Wunderman executives came to dominate the merged organization in what many now call a takeover
Some say these changes have destroyed decades of value overnight by making agencies indistinguishable from one another; others say that CMOs don't care which agencies they work with as long as they get the best talent, though P&G's Marc PritchardWPP is combining two more agencies in another sign of consolidation at the world's biggest ad holding company
The decision was made to put Wunderman first to emphasize the focus on digital marketing, followed by "Thompson," which many employees used as an internal nickname for JWT. Read had been global CEO of Wunderman before running WPP, and some insiders said his familiarity with that agency led him to favor it over JWT.
J. Walter Thompson may not have survived changes in consumer behavior and the rise of digital platformsJean Christophe Mangenet/AFP via Getty Images But the rise of digital platforms might have led to the agency's demise anyway, since creative on its own is no longer a big moneymaker for the holding companies.