Jane Geraghty

Longtime DDB leader Dave Kissel appointed CEO of Good Giant and Two by Four. The first major hire under the Merit Capital Partners and Six Pillars Partners-backed structure sees former DDB Chicago MD join to accelerate growth of the combined Good Giant and Two by Four group, reports LBB’s Addison Capper. Read here: https://hubs.la/Q03CxXkS0

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Merging two massive holdco structures after the global Omnicom-IPG merger and culling 100 brands is not for the faint hearted. Overhauling the local operating model entirely at the same time? Fraught with risk. But Nick Garrett’s master plan has the blessing of Omnicom chairman John Wren, and Garrett says he wouldn’t have taken the job without licence to radically recut the ANZ business. If it works, “I think the US and other markets are all looking at this with support and optimism, hoping that this is a great test case”, says Garrett. The new model puts a three-pronged upstream advisory layer at the top of its structure, supported by six ‘centres of excellence’, pooling and centralising resources to concentrate firepower as Omnicom heads “upstream”. It’s going head-to-head in “transformation” and business strategy through brand with the likes of Accenture, Deloitte, McKinsey and Bain while taking marketers and customer chiefs upstream with them. Too many marketers have been relegated to execution, per Garrett. He thinks Omnicom Oceania’s new approach can help both parties regain strategic high ground. Corporate and government relations firm GRACosway may play an outsized role in opening up that pathway. A major content and creative automation play for the group is also imminent – but it’s not Ted Horton’s BRX. Garrett says not to undertake radical surgery poses the greatest risk for comms holding companies – they’ve become too narrow and communications focused and lost the strategic high ground across industries and inside corporate executive leadership teams. With IPG absorbed, he thinks widespread industry speculation that at least one, perhaps two fewer direct holdco competitors by year’s end is plausible - a WPP break-up and piecemeal sell-off being one of them. But it’s telling that while eyeing consulting firms’ turf and  moving away from a media and creative-led holdco into marketing transformation services, Garrett, when pushed, reckons Publicis is a bigger threat to Omnicom’s new growth model than Accenture Song. Despite the seismic overhaul, Garrett claims Omnicom Oceania is six months ahead of where the market thinks it is. But the proof is in the pudding – there’s a lot riding on whether Omnicom’s people can actually stretch to the new model’s intent. Garrett’s confident. Here’s what’s coming next. https://lnkd.in/g3j-Jsif

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Nick Garrett recently sat down with Paul McIntyre from Mi3 to talk through the creation of Omnicom Oceania - a marketing and customer transformation business powered by creativity and data, and the role marketing leaders are increasingly playing in driving business growth.   “Our purpose is to support and empower CMOs and CCOs to thrive in the boardroom as genuine engines of customer growth and innovation.”   As that role continues to expand, it’s no longer about marketing in isolation. It’s about how creativity, data, technology and customer experience come together to solve bigger, more complex challenges.   In the conversation, Nick shares how we’ve brought this model to life - connecting Advisory with deeper specialist capabilities at the centre, to move beyond a traditional holding company structure, and what that unlocks for clients.   This evolution is powered by our people. As Nick also notes, “creativity isn’t the domain of the creative department. Creative thinking is problem solving for clients and everyone should be in that business.”   Leaders and specialists across media, creative, data, technology and customer experience are working together to deliver deeper capability, shared intelligence, and real enterprise impact for our clients.   Thanks to Mi3Australia and Paul McIntyre for the discussion.   🎧 Listen to the full episode: https://lnkd.in/g3j-Jsif

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Mi3Australia has shared an insightful conversation with Nick Garrett (CEO, Omnicom Oceania), outlining his vision for Omnicom Oceania and the role marketing leaders can play in driving genuine business growth. The discussion offers a clear view of where our HoldCo is heading, moving beyond marketing in isolation, and towards a more connected model that brings creativity, data, technology, and customer experience together around effectiveness - not just efficiency. 🎧Listen to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/g3j-Jsif

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A great piece where Nick Garrett talks about the creation of Omnicom Oceania and the capabilities we are building to better support our clients. Thanks to Mi3Australia for this piece and get in touch if you'd like to know more.

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Less is more... but only with intent. Minimalist packaging is everywhere - from budget basics to boutique disruptors. So how does the same visual language speak to luxury, honesty, and irony all at once? Berndt+Partner Creality dives into the cultural codes of reduction across the UK and Germany, revealing why less only works when it means more. 📦 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/egGhr3Bc #pentawards #packagingdesign #packaging #packagingdesigner #minimalistpackaging #designagency

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DDB's former global chairman Marty O'Halloran joins Thrive PR as strategic advisor. Learn how top PR agency leadership drives growth and talent retention.

