Tag: WPP

WPP partners with IICT to boost creative and digital talent in India

MUMBAI: When ad world muscle meets academic hustle, you get a creative spark like no other. In a move that blends Madison Avenue with Mumbai’s media dreams, WPP, the global giant in marketing services has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), a Ministry of I&B-supported initiative that aims to revolutionise creative and digital skilling in India.

This partnership positions WPP as the first agency group to formalise such a comprehensive engagement with IICT, joining the league of global tech titans like Google, Meta, Microsoft, JioStar, Nvidia, and Adobe all of whom have pledged support to build India’s creator economy.

India, WPP’s fifth largest and fastest-growing market, now becomes the testing ground for a powerful alliance between academic rigour and industry firepower.

Under the collaboration, WPP will Co-develop IICT’s curriculum to reflect real-world creative, media, and tech skills, Provide mentorship for IICT’s startup incubator, Engage faculty on live projects and joint research, Support technology planning for the IICT campus, Assist with promotional and outreach strategies.

“This collaboration is a testament to WPP’s deep commitment to nurturing talent and driving innovation in India’s dynamic media and entertainment sector,” said WPP country manager for India CVL Srinivas. “By combining IICT’s academic rigour with WPP’s global industry leadership, we aim to equip the next generation of creative professionals with the skills and insights needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.”

The alliance comes close on the heels of IICT’s inauguration at the newly established IICT–NFDC campus in Mumbai, a high-profile event attended by Ashwini Vaishnaw, union minister for railways, information & broadcasting, and electronics & IT, and Devendra Fadnavis, chief minister of Maharashtra.

IICT board member Ashish Kulkarni added, “With WPP, we are bringing together the best in creative, technology, and media. This partnership will help make IICT a world-class institution on par with IITs and IIMs, preparing market-ready talent for tomorrow’s India.”

With India inching closer to becoming a global creative powerhouse home to over 75 crore internet users and a booming content economy, the timing couldn’t be more apt. If the next big idea is born at the crossroads of commerce and creativity, WPP and IICT might just be laying the road.

August 6, 2025
Aditi Guha joins Prime Video as head of programming & content insights

MUMBAI: Amazon Prime Video has roped in media veteran Aditi Guha as head of programming & content insights for Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios India. She joined the content giant in May 2025 and made the announcement today on Linkedin.

With over two decades of experience across media planning, consumer insight, content strategy and product monetisation, Guha is set to shape the streamer’s data-led storytelling and business decisions.

Prior to this, Guha served as senior product researcher at Netflix APAC, where she led consumer insight across South Korea, Japan, India, Australia, and Southeast Asia, focusing on partnerships, churn, retention and commerce growth. Before that, she held multiple leadership roles at The Walt Disney Co in Singapore, launching Disney+ in Southeast Asia and building audience strategies across studios, media networks and licensing verticals.

Her career began in media planning at Universal McCann and WPP, before she made her mark at Viacom18’s MTV Insight Studio and ABP News. Guha is an alumna of Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication and has earned certifications from NUS Business School, IdeoU, and General Assembly in analytics and design thinking.

With content wars heating up in the Indian OTT space, her appointment signals Amazon’s continued push to double down on data-fuelled programming decisions, local insights and international storytelling chops.

July 16, 2025
WPP names Microsoft executive Cindy Rose as new chief executive

MUMBAI: WPP today announced a significant leadership change, appointing Cindy Rose as its new chief executive officer, effective 1 September 2025. She will succeed Mark Read, who steps down on the same date after a 30-year tenure with the company, including seven years as CEO. Read will assist Rose with the transition until the end of the year.

Rose brings extensive experience from the technology, telecommunications, media, entertainment, and creative industries. For the past nine years, she has held senior leadership roles at Microsoft, most recently as chief operating officer, global enterprise, where she focused on leveraging digital technology and AI for business transformation. Before this, she served as president of Microsoft Western Europe and CEO of Microsoft UK.

Her impressive career also includes leadership positions at Vodafone (managing director, UK consumer
business) and Virgin Media (executive director, digital entertainment and media sales). She spent 15 years at The Walt Disney Co, culminating as senior vice president and managing director of Disney Interactive Media Group, EMEA.

