In May 2025, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) accused major advertising agencies like GroupM, Omnicom, Publicis, Dentsu, Havas, and Madison World of a cartel-like collusion to fix fees, primarily using WhatsApp for coordination. The investigation, which followed a leniency application by Dentsu, has led to significant fines and prompted the agencies to implement transparency audits. While the exposure eroded trust, it has accelerated performance-based pricing. We examine the aftermath of the antitrust raids. Will this shift reshape client procurement, with pitches being linked to ROI? How does one see trust, pricing and pitch behaviour evolving after an investigation of this scale? 

Ashish Bhasin, founder, The Bhasin Consulting Group

The move towards harder ROI metrics is something that clients have been looking for in any case. India as a country isn’t restricted to one medium when it comes to consumption, and while BARC operates for television, and IRS was in place for print but no longer regular, there is nothing for digital, and so there remains a challenge for brands to get the correct ROI metric.

Clients want transparency and value in any case, so nothing really changes in my view, when it comes to trust, pricing or pitch behaviour.

Carol Goyal, managing director, Aesthetic Intelligence Lab

Yes, procurement will likely shift toward harder ROI metrics, with an even greater emphasis on accountability and measurable business outcomes. 

The revelation of coordinated fee-setting will push clients to demand more transparency, not just in pricing, but in the value agencies deliver. Expect procurement teams to prioritise data-driven performance models that tie agency compensation to specific, quantifiable results, whether it’s sales growth, customer acquisition, or brand lift.

For brand managers, this means:

Clearer KPIs: Expect to set more defined, outcome-based objectives for agency performance.

Pressure for ROI reporting: Agencies will need to justify their fees with more precise analytics, ensuring every dollar spent contributes to your business goals.

Performance-linked pricing models: Fixed-fee arrangements will be replaced by models that reflect value delivered, whether through performance bonuses, shared risk, or success fees tied to actual outcomes.

Trust: This probe will trigger a trust reset. Clients will be more skeptical of agencies’ pricing structures, requiring deeper transparency in fee breakdowns and decision-making processes. Brand managers will need to expect, and demand, clear justification for any price increases or shifts in scope. Restoring trust will take time, and agencies will need to proactively demonstrate ethical conduct and deliver measurable results.

Pricing: Agencies will likely adopt more granular, performance-based pricing models. Expect a rise in flexible pricing structures where clients pay for results, not just deliverables. There could also be more tiered pricing based on agency performance against agreed benchmarks. The focus will be on aligning agency compensation with business outcomes rather than flat-rate billing.

Pitch behaviour: Pitching will move toward data-backed, outcome-oriented presentations. Rather than presenting broad creative concepts alone, agencies will need to show exactly how their work will deliver measurable returns. Expect a heavier emphasis on detailed case studies, ROI predictions, and performance metrics as part of any pitch process. There will also be a push toward more collaborative pitches, where agencies outline the value they’ll deliver beyond the creative idea.

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