• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, May 29, 2019

With billings estimated at $18.5 billion, and an industry market share of 7.1%, Omnicom’s OMD is 2018’s top-ranked global media agency network, according to a new report and rankings from agency tracker COMvergence. 

GroupM’s Mindshare placed second with $17.2 billion and Dentsu Aegis Network’s Carat ranks third with $15 billion. Rounding out the top five are MediaCom ($13.4 billion) and Wavemaker ($12.9 billion). 

At the group level, WPP’s GroupM is the global leader with $48.4 billion in global billings and a 17.6% industry market share, followed by Omnicom Media Group with $33.1 billion and a 12.1% share. Publicis Media was third with $32.7 billion and an 11.9% share. Dentsu’s DAN was fourth ($22.9 billion, 14.1% share); Interpublic’s Mediabrands was fifth ($16.5 billion, 10.2% share), and Havas Media Group was sixth ($8.3 billion, 5.2% share.) 

COMvergence estimates that media agencies and networks owned by the top-six holding company groups maintained a 59% share of global media spending last year, estimated at $275 billion (across 33 key markets representing 92% of the global market covered by COMvergence). 

The remaining 41% is handled by independent agencies or in-house by the advertisers.

The global media estimate of $275 billion breaks down per region as follows: North America (44%); EMEA (27%); APAC (26%); Latin America (3%). 

In terms of year-over-year growth rates, Essence, Vizeum, dentsu X and Initiative posted double-digit percentage gains while Blue 449 (Publicis Media) along with Arena Media (Havas Media Group), Mindshare and Wavemaker (GroupM) posted declines.  At the group level, Mediabrands and Dentsu Aegis Network posted the strongest market share growth at 7.2% and 5.9% respectively. GroupM is the only group among the top six to record a slight decline. 

In the US, OMD was top-ranked with $7.9 billion in billings and 6.9% market share. Independent Horizon Media is a close second in the U.S. with $7.5 billion and a 6.5% share of spending. Carat was third with $6.7 billion and a 5.8% share. 

Rounding out the top 5 are Spark Foundry ($6.1 billion) and Mindshare ($5.5 billion). 

At a group level in the US Publicis Media leads the race with $17.5 billion and a 15.2% share and operating five agencies: Blue 449, Spark Foundry, Starcom, Zenith, and Connect@PM (handling Molson Coors). 

OMG is second with $15.7 billion and a 13.7% share and operating three agencies: Hearts & Science, OMD and PHD. GroupM ( m/SIX, Essence, MediaCom, Mindshare, Wavemaker, and Team Nestlé/OpenMind) is in third with $15.1 billion and a 13.1% share . Dentsu Aegis Network and Mediabrands are tied for fourth place.