Rose has been a non-executive director on the WPP board since 2019, giving her an intimate understanding of the company’s operations. An alumna of Columbia University and New York Law School, she also serves as an advisory board member at Imperial College Business School and McLaren Racing. Holding both British and American citizenship, she will split her time between London and New York. In recognition of her services to UK technology, she was awarded an OBE in the 2019 New Year Honours.

WPP chair Philip Jansen said:
“Cindy is an outstanding and inspirational business leader with extensive experience at some of the world’s most recognised companies and a track record of growing large-scale businesses. She has led multi-billion-dollar operations across the UK, EMEA and globally, built enduring client relationships and delivered growth in both enterprise and consumer environments.

“Cindy has supported the digital transformation of large enterprises around the world – including embracing AI to create new customer experiences, business models and revenue streams. Her expertise in this landscape will be hugely valuable to WPP as the industry navigates fundamental changes and macroeconomic uncertainty. Cindy’s appointment follows a thorough selection process that considered both internal and external candidates. As an existing Board member she understands our business and the needs of our clients, and we look forward to working with her in her new role as CEO.

“As he hands over to Cindy, I would like to reiterate my sincere thanks to Mark for his tireless commitment during more than 30 years with WPP and in particular the progress he has made to modernise, simplify and transform the company over the last seven years as CEO. On behalf of the Board and the company as a whole I wish him all the very best for the future.”

Rose expressed her excitement about returning to the creative industries.

She said: “WPP is a company I know and love – not only from my six years on the Board but as a client and partner for many years before that – and I couldn’t be happier or more excited to be appointed as CEO. I began my career in the creative industries and this feels like coming home.

“There are so many opportunities ahead for WPP. We have and continue to build market-leading AI capabilities, alongside an unrivalled reputation for creative excellence and a preeminent client list. WPP has the most brilliant, talented, creative people and I can’t wait to write the company’s next chapter together.

“I am grateful to Mark for his many contributions to the business over the years and I look forward to working together to ensure a smooth handover.”

Mark Read said:

“Having worked closely with Cindy for the last six years, I am delighted to see her appointed as CEO of WPP. From her time on the Board, she has real insight into our business and knows many of our clients, people and partners around the world.

“She brings deep experience of technology and AI and its transformational impact on business, and has successfully run large global organisations with talent at their core. After seven years as CEO, I know that I am leaving WPP in excellent hands.”

July 10, 2025
Maaza celebrates everyday wins with new AI-powered digital platform

MUMBAI: In a world obsessed with big wins, Maaza just hit refresh by bottling up life’s tiniest triumphs with a mango twist. Maaza, Coca-Cola India’s beloved homegrown mango drink, is sweetening everyday life with its new digital platform, “Meri Chhoti Waali Jeet”, an AI-powered celebration of the little wins that often slip under the radar. Whether it’s nailing that elusive recipe, finishing a book you started last year, or finally fixing that leaky tap, Maaza thinks it deserves a round of applause and a sip of mango joy.

Developed by Ogilvy India, the campaign invites users to upload a photo and describe their proud “chhoti jeet” moment. In return, the platform creates a custom Maaza-style animated video, turning mundane Mondays into mango-minted memories ripe for sharing online.

The campaign is a juicy follow-up to Maaza’s repositioning earlier this year as a reward for small, impromptu wins, tapping into a generation that seeks joy in the now. And who better to embody that vibe than real-life couple Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh, who lead the campaign with tales of parenting highs, creative pursuits, and everyday magic.

“For me, teaching my kids a new dance step or finally finishing a painting is the real win,” said Genelia, calling the campaign “a sweet way to celebrate victories that mean everything, even if they look like nothing.”

Riteish agreed: “Learning a football trick or nailing a dish at home feels like a gold medal moment. Maaza gets that. It’s about lifting spirits, not just glasses.”

Backed by OpenX from WPP, the platform reflects what Ogilvy India CCO Sukesh Nayak calls “a digital ode to the ordinary.” It’s storytelling with soul and a splash of Alphonso mango. Users have until 31 July to join the celebration and get their tiny triumphs animated into Maaza memories.

