What Manning Gottlieb OMD does

Manning Gottlieb OMD (MG OMD) is a UK-based full-service media planning and buying agency headquartered at Bankside 3, 90-100 Southwark Street, London. Founded in 1989 by Nick Manning and Colin Gottlieb, the firm became part of the Omnicom Group in 1997 and was rebranded as Manning Gottlieb OMD in May 2002. It is wholly owned by Omnicom Media Group (under NYSE-listed Omnicom Group Inc., ticker OMC) and operates within the OMD global network, which spans more than 100 countries and 12,000 people, and the broader Omnicom Media network that manages $73.5 billion in billings across 70+ markets.

MG OMD operates a coordinated service model spanning five modules: Consult (strategy and effectiveness insight), Create (campaign creative and influencer marketing), Client Partners (account leadership), Craft (media planning), and Channels (activation and performance marketing). Its technology stack is anchored by Omnicom's Omni Intelligence Platform, incorporating Acxiom RealID (identity), Flywheel (commerce), and Q (intelligence) assets. The agency runs proprietary assets including the Belonging in Britain annual research study (in partnership with Global) and, via its government-facing OmniGOV practice, a customised operating system and the HM Government Benchmark Database. The firm employs 565+ people across the UK.

MG OMD generates revenue primarily through managed-services media planning and buying commissions/fees, with OmniGOV delivering cross-government media services through the Crown Commercial Service Media Buying Framework. Its customer base spans major UK enterprise brands in retail (John Lewis & Partners, Waitrose, Specsavers), telecoms (O2, giffgaff, Virgin Media O2), aviation (British Airways), F&B (McVitie's), and a large public-sector portfolio covering up to 90 HM Government departments under OmniGOV. The agency is described as the most awarded media agency in the history of the IPA Effectiveness Awards and Thinkbox TV Planning Awards, with 100+ awards in 2024 and consecutive Campaign and Media Leader Agency of the Year titles.

Name

Manning Gottlieb OMD

Legal name

Manning Gottlieb OMD

Website

https://mgomd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Manning Gottlieb OMD is a UK-based full-service media planning and buying agency, part of Omnicom Media Group, serving major enterprise brands and HM Government through its OmniGOV practice with award-winning campaigns across all channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising & Media Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Media Buying Agencies (54183), Media Buying Agencies (541830)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Out-of-Home (OOH) Media Planning & Buying (MPAAABAG)

Keywords

• Media planning services
• Media buying agency
• Digital advertising campaigns
• Government media communications
• Brand campaign effectiveness

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Media Planning and Buying Services: Full-service media agency providing strategic media planning, buying, and activation across all channels including TV, digital, programmatic, social, OOH, and cinema for major UK brands and government clients
2. Specialist Consultancy Services: Strategic consultancy across Consult, Create, Craft, and Channel teams providing audience understanding, data analytics, creative campaign development, media planning, and effectiveness measurement
3. Government Media Buying Framework: HM Government Media Buying Framework partnership providing cross-government agency media buying services for up to 90 public sector clients

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Manning Gottlieb OMD is a full-service media planning and buying agency delivering strategic media planning, buying, and activation across all channels including TV, digital, programmatic, social, OOH, and cinema. The agency combines strategic consultancy, creative campaign development, media planning, and effectiveness measurement for major UK consumer brands. It also operates a dedicated OmniGOV division that serves as the cross-HM Government media buying partner through the Crown Commercial Service Framework.

Product overview

MG OMD is a media planning and buying agency offering a coordinated suite of services across Consult (strategy and effectiveness), Create (creative campaign production), Client Partners (client leadership), Craft (media planning), and Channels (activation and performance marketing). The agency operates specialized divisions including OmniGOV for government communications, and supports its people and clients through programmes such as MG Academy (training), Belonging in Britain Research (audience insight), The Difference (thought leadership), and MG UNLOCKS (annual industry summit). The overall offering is organized as a service-delivery model combining strategic, creative, and activation capabilities, not a software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OmniGOV: A bespoke government-facing agency practice within MG OMD, servicing the HM Government Media Buying Framework and serving as the single cross HM Government agency partner. It is powered by the Omni platform and focuses on outcome delivery for public sector clients.

Products and services

• Consult Strategic and effectiveness insight service combining deep audience understanding, data analytics, and market intelligence to define clear business goals and optimise media performance for major UK brands.
• Create Creative campaign production service bringing campaigns to life through social content, influencer marketing, bespoke partnerships, and media creativity for enterprise brand clients.
• Craft Media planning service designing robust media solutions with expertise across communications planning, retail media, inclusivity, and sustainability for UK brand clients.
• Channels Channel activation service covering both creative campaign execution and precision performance marketing across media owners and platform accreditations.
• Client Partners Strategic client leadership service providing dedicated Client Partners to guide and deliver exceptional client service, ensuring seamless coordination across service teams for enterprise clients.
• OmniGOV at MG OMD Bespoke government communications division operating as the single cross-HM Government agency partner through the Crown Commercial Service Media Buying Framework. Powered by the Omni platform, it services up to 90 public sector departments with £250m+ annual media spend.

