Inside the C-suite at CES with Omnicom, Stagwell, Publicis and WPP

Top executives from the major holding companies kicked off 2026 with a packed schedule in the first full week of January; in addition to getting back to their business as usual, they were on the ground in Las Vegas for the major annual tech convention, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

This year’s conference focused on big tech trends for 2026 and beyond: continued innovation in robotics, the next chapter of (hyper)personalisation, 'smart living' devices, the impact of AI on the workforce and other key developments.

Campaign caught up with C-suite leaders from the major holding companies on the ground to discuss their goals and approach to the convention, as well as their big bets on trends that will shape business in 2026 and beyond.

Omnicom

It’s fair to say the new Omnicom was in the spotlight during this year’s CES. It was the now-leading holding company’s first big public debut following the year-long acquisition of Interpublic, which concluded in late November.

Omnicom’s dedicated hub for the week, The Space, located in The Cosmopolitan, saw a heavy presence from members of its new leadership team, including Florian Adamski, CEO, Omnicom Media, and Duncan Painter, CEO, Omni and Flywheel Commerce Network. The Space hosted thought leadership sessions featuring big names (including Shelley Palmer and Gwyneth Paltrow), on-site demos of the latest edition of its marketing operating system, Omni (now powered with additional assets from IPG) and was a space for attendees and clients to “refuel and recharge.”

For OMD USA CEO Chrissie Hanson, whose previous role was the agency’s global chief strategy officer, CES was always high up on her list. “It's interesting how your perspective changes as you go from being a CSO to a CEO, because in the one, it's an absolute love of every device and every innovation. Then your perspective shifts to saying, ‘What is a signal of change for consumer behaviour?’ ” Hanson recalled. “That scale piece is important, because it differentiates ‘new, shiny and fun’ from what is lasting and significant.”

Omnicom had approximately 200 clients at CES, a number boosted by the acquisition of IPG’s client roster. Hanson alone had about 50 new clients to meet on behalf of OMD USA, in addition to meeting with existing clients. To drive connection and efficiency, Omnicom strategically grouped clients for tours and/or meetings based on shared business objectives and challenges.

Hanson sees the evolution of infrastructure as a significant trend. “We're moving from specific gadgets and devices to a much more integrated and embedded infrastructure. An example: devices that are sensing what you need, even before you're saying it,” shared Hanson. The prediction ties into another sector the CEO has been monitoring for years: Car innovation. “A couple of years ago, experts talked about the car being the ‘fourth space’ and it's becoming more of a reality for us… Today, you can look at even the heightened level of signals — a car can see your pupil dilation, your heart rate, your galvanic response. It could see your sweat glands.” She is watching this space closely, as it holds strong potential for new entry points for clients.

Hanson may be on to something. In the session “CES 2026 Tech Trends to Watch,” Consumer Technology Association senior director of innovation and trends Brian Comiskey highlighted the “three Ps” behind auto innovation: Platforms, personalisation and partnerships. “Cars are no longer just machines. They're becoming Software Defined ecosystems. Think of them like smartphones on wheels, modular hardware, over-the-air updates and open operating systems mean manufacturers can innovate continuously after the sale.”

WPP

For other holding companies, such as WPP and Publicis, CES is a time to cater to clients and continue building existing relationships with tech giants such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Adobe. WPP Media and VML were in attendance to represent WPP and held mixers in their designated area within the C-Space, where marketers gathered for keynotes and industry-related events. The week of CES also saw WPP unveil Agent Hub, an internal app store where users can select AI agents powered by WPP’s decades of data, capabilities and best practices, to assist and perform tasks.

Specifically for VML, CES has risen in priority and marks the first bookend of the year, the second being the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Global CEO Jon Cook shared, “Five or six years ago, [CES] was way more techie, but [now, there is] full-on agency participation. We have many clients here in droves (e.g., Nestle, Pet Nutrition). It is ‘Cannes-level’ attendance from brands, and we are reacting accordingly.”

The agency had a large group at the event, which included creative technologists, innovation teams and members of its Intelligence arm — its global futures and trend intelligence unit. Tech partnership, creative integration and curated thought leadership tours through Eureka Park were the priorities for the week, with Cook again drawing parallels to the priorities at Cannes.

