Updated for 2026 · Company Filings
What Are the Big 5 Marketing Agencies?
The big 5 marketing agency holding companies in 2026 are Omnicom (now including Interpublic), WPP, Publicis Groupe, Dentsu, and Havas.
Most pages answering this still list six, with Interpublic separate. That ended on November 26, 2025, when Omnicom completed its acquisition of IPG. Below: the five as they stand, what each reported for 2025 from its own results release or named trade press, and — because most people asking are small-business owners — why none of it has anything to do with hiring marketing help for a local business.
The big 5 in 2026, with their 2025 results
| Holding company | Headquarters | 2025 result (as reported) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omnicom (incl. Interpublic from Nov 26, 2025) | New York, US | Revenue $17.3 billion | Omnicom results release, Feb 18, 2026 |
| WPP | London, UK | Revenue £13.55 billion; £10.18 billion less pass-through costs | WPP preliminary results, Feb 26, 2026 |
| Publicis Groupe | Paris, France | Revenue €17.4 billion; net revenue €14.5 billion | MediaPost, Feb 3, 2026 |
| Dentsu | Tokyo, Japan | Net revenue ¥1,197.5 billion | Investing.com on Dentsu FY2025 slides, Feb 13, 2026 |
| Havas | Paris, France | Net revenue €2.78 billion | MediaPost, Feb 17, 2026 |
Merger source: Omnicom’s completion announcement (November 26, 2025). The companies report revenue on different bases — gross, net, “less pass-through costs” — so don’t read the column as a strict ranking. Publicis and Omnicom are the two at the top on most measures.
What are the big 5 marketing companies — and what do they actually do?
Each is a holding company that owns dozens of agency brands. The names you’ve heard in the news — BBDO and McCann (Omnicom), Ogilvy (WPP), Leo Burnett and Saatchi & Saatchi (Publicis) — are subsidiaries. They buy media at national scale, run brand campaigns for consumer products, automakers, banks, and pharmaceutical companies, and sell data and technology services on top. Their customer is a chief marketing officer with a budget measured in millions.
Why none of this applies to a small business
Because the economics don’t scale down. Even ordinary agencies — nowhere near the big 5 — charge retainers of $5,000–$50,000 a month in Clutch’s pricing data across 106,043 agencies, because you’re paying for skilled hours. A business that needs its phone to ring for a few hundred dollars a month is not a customer these firms are built to serve, and it would be a poor fit in the other direction too: local visibility is won on a Google Business Profile, reviews, a plain website, and being named by Google’s AI and ChatGPT — none of which needs a media-buying department.
For the rest of us
What a small business should hire instead
Something flat-priced and aimed at one outcome: being found and recommended when a customer searches or asks an AI who to hire. The complete AI Websiteis $297 a month — the site, Holland the 24/7 AI receptionist, booking, reviews, listings, and the visibility work — and Get Recommended alone is $97 a month flat. Judge us, or anyone, the way a CMO judges a holding company: what did you do, can I see it, when should I expect results. Our agency checklist is the five questions.
The only agency question that matters locally: are you recommended?
Free audit: whether Google’s AI and ChatGPT name your business when customers ask who to hire. No signup.
The Big 5 Agencies — FAQ
What are the big 5 marketing agencies?▾
In 2026 the five largest marketing agency holding companies are Omnicom, WPP, Publicis Groupe, Dentsu, and Havas. Until late 2025 the list was usually the 'big 6' with Interpublic (IPG) separate; Omnicom completed its acquisition of Interpublic on November 26, 2025, so IPG's agencies now sit inside Omnicom. Each holding company owns dozens of agency brands — the names you've heard of (BBDO, Ogilvy, Leo Burnett, McCann) are subsidiaries.
What are the big 5 marketing companies, by size?▾
From their 2025 results: Omnicom reported $17.3 billion in revenue (including IPG only from November 26); WPP reported £13.55 billion in revenue (£10.18 billion after pass-through costs); Publicis Groupe reported €17.4 billion in revenue (€14.5 billion net); Dentsu reported net revenue of ¥1,197.5 billion; Havas reported net revenue of €2.78 billion. Different companies report different revenue definitions, so the ranking shifts depending on which line you compare — Publicis and Omnicom are the two at the top on most measures.
Is Interpublic (IPG) still one of the big agencies?▾
Not as a separate company. Omnicom completed its acquisition of Interpublic on November 26, 2025, with IPG shareholders receiving 0.344 Omnicom shares per IPG share. The combined company is the largest advertising holding company by most measures. IPG's agency brands continue to operate, but they report inside Omnicom now.
Can a small business hire one of the big 5 agencies?▾
Technically, but it wouldn't make sense for either side. These companies are built for national and global brands with marketing budgets in the millions. Even ordinary mid-size agencies — not the big 5 — charge retainers of $5,000-$50,000 a month in Clutch's pricing data across 106,043 agencies. A business that needs the phone to ring for a few hundred dollars a month is not the customer the holding companies are organized to serve, and their smallest engagement would dwarf most small-business marketing budgets.
What should a small business use instead of a big agency?▾
Something flat-priced and built around the one outcome that matters locally: being found and recommended when a customer searches or asks Google's AI or ChatGPT who to hire. Our complete AI Website is $297 a month — site, 24/7 AI receptionist, booking, reviews, listings, and the visibility work — and Get Recommended alone is $97 a month flat. Whoever you pick, judge them the way you'd judge a big agency: what did you do, can I see it, and when should I expect results.
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