• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, July 31, 2013

In the days following the news of the merger of Omnicom and Publicis, much has been made over the consolidated media-buying clout of the new organization, and the fact that it will leapfrog from respective No. 2 and No. 3 rankings well past the industry’s current No. 1 media buyer, WPP. But as much as Publicis Omnicom will dominate the overall media marketplace, its concentration in the sweet spot of digital will be even more pronounced.

According to new estimates released to MAD by The DARD, a digital data spin-off of Paris-based RECMA, Publicis Omnicom will emerge with a 42% share of Madison Avenue’s digital media marketplace, making it half again larger than its next biggest competitor, WPP, which will remain the same with a 28% share of the digital marketplace.

The analysis is based on 2012 estimates for the digital agency marketplace, which previously had been a neck-and-neck race, according to David Lerault, director of The DARD. Prior to the merger, Publicis had a 26% share of digital to WPP’s 28%, and Omnicom had a 16% share (just behind Interpublic’s 17%, and ahead of Dentsu/Aegis’ % and Havas’ 5%.

“A 10-point difference already separated each category of players. Now the gap has increased,” Lerault noted, adding, “WPP will weight one third smaller than Publicis Omnicom Group.”