In a groundbreaking move that could reshape the advertising world, Omnicom announced its acquisition of Interpublic Group. This merger marks a seismic shift in consolidation across the major holding companies industry, with major implications for brands that rely on these holding companies for their marketing technology needs.
While the giants consolidate, an important question arises: are brands truly benefiting from this scale, or is there a smarter path forward?
At InfoTrust, we believe that independent providers of both owned and operated technology platforms—and resellers of Google Marketing Platform technology—provide unparalleled advantages for brands seeking agility, transparency, and innovative solutions. Here’s why the growing trend of agency consolidation makes working with independents not just a good idea, but a necessity.
What Agency Consolidation Means for Your Business
The Omnicom-Interpublic deal underscores a growing challenge in the marketing ecosystem: centralization. When massive holding companies merge, their primary focus shifts toward cost efficiencies and shareholder returns. This consolidation creates:
- Reduced Flexibility: Large holding companies are less nimble, often bogged down by bureaucracy and rigid processes. For brands, this can mean slower response times and less customized solutions.
- Conflict of Interest: Agencies under holding companies often prioritize tools and media platforms for which they receive undisclosed incentives or hold a stake over what’s best for their clients. Additionally, large-scale volume deals with publishers and ad networks offering agency rebates often drive decisions around media spend and technology usage over client performance. These biases can hinder access to cutting-edge tools or result in them being under-utilized in favor of inferior technology alternatives.
- One-Size-Fits-All Approach: Consolidated agencies typically apply standardized strategies, limiting innovation and failing to address the unique needs of individual brands.
- Antiquated Business Model: Holding companies are fighting for relevance with an outdated business model in an AI-driven industry where headcount and billing hours will decrease significantly over the next few years.
The Independent Technology and MarTech Reseller Advantage
Independent martech resellers like InfoTrust operate with a completely different ethos. Unlike agency-holding companies, we don’t create campaigns. Instead, we’re laser-focused on helping brands maximize their ROI through the use of cutting-edge customer-centric platforms and the Google Marketing Platform. Here’s how:
- Agility and Speed: With no corporate red tape, independent firms can pivot quickly to address a brand or agency’s unique needs within the ever-changing digital landscape.
- Transparency: Independence ensures there’s no hidden agenda or conflict of interest. Every recommendation is made with our customer success as the sole priority.
- Specialized Expertise: As licensed martech resellers, InfoTrust’s depth of knowledge on platforms like Google Marketing Platform is unparalleled. We don’t dilute our expertise with unrelated services or tools or oversold people hours.
- First-Party Data Mastery: In an era where first-party data is critical, InfoTrust empowers brands to take control of their data and integrate it seamlessly into their marketing strategy—something agency-holding companies often struggle to prioritize.
A Timely Opportunity for Change
This industry-shaking acquisition is the perfect moment for CMOs to rethink their approach.
By choosing an independent firm like InfoTrust, brands and marketers can break free from the limitations imposed by a few large agency holding companies. As the advertising landscape consolidates further, the benefits of partnering with independent experts who prioritize client success over internal agendas become clearer than ever.
Furthermore, taking ownership your company’s first-party data gives you freedom when the next merger happens.
Take the First Step Toward Independence
Don’t let the Omnicom-Interpublic merger and the few remaining legacy holding companies dictate your organization’s marketing future. Now is the time to explore what working with an independent firm like InfoTrust can do for your business. Contact us today to learn how InfoTrust can help you achieve unparalleled transparency, agility, and performance with Google Marketing Platform and your media enablement strategy.