In trends to watch, VML is betting big on AI. “AI is no longer theoretical — it’s becoming the fabric of everyday life, from trusted companions to co-creators, reshaping how we navigate the world and improve human health,” shared Emma Chiu, global Intelligence director, over email. “CES 2026 cements AI’s role as a catalyst transforming every industry and accelerating the next tech revolution.”

Stagwell

Stagwell had two major announcements take place the week of CES: [Sport Beach], typically a Cannes-only activation, will become its own business unit; and the launch of The Machine.

The Machine is an operating system that connects already-existing marketing tools and systems, allowing them to work as one without the hassle of adapting to different platforms. Built by Code and Theory, Stagwell’s technology-focused creative agency within its network, The Machine is powered by AI agents and amplified by Stagwell’s agencies and data.

The release of The Machine also follows the holding company’s recent launch of Newvoices.AI, a sales, support and retention AI platform. At CES, Stagwell chairman and CEO Mark Penn, along with Code and Theory CEO Michael Treff, demonstrated the capabilities of Newvoices.AI to Campaign. The test involved a product inquiry that resulted in a call from an AI agent acting as a Lenovo "sales representative." Within two minutes, the agent successfully recommended the ideal product and promised a follow-up with purchasing instructions.

The Machine integrates with existing tech stacks, such as Adobe and Salesforce, enhancing marketing operations by leveraging data and creativity. It also includes a partnership with Palantir for advanced audience targeting. The Machine is designed for flexibility, allowing it to be customised for different client needs.

“We're building what we call the 'holy grail of marketing,' which is really the perfect agentic-run audience targeting system that takes your data, merges it with our data, and gives you the ability to say, 'Give me the customers who are going to buy PCs during back to school,' and then 'give me the ones that are within 10 miles of my store,' and then 'give me the ones that are look-alikes,'” explained Penn. “The Machine is the orchestration layer. Palantir is a critical component. And then we have other pieces of software that tie the whole package together, from strategy to audience to mix modeling to activation and to analysis.”

Penn and Treff report high adoption rates and overall positive feedback. “We’re now at a point where this thing is going to be fully operable in Q1 — and we’re already seven days in. We have test implementations both internally and with clients, and actual clients are lined up for paid implementations,” stated Treff. “What I find especially interesting during our demos is that people bring us their specific use cases, and most are already covered by the platform. That’s been very rewarding. For example, a B2B wholesale company needing better seasonal targeting for suppliers can use The Machine, just as a global CPG company with 55 brands that lacks an aggregate view of its marketing can benefit from it.”

Publicis

For Publicis agencies, CES mirrors WPP's agenda: a venue for client meetings and a pulse-check on emerging tech innovation. Campaign interviewed Cristina Lawrence, Razorfish's chief social and innovation officer, to understand the significant trends from this year's event.

“CES this year made one thing unmistakable: The robots are back. From household helpers to fine-motor machines and autonomous devices, robotics re-emerged as a dominant theme, sitting alongside retro cameras, classic gaming and transparent dashboards.”

The robots' capabilities have evolved significantly, as Lawrence pointed out, allowing for a more advanced level of observation. “Many are now capturing rich visual and spatial data — not just to make themselves smarter, but to train the next generation of models. That raises harder questions: where does this data go, who owns it, and how do we meaningfully account for privacy when machines are mapping our homes, movements and behaviours? The convenience is compelling — but it’s still unclear whether consumers are truly ready to trade access to their most intimate data for it.”

Lawrence advocates for businesses to completely commit to adopting technology and AI, asserting that full immersion is the most effective strategy, rather than businesses approaching it tentatively.

“The next phase of AI isn’t about more tools — it’s about AI as infrastructure. Fragmented adoption only delivers incremental gains. And while agentic AI is advancing, its evolution will be measured, as reliability, memory and trust are worked through. In the meantime, the real impact will come from integrated, enterprise-wide strategies that connect insight, creativity, media and measurement — and apply AI where it can meaningfully drive outcomes now, not hypothetically later.”

Lastly, agencies were full steam ahead at CES on launching [updated AI capabilities that had an agentic element], pointing out their points of differentiation, but Lawrence believes there’s more to it. “Agentic AI is clearly where momentum is building. At the same time, investment is accelerating in immersive platforms, ambient computing — where technology operates continuously in the background, responding to context rather than commands — and commerce-enabled experiences. Together, these shifts point to a future where technology doesn’t just support marketing but fundamentally reshapes how brands operate end to end.”