Coca-Cola director of marketing & nutrition category, India & Southwest Asia, Ajay Konale summed it up best: “As our consumers’ digital lives evolve, Maaza evolves with them celebrating not just the big chapters, but the small footnotes that bring happiness.”

From mini milestones to animated mementos, Maaza’s platform proves that life’s sweetest stories are often just one sip and one small win away.

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July 4, 2025
Centerfruit gets tongues wagging with AI challenge

MUMBAI: What do you get when you mix flavour, fun, and futuristic tech with zero internet? A rural marketing masterstroke. Centerfruit, from the house of Perfetti Van Melle India, has launched an industry-first voice-based AI campaign that’s got rural tongues wagging – quite literally.

In a bold move to bridge the digital divide, Centerfruit rolled out the Tongue Twister Challenge in partnership with WPP, BharatGPT.ai, and Google Cloud. Targeted at audiences in rural Uttar Pradesh – where smartphone penetration is patchy and data access even patchier – this initiative lets users engage with the brand using nothing more than a basic feature phone.

Sharing his thoughts on the campaign, Perfetti Van Melle India marketing director Gunjan Khetan said, “Rural Bharat is an important market for Centerfruit, and while we have been able to reach millions through Television, there are still pockets where narrating our brand story has been a challenge. However, the latest Voice AI tech activation is a game-changer, it allows us to not just reach but have conversations with people outside of the traditional digital ecosystem. By using AI and creative storytelling, we bring the Kaisi Jeebh Laplapayee spirit to life in a way that feels local, effortless, and deeply inclusive. We believe this is a powerful step toward ensuring that no consumer is left out of the conversation, no matter where they are or what technology they have access to.”

As part of its ongoing ‘Kaisi Jeebh Laplapayee’ campaign, the brand deployed a hyperlocal Voice AI that dialled users directly. All they had to do was give a missed call, and they were in – chatting away in local dialects, tackling tongue twisters, and laughing through a gamified, fully voice-led experience.

The backend was as sophisticated as the frontend was simple. Deployed on Google Cloud, the experience leveraged BharatGPT and CoRover’s desi LLM optimised for Indian languages and dialects. Users’ voices were streamed and converted in real-time, analysed by Gemini (Google’s AI model), and scored on clarity, pronunciation, and speed. No screens, no apps, just good ol’ vocal cords.

But the experience didn’t stop at tongue twisters. Users could also ask questions in their native dialects via BharatGPT.ai’s ‘Ask Engine’ and receive instant responses, turning every call into a conversation.

Google Cloud India VP and country MD, Bikram Singh Bedi added, “Google Cloud’s scalable cloud infrastructure will enable brands like Center Fruit to reach consumers in their native language and Gemini’s capabilities will enable real time scoring which will make the whole user journey exciting while creating more brand recognition. This is a testament to how technology can truly empower businesses and consumers around the globe.”

Wavemaker CEO – South Asia, Ajay Gupte said, “We believe technology should be an equalizer, not a barrier. Our collaboration on the campaign along with BharatGPT.ai and Google Cloud is a powerful example of how voice-based GenAI can bridge the digital divide and bring playful, immersive brand experiences to audiences often overlooked by mainstream media. By combining creativity with scalable tech infrastructure, we’re proud to help create a campaign that’s as inclusive as it is innovative—one that speaks directly to people, in their language, on the devices they already use. This initiative is a step forward in redefining how brands connect with rural India—not just by reaching them, but by truly engaging them in ways that are local, personal, and deeply human.”

Hogarth India CEO Karthik Nagarajan said, “This partnership between Perfetti Van Melle, WPP, Google Cloud, and BharatGPT wasn’t about tech deployment – it was about cultural engineering. We built AI not just to answer questions, but to reflect the wit, rhythm, and warmth of everyday Bharat. When creativity meets technology, you don’t just reach people – you resonate. As a content experience company, we specialize in delivering engaging, enriching brand experiences irrespective of the medium. In this case, we are very grateful to Perfetti Van Melle for providing a platform that enabled us to create such an experience at scale for its audience.”

