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

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

Source: RECMA Major Interactive Media Agencies report. *Based on digital media staffing in eight countries: U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Australia, India.

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