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Tag: WPP

  • GroupM merges Essence and Mediacom, integrates Mindshare with Neo

    GroupM merges Essence and Mediacom, integrates Mindshare with Neo

    Mumbai: WPP’s media investment group GroupM announced on Wednesday its plans to merge Essence with MediaCom and Mindshare with Neo in its latest steps to transform and further simplify its operations. The moves, which build on the April 2021 launch of Choreograph, WPP’s global data and technology company, will create a new 9,000-strong cross-channel performance platform built on AI technology, it said.

    Additionally, Finecast, Xaxis, and GroupM Services – GroupM’s global community of activation experts – will be brought together to form media performance organisation, GroupM Nexus. Xaxis Global CEO Nicolas Bidon will oversee GroupM Nexus as Global CEO.

    Essence and MediaCom will merge to form EssenceMediacom, a new agency offering fusing the digital and data-driven DNA of Essence with MediaCom’s scaled multichannel audience planning and strategic media expertise.

    MediaCom Global CEO Nick Lawson will lead newly formed EssenceMediacom as Global CEO. Kyoko Matsushita, after eight years at Essence, is promoted to a new role as WPP’s CEO in Japan as the company continues to invest in expanding, high-growth markets.

    Mindshare will complete the integration with global performance agency Neo, wherein both will operate under the Mindshare brand but will retain and scale Neo’s operating model, focused on pureplay performance solutions at its heart, integrating this into Mindshare’s full-funnel offering.

    Neo’s 1,200 digital-first, performance experts and consultants will be integrated with Mindshare’s 10,000 media specialists and Neo’s digital-first services will be fully embedded into Mindshare and GroupM’s offering, stated the agency.

    With this reorganisation, GroupM’s five agency brands will be streamlined into Mindshare, Wavemaker, EssenceMediacom, GroupM Nexus and Choreograph.

    “The future of marketing is outcomes-driven, supported by audience-first planning and continually improving, AI-enabled performance standards,” stated GroupM Global CEO Christian Juhl. “Through GroupM Nexus and our agency powerhouses Mindshare, Wavemaker, and EssenceMediacom we are building a tech-enabled future, side-by-side with our clients, that is accountable to advertisers’ growth goals and to our vision for an advertising ecosystem that works for everyone. I also want to congratulate Kyoko, who has grown and strengthened Essence in her time as Global CEO, on her exciting new role as WPP’s CEO in Japan. We will continue to work closely together to strengthen the position of our agencies across APAC.”

    The merger of Essence and MediaCom builds on a record of strong business growth for both agencies, according to the agency. Comvergence ranked MediaCom first in the industry for new business wins in 2021 with $2.87 billion in new billings attributed to wins, while Essence has continued to grow and expand its remit with Google and other key clients.

    “The formation of EssenceMediacom builds on the strong and proven relationship between the agencies to create the agency model our clients want for the future — one founded on brilliant strategy and brand-building capabilities, with pioneering digital expertise running throughout,” said EssenceMediacom CEO Nick Lawson. “EssenceMediacom will not only help our clients see the bigger picture and reimagine what’s possible; it will also provide opportunities for our people to upskill and train in new areas, further enriching and enhancing their careers.”

    “Today’s global marketers need both agility and scale from their agency partners to properly support their businesses across international markets. Bringing together Essence and MediaCom – each with their own celebrated histories of excellence – will create a truly unique combination of agile innovation and global scale in a single agency,” added Kyoko Matsushita.

    GroupM Nexus will comprise 9,000 practitioners around the world, collectively responsible for the activation of more than two million campaigns managed by GroupM each year. This global community represents the industry’s leading team of experts in digital channels and platforms, search, social, programmatic, AI, cross-channel optimization, and data-driven technologies and software.

    GroupM Nexus unites GroupM’s addressable content and TV, AI technology (Copilot), and omnichannel solutions from Finecast, Xaxis, and GroupM Services into a single unit. The global organisation will be underpinned by a new cross-channel performance platform and international delivery hubs to set new benchmarks for performance innovation and efficiency for GroupM’s agencies and clients.

