Credit: Juliana Kozoski via Unsplash
The global media agency market grew 6.2% in 2024, up from 5.8% in 2023, according to RECMA’s latest Overall Activity report.
The report, which assesses the market activity of the ‘Big 6’, found growth has largely been driven by non-traditional activity, including digital, data and analytics and content, which rose 9.9% year-on-year.
Traditional media billings grew by just 1.6%.
Non-traditional services now account for 58% of total agency activity on average, up two percentage points from 2023.
The level of diversification varies by market, ranging from 47% in Mexico to 82% in China.
All major Western European markets are now above 50%.
Markets recording above-average growth include Canada, Mexico, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Poland and India.
WPP Media maintained the top position by group with a 25.4% market share, down 0.5 points.
Publicis Media followed with 22.5% (+1.3 points), while Omnicom Media Group trailed closely behind. RECMA notes that the merged Omnicom–IPG entity, once finalised, would be the dominant global holding.
Publicis Media also led all groups in cumulative growth since 2021, up 35%, ahead of IPG Mediabrands (+30%), Havas Media Network (+26%) and OMG (+25%).
Among agency networks, OMD retained its position as the largest globally, ahead of EssenceMediacom.
OMD recorded stronger growth than its immediate competitors, while EssenceMediacom posted a negative growth rate attributed to back-to-back negative new business balances in 2023 and 2024.
Spark Foundry delivered the highest annual growth in 2024 (+16.5%), benefiting from late 2023 wins including Kimberly-Clark and Lowe’s.
Hearts & Science and Zenith topped the three-year growth ranking since 2021 at +38%, with Spark Foundry close behind at +37%.
While RECMA noted that new business accounted for a modest share of overall agency performance compared to organic growth, certain networks saw significant effects.
OMG agencies, including PHD and OMD, recorded strong performance driven by recent wins.
PHD added Uber and Bimbo globally in late 2023, and Junlebao in China this year. While OMD secured Beiersdorf globally and Gap in the US.
Spark Foundry’s new business wins represented around 10% of its 2023 billings, accounting for nearly two-thirds of its 2024 growth.
EssenceMediacom was negatively impacted by the loss of Shell and Uber in late 2023, while Initiative was affected by the departures of Lego and Carlsberg. IPG’s loss of Amazon is not reflected in this year’s report, as the account shift is only effective from 2025.
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