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Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
GroupM becomes WPP Media as holding company prepares for future
This story was originally published on Marketing Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Marketing Dive newsletter. WPP is rebranding its media properties – previously known as GroupM – as WPP Media to better reflect the company's focus on overall integration and AI capabilities, according to an announcement. WPP's media companies, Mindstar, Wavemaker and EssenceMediacom, will continue to operate under WPP Media, and the entire division will be connected to the holding company's larger AI-enabled marketing system, WPP Open. WPP Media manages more than $60 billion in media and represents more than 75% of the world's leading advertisers across 80 global markets. The rebranding, first reported last month, is expected to impact about 40% to 45% of the media company's 40,000-strong workforce. With the mega-merger of rival holding companies IPG and Omnicom looming, WPP's rebranding of GroupM is as much about demonstrating cohesiveness and heft as it is about establishing its artificial intelligence (AI) bona fides. WPP CEO Mark Read noted that the industry didn't need 'holding companies within holding companies' and that there was a symbolic message in changing the name to WPP Media to better reflect the entire network as 'a company and not a group,' the executive said in an interview with Ad Age. WPP's media agencies Mindshare, Wavemaker and EssenceMediacom will operate more as 'teams' than as individual agencies — though they will retain their brand names — and WPP Media will report its financials as a combined entity by market, rather than through individual agencies, per Ad Age. 'We believe that WPP is the strongest marketing partner for the world's leading brands in the AI era, where technology and talent converge. The move to WPP Media continues our strategy to simplify and integrate our offer for clients,' Read said in a statement. 'Our vision for the future is clear – marketing that is informed by data, led by seamlessly connected teams of brilliant people, and full of new opportunities for our clients.' Nevertheless, the shift does help the company capitalize on its ongoing investments in AI and its WPP Open capabilities. An explanatory video notes that, in an AI-powered world, 'media will be everywhere, and in everything' and that 'this new era demands new thinking.' Using AI, WPP Media will harness 'trillions of data points' to 'unlock signals others miss' to drive client growth, per the video. 'Consumers already expect advertising to be relevant and engaging and buying experiences to be seamless; those expectations are only going to accelerate in the age of AI,' said Brian Lesser, CEO of WPP Media, in a statement. 'By investing in our AI-powered product, integrating our offer with data and technology, and equipping our people with future-facing skills, we're helping our clients to stay ahead of rapidly changing consumer behavior and unlock the limitless opportunities for growth that AI will create.' WPP's revenue, less pass-through costs, dropped 2.7% on a like-for-like basis (about $3.2 billion) for the first quarter of 2025. GroupM's earnings declined 0.9% over the period, while the holding company's other integrated agencies were down 4.4%. Those results were in line with expectations. The layoffs and restructuring associated with the rebrand of GroupM could help bring costs in line with revenue. The announcement comes as WPP launches a new B2B marketing campaign highlighting the holding company's investments in AI — to the tune of more than $300 million annually — as it positions itself for the future. The campaign, themed 'Transforming How We Create,' included print placements in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Recommended Reading WPP CEO says tariffs will 'undoubtedly' impact ad-spending plans Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Campaign ME
6 days ago
- Business
- Campaign ME
GroupM officially rebrands to WPP Media
GroupM has officially rebranded as WPP Media and is now describing itself as an 'AI-driven media company'. Campaign UK first reported on the move to rename the media investment arm in early May. At the time, a spokesperson said that WPP doesn't 'comment on speculation'. Of the rebrand, Mark Read, chief executive at WPP, said that while 'GroupM was built for a time when media scale mattered most, WPP Media reflects the power of AI, data and technology and simpler, more integrated solutions'. Mindshare, Wavemaker and EssenceMediacom are set to continue to provide clients with dedicated teams as brands within WPP Media. Despite media agencies continuing to operate as distinct brands within WPP Media, GroupM told staff earlier this month that these brands will move to a single P&L and act as 'one voice in the market', with agency-specific titles set to 'sunset'. Last week, the media operating arm told staff which roles would be at risk of redundancy in the UK. The latest move comes after Brian Lesser, chief executive of WPP Media, told investors in March 2025 that WPP '[knows] that we have to be simpler' and laid out a five-point plan which included a shift to focus on an AI-based data strategy. Lesser added: 'By investing in our AI-powered product (WPP Open), integrating our offer with data and technology, and equipping our people with future-facing skills, we're helping our clients to stay ahead of rapidly changing consumer behaviour and unlock the limitless opportunities for growth that AI will create.' Lesser has made a series of changes to streamline the business since joining in September 2024, when he replaced Christian Juhl. For instance, he axed global agency brand chief executive roles for media agencies EssenceMediacom, Mindshare and Wavemaker in a bid to further centralise operations. GroupM EMEA chief executive Josh Krichefski left the business in March, after 14 years. Its leaders in key markets, including the UK, now report directly to Lesser.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
WPP replaces GroupM with AI-powered WPP Media
WPP today launched WPP Media , replacing GroupM as its global media company. This move marks a strategic shift to meet rising demand from marketers for fully integrated, AI-driven solutions that connect media, data, and production at scale. Managing over $60 billion in annual media investment , WPP Media works with more than 75% of the world's top advertisers across 80+ markets. WPP Media is the largest media agency network in India. Existing agency brands—Mindshare, Wavemaker, and EssenceMediacom—will remain under the new WPP Media umbrella, continuing to serve clients with dedicated teams and shared access to technology, capabilities, and support services. WPP Media is integrated with WPP's broader global agency network through WPP Open, the company's AI-enabled marketing system. Backed by £300 million in annual investment and leading AI partnerships, WPP Open will power advanced capabilities across creative, data, commerce, production, and media delivery—making it the most comprehensive platform in the industry. WPP Media will enable advertisers to unify their media, data, and production strategies and manage owned, earned, shared, and paid media holistically. The offering includes advanced measurement, analytics, and connected commerce tools to deliver personalisation at scale. As part of its transformation, WPP Media is also investing in future-focused learning and development initiatives to build career pathways and equip employees to lead in the AI era. Brian Lesser, CEO of WPP Media, said: 'Consumers already expect advertising to be relevant and engaging and buying experiences to be seamless; those expectations are only going to accelerate in the age of AI. WPP Media is built for a world in which media is everywhere and in everything. By investing in our AI-powered product, integrating our offer with data and technology, and equipping our people with future-facing skills, we're helping our clients to stay ahead of rapidly changing consumer behavior and unlock the limitless opportunities for growth that AI will create.' Mark Read, CEO of WPP, said: 'We believe that WPP is the strongest marketing partner for the world's leading brands in the AI era, where technology and talent converge. The move to WPP Media continues our strategy to simplify and integrate our offer for clients. While GroupM was built for a time when media scale mattered most, WPP Media reflects the power of AI, data and technology and simpler, more integrated solutions. Our vision for the future is clear – marketing that is informed by data, led by seamlessly connected teams of brilliant people, and full of new opportunities for our clients.'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Are these the best UK stocks to consider buying right now?