    “GroupM Nexus unites leading media talent, digital services excellence, cutting-edge AI technology and unique scaled partnerships into a new cross-channel performance organisation with one purpose: power growth for our people, our agencies and the amazing brands they represent. We cannot wait to innovate together and unlock new opportunities for everyone,” said GroupM Nexus CEO Nicolas Bidon.

    “This is a journey we’ve been on for the past year with many clients who have been demanding more diverse media services to drive their growth,” commented Mindshare Global CEO Adam Gerhart. “The merger delivers seamless access to Neo’s digital-first capabilities and a relentless focus on performance models to accelerate Good Growth. For our teams it means more opportunity and the ability to create greater impact across the world. I’m delighted to partner with Neo CEO Nasreen Madhany as we complete the integration of the two businesses and move into a new future together.”

  • Cola wars: PepsiCo ends 30-year partnership with WPP, as Coca-Cola signs up the agency

    Cola wars: PepsiCo ends 30-year partnership with WPP, as Coca-Cola signs up the agency

    Mumbai: The biggest rivalry in advertising history is in full view once again as the two beverage giants PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company engage in an indirect battle over their common global partner. PepsiCo India has brought its over three decades of association with WPP to a grinding halt after the latter inked a comprehensive deal with Coca-Cola. The beverage major is set to call India’s leading agencies for media and creative pitches. And the reason behind it is anybody’s guess.

    “PepsiCo India follows a re-pitching cycle every few years for agencies and partners working on our brand mandates. This year Wunderman Thompson and Mindshare will not be participating in the process,” stated a PepsiCo India Spokesperson to IndianTelevision, while adding, “We value our partnership and thank them for what we have achieved together over the years.”

    WPP Group-owned Mindshare and Wunderman Thompson were the company’s media and creative agency on record, respectively.

    Last year in November, Coca-Cola named WPP as its global marketing network partner. As a part of this alliance, WPP will play a major role in Coca-Cola, executing a new marketing model that is built to drive long-term growth for the entire company’s portfolio of brands across more than 200 countries and territories.

    The news of this association evidently has not gone down well with Pepsico, as WPP was handling the latter’s business in markets like India. India is among the few countries where WPP Group agencies represent PepsiCo. Rumours have been strife since then that PepsiCo might change its agency soon as no brand wants to work with agencies with contending brands.

    As the two largest soft-drink brands, Coca-Cola and Pepsi have long been arc rivals. Pepsico and Coca-Cola are two major advertisers in the country and the beverage makers have jostled for consumer attention with pointed ads featuring major Bollywood stars as brand ambassadors over the last decade.

     According to reports, PepsiCo has been devoting between $2.3 and $ three billion to advertising and promotion of its products annually. Over the last six years, Coca-Cola has spent an average of $ four billion a year on advertising worldwide.

  • WPP launches global engineering centre in Chennai

    WPP launches global engineering centre in Chennai

    Mumbai: Creative agency WPP has announced the launch of a new global engineering centre (GEC) in Chennai.  

    According to the statement, the GEC will play a pivotal role in further strengthening WPP’s global service offering, by partnering resilient, industry-leading technology and skills with creative brilliance. “Chennai was chosen as a strategic location with its vast candidate pool and strong IT capabilities,” it added.

    Over the next eight months, WPP will assemble a team of over 200 IT professionals who will support several areas including platform services, cloud and network infrastructure, engineering and operations across core products, and cyber security.

    “The pandemic has caused a fundamental shift in the way most businesses operate,” said WPP CEO Mark Read. “Technology, now more than ever, is the primary driver of growth, and will be critical to help us build back not just better – but best. WPP is genuinely invested in growing our presence in India and increasing our focus on recruiting highly skilled talent at a local level – not only in our creative industries but also in the technology industry. Our new WPP colleagues in Chennai will play a pivotal role in further developing our technology offering – and will have the unique opportunity to work together with colleagues in an industry that has the power to create positive change at scale. Something I’m very excited about.”

