Amid tough competition from its counterparts such as WPP, Publicis and IPG in India, Omnicom Media Group is stacking up the numbers to show its growth trajectory. In this interview with BW Businessworld’s Group Editorial Director Noor Fathima Warsia, Florian Adamski, the global CEO of Omnicom Media Group, discusses the strategic importance of India as a market
There are constant conversations about media agencies facing existential crises. You have seen the function come into being -- what are some of your thoughts on the road ahead?
The concept of a ‘media agency’ itself has changed dramatically. Media agencies have become more critical, especially with the rise of data and technology, which did not exist a few years ago. We were repeatedly told that media agencies are doomed, whether with the rise of the internet, programmatic advertising, in-housing, or what have you. On the contrary, I think this has contributed to us developing a strong sense of resilience. We expect the next significant disruption and have learned to adapt quickly.
Since we are on the subject, we cannot avoid AI (artificial intelligence) and its impact. A large tech entrepreneur recently commented that the second wave of AI, which alludes to co-pilots or the generative AI wave, did not serve a purpose or make a tangible difference. What are your thoughts on this?
I have to say I disagree with the assessment. Dismissing co-pilots or the predictive/ generative AI wave so far overlooks the fact that innovation happens fast but transformation is a longer and sometimes more exhausting process. We must see it as part of a learning curve -- each stage builds on what came before. There is a book I often recommend, ‘Atomic Habits’, which touches on the concept of Kaizen, the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement. The idea is to integrate small, positive changes that lead to more significant long-term results. Progress is slow, steady improvements rather than chasing shiny objects.
AI is advancing at an incredible rate, and while I understand that the media agency landscape will look different in two or five years, we are already adapting. We are shifting processes and even our workforce distribution with significant hubs like the one in India. As someone said recently, AI will not eliminate jobs but tasks, freeing people to focus on more valuable work. We will continue to benefit from this.
At Omnicom, we have been using machine learning (ML) and early versions of AI for over a decade. Omni 3.0 means AI is now embedded into every part of our platform -- from channel planning to audience creation. The name 3.0 simply refers to a new user interface, but the AI capabilities have evolved for years.
We have seen some use cases of Omni and Omni Assist impacting OMG’s India operations. How do you see India contributing to your overall OMG vision?
Every CEO loves India, and for good reason. The growth rates are simply impressive. OMG has doubled down on India in more ways than one, allowing us to see the market with fresh eyes and capitalise on the rapid transformation. Traditionally, the media agency business in India was driven by buying power and scale, which might have held us back. But now we have a team at the forefront of what is happening, particularly in digital capabilities and talent.
We are currently seeing organic growth in the high single digits. I believe that number can easily double or triple in the coming years, thanks to the strong foundation that Kartik (Sharma, CEO, Omnicom Media Group India) and the team have built.
However, it appears that the perception must still catch up. If we take the Amazon global media review as an example, you won it in North America, but it went to WPP in Asia. How do you view such decisions?
Would we have preferred to win Amazon in India? Of course! Seeing how our team in India performed in a highly scrutinised and high-scale pitch situation like this encouraged me to feel very good and comfortable with what we are doing in India. The team played right up where it needed to. I genuinely believe this and have already referenced it -- the work that Kartik and the team have done is second to none. There will be more opportunities and growth ahead for us.
What areas of focus are exciting you from a future-readiness perspective?
The next generation of media agencies will become more strategic business partners for marketers and businesses. As technology evolves, we can link media plans directly to business outcomes in a much more timely and precise way. We have been discussing this for over 20 years but are finally closing the gap between media investment and actual company revenue.
Retail media is a perfect example. It is growing at 20-25 per cent annually, and we expect that pace to continue for the next few years. We are investing heavily in measurement, optimisation and automation solutions to ensure that every investment dollar is allocated in the best possible way.
I also believe that Omnicom Media Group will evolve to resemble more of a software-as-a-service company. Omni has always been built to integrate seamlessly with client technology rather than competing with it. Our approach is to support a company’s marketing efforts, not replace its systems. Marketers are looking for agencies that can partner with them in new and innovative ways rather than relying on legacy models. And this is precisely the journey we are on.
