WPP Latest Agency To Be Probed For US Price Fixing

WPP Latest Agency To Be Probed For US Price Fixing

Following on from yesterday’s revelations that Omnicom and Publicis had been subpoenaed in the US for alleged price fixing and fraud comes news that WPP in the US is now being looked at by authorities too.

Yesterday, the world’s biggest media agency confirmed that three of its American subsidiaries had been contacted by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) antitrust unit.

Similar to the allegations levelled at Omnicom and Publicis, WPP is being investigated for allegedly rigging the bidding process for client video productions that favoured its own internal agencies to the detriement of independents. Ad post-production services are said to be worth $US5 billion in the US and are the lifeblood of many independents.

The DOJ has not yet made any comment relating to WPP, however, yesterday the company issued a media statement that read: “WPP confirms that, similarly to Interpublic, Omnicom and Publicis, three of its subsidiaries have received subpoenas from the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division concerning the division’s ongoing investigation of video production and post-production practices in the advertising industry. WPP and its subsidiaries are fully co-operating with the inquiries.”

 




Please login with linkedin to comment

Advertising Standards Bureau Clive Palmer Deepend Enero

Latest News

New Business Wins For We Scout
  • Marketing

New Business Wins For We Scout

Indie comms agency We Scout announces new business wins. Well, you'd hardly announce new business losses, would you?

Oceania map with connection networks.
  • Media

Zenith Wins Superloop’s Media

The Zenith Christmas party set to be a wholly more bawdy, jolly soirée after agency nabs end-of-year win.

Archibald Williams Wins NBA Digital, Activation & Fan Engagement Accounts For APAC
  • Media

Archibald Williams Wins NBA Digital, Activation & Fan Engagement Accounts For APAC

Independent brand and digital agency, Archibald Williams (AW) has been appointed to lead the NBA account across the APAC region. The NBA is one of the most prestigious sporting leagues in the world and basketball is one of the fastest-growing sports in Australia. Effective immediately, AW said it was “excited” to work across all digital, […]

QMS Champions Creativity As First Most Contagious APAC 2023 Sponsor
  • Advertising

QMS Champions Creativity As First Most Contagious APAC 2023 Sponsor

Leading digital outdoor company QMS has announced it is the first-ever inaugural partner for Most Contagious APAC, the landmark London event by creative and strategic intelligence company Contagious, which will be showcased in Australia on Tuesday, 12 December in Sydney and Wednesday, 13 December in Melbourne. Most Contagious is an event that delivers key advertising […]

OMG’s Annalect First To Get Meta’s Advanced Analytics
  • Technology

OMG’s Annalect First To Get Meta’s Advanced Analytics

Omnicom’s data and analytics division Annalect has partnered with Meta, giving it access to Advanced Analytics (AA) – one of Meta’s privacy-focused measurement solutions – to provide Omnicom’s clients with future-proof, next-level measurement. Omnicom is the first holding company to have access to AA. AA allows advertisers to combine their first-party data with Meta’s ads […]

AKQA Launches Eco-Conscious AI DIY Assistant Encouraging People To Gift More Sustainably
  • Technology

AKQA Launches Eco-Conscious AI DIY Assistant Encouraging People To Gift More Sustainably

WPP’s AKQA has launched Fixmas.gift, an environmentally conscious AI-powered DIY assistant, affectionately known as Fixie, for a one-stop solution for all things repair. Fixmas.gift hosts an array of guides and inspiration to empower people to prolong the lives of their belongings or purchase pre-owned items that need a little love and care. Fixie can: Help […]