CCCS Clears Proposed Acquisition of Interpublic Group of Companies by Omnicom Group Inc.

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1. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (“CCCS”) has cleared the proposed acquisition of Interpublic Group of Companies (“IPG”) by Omnicom Group Inc. (“Omnicom”) (collectively, the “Parties”) (the “Proposed Transaction”).^[1]

2. CCCS has assessed that the Proposed Transaction, if carried into effect, will not infringe the section 54 prohibition of the Competition Act 2004 (the “Act”), which prohibits mergers that may substantially lessen competition within any market in Singapore.

Background

3. The Parties specialise in advertising, media planning and communications services, operating worldwide including in Singapore.

4. On 18 March 2025, CCCS began reviewing the Parties’ application for a decision on whether the Proposed Transaction would infringe section 54 of the Act. CCCS conducted a public consultation from 20 March 2025 to 3 April 2025 and sought feedback from various stakeholders, including competitors and customers of the Parties. Respondents generally did not raise concerns.

CCCS’s Assessment

5. In Singapore, the Parties overlap in the supply of marketing communications services (“MCS”)^[2], media buying services (“MBS”) ^[3] and the procurement of MBS.

6. Following CCCS’s assessment of the Parties’ submissions and third party feedback, CCCS has concluded that the Proposed Transaction is unlikely to substantially lessen competition in Singapore in relation to the supply of MCS or MBS, or the procurement for MBS. These markets remain competitive in view of the following:

a) There are many alternative suppliers for MCS and MBS in Singapore, and customers can easily switch between suppliers for such services which can be bespoke.

b) Any increase in the Parties’ market power regarding MBS procurement in Singapore following the Proposed Transaction, would likely be constrained by media owners across both traditional channels (e.g. television and radio) and digital media platforms.

7. Further information on the notification and CCCS’s Grounds of Decision will be made available in due course on CCCS’s Public Register at http://www.cccs.gov.sg.

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About the Competition & Consumer Commission of Singapore 

The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (“CCCS”) is a statutory board of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. CCCS administers and enforces the Competition Act 2004 which empowers CCCS to investigate and adjudicate anti-competitive activities, issue directions to stop or prevent anti-competitive activities and impose financial penalties. CCCS is also the administering agency of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003 (“CPFTA”) which protects consumers against unfair trade practices in Singapore. Our mission is to make markets work well to create opportunities and choices for businesses and consumers in Singapore. 

For more information, please visit www.cccs.gov.sg.

^[1] The Proposed Transaction will be executed through Omnicom’s purchase of IPG’s shares.

^[2] MCS focus on creating and delivering messages that resonate with a target audience through various media channels. Examples of MCS are advertising, insight and consultancy, public relations, and brand identity and design.

^[3] MBS encompass the planning and purchasing of advertising space and time across various media channels, for example, print, digital, and outdoor platforms, to ensure advertisements reach their intended audiences.