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Marketing budgets are flat — but expectations keep rising. With AI, CX, and pipeline growth still top priorities, many CMOs face stalled progress under static investment. The way forward? A strong business case and tighter C-suite alignment. 📘 Download IDC’s strategy brief to learn how to reset priorities and unlock growth: https://ow.ly/qoZf50WKccc #CMOLeadership #TechMarketing #MarketingStrategy #ExecutiveAlignment

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Greenpark Strengthens its Leadership with Two Senior Appointments 🚀🌍 The digital content agency Greenpark has reinforced its leadership team with #PaulDonohue as EMEA Operations Director and Giulia Emma Mazzei as Influencer Director. Donohue brings experience in operational scaling at global agencies such as R/GA and Ogilvy, while Mazzei leads the influencer strategy in EMEA and North America, combining luxury and digital culture. The duo aims to strengthen the operational infrastructure and AI-powered content, ensuring creativity, efficiency, and brand visibility in global markets. 👉 Discover how Greenpark combines operations and creative leadership to grow internationally: https://lnkd.in/eC2Ru6QQ #DigitalMarketing #InfluencerMarketing #CreativeLeadership #AIInMarketing

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“Is it a slow brand? Is it a fast brand? Is it shouting at me?” he asks. These softer, sensory codes are where emotional connection is built. An extract from our conversation with Havas' Chief Design Officer Lorenzo Fruzza, uncovering the impact that human-built artistry has on branding, strategy and execution. #adforuminterviews #Havas #Design

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DDB Worldwide chief executive Alex Lubar has left the Omnicom network with no immediate plans to fill his vacancy. Lubar joins brand strategy consultancy FUNDAMENTALco as chief executive, and DDB has refused to comment on whether a successor would be sought. He departs DDB weeks before parent company Omnicom is expected to conclude an acquisition of rival Interpublic Group (IPG). His exit is likely to add weight to reports that Omnicom is set to retire the DDB brand. Arvind Hickman, Tom Fogden, Aimee Edwards, Fredrika Stigell, Oliver Cerovic https://lnkd.in/g_q-Yj-z

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Nothing But Upside There has never been a better time to stand out. Huge upside for strategists to help brands stand out. IF- they can help clients to navigate uncertainty and communicate the upside. Matt Klein on Cannes “Creativity is predicated upon risk. And given the cultural, workplace, financial or geopolitical environments, the appetite for the uncertain is just not there. That said, it’s now easier than ever to stand out. I’m sorry, but with love and respect, Duolingo and Liquid Death are not profoundly creative brands, they’re just not doing what everyone else is. We admire them because they have the confidence (and permission) to zag.” This is the job of strategy- to convince and persuade clients on the upside of taking a risk to the point it doesn’t look like risk- it looks like opportunity. Link to Matt’s take on Cannes in the comments.

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WPP is having an identity crisis, a brand identity crisis. And that's not great from a business that's supposed to solve brand identity issues for their clients. Mark Ritson spells it out in his piece for The Drum. ... ®️©️ 🤘⚡ ...

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If you are interested in brand transformations, then there are so many great nuggets in this conversation between Michael Birshan and the Rolls Royce CEO. His four steps to opening up more value for the company: 1 - A top-notch leadership team to tell people what the vision is and how we’re going to get there. 2 - A very granular strategy that becomes a tool for alignment and engagement. 3 - A performance culture, where performance improvement becomes part of your strategy implementation. 4 - Move with intensity, pace, and rigor. Have a read and get the full story. https://lnkd.in/eeBcTKWw

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Unlock key strategy insights from Simon Athlan, Global Strategy Director at Ogilvy UK…   In our Strategy Unscipted episode with Simon, we unpack how global brands can avoid being “average” in a saturated, AI-enabled content landscape. Simon explains why the real unlock is still human tension and emotional truth and how world-building ideas, consistent stories and smart use of GenAI can help large organisations stay culturally relevant.   Explore the complete conversation here → https://lnkd.in/emEbbkWC

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#ScholarSpotlight: Droga5 has announced key leadership appointments, with Barbara Humphries & Damon Stapleton stepping up as Co-CCOs of ANZ, while Tara Ford takes on the role of CCO at Droga5 London. As the agency continues its global expansion under Mark Green, Global CEO, this move reinforces Droga5’s commitment to borderless creativity and world-class innovation. read more: https://lnkd.in/dn3GxcJS Matthew Michael | Pelle Sjoenell | Emma Montgomery | Accenture Song #Droga5 #CreativeLeadership #Advertising #Marketing #Innovation #BorderlessCreativity #GlobalGrowth #AdIndustry #Adtechtoday

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What does it take to lead a holding company for nearly four decades and still dare to push innovation boundaries? Rishad Tobaccowala's What Next? podcast welcomes Maurice Lévy, former CEO and Chairman of Publicis Groupe, for one of its most compelling episodes yet. It's a rich, honest conversation about transformation, optimism, and the courage to build what comes next. Maurice shares lessons that translate far beyond advertising: break down silos, think like a start-up at any age, trust boldly, treat failure as fuel, and always reach for something greater. Whether you lead a team, a company, or are an independent contributor, this episode offers inspiration and actionable ideas for all. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/egtPV28h #networkedexperiences #Innovation #transformation

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Great article from Matt Vertigans and Kate Johnson showing how Hogarth is transforming outcomes for our clients with the effective use of Agentic AI to radically reimagine how work gets made. Worth a read. 

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