Omnicom Group Forms Greater China Business Unit

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Jun 17, 2011, 12:01 ET

NEW YORK, BEIJING and SINGAPORE, June 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Omnicom Group Inc.(NYSE: OMC), a global leader in advertising and marketing services, has formed Omnicom Greater China, a new business unit with executive headquarters in Beijing.

Establishing a dedicated business unit for Greater China will support the group's rapidly expanding interests in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, where it operates more than 40 agencies in 30 locations, with coverage in more than 130 cities.

"This move reflects the region's strategic importance to Omnicom as our client base in Greater China continues its rapid expansion," said Omnicom CEO John Wren. Leading the new unit will be 30-year China veteran Serge Dumont, who has been named Vice Chairman of Omnicom Group, reporting to Mr. Wren.

"We are fortunate to have such an experienced professional as Serge taking on this important strategic focus. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with Serge on behalf of our people and clients," said Tim Love, Vice Chairman of Omnicom Group and CEO of Omnicom Group APIMA (Asia Pacific, India, Middle East, Africa).

"Omnicom's Greater China business has grown dramatically in recent years and the holding company now has companies in China representing every major marketing and communications discipline, including advertising, media buying and planning, public relations, customer relationship management, field marketing, and other specialty communications. Having a dedicated Greater China business structure will enhance our ability to help Chinese and multinational clients maximize global marketing and brand-building opportunities," Mr. Dumont said.

Four of Omnicom's global agency brands in Greater China already have their management organized on a regional basis. Such customized collaboration — delivering consistent brand messaging in a way that is transparent to the client — is a hallmark of Omnicom companies around the world.

Wren added, "Both the formal and informal collaboration mechanisms of Omnicom companies have become critical points of competitive differentiation for us. Other differentiators have been Omnicom's commitment to talent, education and digital, all of which Omnicom's new structure in Greater China will further enhance. Beyond an increased focus on acquisitions in digital, Omnicom is extending digital training to ensure that employees keep pace with the technological changes that are reshaping our industry. This investment in our people is consistent with a wider digital strategy, and it is one reason for our growth in Greater China."

About Omnicom Group

Omnicom's agencies in Greater China and the Asia Pacific region have been widely recognized for their creativity. Most recently, Marketing named DDB Singapore Agency of the year. In late 2010 Omnicom agencies picked up top honors in Campaign's Asia Pacific awards, including three region-wide Network of the Year titles. In Greater China, DDB China Group Shanghai was recognized as Creative Agency of the Year; Tribal DDB Shanghai won Digital Agency Network of the Year; and PHD Shanghai was awarded Media Agency of the Year. In addition, Campaign Asia named Omnicom the region's top-performing holding company, an award that tracks agency performance across all marketing disciplines and geographies. Also In 2010, China won its second Gold Lion award at the Cannes International Advertising Festival for work done by DDB on behalf of the China Environmental Protection Foundation. This followed TBWA's 2008 work with Adidas, which earned the first Gold Lion award given to an agency in China.

Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

SOURCE Omnicom Group Inc.