Hi everyone. I’m an Adweek reporter working on a story about workplace culture and how employees are feeling ahead of the IPG–Omnicom merger expected to close this fall.

I’d love to hear from people currently at IPG or Omnicom agencies. Conversations can be totally anonymous/on background unless you’d like otherwise.

If you’re open to sharing, please DM me here or reach out on Signal at audreygkemp.75. Your perspective would be really valuable. Thank you.

likeuplifting
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It isn’t a merger. That’s Omnicom’s PR department talking. Call it what it is—a takeover of disastrous proportions. Pure and simple.

And as Omnicom history has proven time and again, Wren makes “Sir Martin” look like Sir Galahad.

likefunnysmartuplifting

Hey, thanks for your comment. I would really like to investigate this, hence the post. If you'd like to chat further, please reach out to me on Signal: @audreygkemp.75. Would love to learn more about the concerns of employees.

smart

We are all extremely unhappy by the blatant disregard and under-appreciation of their non-c-suite employees. Never mind the take over, they haven’t given us raises in 4 years… no performance evaluations since I started here (agency, then Omnicom Prod), until 2 weeks ago. But they won’t affect our compensation or tittles because it’s all been frozen and will remain frozen at least until next year. Shame on Wren and all his minions taking millions and making 300x the salary of their mid level employees. I like to think that if the job market wasn’t so atrocious we would all have left by now.

likehelpful

Can you please DM me on Signal? @audreygkemp.75. I'd love to talk to you and get the full picture of what's going on there.

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Recent IconRecent

If you’re calling it a merger and not an acquisition in the piece, you’re not going to get traction here. Krakowsky missed every pitch he was thrown.

likesmart

Hey, thanks for the distinction. I will make that clear in my story. I would love to hear your perspective. Please reach out on Signal @audreygkemp.75.

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Would be helpful to report on how IPG employees are feeling stripped of all their benefits (remote work, 401k, raises/promotions, unlimited pto, healthcare) without mention and we’re all supposed to live in fear that tomorrow could be the day we are fired. Not a great mentality.

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I can attest that this is 100% true!

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IPG staff here. The issue is, we have been told absolutely nothing in terms of practical next steps. We find things out by happenstance more than anything.

Like for example, our agency now sits on the same P+L as another similar IPG agency, and to all extents and purposes we've been merged, but the situation is not being couched like that.

In general moral is low and we fear the worse once Omnicom take us over properly.

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Thank you for your comment. Please reach out via Signal @audreygkemp.75. Would love to learn more. Thanks.

Omnicom has mandated their agencies to offshore or lay off 50% of non client billable staff. Already seeing impacts at my agency.
Due to decreased benefits, stagnant or subpar wage growth, and people doing more work for the same pay/title there’s been people leaving in droves.

likehelpful

I know its a bit late ofshore is not bad untill tou offshore to right people. Challenge is on central level they compare just fte not pay for outcomes. Therefore we struggle with hughe cultural and (sorry to say) capability differencies between US/UE versus Libanon or India. Our assitants are capable to do more than India manager (sorry but reallity) so some of us struggle to delivere with less hands leaving neccesity offshore people doing almoust nothing (so they cant do too many mistakes). Unfortunately Lebanon or India people always say they are capable doing something whereas they dont if it goes beyond the script they have

I’d hope someone who is supposed to be a reporter on the topic would be educated enough to know that this is an acquisition and not a merger…

likefunny

Please reach out via Signal @audreygkemp.75. I'd like to get the language correct; I was using those terms interchangeably.

I’m former IPG (victim of trash client management) and can confirm, this is a semi-hostile acquisition.

Anyone who works in any type of IPG agency Omnicom already has more than one of best be updating their CVs.

That’s XM, pharma, purpose-built competitive agencies, and digital.

Pretty much anyone except McCann really

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Hey, thanks for the info. Please reach out to me on Signal @audreygkemp.75. Let's chat.

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Let me know when you want to talk about the collapse of Dentsu.

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Please reach out to me on Signal @audreygkemp.75. Let's unpack it together.

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I have stories to tell

likehelpful

Please reach out via Signal @audreygkemp.75. Would love to learn more!

It says you’re not available for chatting

likehelpful

Please reach out via Signal @audreygkemp.75. Would love to learn more about this 401k match and other concerns of employees!

Where do we start?! Every single thing is being scrimped on from shitty health insurance dropping GLP-1 coverage to 401k contributions that are embarrassing to mass layoffs to temporarily improve the p&l so everyone is overworked and underpaid and fucking miserable. And they’re encouraging us to use AI to fix everything.

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I hope Omnicom leadership realizes that they can’t trust IPG leadership. Philippe has sat like a knot on a log for years allowing little to no accountability, now he’s sitting like a knot on a long waiting for an insane payout while others fear job loss.

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I warned them not to believe a word he said! Tries to be charming but one slimy liar!

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It’s an acquisition C+/Leadership are not being transparent of what is happening which is making everyone distrustful of what is to come. All of them are acting like they have no clue what is going on. Luckily we have media that has been clear that they want to wipe out $750M and are investing in AI. That means probably 30% of the workers will be laid off, if not more by next year this time. To answer your question the only ones who are excited are the ones who have secured their positions and doubled or tripled their salaries.

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Has this article run yet?

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I wasn’t a believer before, but your article restored a ton of faith i lost in adweek. Might be hard to hear but your pub lost a ton of shine over the last ten years. You should feel good going into 2026. Only renewing my subscription because of that Omnicom article.

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