As hold cos restructure, BBDO reframes client relationships

"There are a lot of capability stories out there. There aren't a lot of stories or pictures about the client's experience. We're really trying to look at how we use client experiences as a true differentiator that we showcase."

"Part of that change comes a lot of scale, a lot of access to really great tools and technology. But for BBDO specifically was just a realization that, as you're scaling, there's sometimes such a strong focus on that scale and the tools and tech that the client and their experience maybe gets lost in the narrative."

"As the hold co model changes, and competition gets stiffer, clients are reassessing how they want to work with agency partners. It's not that the client experience has been forgotten, but in the push to scale, clients are getting lost in the shuffle."

Holding companies face an identity crisis due to mergers, acquisitions, whistleblowers, and generative AI implementation, leaving clients overwhelmed and uncertain. BBDO, backed by Omnicom, is repositioning itself by hiring Daale Carter as global chief experience officer to differentiate through client experience rather than just capability narratives. As the holding company model evolves and competition intensifies, clients reassess agency partnerships. Carter emphasizes that while client experience hasn't been forgotten, the industry's focus on scaling and technology has caused clients to be overlooked. This newly created role aims to showcase client experience as a true differentiator in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

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