    “India is already playing a major role in WPP’s transformation with over 4000 people working across several global Technology COEs,” said WPP country manager India CVL Srinivas. “The GEC will add to this talent pool and help us scale technology across our global company.”

    “I’m extremely excited about the launch of our new GEC in Chennai and the potential we have to further accelerate our position as leaders not only in the creative transformation industries, but also the IT industry,” said WPP chief information officer Rachel Higham. “In support of our purpose to build better futures for our people, we are committed to investing in their personal and professional advancement, placing them in the best position to grow their careers with us in the way that they want to. By joining us, they will be part of a team that develops, supports, and delivers cutting-edge technology – providing them with a unique opportunity to be pioneers in their field.”

  • Palmolive India urges women to ‘Say Yes To You’ in new campaign

    Palmolive India urges women to ‘Say Yes To You’ in new campaign

    Mumbai: Palmolive, the personal care brand from the house of Colgate-Palmolive has announced the launch of its face washes and scrubs portfolio in India with a new campaign titled ‘Say Yes To You.’ Conceptualised by Red Fuse Communications – a WPP agency, the campaign aims to inspire women for ‘self-love.’

    “The campaign reiterates the brand’s core message that Indian women, who have been conditioned to prioritise everything and everyone but themselves, need to indulge more and make self-care a priority every day,” said the brand in a statement.

    The three ad film series features multitasking women; a working mother, a woman hosting people, and a working millennial’s day off, who settle for nothing but the best when it comes to their family and work responsibilities. The ad films showcase how amidst all the chaos that is their life, their moment of self-indulgence comes in the form of the brand’s new range of face products that offer them the care and pampering they deserve.

    The campaign films, produced by Fingerprint Films, depict a series of situations celebrating women luxuriating in their chosen moments of pause and normalises women prioritising themselves.

    “We saw a clear white space in the face cleansing segment. Current brands were speaking to the modern Indian woman as if she was just a skin type or a skin problem,” said Colgate-Palmolive (India) VP of marketing  Arvind Chintamani. “With this campaign, Palmolive speaks to women with a message and tonality that is authentic, real and purposive to what women are feeling today. We sincerely believe brands have a responsibility to communicate with purpose and products have a responsibility to deliver on the promises they make.”

    “Whilst our primary aim was to land the idea of women saying yes to themselves… it was equally important for us to ensure we were saying yes to women across all geographies, age groups and life stages… and saying yes to us in all our myriad shapes and colors and sizes,” stated Red Fuse (WPP integrated agency) executive creative director Delna Sethna. “This is not just a launch of a brand new beauty brand but a labor of love for the creative women who have been instrumental in shaping this narrative!”

  • WPP hits 2023 target in 2021; FY revenue stands at £12801 million

    WPP hits 2023 target in 2021; FY revenue stands at £12801 million

    Mumbai: London-headquartered global communications company WPP on Thursday announced its 2021 preliminary results with the full year and Q4 financial highlights. The full year continuing operations reported revenue at £12801 million (+6.7 per cent), against 12,003 in 2020. The company posted £1,494 million operating profit for the full year (£1261 million in 2020). Profit before tax stood at £1365 million, against £1,041 million last year.

    “It has been an outstanding year for WPP. Our top-line growth, driven by strong demand for our services in digital marketing, media, e-commerce and technology, has resulted in our fastest organic growth for over 20 years. As a result, we are two years ahead of our plan, hitting our 2023 revenue target in 2021,” said WPP CEO Mark Reed.

    “Cash generation continues to be very strong, underpinned by efficiencies achieved in our transformation programme, allowing us to make significant investments in our offer and reward our people for their huge contribution, while returning over £1 billion in cash to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks,” he added.

