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Large advertisers increasingly choose their agencies 2026 based on data access, operational integration and concrete proof of performance. The latest confirmation comes from Coca-Cola: on 22 October 2026 the company completed a review of its global marketing model and distributed media responsibilities between WPP, Omnicom and Dentsu. For German brands, what matters less is who wins an individual budget than what they themselves need to control – and what an agency can really deliver.
Coca-Cola distributes responsibilities instead of re-tendering everything
According to Coca-Cola's official announcement, WPP Open X remains the global media partner – excluding North America, Japan and South Korea. Omnicom takes over North America, while Dentsu looks after Japan and South Korea. WPP also remains the global creative partner. Coca-Cola cites integrated data, CRM, loyalty and creator capabilities as the reasons for the new model.
This is not a general departure from the agency network but a differentiated split. Our report on the award of the Coca-Cola North America account already covers the specific partners. For other advertisers, the underlying organisational question is more interesting: who is responsible for audience knowledge, customer data, and the decisions between media, creative and commerce?
Financial figures show size, not automatically better performance
The large holding groups are expanding their data and AI offerings. Publicis reported on 13 October for the third quarter 5,0 percent organic net revenue growth. The group describes Connected Media as an important growth driver. Omnicom reported on 22 October 7,2 percent organic growth of its defined Core Operations as well as a savings target of 900 million US dollars for 2026 following the IPG acquisition.
These percentages are not directly comparable: they rest on different revenue definitions and company boundaries. Nor do they prove a better ROAS for an individual client or a causal AI effect. The background is covered in our analyses of Publicis' Q3 figures and the restructuring of Omnicom.
Before the pitch: four questions that really make a difference
Ownership of data and accounts. Who legally and practically owns ads accounts, pixels, conversion APIs, CRM segments and analytics histories? Changing service providers must not mean the brand loses its measurement foundation.
Comparable performance tests. Instead of judging presentations alone, agencies can work through an identical media brief on anonymised data: budget allocation, measurement plan, creative test and a crisis scenario. The consultancy Ebiquity2022 has recommended short real-world work tests instead of ever-longer pitch rounds since .
Conflicts of interest and transparency. When a few groups serve more and more brands, competitive separation, data firewalls and access rights must be set out contractually. Purchasing terms, technology fees and possible reseller markups should also be disclosed. Which costs can get lost in this is shown in our overview of DSP and reseller fees.
Incremental impact instead of attractive dashboards. The selection should define how additional sales, new customers and brand effect are measured – including control groups, tracking gaps and responsibilities for audits.
Does this mean the classic agency pitch is dead?
No. Digiday reported from the market on 23 October that advertisers are increasingly choosing between a narrow pitch, an open competition and extending existing contracts. However, such statements are based on interviews and company comments, not on a representative global count of all pitches. A wider competition can still make sense when market prices or alternative capabilities first need to be established.
For German mid-sized businesses, the benchmark does not have to be a global holding model: what matters is a brief that defines data ownership, services, costs and robust success criteria so clearly that both two agencies and a larger process can be compared fairly.
Sources: Coca-Cola, 22.10.2026 · Omnicom, Q3 2026 · Publicis, Q3 2026 · Ebiquity, agency selection · Digiday, 23.10.2026.
Image: Stock photo by Memento Media / Unsplash.