How Omnicom Advertising India is navigating leadership and trust after the IPG deal

Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG has raised familiar questions around leadership structure, strategic focus, and client trust amid continued consolidation among global agency holding companies. In India, the integration has resulted in the creation of Omnicom Advertising India, a consolidated advertising entity that brings together several of the market’s most established agency brands under a shared leadership structure.

These include DDB, BBDO, McCann, TBWA, Ulka, Lintas, and Mudra, alongside an integrated digital offering formed through the combined operations of Kinnect and 22feet Tribal.

Aditya Kanthy, who has previously led DDB Mudra Group and more recently the Omnicom Advertising Group in India, has been appointed MD and president of the new entity, working alongside chairman Prasoon Joshi.

In his first media interaction with afaqs! following the IPG integration, Kanthy outlines how leadership responsibilities are defined, the boundaries shaping the group’s strategy, and how the organisation is approaching client trust as competing brands increasingly coexist within the same holding company ecosystem.

Edited excerpts:

You’ve moved from being a sole leader to a co-leadership structure. Shared leadership can bring in ambiguity. What decisions today are unambiguously yours, and what are not?

All well-run companies are built on shared leadership teams. That’s been my experience through the Mudra group, DDB Mudra group, Omnicom Advertising Group, and now in its current avatar.

The current leadership team has been set up around clearly defined roles and strengths. There’s an Omnicom Advertising leadership team, teams at each of the agency levels, and we are all part of that collective.

For me specifically, I’m responsible for running the business. I’m responsible for the P&L. Prasoon, in his role as chairman of the company, is clear in what is expected of that role. Subbu’s role as chief strategy officer is clear, and Rohan Mehta's role as the head of digital integration is quite clear.

Each of us has our KPIs defined, and we’re clear about what we have to do individually and together as a team.

Post-merger conversations usually focus on scale. I’m more interested in subtraction. What is Omnicom Advertising India consciously not going to do for the next two years, even if it costs revenue?

There is clarity around what we want to invest in and what we want to focus on. If something doesn’t help us achieve that objective, then that is what you take out of the equation.

We’re very clear that we want to build the best, most respected agency brands, as Omnicom has always done. In this case, that’s DDB, Lintas, McCann, BBDO, Mudra, Ulka, Kinnect and 22feet Tribal. 

It’s a more analytical and strategic approach to what we will and will not do, rather than posturing about what we choose to do or not do.

Dentsu has positioned itself as a consultant-led, tech-heavy offering. WPP is pushing technology-driven marketing transformation. What is the one thing Omnicom refuses to pretend it is?

I don’t want to speak on behalf of our competitors, but I would urge you to look at the composition of the revenue and the nature of the work that we are competing for. Anything that involves the design or delivery of brands, demand generation at the premium end, or the overlap between brand and consumer experience is territory that companies like ours must compete for.

Whether that comes through a consulting-type approach or an implementation-type approach, we have historically been committed to long-term client partnerships and brand-led growth. The point of scale in a holding group is to be able to do that work through the line from strategy to execution. Omnicom is equipped to do that, and do it brilliantly.

With competing brands like McDonald’s, Domino’s and KFC now within the same holding company ecosystem, the real risk isn’t conflict, it’s perceived leakage. What firewalls are in place to protect client trust?

This is a conversation that marketers and holding groups have been having for 40 years. With holding group consolidation come advantages that help us invest in better work for our clients.

The assurances delivered to clients can take different forms: bespoke, fully devoted teams housed separately; separation by operating agency brands with their own leadership, culture and legal entities; or protections through geography, technology infrastructure and legal safeguards around data and confidentiality. These are tried and tested approaches, and we’re bringing all that experience into our conversations with clients.

We’re tackling this through transparency, openness and a proactive approach.

What has been harder than expected in integrating IPG into Omnicom India: clients, talent, or culture?

The first challenge is being clear about the strategy how Omnicom Advertising India needs to set itself up to compete. There’s a global playbook, and our local strategy has to mirror that to make the most of Omnicom’s global capabilities.

The second part is adapting for the Indian market; the retention of brands like Lintas, Mudra and Ulka, and the creation of a digital spine, which is a huge requirement for clients today. The 60 days after the acquisition closed were focused on communicating this clearly to all stakeholders and inspiring confidence that there would be continuity for both people and clients.

With legacy brands like Mudra and Lintas being retained, what changes tangibly for clients: separate P&Ls and leadership, or is this largely about internal morale?

It’s very much a client- and talent-out decision. Clients value these agencies. They value the teams and the leadership. Talent finds it exciting.

There’s enough growth in the Indian market and across categories to support the demand for the services and perspectives these agencies offer. They’re all solid, well-run brands with strong equities, and that helps us win both client and talent favour. That’s why they’re in the portfolio.