Creativity. Quality. Commitment.

Those words are common ground for the Omnicom family of agencies. We are a global collection of 1,500 companies that, by strategic design, thrive on just the right combination of autonomy and alliance. And this cultural foundation underpins all we do – for our clients, our shareholders and the communities we share.

It wasn’t so long ago that most companies viewed the latter part of that equilibrium – the community aspect – as more social obligation than business imperative. Not anymore. Increasingly, the measure of a company's value extends beyond the financial bottom line, as performance around non-fiscal considerations has begun to define the truly well-managed enterprise. Considerations like environmental stewardship, contributions to social justice and strong, transparent corporate governance.

In short, sustainability in all of its forms is an expanding and increasingly important piece of the global economic conversation. There are growing concerns about the world we will leave for future generations as a swelling chorus of voices calls businesses to be smarter and more conscientious in their use of all their resources – human, economic and environmental. They’re the voices of many stakeholders: from consumers and employees to policymakers and investors, and many more in between.

While these stakeholders may come to care about sustainability for different reasons, the reality is they all care. At Omnicom, so do we.

Omnicom brings together the very best advertising, marketing and public relations companies in the world. We serve 5,000-plus clients in more than 100 countries. That positions us, first and foremost, to drive awareness about the issues we face as a people and as a planet ... as well as the potential solutions. But the exciting part is the potential of our industry, and our agencies in particular, to use the full range of communications channels – advertising, PR, online, offline – to shape meaningful changes in behavior.

We’re also working to lead by example. In 2009, Omnicom harnessed the innovative spirit of our agencies to strengthen our global enterprise. We’re focused on supporting the agencies in our network as they nurture a diverse and creative workforce … give back to their communities … support a culture of integrity… and implement smarter, more sustainable business practices to help us tread more lightly on our planet.

For instance, over the past few years, we’ve been measuring, monitoring and managing our environmental footprint through a companywide energy reduction initiative. Our goal is to reduce our overall electrical energy consumption 10 to 20 percent from our 2008 baseline by 2013. Of course, that will do more than just reduce our energy use. It will have a positive impact on our bottom line, as well.

And that's just one of the win-win outcomes that lie ahead. You’ll hear about more as you read this report. As we move forward in 2011, we’re committed to building on our successes. And all with one goal: to make a sustainable difference.

Creativity. Quality. Commitment.