Quantifiable outcome

• John Lewis Christmas campaign delivered 96% ABC1 reach at frequency 12 and 4.1% year-on-year sales growth over Christmas period
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Crown Commercial ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMG OMD OmniGOV serves as the single cross-HM Government agency partner through the Crown Commercial Service Media Buying Framework, providing media buying services for HM Government across all departments.
• HM GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOmniGOV at MG OMD delivers HM Government communications through the Media Buying Framework, servicing up to 90 public sector clients with £250m+ annual spend, helping deliver HMG ambitions through communications.
• Omnicom Media (OM) NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMG OMD is part of the Omnicom Media Network, providing access to the Omni Intelligence Platform, Acxiom RealID, Flywheel commerce, and Q intelligence assets, plus world-class purchasing power leveraging $73.5 billion in billings across 70+ markets.
• OMD WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMG OMD is part of OMD, the world's largest media network with more than 12,000 people working in over 100 countries, providing global reach for international client requirements.
• Sky SportsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerOptimum Nutrition became the Official Nutrition Partner of Sky Sports in a first-of-its-kind partnership showcasing Sky Sports and ON talent across TV, BVOD, YouTube, and social.
• Sofar SoundsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerO2 partnered with Sofar Sounds to deliver the UK's Most Remote Gig - a mountain-top performance in the Scottish Highlands streamed to London Outernet, demonstrating network capability.
• LADbiblemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with LADbible for O2 Remote Gig and Virgin Media Great River Race campaigns, leveraging social amplification and cultural relevance.
• ITVmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerJohn Lewis partnership with ITV for Christmas campaign premiere during The Great British Bake Off final, plus Waitrose 'Sweet Suspicion' campaign winning Cannes Lions Gold.
• OuternetmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerO2 Remote Gig was streamed to large-format digital screens at London's Outernet, one of the capital's most high-profile digital destinations.
• Pearl & DeanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Pearl & Dean's Wild Spaces initiative for giffgaff campaign supporting restoration of UK National Parks.
• Global (Radio)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Global Radio for McVitie's centenary campaign, amplifying the conversation across radio ad breaks.
• Sky MediamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerHMRC launched national campaign in partnership with Sky Media to promote the HMRC app, featuring footballer Jill Scott, across Sky's entertainment platforms.
• GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMG OMD conducts annual 'Belonging in Britain' research study in partnership with Global, exploring British identity and community for media planning insights.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Goodstuff Communications: Independent UK media agency that competes with MG OMD in mid- and large-cap UK pitches, particularly in retail and FMCG, with a similar effectiveness-led positioning.
• The7stars: Largest UK-independent media agency, frequently cited as the primary independent challenger to the holding-company networks including MG OMD. Wins UK pitches against MG OMD on flexibility, commercial terms and client-agency alignment.
• Stagwell (Assembly / Mediahub): Stagwell-owned media agency network competing with MG OMD in UK and global pitches, with a tech-enabled and consolidator-led proposition that has rapidly acquired share against traditional holding-company agencies.

Broad incumbents

• Havas Media: Havas's media network competes with MG OMD across UK enterprise clients and is part of a broader creative-plus-media holding group offering integrated communications as an alternative to Omnicom Media.

Direct peers

• GroupM (Mindshare / MediaCom / Wavemaker): WPP's media investment arm and the largest media agency network globally. Mindshare, MediaCom and Wavemaker directly compete with MG OMD for the same UK enterprise clients (e.g. Unilever, L'Oréal, Tesco-equivalent retail accounts) across planning, buying and effectiveness.
• Publicis Media (Starcom / Zenith): Publicis Groupe's media agency network. Starcom and Zenith compete head-to-head with MG OMD on UK media pitches for retail, FMCG and government-aligned clients and offer the same full-service planning/buying/activation model.
• Dentsu (Carat / iProspect): Dentsu's media agency brands Carat and iProspect compete directly with MG OMD in the UK market across retail, FMCG and government verticals with a comparable full-service media planning and buying proposition.
• Hearts & Science (UK): Another Omnicom Media sister agency operating in the UK with a data-led planning proposition. Competes with MG OMD for similar UK enterprise clients, particularly in retail and consumer goods.
• PHD Worldwide (UK): Sister agency within the Omnicom Media Group, sharing the Omni Intelligence Platform and global network with MG OMD. PHD competes for similar UK clients and pitches in the same holding-company portfolio reviews.
• IPG Mediabrands (UM / Initiative): Interpublic's global media network. UM and Initiative compete directly with MG OMD in UK pitches and offer integrated planning, buying and analytics capabilities of comparable scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/manning-gottlieb-omd
• Xx.com/MGOMD

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Manning Gottlieb OMD