In a strategic move within the Omnicom Group, Doremus+Co is being integrated into Merkley And Partners. While details remain somewhat unclear regarding the immediate impact on clients and staff, it’s understood that Doremus+Co’s brand and its specialized B2B capabilities will be maintained. However, the agency will now share resources with Merkley and Partners, encompassing areas such as human resources, accounting, and creative departments. Both Merkley and Partners and Omnicom representatives have declined to provide comments on this development. Doremus+Co has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Doremus+Co, with a history dating back to 1903 in New York, has established a global presence with offices spanning San Francisco, London, Frankfurt, Beijing, and Shanghai. Their client roster includes major names like T-Mobile, Intel, and Meta. Merkley and Partners, founded in 1993 and based in New York, boasts its own impressive client portfolio, featuring brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Bic, and White Castle. This full-service agency is now set to absorb some of the operational aspects of Doremus+Co.
This integration is part of a broader strategic restructuring announced by Omnicom during Q3. Earlier in the week, Omnicom unveiled the formation of the Omnicom Advertising Group. This new entity consolidates Omnicom’s prominent creative agencies—BBDO, DDB, and TBWA—alongside leading agencies from the Advertising Collective, which notably includes Goodby Silverstein & Partners, GSD&M, Merkley & Partners, and Zimmerman. The Omnicom Advertising Group will be under the leadership of Troy Ruhanen, former CEO of TBWA Worldwide.
John Wren, Chairman and CEO of Omnicom, stated that the Omnicom Advertising Group is designed to meet client demand for top-tier talent, innovation, and seamless creative service delivery worldwide. He emphasized that this structure aims to enhance service delivery while preserving the distinct cultures of each agency through shared investments and best practices.
Omnicom’s approach with the OAG structure differs from more radical consolidations seen in other holding companies, such as dentsu’s brand streamlining. Unlike some industry shifts, Omnicom is not moving away from individual agency brands. This contrasts with the trend of mergers like VMLY&R and VML, which saw the absorption of established brands like Y&R and J. Walter Thompson. As agency mergers become more frequent, the significance of individual agency brands may be diminishing, with marketers increasingly prioritizing agency capabilities over brand prestige.
Economic pressures are driving holding companies to seek efficiencies, often through consolidating agencies to achieve cost savings in support functions. This move by Omnicom, integrating Doremus+Co into Merkley and Partners, reflects this industry-wide trend towards greater operational efficiency in a challenging economic landscape.