    The company is looking forward to 2022 with confidence, guiding to strong top-line growth, improving profitability and continued investment in people and services.

    Reed shared that the company has made substantial strategic progress, creating the world’s leading board-level communications firm through the merger of Finsbury Glover Hering and Sard Verbinnen, and acquiring capabilities in AI, commerce and technology services to leverage across all of WPP for future growth.

    “As clients seek to accelerate their growth and transform how they reach customers, the depth, breadth and global scale of our offer – which combines creativity with technology and data, through Choreograph, and the largest global media platform in GroupM – is proving its value for existing and new clients. The talent, dynamism and commitment of our people have also shone through. Our extensive partnership with The Coca-Cola Company, the expansion of our work with Google and the continuation of our longstanding relationship with Unilever demonstrate the value that three of the world’s leading marketing organisations place in WPP,” stated Reed.

  • WPP appoints Simon Dingemans to the board

    WPP appoints Simon Dingemans to the board

    Mumbai: WPP on Monday announced the appointment of Simon Dingemans to its board as a non-executive director, with immediate effect. 

    He is associated with the global investment firm The Carlyle Group as senior advisor in the UK. “Dingemans will serve as a member of the audit committee upon joining the board,” said the statement.

    Commenting on the appointment, WPP chairman Roberto Quarta said, “We are delighted to welcome Simon to WPP. His insight from a varied and distinguished career, combining both operational and financial experience, will be invaluable to the Board as WPP continues its transformation and strategic progress.”

    Prior to joining Carlyle, Dingemans was associated with GlaxoSmithKline as CFO and a member of the mainboard from 2011 to 2019, where he drove extensive restructuring and change programmes that delivered significant financial and operational efficiencies.  He also led a number of significant strategic transactions. As CFO, he was responsible for leading finance and a variety of other functions including procurement, real estate and technology, including cyber security.

    Prior to GSK, Dingemans worked in investment banking for 25 years at SG Warburg and then at Goldman Sachs, where he was managing director and partner for 10 years as a leader of their European M&A business and head of UK investment banking. Dingemans served as non-executive chair of the Financial Reporting Council in 2019/20. He was also the chairman of the 100 Group which represents the views of finance directors in the FTSE 100 and a number of large UK private companies.

    “WPP is the global leader in its sector with a clear strategy for continued success and value-creation. I am very much looking forward to being part of the transformation journey and supporting the future growth of the company,” said Dingemans.

  • Amin Lakhani elevated as Mindshare CEO, Parthasarathy Mandayam is GroupM CSO

    Amin Lakhani elevated as Mindshare CEO, Parthasarathy Mandayam is GroupM CSO

    Mumbai: GroupM, the media investment group of WPP on Tuesday announced the appointment of Parthasarathy Mandayam (Maps) as GroupM South Asia’s chief strategy officer (CSO) and Amin Lakhani, who is elevated to the role of Mindshare South Asia’s chief executive officer (CEO), which was earlier led by Maps.

    GroupM continues to invest in its talent, creating a strong leadership pipeline for the future driving the GroupM transformation journey for clients, partners, and internal teams, said the media company in a statement. “Both Maps and Amin have also helped m/SIX, Neo India, and Neo GDS grow significantly and become significant players within the industry,” it added.

    “We have witnessed a significant consolidation of existing businesses, with deeper penetration of our new core offerings under their tutelage,” remarked GroupM South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar. “Both have been instrumental in strengthening and reinvigorating the agency as it stands today. I have the utmost confidence in their expertise and know that both Maps and Amin will continue to drive innovation and further transformations in their future roles.”

    With more than 25 years of experience in the advertising and communication industry, Maps has successfully managed multiple leadership roles in Mindshare – across data, analytics, strategy, client leadership and business unit leadership. Starting his career with Mindshare in 2009 as head of the newly created ‘business planning’ function, he went on to lead the North, East, and South offices. Later as chief product officer, he led specialist teams in driving strategic initiatives and creating bespoke tools that delivered client delight and recognition. He helped create diverse communities and a culture of learning and sharing. He has also been integral to the Mindshare new business powerhouse over the past decade.

