WPP, the world’s largest advertising holding company, is also the world’s – and Asia’s – most effective, according to a ranking unveiled by global effectiveness awards show the Effies.
The owner of agencies Ogilvy, GroupM, J. Walter Thompson and Y&R holds on to a top three that stays unchanged on last year, with Omnicom in second followed by Interpublic Group. Dentsu is the only Asia-based holding company in the top five.
WPP also topped the table for Effies wins worldwide, with the only difference to the APAC rankings being Havas replacing Dentsu.
WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell said of winning the rankings: “Some people talk about the importance of effectiveness to the marketing services industry. That’s like saying goals are important to football, or speed is important to Formula One. It’s not merely important – it’s the point of what we do.”
“Strategy, data, insights and, of course, outstanding creativity are the ingredients WPP agencies use to deliver their mission: results for clients. Or, to put it another way, creative effectiveness,” he said.
- Ogilvy was the biggest agency network winner by a big margin in APAC, followed by BBDO and Lowe.
- OMD was the top placed media agency in the APAC network rankings. All of the top ten were ad agencies.
- The highest placed Asia-headquartered network was Korea’s Cheil.
- BBDO topped the global agency network Effies rankings for the second year in succession. McCann moved above Ogilvy into second.
- Of the biggest winning networks at the Effies globally, the top five are ad agencies and OMD was the only one Media agency of the top 10.
- India is Asia’s engine room for effectiveness awards, with Lowe Lintas and Ogilvy leading the rankings for individual agency offices, with McCann New Delhi also in the top ten.
- Of the top 24 most Effie-awarded agencies in the world, seven are from APAC; three from India and New Zealand, and one from Australia and China. The most effective agency in the world is Sancho BBDO from Colombia.
- China is the most well represented Asian country in the global ranking for indies, but New Zealand’s Barnes, Catmur & Friends is the region’s highest ranked independent.
- China also dominates the indies ranking for APAC, but New Zealand, Australia, Korea and India also feature.
- Coke leads the rankings for effective brands in Asia, followed by Baidu and McDonald’s.
- Again Coke is way out in front for the global brand rankings.
This year’s rankings were compiled using Effie Award finalists and winners announced between 1 January and 31 December 2014.
