GroupM Chief Says Rival Eyes Media Buying Scale

Faced with the merger of its two biggest rivals, WPP’s media unit expressed doubts that its buying clout will be eclipsed.

Dominic Proctor, president of GroupM,  said in a statement that the merger announced by Publicis Groupe and Omnicom Sunday was “an interesting move,” but questioned whether it will be able to achieve its goals.

“They are making it clear that a primary motive for the merger is achieving scale in media buying. However, neither Omnicom nor Publicis was able to bring their investment teams together effectively as individual companies, so it will be fun to see if they can now do it together. Getting scale in media investment management is critical for clients, but it only works if it all joins up,” Proctor said.

“We welcome a competitor in this space. Media investment management relies heavily on scale, but scale counts for nothing if it continues to be disparate,” he added.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.