TBWA’s New Leaders on Selling Disruption in Turbulent Times

TBWA’s mantra is disruption. But is disruption selling when brands are looking to play it safe in turbulent times?

Global CEO Erin Riley says yes. As agencies merge, consolidate, and hang new shingles on their doors, “we are very aware that we are lucky to have such a strong grounding point of view,” she said. 

“We’ve got 50-plus years of running a certain playbook that has been able to adapt to things that have felt as seismic, at the time, as what we’re dealing with now,” she continued. “There is confidence in that, for our people and our clients. We’ve been there. We’ve done that.”

After nearly nine years at TBWA, Riley was promoted to global CEO in January. She succeeded Troy Ruhanen, who was elevated to lead Omnicom Advertising Group (OAG), a new entity encompassing the holding company’s creative agencies. She was president and then CEO of TBWA\Chiat\Day LA before being named CEO at TBWA U.S., an effort to connect the network’s regional offices. 

In 2024, TBWA said it grew mid-single digits and retained its top 20 clients while gaining more than 200 new accounts–while sticking with its positioning around disruption. It was named ADWEEK’s Global Agency of the Year in 2024.

“I came into this role not feeling like I had to reinvent things, but I did have to find the most potent version of it and put that on steroids,” Riley said. 

While ‘disruption’ continues to be a strong rallying–and selling–point for the agency, Riley acknowledges that brands today require more rigor and data behind big marketing swings that aim to shake up their category. 

TBWA global chief strategy officer, Jen Costello, has been researching the cost of not disrupting, “and it’s not cheap,” she said.

“We’ve seen just how expensive it is to play it safe, how much more media money is required to break through,” she added.

“Many of our CMO partners know in their guts that they need to build brand, create these culture-denting experiences, capture the imagination of their audience,” Riley added. “They also know that they’re more accountable than ever for a marketing spend.” 

As marketers reinvest in brand and content, they’re looking to media for efficiencies, as principal buying arrangements become more popular. “I think they understand that maybe their investment mix needs to change,” Riley said. 

Grappling with AI 

Having a distinctive brand is even more important as the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) leads to a “general flattening of culture,” Riley said. 

“We are seeing from brands a real sea of sameness. It’s reaching pretty peak levels at the moment,” she said. “Not only is that boring, it’s really diluted commercial value.”