Omnicom Advertising Services: The New Group Aiming To Shake Up Agency-land in India

Well-known worldwide, Omnicom is home to trusted agencies DDB, TBWA, and BBDO.

But there is a huge diversity in its agencies' creative work and ethos, and they often service completely different markets. That is set to change in India, with the newly established Omnicom Advertising Group India spearheading a global delivery push out of the Indian market.

At the centre of this space, is the freshly inaugurated Omnicom India CEO, Aditya Kanthy. A longtime servant of DDB Mudra, Aditya will bring the Indian Omnicom agencies under a single umbrella.

According to Aditya, the thinking behind the creation of this entity is to improve each of the three individual agencies by bringing the best of each to the fore.

“It's a reflection of the complexity of the marketing ecosystem,” Aditya says. “We have the depth and level of specialisation within Omnicom to address the whole consumer journey.”

This strategic vision comes out of a desire to support client relationships across Omnicom agencies.

“There is no doubt in my mind that these three individual agencies working more closely with the rest of Omnicom is required,” Aditya says.

“I think the question on the level of collaboration across the three creative agencies is concerning how we deliver for clients going forward.”

But that isn’t to say that all three agencies need to fall into line together.

“There is a distinct and clear position in our market for each of the three,” Aditya says. “Their track records and their strength in the local market is a reflection of that.”

“TBWA globally is seen as a challenger brand, DDB Mudra Group has an independent history in the market, and BBDO has been pioneering digital marketing for years.”

The differences between the agencies is a critical part of Omnicom’s offering.

“I think their differences are what guides and informs the work that we're going to do as Omnicom Advertising Services, which is to find a way to bring and to design a marketing/comms ecosystems for our clients across the three networks, marrying the creative brilliance of these three network.”

India is one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world, a context that absolutely informs the push within Omnicom to pool resources and pursue growth.

“The ability to be able to draw talent from a larger Omnicom group structure and to be able to design mobility right through the system to the Omnicom advertising services and entity and then back again, then you have a talent engine designed to attract the best and retain attract and retain the best people in this country”, adds Aditya. “The way we think about it is that our ability to design careers for people across Omnicom puts us in a stronger position than our competitors.”

“India's experience with market capitalism is quite recent. It was in the early 90s that the market opened up, and prior to that, we were very much staying in jobs for life for all practical purposes. Now, it is imperative for employers to ensure that they're on top of their game. You have to be successful as a company, with ambition and with a track record for growth in this market.”

The right balance between supporting as a holding group, the strength of the individual networks, and then being able to protect and nurture the individual strengths of those networks is no small feat. But Aditya argues Omnicom is better at getting that balance right than other holding groups.

“I think the recognition of an environment where we work with our technology partners, how we work with content creators, how we work with influencers, generates a culture where collaboration is encouraged, and opens you up to different ways of working that are best suited to a particular client need and opportunity.”

And the third is the enduring belief in the power of creativity. All three networks represent that theme in a world that sometimes forgets the fundamental contribution that we make to economies and to businesses and brands which is through insightful thinking, brilliant creativity, and the consistent application of those two things in creating a brand.

Omnicom agencies have long since held a reputation for creative excellence. As this new era for Omnicom in India seeks to unlock disproportionate value for clients, the advertising world will be paying attention to the lessons it can learn from Omnicom Advertising Services.