Inside OMD's Reorganization

The Omnicom media shop focuses on client teams and new initiatives to spur innovation
"Clients want more dedicated people and more senior people on their business and that's what we're giving them," said Thompson. "They don't want a bunch of bodies running around that they don't know."And there may be fewer bodies around the agency in the future, Thompson said. The reorganization is designed in part to trim a layer of mid-level account staffers who spend too much time doing clerical work (like resolving time-buy discrepancies) and not enough time focused on client strategy, said Thompson.

Two initiatives will help reduce the bulge. The first is a budget management unit that completes the bulk of the shop's ad spending reconciliation tasks and gathers cost data for client campaigns. The second is an intense two-year "up or out" trainee program focused on key disciplines such as strategy, business intelligence, media buying and digital services. Client teams will have a dedicated specialist in each of those areas.

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