Next‑Gen Agency Platforms: Lessons for Net‑Zero Startups

A big signal just landed in the agency world: Omnicom has introduced a “next‑gen” version of its Omni platform, now powered by assets that previously sat inside IPG following Omnicom’s acquisition. Even with the paywall limiting details, the direction is clear—large holding companies are consolidating data, talent, and tooling into unified operating systems.

For UK startups—especially those working in climate change, the net zero transition, renewable energy, sustainable transport, and green jobs—this matters more than it looks. The same platformisation happening in global agencies is also happening in buyers’ expectations: clients increasingly assume you can connect strategy, creative, media, measurement, and compliance into one coherent growth engine.

Most companies get this wrong: they treat “marketing stack” as a list of tools. The reality? It’s an operating model. Omnicom’s move is a reminder that the winners in 2026 won’t be the loudest brands; they’ll be the ones with the cleanest systems for learning fast, proving impact, and scaling responsibly.

What Omnicom’s next‑gen Omni move really signals

Answer first: Omnicom’s next‑gen Omni announcement signals that agency groups are betting on a unified platform to deliver faster decision‑making, consistent measurement, and repeatable execution across clients.

When a holding company folds newly acquired assets (in this case, from IPG) into an existing platform, it’s not just IT housekeeping. It’s about:

• Standardising how campaigns are planned and executed across markets and teams
• Reducing duplicated effort (multiple teams solving the same reporting, targeting, or workflow problems)
• Making performance data comparable across channels and regions
• Packaging expertise into products (platform features) rather than relying purely on people

For founders, the punchline is simple: your competition isn’t only other startups. It’s the operational advantage of big agencies building “one system” that can spin up planning, creative testing, attribution, and optimisation quickly.

Platformisation is about speed—and proof

In climate and net‑zero categories, buyers are under pressure to show real progress, not just nice messaging. The UK’s regulatory environment and investor scrutiny mean the bar is rising on:

• substantiating environmental claims
• avoiding vague “eco” language
• showing measurable outcomes (energy saved, emissions reduced, adoption increased)

A platform helps agencies turn those requirements into process: track inputs, track outputs, document evidence, and iterate.

Why this matters for the Climate Change & Net Zero Transition sector

Answer first: In net‑zero markets, marketing performance and credibility are tightly linked—platforms help teams connect growth metrics with evidence, governance, and responsible messaging.

Climate change and net‑zero transition companies often sell into complex stakeholder groups: procurement, sustainability leads, finance, operations, and sometimes the public sector. That changes the marketing job.

You’re not only generating demand; you’re also building trust and reducing perceived risk.

Here’s what I’ve found works: treat proof as a core marketing asset. If you can’t show a clear chain from claim → evidence → impact, you’re leaving growth on the table.

The hidden constraint: “green claims” scrutiny

Across the UK and EU, scrutiny of environmental claims keeps increasing. You don’t need a massive platform to handle this, but you do need a system.

A practical approach for startups:

1. Create a claims register (every sustainability statement you use in ads, site copy, decks)
2. Attach evidence (LCA excerpt, methodology note, certification, measurement approach)
3. Define approved language for common scenarios (scope boundaries, assumptions)
4. Version control your proof points as the product evolves

A platform like Omni—at holding‑company scale—bakes this kind of governance into workflows. Startups can emulate the outcome with lighter tooling and discipline.

How startups can compete with “next‑gen” agencies (without building a platform)

Answer first: You don’t beat a platform by copying it; you beat it by choosing a narrower problem, running faster learning loops, and building a proof‑driven growth system that’s easy to operate.

Big agencies are building operating systems because they’re complex organisations. Startups can win by being focused and measurable.

1) Build a “minimum viable marketing OS”

You need a repeatable way to go from insight → execution → measurement → learning. Keep it small, but make it consistent.

A simple marketing OS for a UK climate/clean‑tech startup:

• One source of truth for demand: CRM pipeline stages defined, with reasons for win/loss
• One measurement standard: a short list of KPIs that match how you sell (not vanity metrics)
• One experimentation cadence: weekly creative testing, monthly channel bets, quarterly positioning review
• One proof workflow: claims register + evidence library + sign‑off owner

If you do nothing else, do this: choose one North Star metric and one supporting metric per funnel stage (top, mid, bottom). That’s how you avoid “reporting theatre.”

2) Treat partnerships like growth infrastructure

Omnicom integrating IPG assets is a corporate version of a truth startups already know: partnerships accelerate capability.

In the net‑zero transition, partnerships can reduce CAC and increase credibility:

• installers, consultants, or channel partners who already sell into your buyers
• industry bodies and networks that lend trust
• universities and research groups that validate performance
• local authorities and public sector frameworks (where relevant)

What makes partnerships work is operational clarity:

• shared definition of a qualified lead
• agreed proof points and compliance checks
• joint case study plan with measurable outcomes

3) Win with sharper positioning, not more content

Holding companies tend to standardise. That’s great for scale, but it can flatten differentiation.

Startups in climate and net‑zero markets should take a stance:

• Are you the fastest to deploy (implementation speed)?
• Are you the lowest risk (compliance, governance, proven methodology)?
• Are you the highest ROI (measured payback period)?
• Are you the best for a specific segment (housing associations, SMEs, logistics, councils)?

A strong positioning statement you can defend beats a content calendar you can’t sustain.

What to copy from agency platforms: a practical checklist

Answer first: Copy the behaviours platforms enforce—standard metrics, shared assets, and fast feedback—not the technology itself.

Here’s a checklist you can implement in a week.

Standardise measurement (so you can actually optimise)

• Define 5–7 core KPIs (examples below)
• Write them down with formulas and owners
• Report them the same way every week

Suggested KPIs for net‑zero and climate startups:

• Pipeline created (£) from marketing‑sourced and marketing‑influenced
• Sales cycle length (median days) by segment
• CAC payback period (months) for your main route to market
• Activation rate (from lead to qualified meeting)
• Proof asset utilisation (how often case studies/calculators are used in sales)

Build an “evidence library” that sales can’t ignore

Make it easy for your team to use proof:

• one page per claim (what we say, what it means, boundaries)
• one page per case study (baseline, intervention, result, timeframe)
• one page per methodology (how you measure CO₂e, energy, cost)

If you’re serious about the climate change & net‑zero transition space, this library is your moat.

Shorten the learning loop with creative testing

Platforms exist to industrialise testing. You can do it manually:

1. test one message angle per week (cost, compliance, speed, performance)
2. test two creatives per channel (LinkedIn ads, landing page hero, email subject)
3. record outcomes in a single sheet: hypothesis → result → decision

Consistency beats complexity.

Q&A: the things founders ask when agencies “go platform”

Do I need an enterprise platform to compete? No. You need a clear operating model: tight ICP, repeatable funnel, credible proof, and fast iteration.

Will platforms make agencies stronger or slower? Both. They’ll be stronger at repeatability and reporting, but slower at niche insight and bold positioning. Startups can exploit that gap.

How does this connect to net‑zero commitments? Net‑zero commitments create accountability. Marketing has to reflect measurable progress, not vague aspiration. Systems—platform or lightweight OS—make that accountability manageable.

Where UK startups should focus next

Omnicom’s next‑gen Omni announcement is an industry benchmark: the big players are standardising, integrating, and turning capability into product. That raises expectations for everyone.

For UK climate and net‑zero startups, the opportunity is to be more agile and more credible at the same time. Build a lean marketing OS, keep your proof tight, and choose partnerships that expand distribution and trust.

The question worth sitting with: if a buyer audited your sustainability claims and your funnel numbers tomorrow, would your team be proud—or scrambling?