Omnicom Named a Leader in Commerce Services by Independent Research Firm
Rhea-AI Summary
Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) was named a Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Commerce Services, Q1 2026. The firm received top scores in 18 of 23 criteria, citing strengths in AI-powered commerce, retail media, CRM, data and analytics, and global delivery.
Acquisitions of Flywheel and Interpublic (Acxiom Real ID™) underpin >$10 billion retail media under management and 2.6 billion verified global IDs.
Positive
- Leader designation in Forrester Wave: Commerce Services Q1 2026
- $10+ billion of retail media under management via Flywheel
- 2.6 billion verified global IDs from Acxiom Real ID
- Omni AI platform integrates commerce signals and identity
Negative
- None.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
OMC gained 2.57% while peers were mixed: TTD -2.29%, IPG -0.36%, APP +7.00%, WPP +1.08%, QMMM +19.44%, indicating a stock-specific reaction rather than a uniform sector move.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 11 | Earnings call schedule | Neutral | -5.1% | Announced timing for Q4 and full-year 2025 results and conference call. |
| Jan 29 | Leadership appointment | Positive | -1.0% | Named new Global President of Credera to drive AI-enabled transformation. |
| Jan 07 | AI platform launch | Positive | -2.6% | Unveiled next-gen Omni AI platform integrating Omnicom and Interpublic assets. |
| Jan 06 | Corporate obituary | Neutral | +1.6% | Announced passing of former McCann and IPG leader John J. Dooner Jr. |
| Jan 05 | Brand study release | Neutral | -3.6% | Released research on new rules of brand growth amid fragmented influence. |
Recent strategically positive announcements have often been followed by negative next-day price reactions, indicating a tendency for the stock to sell off or fade on good news.
Over the past months, Omnicom released several strategically significant updates. An earnings release and call scheduled for Feb 18, 2026 preceded a -5.12% move. Leadership and AI-platform announcements in January, including the launch of Omni with 2.6B IDs and $73.5B buying power, saw next-day drops of -1.01% and -2.57%. A major media study on fragmented influence also coincided with a -3.65% reaction. Today’s positive third‑party recognition fits into this pattern of strong strategic news versus often muted or negative price follow‑through.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement highlights Omnicom’s recognition as a Leader in Forrester’s commerce services evaluation, earning top scores in 18 of 23 criteria and showcasing more than $10 billion of retail media under management. The news underscores the strategic importance of Flywheel and Acxiom assets, including 2.6B verified global IDs. Investors may track how this positioning influences upcoming earnings, client wins, and adoption of its Omni platform across retail media and connected commerce initiatives.
Key Terms
retail media financial
crm technical
loyalty program technical
direct-to-consumer (dtc) financial
deferred compensation financial
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Within Forrester's 23-point evaluation, Omnicom received the highest scores possible in 18 criteria, including B2C commerce strategy development process; vision; innovation; AI-powered commerce strategy, technology, and ops; retail media activation, buy, and run; awards in creativity; digital shelf, data, and analytics; CRM and loyalty program design; physical store merchandising; partner ecosystem; pricing flexibility and transparency; and global delivery strategy.
This recognition follows Omnicom's 2024 acquisition of Flywheel Digital, a global leader in digital commerce. The addition of Flywheel established Omnicom as one of the world's largest buyers of retail media, with more than
In November 2025, Omnicom strengthened its elite data foundation through its acquisition of Interpublic. The transaction provided access to Acxiom Real ID™, the largest and most ethically sourced identity in the industry spanning 2.6 billion verified global IDs. Omnicom further enhances this identity with trillions of media, content, cultural, and commerce signals – including those from Flywheel Commerce Cloud – as well as the industry's most advanced ID-less solutions. Combined, its data and identity provide the most comprehensive, high-fidelity view of consumers and their behavior worldwide.
Omnicom's commerce offering is powered by Omni, its AI-driven marketing intelligence platform. Built on Acxiom Real ID™, enriched with real-time commerce signals from Flywheel Commerce Cloud, and strengthened by cross-platform identity intelligence, Omni gives teams a reliable, shared view of consumers and performance. With a consistent source of truth from planning through performance, teams can make sharper strategic decisions.
Omnicom's leadership in connected commerce is bolstered by its deep in-store retail capabilities and the commerce technology leadership of Credera, its digital transformation consultancy. Together, these capabilities position Omnicom as a commerce powerhouse that helps clients accelerate into the rapidly expanding digital commerce and retail media sectors.
The Forrester evaluation noted that Omnicom's "vision of connected commerce differentiates by spanning both demand and loyalty across physical stores, online marketplaces, and direct-to-consumer (DTC) experiences. Co-innovation with partners like Adobe and Salesforce is at scale within a broad partner network, including with retail partners like Amazon, TikTok Shop, and Walmart."
"Our ranking in this Forrester Wave™ confirms Omnicom's leadership in commerce services," said John Wren, Chairman and CEO of Omnicom. "With the integration of Flywheel and Acxiom into our commerce capabilities, we've built the industry's most powerful intelligence engine that will help our clients transform every consumer touchpoint into a driver of measurable sales growth."
"Omnicom offers outstanding commerce strategy development and execution in most facets of commerce, including physical point-of-sale solutions, CRM and loyalty programs, retail media, and commerce organization design," the report continues. "Customers praise Omnicom's ability to perform as a single agency, giving them access to a large talent pool. They acknowledge it's unlikely they will encounter a challenge Omnicom hasn't already tackled."
To learn more, read the full report: The Forrester Wave™: Commerce Services, Q1 2026.
Forrester does not endorse any company, product, brand, or service included in its research publications and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any company or brand based on the ratings included in such publications. Information is based on the best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. For more information, read about Forrester's objectivity here.
About Omnicom
Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) is the world's leading marketing and sales company, built for intelligent growth in the next era. Powered by Omni, Omnicom's Connected Capabilities unite the company's world‑class agency brands, exceptional talent, and deep domain expertise across media, commerce, consulting, precision marketing, advertising, production, health, public relations, branding, and experiential to address clients' most critical growth priorities. For more information, visit www.omc.com.
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SOURCE Omnicom Group Inc.
FAQ
Why was Omnicom (OMC) named a Leader in Forrester's Commerce Services report on Feb 17, 2026?
How much retail media does Omnicom (OMC) manage after the Flywheel acquisition?
What is Acxiom Real ID and how many IDs does Omnicom (OMC) now have access to?
How does Omnicom's Omni platform support commerce services for OMC clients?
Which retailers and marketplaces does Omnicom (OMC) work with for connected commerce?
What strategic benefits do Flywheel and Acxiom bring to Omnicom (OMC) investors?
