matching Interpublic for best of class among the marketing groups). That included an exceptional 7.0% at Dentsu Aegis - its best quarterly performance this year - and 2.7% at Dentsu Japan. In both EMEA

concerning WPP rather overshadowed strong results from Interpublic at the start of the week. That group looks set to lead the rankings of major marketing groups for 3Q for the third time in four quarters.

consultancy Accenture is now around the same size as Interpublic in terms of annual revenues. The group doesn't currently break out figures for Accenture Interactive, the umbrella for its marketing-related

WPP and Publicis. Interpublic-owned Deutsch had managed the business in the US since 2009. In other account assignments, the week's biggest win was UM's appointment to manage US media for financial

Interpublic 5.6%, Omnicom 2.0%, MDC -1.7%, Publicis -2.1%, Havas approx -4.1%. Agencies continue to deny any serious new business threat from from consultancies such as Accenture and Deloitte. Yet at

In the news this past week: Agencies Interpublic far outperformed both Omnicom and Publicis - the only two other groups to have reported so far - in 2Q, with organic growth of 5.6% to net revenues of

In its biggest acquisition for two decades, Interpublic has agreed to acquire most of database marketing giant Acxiom for $2.3bn. It is acquiring Acxiom's marketing solutions division, which represents

while tax and accountancy firm H&R Block selected Interpublic-owned Deutsch. That's a significant blow to incumbent Fallon, which is also defending a newly announced review in the UK of its Skoda cars

There were also two significant wins for Interpublic's Initiative media network, which picked up global duties for Nike-owned Converse, as well as the sizeable public service account of the Government

out of Interpublic's UM. Spend is a whopping $2.2bn. A loss would be a severe blow to Interpublic. Similarly potentially damaging is Ocean Spray's review of creative out of Havas-owned Arnold. That spells