With this move, Centerfruit hasn’t just taken the road less travelled – it’s made it multilingual, hyperlocal, and powered by next-gen tech. Who said you need 5G to have fun?

June 30, 2025
WPP boss Mark Read to sign off at year-end after 30-year ad-venture

MUMBAI: WPP plc has just hit ‘next’ on its leadership playlist. The British ad giant announced that long-time chief executive officer Mark Read will hang up his boots and step down from the board on 31 December 2025, marking the end of a 30-year run—including a high-octane seven-year stint steering the ship as CEO. The search for his successor is already underway.

WPP chair Philip Jansen, heaped praise on Read’s legacy, hailing him as a transformational force. “On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Mark for his contributions not only as CEO but throughout his more than 30 years of leadership and service to the Company. During that time Mark has played a central role in transforming the Company into a world leader in modern marketing services, with deep AI, data and technology capabilities, global presence and unrivalled creative talent, setting WPP up well for longer-term success,” said Jansen.” We are pleased that Mark will continue to lead WPP as CEO until the end of the year, remaining focused on the execution of the Company’s growth strategy and supporting a smooth transition to his successor, once appointed.”

In a heartfelt sign-off, Read said leading WPP had been “an immense privilege.” When he took the reins in 2018, his mission was to simplify the business, power up its creative engines, and plug it into cutting-edge tech. By most accounts, he’s delivered.

Said Read: “WPP is an incredible company with over 100,000 talented and creative people, wonderful clients and partners, and an unmatched presence around the world. It has been an immense privilege to serve as its CEO for the past seven years.

“When I took on this role our mission was to build a simpler, stronger business, and put structure and new energy behind our creativity and performance, powered by world-leading technology. I am proud that our teams across the business have delivered that exceptionally well. Our clients today rate us more highly than ever before, we now work with four of the world’s five most valuable companies, and our revenues with our biggest clients have grown consistently.

“Our business starts with creativity, and I was delighted for our teams that last year we were once again named Creative Company of the Year at Cannes Lions. We have also positioned WPP at the forefront of the industry with our investments in AI and, with the full launch of WPP Open this year, we are now leading the way as AI transforms marketing. We have an exceptional leadership team and a secure financial position that allows us to face the future confidently and capture the opportunities ahead.

“After seven years in the role, and with the foundations in place for WPP’s continued success, I feel it is the right time to hand over the leadership of this amazing company. I am excited to explore the next chapter in my life and can only thank all the brilliant people I have been lucky enough to work with over the last 30 years, and who have made possible the enormous progress we have achieved together. I would also like to thank Phil and the rest of the Board for their steadfast support for me and the wider executive team, and I look forward to supporting them in the transition to my successor in the coming months.”

WPP now works with four of the world’s five most valuable companies, and its largest clients are spending more than ever. He also gave a nod to WPP Open, the firm’s AI-powered platform, calling it a game-changer that’s keeping WPP ahead of the curve as artificial intelligence rewrites the rules of marketing.

“I feel it is the right time to hand over the leadership of this amazing company,” said Read. “We’ve built the foundations for future success, and I look forward to exploring the next chapter in my life.”

WPP, which employs over 100,000 people across the globe, is now on the hunt for a new commander-in-chief to build on Read’s digital-first, AI-fuelled momentum.

The Mad Men era is long gone—WPP 2.0 is ready for its next act.

June 9, 2025
WPP snaps up InfoSum, promising a data-driven bonanza for brands

MUMBAI: WPP has bagged InfoSum, the data collaboration cutting edge solutions provider. This acquisition, a proper “data-licious” deal, promises to supercharge WPP’s AI-driven marketing arsenal, giving clients access to a treasure trove of data signals.

“At WPP, we have been building the technology and data infrastructure that will give our clients a unique competitive advantage in the AI era. Bringing InfoSum into WPP is a major step forward for our data capabilities and the results we can deliver for our clients,” said WPP CEO Mark Read. “It allows clients to stay in complete control of their first-party data, while also giving them access to vastly greater quantities of high-quality, privacy-compliant data and pioneering technology that is not available anywhere else in the market today.”

