’s left of its rambling array of PR businesses. Burson is an amalgam of BCW (Burson plus Cohn & Wolfe) and Hill & Knowlton, once the biggest in the UK.

 

In 2024 WPP sold a majority stake in FGS Global, its other big PR business, to private equity firm KKR which valued the financial-based firm at £1.3bn. Goldman Sach is lined up to handle any new sale.

 

PR let the side down in WPP’s latest accounts, revenue falling 6%. The business has changed dramatically with the rise of platforms like TikTok and Instagram and multifarious influencers taking away slices of budget. No one yet has put a price on BCW.

 

WPP founder and former boss Sir Martin Sorrell recently observed that PR had become rather a waste of time as a separate discipline, instead it should be seen as an aspect of advertising. WPP’s Ogilvy does, indeed, have a big PR operation. Whatever BCW makes, WPP must be hoping that any sale process reduces its debt, still hovering around the £3bn mark. Its current market value is “just” £2.69bn. 

17442: Buh-Bye, Bob Liodice.

 

Advertising Age spotlighted ANA CEO Bob Liodice, who will step down from his role at the end of 2026, prompting the search for a successor.

 

The ANA declared, “The next CEO will build on ANA’s scale and influence while advancing its role as the industry’s guide through the most significant shift in modern marketing—where artificial intelligence is reshaping how value is created, measured and sustained.”

 

Sounds like a perfect opportunity to innovate toward the inevitable.

 

That is, replace Liodice with an AI platform.

 

It’ll even offer nice alliteration and decent logo potential: ANA AI

 

ANA CEO Bob Liodice to step down

 

By E.J. Schultz

 

Bob Liodice will step down as CEO of the Association of National Advertisers at the end of the year, ending a more than two-decade run as leader of the nation’s largest marketing industry trade group.

 

The ANA has hired a search firm to find a new CEO. The organization declined to name the firm but confirmed the process will be overseen by ANA board chairman Dean Aragón, who is CEO and vice chair of Shell Brands International, and Procter & Gamble Co. Chief Brand Officer Marc Pritchard, the prior ANA chair.

 

“The next CEO will build on ANA’s scale and influence while advancing its role as the industry’s guide through the most significant shift in modern marketing—where artificial intelligence is reshaping how value is created, measured and sustained,” the ANA shared in a statement.

 

Liodice, 70, has been with the ANA for 31 years, serving as CEO since 2003. ANA credited him with growing the organization’s membership from 188 companies to more than 1,600, representing over 20,000 brands and 50,000 marketing professionals worldwide.

 

In an interview, Liodice pointed to recent work done to restructure the ANA into what he described as eight “mini associations” spanning specialty areas: brand, media, data, technology, measurement, talent, inclusive marketing and business-to-business marketing. “Each of these business teams are now focused in on what we consider to be the primary drivers of growth for our unique members,” he said.

 

With the reorganization complete, it is time “to turn over the ANA to the next generation of leadership, whoever that leader is, whether they be sourced internally, but most probably externally,” he added.

 

Fixing a ‘broken organization’

 

Liodice, who earlier in his career held marketing and sales roles at Grupo Televisa and Kraft General Foods, joined the ANA in 1995 as a senior VP. He stepped into the CEO role eight years later, succeeding John Sarsen. It was a tumultuous time, as ANA dealt with financial challenges, as well as criticism for letting media sponsors program its flagship conference that often resulted in thinly veiled sales pitches from the stage, Ad Age reported at the time.

 

“We stopped that,” Liodice recalled this week. “It was distasteful to many of our brand marketers.”

 

The ANA at the time was “somewhat of a broken organization,” he said. “We were a hairbreadth away from being out of business,” he added, recalling that when he took over in January 2003, the ANA had $28,000 in the bank and was “nearly bankrupt.”

 

The ANA, which is a tax-exempt nonprofit, reported $80.4 million in revenue for 2024, up from $65.6 million in 2023, according to its latest tax filings. Expenses grew to $82.2 million from $64.3 million. Liodice’s compensation was listed as $1.5 million as of the 2024 filing. The ANA employs about 200 full-time employees today, according to a representative.

 

Liodice said the group’s recent jump in expenses was partially due to costs related to its recent formation of Aquila, an ANA-backed cross-platform media measurement venture designed to help marketers reduce wasteful media spending by eliminating excess frequency.