    The role of GroupM’s chief strategy officer will be to channel data, technology, consumer understanding to chart the growth and transformation agenda. Map’s appointment into the new role is part of the strategy that envisions doubling the focus with a significant shift on new-age technologies, products and offerings that require a transformation of both GroupM and client businesses. He will report to Prasanth Kumar.

    “I am extremely grateful to have such an amazing journey at GroupM. I think learning and change have always been a part of my career here. Furthermore, as our offerings become more specialised, we need to ensure synergy and seamless flow of expertise between the various players both internal, WPP and external to get the full benefits of both scale and specialisation,” said Parthasarathy Mandayam on his new role. “As I steer through this journey I will continue to push forward with the growth and transformation agenda to bring in significant synergies between new-age data, technology, consulting, products and offerings for our clients and internal stakeholders.”

    Lakhani has more than 20 years of experience in various roles in Mindshare and GroupM. In his previous role as Mindshare South Asia’s chief operating officer, he has been instrumental in driving the best practices and strengthening key client relationships. Earlier in his career as the leader for Mindshare Fulcrum South Asia, he successfully led the integration of the digital business of Unilever in India, leading the team to the most coveted win of a Grand Prix at Cannes. 

    “We want to build on this existing momentum and drive Mindshare ‘Good Growth’ for our clients,” stated Amin Lakhani. “New age data, technology, creativity, research, consulting, and products will play a major role in this journey. As marketers, we need to take charge and lead this journey for our clients and brands. I am excited for this next phase of my journey.”

    Lakhani has extensive cross-functional experience in media, marketing, product management, leading large teams and has worked with various clients like Pepsi, GSK, ICICI, Castrol, HSBC, BYJU’s, Muthoot, Kellogg’s amongst others. He plays an active role in industry bodies like Barc and AAAI. In this new role, he will report to Prasanth Kumar and Mindshare Asia Pacific CEO Helen McRae.

    “Both Maps and Amin are distinguished leaders who have brought energy, skill and leadership, to the Mindshare Group over the past few years in office. They have both led the agency with their invaluable expertise bringing immense value for our clients and internal teams,” commented Helen McRae. “Mindshare’s achievements and client success journeys over the last few years narrate the business acumen of both Maps and Amin. I congratulate them both and wish them the very best for their new roles!

  • WPP acquires Cloud Commerce Group to strengthen its commerce offering

    WPP acquires Cloud Commerce Group to strengthen its commerce offering

    Mumbai: International advertising group WPP has acquired Cloud Commerce Group (CCG), a UK-based technology company that helps brands to market, sell and deliver their products across e-commerce platforms and marketplaces globally, such as Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and Wayfair.

    CCG will merge with Wunderman Thompson’s global network offering, Wunderman Thompson Commerce, a platform that aims to support brands across the e-commerce journey including the connection of customer acquisition and multi-platform commerce with inventory, warehousing, and partnerships.

    CCG helps brands market, sell and deliver to customers working with some of the most widely-used online marketplaces, while also supporting European retailers and wholesalers through its software integration. It also works with brands such as Ford, IBM, Mars, and Mondelez. The multi-channel e-commerce software platform employs over 100 people across Europe.

    This acquisition reflects WPP’s ongoing investment into strengthening its commerce offer for clients and is aligned with the group’s accelerated growth strategy and focused M&A approach, building on existing capabilities in the areas of experience, commerce and technology, stated the company.

    “Clients look to WPP to help them market, sell and fulfil across multiple e-commerce channels and marketplaces,” stated WPP CEO Mark Read. “With over £1 billion in revenue transacting through its platform, Cloud Commerce Group already has demonstrable scale and success in managing the complex omnichannel commerce needs of global brands. I am excited about how CCG’s expertise will further strengthen the breadth and depth of our commerce offering to deliver growth for our clients.”