Investors are constantly hunting for the best stocks to buy. And 2025 has so far proved to be a great year for some of Britain's largest businesses, such as Fresnillo (up 58%) and Airtel Africa (up 52%). Sadly, not every company in the FTSE 100 has been so fortunate. And three of the weakest performers include: WPP (LSE:WPP) – down 28% Glencore – down 27% Ashtead Group – down 13% While frustrating, it's not uncommon for top-notch stocks to go through periods of lacklustre performance. And for long-term investors who dig deeper, examining the biggest short-term losers can sometimes reveal massive long-term winners. With that in mind, let's explore the worst-performing business of this batch – WPP. WPP's lacklustre performance isn't particularly new for existing shareholders, given the stock has been on a downward trajectory since hitting highs of around 1,200p in 2022. Not all of this can be blamed on the management team. As a firm that specialises in advertising and public relations, market conditions have been quite unfavourable following the rise of inflation in 2023. However, the firm has seemingly been slow to respond to the shifting landscape of AI-driven tools. And it seems that the group's corporate culture is also diminishing. Anonymous employee reviews on Glassdoor don't paint a rosy picture. And earlier this year, CEO Mark Read faced significant backlash after introducing a mandatory return-to-office policy that didn't go down well with employees. In fact, over 20,000 workers signed a petition to try and overturn this decision. Needless to say, in an industry where top-tier talent is crucial, having a large part of the workforce seemingly unhappy doesn't bode well for attracting and retaining the best staff. Despite the seemingly gloomy state of the business, there's room for cautious optimism. The firm's multi-year restructuring plan is finally nearing completion. As such, shareholders may soon be reaping rewards from some long-awaited efficiency gains. At the same time, investments in AI tools, while late, have started accelerating with systems like WPP Open. Such moves are anticipated to improve client retention. And with the wider economic landscape improving and advertising spend on the rise, WPP could soon enjoy recovery tailwinds that get its financials back on track. With the shares trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of just 6.6, investors have seemingly set the bar quite low. So, if WPP can get things back on track, the share price could bounce back significantly, enabling contrarian investors to benefit. Having said that, continued weak performance paired with a fiercer competitive environment could equally result in further share price losses. In other words, there's an element of risk that investors need to investigate further before jumping in. The post Are these the best UK stocks to consider buying right now? appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool Zaven Boyrazian has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025 Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Democratisation of advertising driven by digital platforms: WPP's Mark Read at WAVES Summit 2025
At the inaugural of WAVES Summit 2025 , Mark Read , chief executive officer of WPP , addressed the future of advertising, outlining the significant and evolving nature of the industry. He noted that advertising is a trillion-dollar global industry that has shown strong recovery post-COVID. 'Advertising has long been part of successive technology revolutions,' he said. Read emphasised the continued importance of advertising for companies to promote their brands, highlighting the increasing value of brands due to consumer trust. Another key driver that Read identified was the growth of small and medium-sized businesses, particularly in India, alongside the expansion of new advertising models like search and social media. He pointed out that these developments have democratised advertising, making it more accessible through platforms provided by technology companies such as Google. 'This accessibility has enabled a new generation of entrepreneurs to launch ventures and reach customers,' said Read. He also discussed the broader societal contributions of advertising, extending beyond its direct impact on economic growth. Read highlighted its role in funding media, schools, drama, entertainment, movies and technology companies (enabling free services like search engines, maps, social media, and email), as well as creative platforms like YouTube. Read contextualised the current changes within advertising as part of the "fifth industrial revolution," with technology revolutions historically shaping the industry. He cited the impact of television, online advertising, mobile technology following the iPhone launch and the subsequent transformation driven by social information. The CEO of global advertising giant, WPP, Read argued that AI represents a critical shift, potentially more significant than previous technological revolutions, as computers can now perform tasks previously considered exclusive to human capabilities, such as writing, creating visuals, analysing data and making recommendations. While acknowledging that AI may not replicate human creativity in its entirety, Read emphasised its powerful ability to augment human creative processes. He detailed how WPP sees AI affecting three core aspects of their business: how they work, how they produce work and how consumers experience work. He mentioned WPP's investment in a platform called "WPP Open," designed to integrate the power of AI and generative AI across their teams. Read further explained how AI is changing the production of work, referencing WPP's production arm, Hogarth and their use of the WPP Open platform to produce video using new generative video models, including Google's latest advancements in motion AI. He acknowledged that generative video remains a complex field requiring expertise but suggested the results can be significant.
