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BREAKING: Lodestar UM wins Amazon Music mandate amid Omnicom–IPG merger | What’s next for India’s Big Six agencies?
Storyboard18 brings you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands.
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We bring you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands.
Breaking: Lodestar UM wins Amazon Music mandate amid Omnicom–IPG merger
IPG’s Lodestar UM has quietly secured the integrated media mandate for Amazon Music in India, marking a significant account shift at a time when the Omnicom–IPG mega-merger has created uncertainty around the future leadership of both networks in the country. The win is valued at over ₹125 crore, according to people familiar with the development.
The larger Amazon portfolio in India continues to sit with WPP’s media agencies, which have historically overseen the account. However, Amazon Music’s decision to move its business to Lodestar UM is being read as a notable break in the long-standing arrangement.
Omnicom–IPG deal: India leaders to watch
The Omnicom–Interpublic Group (IPG) merger, the largest consolidation in the history of global advertising, has ignited one of the biggest leadership shakeups the Indian ad industry has ever seen. With both holding companies operating some of the country’s strongest creative and media networks, the combined entity now faces intense pressure to rationalise operations, cut overlaps, and streamline leadership.
India is expected to emerge as one of the most strategically significant markets for the merged giant, given its double-digit ad-spend growth forecast for 2026, massive consumer base, and the region’s escalating digital and retail-media battle.
After the Mega-Merger: What fate awaits India’s Big Six Agencies- BBDO, TBWA, DDB, McCann, FCB and MullenLowe
With $750 million in cost synergies driving aggressive restructuring, the merged global giant places DDB Mudra, BBDO India, TBWA India, McCann Worldgroup India, FCB Group India and MullenLowe Lintas Group under intense scrutiny. Leadership stability, or the lack of it, may determine which agencies are protected and which risk consolidation.
Elon Musk accuses Meta of leniency after court filings reveal 17-strike threshold on trafficking violations
Elon Musk has criticised Meta following the release of newly unsealed court documents that point to a stark disparity in how Instagram and Facebook allegedly enforced their safety policies. Responding on X, Musk drew attention to assertions in the filings that accounts linked to sex-trafficking-related violations were allowed to accumulate as many as 17 strikes before removal, while infractions such as misgendering a transgender person could result in immediate suspension.
UpGrad appoints former G20 sherpa Amitabh Kant to Board ahead of potential IPO
UpGrad, the higher-education and upskilling company led by Ronnie Screwvala, has named Amitabh Kant, India's former G20 Sherpa, as an independent non-executive director on its board. Kant's appointment aligns with UpGrad's accelerated global expansion strategy and its preparation for a potential public listing within the next 18 months.
The Mumbai-based firm has broadened its global reach over the last two years, serving enterprise clients across the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the US, and forging partnerships with universities in the UK, Australia, Europe, and North America.
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