InfoSum’s patented cross-cloud tech allows brands to mingle their data with billions of signals from big hitters Channel 4, DirecTV, ITV, Netflix, News Corp, and Samsung Ads, as well as major retailers around the world and five billion identifiers through identity and data partners like Experian, TransUnion, Circana, Dynata, and NCSolutions.

“InfoSum’s mission has always been to reimagine how data powers marketing in a secure, privacy-first, and, most importantly, impactful way for advertisers and consumers. WPP and GroupM are the perfect partners to help us accelerate our impact on a truly global scale. We couldn’t be more excited to join forces with the team at GroupM as privacy and security become non-negotiables, and AI allows us to redefine what’s possible for advertisers and our network of media and data partners,” quipped InfoSum chief executive Lauren Wetzel, who’ll now be pulling double duty as GroupM’s chief solutions officer.

GroupM chief executive officer Brian Lesser was equally enthusiastic, stating, ” Directly integrating InfoSum’s global data network and technology infrastructure will allow our clients to create even more value from their first-party data and enable us to train client AI models against the most data, from the most places, at unprecedented scale and speed. Our approach recognizes the importance of identity data to today’s marketing strategies while allowing us to take advantage of the limitless opportunities for growth we can create by moving beyond them. As more and more clients leverage our AI-first solutions, every client model, every audience, and every campaign will benefit from network effects that will exponentially increase their intelligence and competitive advantage.”

The deal allows WPP’s clients to train custom AI models in secure environments, delivering smarter audiences, optimised campaigns, and better business outcomes. Basically, it allows the ability to get your hands on all the juicy information, without anyone else seeing your private bits.

InfoSum’s network boasts hundreds of billions of data signals, and five billion identifiers, allowing for a level of insight that’s previously been the stuff of marketing fantasies. No more relying on those crumbling cookie-based systems, which are about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.

This acquisition represents a bold leap into the future of predictive performance and AI-driven marketing intelligence. WPP is betting big on AI, and with InfoSum in its pocket, it’s ready to unleash a marketing storm that’ll leave competitors scrambling for cover.

April 3, 2025
Anupam Sengupta jumps aboard AI dub firm Camb.ai

MUMBAI: Anupam Sengupta, a seasoned tech heavyweight with a CV that reads like a who’s who of global giants, has taken the helm as business head for the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia at Camb.ai. This AI media tech company, fresh from a $11m funding round and eyeing a cool $75m+ by FY26, is betting big on Sengupta’s knack for driving high-impact deals and digital transformations.

Sengupta, whose past conquests include stints at Sony Group, WPP, Zee, and Standard Chartered, isn’t just bringing his Rolodex; he’s bringing a vision. Camb.ai, based in west Asia, aims to bridge linguistic divides with AI that’s more than just a translator – it’s a cultural chameleon. It has positioned itself as the world’s most capable speech and translation AI, offering the capability for humankind to dub content into over 140 languages using proprietary AI models.

Camb.ai founder & CEO Avneesh Prakash articulated the company’s mission with a touch of the poetic: “As founders with deep Indian roots, we’ve seen how language can both empower and exclude. At Camb.ai, our mission is to bridge India’s linguistic diversity through advanced AI, ensuring equal access across entertainment, sports, education, and healthcare. With India and SEA emerging markets central to our strategy, we’re excited to build long-term, transformative impact.”

Sengupta himself is equally bullish, stating, “At Camb.ai, we are pushing the frontiers of AI voice and language research—not merely translating words, but carrying emotion, intent, contextuality, and cultural nuance across languages. It’s a deeply challenging science, but one with immense potential across sectors. In these transformative times, I’m excited to build this deep tech business grounds up in Asia. Together the team is deeply committed to building long-term, sustainable value in this region where language inclusion can further unlock true cultural and economic potential.”

In essence, Sengupta’s appointment isn’t just a career move; it’s a strategic play in Asia’s burgeoning AI landscape. Camb.ai is betting that his expertise will translate into more than just revenue; it’ll translate into a cultural revolution, one perfectly nuanced AI voice at a time.

March 31, 2025
Publicis and Havas in adland tug-of-war for Madison?

MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe and Havas Network are in separate talks to snap up a majority stake in Madison World, India’s last large independent advertising group, if media reports are to be believed.

Founder Sam Balsara, who set up the agency in 1988, is looking for a deal that strengthens Madison’s future and aligns it with a global network.

“Madison has always been open to a tie-up, but the terms must be right,” said chairman & managing director Balsara. He declined to reveal the valuation the agency is seeking. Publicis and Havas, meanwhile, stay tight-lipped.

With an estimated Rs 5,000 crore in gross billings in fiscal 2024, Madison makes its money charging 15–20 per cent in fees. Its roster boasts over 500 clients across media, digital and outdoor, including Asian Paints, Saffola and Blue Star. But not all news is good—Madison recently lost the Godrej Consumer Products account.

This isn’t the agency’s first dance with global suitors. A decade ago, talks with WPP and Dentsu over a 75 per cent stake sale fizzled out over valuation gaps. Now, with Omnicom snapping up Interpublic Group (IPG) to create an ad behemoth, other networks are scrambling to shore up their portfolios.

Publicis, which leapfrogged WPP last year to become the world’s largest ad group, counts PepsiCo, Diageo and Skoda among its big clients in India. Havas, with brands such as Reckitt, Tata Motors and Swiggy, runs 25 agencies in India across creative, media and health.

Madison isn’t new to parting ways with its ventures. In October 2022, the Balsara family fully exited MediaCom, a joint venture with WPP, selling its remaining 26 per cent stake.

Now, the question is: will Madison go global, or will it like in the past stay fiercely independent and just let suitors court it?

March 24, 2025
Publicis steals Coca-Cola’s $800 North American media crown from WPP

MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe has pinched Coca-Cola’s lucrative North American media account from WPP following a hush-hush competitive review, industry sources confirmed yesterday.

The French advertising giant will now handle Coca-Cola’s media planning and buying across the United States and Canada, with the business estimated to be worth a fizzy $800 million in annual billings.

The soft drinks behemoth conducted the review under tight wraps, with only WPP and Publicis invited to participate in what insiders describe as a “closed door beauty contest” between the two holding companies.

For Publicis, the win represents sweet revenge after finishing as runner-up in 2021 when WPP scooped Coca-Cola’s global integrated business. Now, just three and a half years later, the tables have turned in North America.

The account covers media planning and buying for Coca-Cola’s extensive portfolio of over 200 brands, including its flagship cola, Sprite, Fanta, and various sports drinks, juices, and plant-based beverages.
Despite the sting of losing North America, WPP will continue to serve as Coca-Cola’s primary global partner, handling media duties across the rest of the world and maintaining responsibility for creative work globally through its bespoke Open X agency setup.

Coca-Cola spent an estimated $1.8 billion on US advertising in 2023, according to Ad Age Datacenter, with $621 million specifically on measured media. Globally, the beverage giant splashed out $5.15 billion on advertising in 2024, up from $5 billion the previous year.

In a statement crafted to soothe WPP’s bruised ego, Coca-Cola emphasised that “WPP is the only global marketing partner of The Coca-Cola Co,” describing Publicis merely as a “complementary partner for its US and Canada media business.”

“The Coca-Cola Co is committed to the ongoing transformation of its marketing model to ensure the company is best positioned to connect with the evolving consumer marketplace around the world,” the statement continued, adding that “no other changes are expected, and Coca-Cola is in an advanced stage in the process of renewing its global partnership with WPP.”

Coca-Cola globall chief market ing officer Manolo Arroyoa,praised WPP’s contribution, highlighting achievements including “Coke being named Creative Brand of the Year at the Cannes Lions in 2024.”

The Coca-Cola win continues Publicis’ remarkable run of form in the media pitch circuit, coming hot on the heels of major account victories with Pfizer and Hershey’s. This stellar performance prompted the holding company to upgrade its earnings guidance twice during 2024.

Last year, Publicis overtook WPP as the world’s largest agency group by revenue, marking a dramatic shift in the industry’s power balance. The addition of Coca-Cola’s North American media business will only cement that position.

The handover is expected to take place in the coming months.

March 14, 2025