Omnicom's 'fewer middlemen' push is reaching publishers - just not their P&Ls

Omnicom buyers within the holding group are being encouraged to send more advertising spend directly to publishers instead of routing it through multiple layers of ad tech. Agency messaging has become more candid about steering away from parts of the ad-tech chain, and buyers are also signaling that using publisher-owned ad tech satisfies a key strategic goal. This approach is being communicated across both sides of the Atlantic, with more emphasis on direct paths to publisher inventory and fewer intermediaries. Publishers, however, are not convinced that the rhetoric will materially change where money goes, viewing holding-group commitments as politically convenient rather than budget-moving. Agencies face incentives to publicly support publisher-owned ad tech, while the amount of budget that follows remains the harder question.

"Buyers within the Omnicom holding group are being "heavily encouraged" to route more spend directly to publishers, rather than through layers of ad tech, according to two supply-side sources with knowledge of the situation."

"What has changed, according to an exec, is the candor: they had "never heard an agency so openly admit" it is actively steering away from parts of the ad tech chain, before."

"Omnicom buyers are also indicating that working with ad tech owned by a publisher "ticks a really big box" as they reassess which partners fit that strategy, said the exec."

""In all this noise about AI and supply-path clean-up, holding groups still need to be seen to back journalism and publisher initiatives," said one exec. "No agency wants to be the one saying they don't support publisher-owned ad tech. So rhetorically, it's a no-brainer - you say you'll back it. The harder question is how much budget actually follows that rhetoric.""

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