 

Dealing with agency tensions

 

Improving the media supply chain for brands has been among Liodice’s key priorities. The ANA drew widespread attention in 2016 when it published a report prepared by investigative firm K2 alleging that media agencies were benefiting from non-transparent practices, including collecting cash rebates for media deals not disclosed to advertisers. While specific agency names were not listed, the report still drew complaints from agency players, including agency trade organization 4As, which at the time accused the ANA of taking a “one-sided” approach.

 

It was an example of how the ANA and 4As over the years have vacillated between being allies and opponents, depending on the issue.

 

Liodice, in this week’s interview, said the K2 report came at a “very challenging time.”

 

“Relationships were, in fact, damaged at that stage,” he said. But he suggested that tensions eased after Marla Kaplowitz took over as 4As president-CEO in 2017, succeeding Nancy Hill. “She and I got along famously, and we made it our joint commitment to repair whatever damage and work harmoniously together,” Liodice said.

 

Kaplowitz departed 4As in 2025 and was succeeded by Justin Thomas-Copeland.

 

Growing ANA membership and dealing with rising event competition

 

The ANA’s membership growth during Liodice’s tenure in part stemmed from the acquisition of five industry associations: Brand Activation Association, Business Marketing Association, Advertising Educational Foundation, Word-of-Mouth Marketing Association and the Data and Marketing Association. Those acquisitions are helping fuel attendance at the more than 60 conferences the ANA puts on each year, including its flagship Masters of Marketing conference held in Orlando every fall, which drew about 2,500 attendees in 2025.

 

But the ANA has had to deal with rising competition from newer events put on by other marketing and media organizations. That includes the Possible conference, held in the spring in Miami Beach, which last year drew 5,400 attendees (albeit with some complaints about top executives being secluded behind closed doors).

 

“We honestly feel like we don’t compete against Possible,” Liodice said. He suggested the ANA’s differentiation from that and other events is its singular focus on brand marketers. Its global CMO Growth Council, for example, “continues to expand and has about 500 active CMOs,” he said.

 

Aragón, in a statement, credited Liodice for expanding the ANA’s influence and playing a “central role in advancing the standards and practices that define modern marketing.”

 

As he steps away, Liodice said he is looking forward to getting “a little more balance in my life.” He estimated that he has been traveling 15 to 20 weeks each year, including this week, when he attended the ANA’s Masters of Data conference in San Diego.

 

Bob’s final message to CMOs

 

On stage, Liodice is known for asking presenters what message audience members should take back to the office with them on Mondays. Ad Age turned the tables on him, asking him for his final piece of advice for chief marketing officers:

 

“Drink in as much as you can drink in— and to let your common sense prevail,” he said. “We lose sight of the value of common sense and try to sometimes get overly prescriptive in making decisions. But I do believe a CMO has achieved that stature because of their not only their integrity and their ethics, but their ability to navigate these complexities with incredible common sense and decision making that has been honed over the years.”

17441: Dentsu Creative Transformation Lost In Translation…?

Advertising Age reported on leadership musical chairs playing at Dentsu Creative, an enterprise whose name has always been an oxymoron.

 

The latest moves include the US CEO and Global Brand President bailing out for another opportunity, and she’ll be semi-replaced by a Dentsu executive assuming an alternative title—CEO of the Americas—with different responsibilities.

 

The scenario presents an example of restructuring via deconstructing, resigning, and regurgitating.

 

Another noteworthy point is both executives mentioned above are not original creatives. That is, they never held true creative director titles or duties.

 

When Dentsu Creative launched in 2022, there was a Global Chief Creative Officer—although he quickly evacuated too.

 

Now, Dentsu Creative is regionally run by non-creative types, apparently supported by executives with creative backgrounds.

 

Dentsu Creative hypes itself with a tagline that reads: The Power of Transformative Creativity.

 

Okay, except variations on “transform” are among the top clichéd buzzwords in Adland. What’s more, the Dentsu Creative website doesn’t clearly explain its transformative offerings at all.

 

Dentsu Creative seems to be constantly transforming—in ways that are corporate versus creative.

 

Abbey Klaassen is leaving Dentsu Creative to join Tinuiti

 

By Ewan Larkin

 

Abbey Klaassen is leaving Dentsu Creative, where she most recently served as U.S. CEO and global brand president, to become CEO of performance marketing agency Tinuiti.

 

Klaassen succeeds Zach Morrison, who will step back from his day-to-day role after 21 years leading and building Tinuiti, which is backed by private equity firm New Mountain Capital and has roughly 1,200 employees.

