Adbrands.net: Top Worldwide Media Planning & Media Buying Agencies

In simple terms, media agencies are the companies responsible for overseeing the delivery of advertising campaigns by deciding where ads will appear (a process known as media planning) and then negotiating over rates with mediaowners such as broadcasters and publishers (media buying). Increasingly they are also involved in related disciplines such as product placement and sponsorship. See Advertising Industry Structure for more on media agencies. The tables below are rankings for global media networks. See Adbrands' individual country pages (for example the US or UK) for rankings of top media agencies in local markets.

The Top Worldwide Media Planning & Media Buying Agencies

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Starcom MediaVest is the world's biggest media agency, mainly because of its dominant position in the US, where the Starcom and Mediavest brands operate separately, managing the expenditure of several major advertisers. In most other markets, parent Publicis has merged those two agencies into a single entity.	OMD is the lead network within Omnicom, working closely but not exclusively with the BBDO, DDB and TBWA ad agencies. It is arguably the most innovative global network, and has topped the rankings of awards for media planning and media buying ever year since 2004.	ZenithOptimedia is the other major media network within Publicis. Like Starcom MediaVest, the Zenith and Optimedia still operate independently of one another in a few key markets including the US. Zenith originally defined the format of the modern media buying agency when it was created by Saatchi & Saatchi in the 1980s.	Mindshare is the biggest of the four global media networks within WPP, itself the world's biggest media planner and media buying group by billings. It was created originally from the combination of the inhouse media departments of WPP's JWT and Ogilvy & Mather advertising networks.	MediaCom sits just behind its WPP stablemate in the global rankings. Originally formed from the media department of the Grey advertising network, it is especially strong in Europe, and the two key markets of the UK and Germany. Indeed, in the UK, it is the only agency ever to have topped Ł1bn in annual billings.	Carat was for most of the past 20 years the world's biggest media independent, with no direct ties to any of the major advertising networks. In 2012, however, it was acquired by Japanese giant Dentsu. Carat's strongest region is Europe, and it is also the clear leader in Australia through local unit Mitchell & Partners.
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MEC Global is the simplified brand adopted in 2010 by the WPP-owned agency previously known as MediaEdge:Cia. That mouthful of a name betrayed the agency's roots as the byproduct of a merger between Y&R's Media Edge unit and European independent CIA.	UM is the bigger of the two main media networks owned by Interpublic, and changed its name from Universal McCann to loosen ties to the main McCann advertising network. Recent performance has been overshadowed by the loss of several important clients.	MPG is the main media planning & media buying network of French group Havas, and is partnered by several satellites including Arena and Media Contacts. Its global footprint is patchy despite a dominant presence in France, Spain and much of Latin America.	Like its Interpublic stablemate, Initiative suffered a series of major account losses in the early 2000s, although performance has stablised more recently. Even so it remains the smallest of the "big ten" global media planning and media buying networks.	Omnicom's second media network has evolved since 2001 from a single office in the UK into a major worldwide network. It has enjoyed especially strong growth since 2010 as a result of a series of spectacular account wins, both in the US and worldwide.	Vizeum is the secondary media network created by parent Aegis, initially to resolve client conflicts within lead agency Carat. However it has evolved into a major force in its own right, especially in several European markets. Like Carat it is now owned by Dentsu.
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#13 Other Agencies:

Maxus is the smallest of WPP's four international media agencies, and also the youngest of any of the major networks, launched for the first time in 2004. Although it has a fully global footprint, it is strongest in Asia, where it was originally created, and where its HQ is now located.
Naked was a pioneer in "media neutral" planning when it originally launched, and it quickly established a global network focused solely on media strategy. However, life has proved more challenging since it was acquired by Australian group Photon prompting it to move into creative services as well. Operating solely in the US, privately owned Horizon Media is that country's last major independent media planning and buying agency, bigger even than the local offices of several global networks. It relies on a small portfolio of loyal and high-spending clients. New York's RJ Palmer gave up its long-held independence in 2012 to become the main media specialist in the portfolio of fast-expanding holding company MDC Partners, working alongside the likes of CP&B, KBS&P, Anomaly and 72andSunny. Another of the last remaining media independents in the US, in recent years Empower has evolved from a pure-play media agency into a more diversified business which also offers a broad range of creative services, especially in the digital sector.

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Top 13 ranked by estimated billings from RECMA