    Founded by Mark Hallam and Stuart Forrest in 2015, the e-commerce solutions company is headquartered in Lancaster, England and will see its 100-plus employees across Europe join WPP as a result of the merger.

    “The team at WPP are excited by our existing roadmap for developing the Cloud Commerce Pro platform and expanding our marketing services through Cloud Seller Pro and, with the investment and experience WPP bring in growing businesses, we will be able to achieve those goals faster and take on new integrations and markets,” said the statement.

    “This acquisition by WPP is the next step of the journey for CCG and we are excited about the opportunities this will present to our hard-working team and growing customer base,” it added.

  • Himanshu Shekhar to lead in Vietnam at GroupM

    Himanshu Shekhar to lead in Vietnam at GroupM

    Mumbai: GroupM has announced that Himanshu Shekhar, currently CEO of GroupM Indonesia, will lead the organisation’s Vietnam business.

    He succeeds Neil Hardwick, who is returning to the UK to take up a new role outside WPP, said the company in a statement.

    “Himanshu is an exceptional leader with a phenomenal track record,” stated GroupM’s APAC CEO Ashutosh Srivastava. “He is a hands-on leader who is passionate about this business, builds trusted relationships with clients, and always puts people and culture first.”

    Shekhar has been based in Indonesia since March 2010 when he joined as the managing director for Mindshare’s business with Unilever. He was later promoted to CEO of Mindshare Indonesia in December 2011. Whilst at the helm of Mindshare Indonesia, he delivered consistently strong growth for the agency and positioned Mindshare as the market leader in digital transformation. In 2018, he was promoted to his current position, GroupM Indonesia CEO.

    Shekhar said he is excited to take up the role and looks forward to working closely with clients, teams, and media partners in Vietnam to unlock strong and sustainable growth.

  • Bayer names MediaCom as its global media agency

    Bayer names MediaCom as its global media agency

    Mumbai: Bayer has named WPP’s MediaCom as its global full-service media agency. MediaCom global client president and Team Bayer lead at WPP Costin Mihaila will head up the account, with full handover in the markets new to the agency taking place as of 1 January 2022. The pitch process was managed by MediaSense.

    The agency network will contribute to driving Bayer’s modernised marketing strategy, with best-in-class data and content integration as a key driver for business growth. The agency will also support the German multinational pharmaceutical company’s ongoing commitment to ‘Media For Good’, ensuring that both companies continue to develop their initiatives and leadership in I&D, sustainability, and brand communications suitability, said the statement.

    MediaCom will fully leverage WPP’s Choreograph to deliver the expertise and insight required for Bayer to lead the industry in the critical area of data-driven marketing, it added.

    “The agency proved that it shares our vision and commitment to create a customised data-focused solution that will help us deliver on our ‘media for growth’ ambition whilst also exceeding on its sustainability commitment and media for good vision,” said Bayer chief marketing & digital officer Patricia Corsi. “I am confident that together we will realise our ambition to be the best in our industry. While congratulating MediaCom I would like to also take this opportunity to recognise and appreciate the three partners involved in the review process for their professionalism, commitment and shared values with Bayer.” 

    MediaCom previously worked with Bayer across 65 markets, but this consolidation will add crucial markets such as Germany, China, and Russia to its remit and ensure further synergies for both companies. Consolidating the global business for the first time will also deliver enhanced best practice sharing, simpler ways of working, as well as consistency of approach, improved data, and reporting.

    “I’m thrilled that we have built on our existing strong relationship with Bayer.  We are now in a solid position to deliver a step-change in media thinking and activation that drives growth and celebrates the good that the company’s brands provide,” said MediaCom global CEO Nick Lawson. “Our new working relationship will enable us to see the bigger picture for Bayer and deliver smarter, more personalised, and relevant messages across the business.”