 

Klaassen, a former Ad Age editor and associate publisher, rose quickly through the ranks at Dentsu. She held key positions at digital shop 360i before its consolidation into Dentsu Creative and subsequently served as president of the unit’s New York office. She was named Dentsu Creative U.S. CEO in 2023 and later added global oversight.

 

At Tinuiti, Klaassen will work to demonstrate how the agency is more than a performance shop. Tinuiti has expanded beyond its search-and-social roots into full-funnel work, including buying 2026 Super Bowl spots for brands such as Instacart and Liquid I.V., according to an agency statement. Tinuiti was also recently named full-funnel media agency of record for children’s apparel company Carter’s Inc., working across the U.S. and Canada. It nabbed that account from Stagwell’s Assembly, a sign that Tinuiti is competing not just against performance agencies like Wpromote.

 

Tinuiti has also named Bryan Wiener chairman of its board. He previously served as CEO of Publicis Groupe-owned digital commerce analytics firm Profitero+ and recently launched 37Arc, an AI firm focused on chief marketing officers. Wiener will work closely with Klaassen, with whom he overlapped during his time as chairman of 360i.

 

Klaassen’s departure comes as Dentsu deals with headwinds. The Japanese agency group in March appointed Takeshi Sano as global CEO, part of a broader reset after it explored selling its struggling international business—such a deal is now off the table—and reported its worst annual loss last year. Dentsu Creative has shed some lucrative accounts in recent years, including work with Subway and American Express, but recently notched a win with Farmers Insurance.

 

:::::

 

How Dentsu Creative is rethinking its US leadership

 

By Ewan Larkin

 

Dentsu Creative is not directly replacing Abbey Klaassen, its U.S. CEO and global brand president, who is leaving to become CEO of performance marketing agency Tinuiti. Instead, the agency is restructuring the role, naming Dentsu veteran Phil Gaughran CEO of the Americas and expanding the position beyond the U.S.

 

Gaughran assumes the role after serving as president, global creative product, growth and strategy at Dentsu. Global responsibilities previously held by Klaassen will be supported by Yasuharu Sasaki, Dentsu’s global chief creative officer, along with a group of existing leaders across strategy, growth and creative.

 

Inside the move and Dentsu Creative’s strategy

 

A strategist by trade, Gaughran has spent 16 years with Dentsu, including more than a decade at Dentsumcgarrybowen and in corporate strategy roles. “He does some of his best work on a barstool, sharing a pint and a point of view towards solving some of the world’s problems,” his bio on Dentsu’s website reads.

 

Gaughran’s new role mirrors that of Beth Ann Kaminkow, who in March was named Dentsu’s Americas CEO after previously only leading North America. (Kaminkow has also added the global chief client officer title.) The restructure is designed to align leadership across the region and simplify how Dentsu Creative serves clients, while better connecting creative capabilities in the U.S., Canada and Latin America.

 

“We often have U.S.-based clients that extend into Canada and are either looking at Brazil or other high-profile markets, or they want a through line where everything from our offshoring capabilities, to our technology, to what we provide on the ground is all linked up,” Gaughran said in an interview alongside Kaminkow.

 

Gaughran’s business and client experience made him best suited for the position, said Kaminkow, adding that he has also been active in new business pitches, including Adobe’s creative review. The move also “felt like an obvious choice to create consistency with clients and continuity of service,” said Kaminkow, who joined Dentsu from WPP’s VML.

 

Gaughran’s appointment comes as Dentsu deals with headwinds. The Japanese agency group in March appointed Takeshi Sano as global CEO, part of a broader reset after it explored selling its struggling international business—such a deal is now off the table—and reported its worst annual loss last year.

 

Despite some high-profile client losses over the past year, including work with Subway, T-Mobile and American Express, Kaminkow and Gaughran stressed that Dentsu Creative is “healthy” and improving. The agency recently notched a win with Farmers Insurance, which had been with incumbent RPA since 2010.

 

Gaughran described the past few years as something of a building phase, focused on developing AI-enabled systems and tools internally, and said Dentsu Creative is now ready to “externalize” that work. Kaminkow pointed to a win with i-Health, led by Dentsu X with support from Dentsu Creative, as early evidence of tighter collaboration between media and creative.

 

“We are back on the up,” Gaughran said of Dentsu Creative.

 

The agency isn’t done making moves. Gaughran and Kaminkow indicated more senior hires are on the way, including creative talent.

 

“We feel like we still have opportunity to strengthen the team,” Kaminkow said. 

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