Aegis, WPP Dominate Digital Agency Ranks, Account For Half The Industry

by Gavin O'Malley and Les Luchter, Friday, Jun 22, 2007 6:00 AM ET

WITH A TEAM OF 1,400 people worldwide, London-based Aegis Group--and its Isobar network--is the ad industry's biggest interactive media services organization, according to estimates released Thursday by Paris-based agency billings researcher RECMA. Based on data published in RECMA's first-ever digital agency report, Aegis accounts for 28% of all the digital media personnel across the six holding companies (see below) and eight nations (RECMA measured eight countries for the worldwide figures--the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Australia and India.) surveyed. WPP's GroupM Interaction is the second-largest digital network holding company--with 1,224 digital staffers globally, or 25% of the total, RECMA said. In the U.S., however, GroupM has a larger presence, with 619 staffers versus Isobar's 595, followed by Publicis (453), Interpublic (365), Omnicom (320) and Havas (79). Aegis' digital edge over WPP is all the more impressive when considering the two agencies' total staffs: 2,175 worldwide for Aegis compared to 5,977 for WPP. Rounding out the top six holding companies are: Publicis Groupe Media with 897 digital staffers (18% of the total)--453 of whom reside in the states; Omnicom Media Group with 590 (12%) worldwide and 320 state-side; Interpublic, with 542 (11%) worldwide and 365 state-side; and Havas Media, with 344 (7%) worldwide, and 79 in the U.S. In terms of individual digital media networks, Aegis' Isobar is again tops worldwide (903 staffers), followed by Publicis' Zenith Optimedia (581), Aegis' Carat (497), WPP's MediaCom (421) and WPP's MEC Interaction (406). In the U.S., Carat is the top digital employer, with 304 staffers, followed by Isobar and Zenith Optimedia tied at 291, and then Interpublic's Initiative at 220. (See complete chart of 15 agencies below.) Overall, RECMA reported that 4,997 people work for digital agencies around the world, with about half of them--2,431, or 49%--in the U.S. RECMA--the "Research Company evaluating the Media Agency industry"--is a Paris-based independent research company established in 1991 with offices in France, the U.S., and Hong Kong. In January 2006, it met with the top managers of global interactive media agency networks. Information collected during these meetings and interviews formed the core of its new "Profiles of the Major Interactive MEDIA Agencies." In December 2006 and January 2007, RECMA met managers of several U.S. global media agency networks and presented a preliminary report. Interactive Media Agencies Ranked By Size Worldwide U.S. Ranked By Parent Company Aegis (Isobar) 1,400 595 WPP (GroupM Interaction) 1,224 619 Publicis Groupe Media 897 453 Omnicom Media Group 590 320 Interpublic (Media Units) 542 365 Havas Media 344 79 Ranked By Media Network Isobar 903 291 Zenith Optimedia 581 291 Carat 497 304 MediaCom 421 200 MEC Interaction 406 200 Media Contacts (MPG, Havas) 344 79 OMD Digital 323 150 Starcom 316 162 Initiative 273 220 MindShare Interaction 262 124 Universal McCann 200 90 Omnicom (OMG Direct, etc.) 185 135 GroupM (Outrider, M80, etc.) 135 95 PHD 82 35 Interpublic (Reprise, IDP, etc.) 69 55 *Total 4,997 2,431