Multinational advertising network WPP鈥檚 media-investment business GroupM at the end of May announced its rebranding to WPP Media, signaling a new era for the network and its clients.
WPP Media manages more than $60 billion in annual media investment and works with more than 75 percent of the world鈥檚 leading advertisers in more than 80 markets, the company said.
Arab News spoke with Amer El Hajj, Middle East and North Africa CEO of WPP Media, to understand how the rebrand is being implemented and what its implications are for the group and its clients, particularly in the MENA region.
The rebrand represents 鈥渁 fundamental shift from GroupM to WPP Media, reflecting our evolution into a fully integrated, AI-powered media company,鈥 he said.
Along with a new visual identity, the key change 鈥渋s deeper integration across our agencies through WPP Open, enabling seamless collaboration between media, data, production, and creative teams to deliver personalized solutions at scale,鈥 he added.
GroupM comprised three agencies: Mindshare, Wavemaker, and Essence Mediacom. These agencies will now serve as 鈥渉omes for dedicated client teams鈥 representing a shift from 鈥渟eparate agency P&Ls (profit and loss statements) 鈥 to integrated client service teams that share technology, data, and operational functions while maintaining brand names and identities for client relationships,鈥 El Hajj explained.
Commenting on the timing of the rebrand, he said: 鈥淕roupM was built for an era when media scale mattered most.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 reality is different 鈥 we鈥檙e in the AI era where media is everywhere and in everything.鈥
Clients, too, demand integrated capabilities covering media, production, and technology, and so, the rebrand aims to reflect this new landscape, 鈥渆mphasizing our AI-driven approach鈥 and integration with WPP鈥檚 鈥渃reative and technology ecosystem.鈥
Organizations in many industries are adopting AI at an accelerating pace and the advertising and media industry is no exception. One report found that in the US alone, 91 percent of advertising agencies are either currently using (61 percent) generative AI or exploring use cases (30 percent) for the technology.
For WPP Media, being 鈥淎I-driven鈥 means embedding AI throughout its operations, El Hajj said.
These include tasks such as analyzing vast data sets for deeper consumer understanding, automating media buying for greater efficiency, personalizing creative content in large volumes, and predicting campaign performance, he said.
The role of AI in planning, buying and optimizing media campaigns enables 鈥渞eal-time bidding, audience prediction, and creative personalization at unprecedented scale,鈥 he said.
Moreover, generative AI helps write advertising copy and even create multiple content variations, in addition to generating insights from complex data.
AI is undoubtedly a powerful tool, but ultimately, it remains just that: a tool.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not about replacing human creativity but amplifying it,鈥 El Hajj said.
鈥淎I enhances rather than threatens human talent鈥 by handling monotonous tasks that free up people for strategic thinking, relationship building, and creative problem-solving, he added.
The core tenet of the rebrand 鈥 widespread AI adoption 鈥 is made possible by WPP Open, the network鈥檚 AI-enabled marketing operating system that connects all capabilities through one platform.
The platform features real-time data and is available to employees of all agencies. This means that data about the performance of adverts can be used to optimize creative production of those ads in real time. Similarly, media targeting decisions by one agency can be made instantly based on creative insights from another agency within the company.
鈥淭his integration eliminates traditional silos, accelerates campaign development, and ensures all client touchpoints are coordinated and data-driven rather than operating independently,鈥 El Hajj said.
The move comes at a time when clients in the MENA region are 鈥渋ncreasingly sophisticated in AI adoption, particularly in the UAE and 黑料社区, where Vision 2030 and digital transformation initiatives drive innovation.鈥
Contrary to what some believe, El Hajj said, 鈥渕any regional clients are actually ahead of some global counterparts in embracing AI for customer experience and operational efficiency.鈥
In 黑料社区 specifically, he said, the rebrand 鈥減ositions us perfectly to capitalize on the Kingdom鈥檚 unprecedented AI investment landscape,鈥 building on Saudi鈥檚 $100 billion AI initiative announced late last year.
When it comes to dealing with clients in the region, the group has a 鈥済lobally powered, locally rooted鈥 approach, as regional clients 鈥渨ant AI capabilities but implemented with deep understanding of local markets, languages, and cultural nuances,鈥 he said.
The restructure is expected to affect 40 percent to 45 percent of GroupM鈥檚 workforce, which does not necessarily imply layoffs, but rather changes to team structures, according to media reports.
El Hajj said that the company is 鈥渉eavily investing鈥 in upskilling talent for 鈥淎I-powered marketing鈥 while recruiting specialists in areas like data science and integrated commerce.
The company has developed internal training programs targeting different organizational levels. It also provides AI literacy sessions and hands-on training with WPP Open tools for all employees.
In the MENA region, WPP Media is creating region-specific modules that address 鈥渓ocal market dynamics and cultural considerations鈥 for employees at all seniority levels, he said.
El Hajj added: 鈥淭he focus is on evolution, not revolution,鈥 and the future belongs to those 鈥渨ho can leverage AI tools while bringing uniquely human skills like cultural intelligence and strategic creativity.鈥