Tag: GroupM

Singapore – GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, today announced a series of leadership changes to accelerate business growth and further the implementation of the company’s simplified operating model in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. 

The changes expand the remits of Mindshare, Wavemaker, and EssenceMediacom’s regional agency leaders to include responsibility for critical GroupM-wide functions and capabilities.

First off, in addition to her Mindshare leadership duties in APAC, Helen McRae will oversee GroupM’s growth and business development teams in the region. McRae will work closely with regional leadership and GroupM’s recently appointed global chief growth officer, Hamish Davies, to ensure teams responding to new business opportunities benefit from shared knowledge, best practices, tools, and processes in all markets and across all GroupM agencies. 

Meanwhile, Sindhuja Rai, Wavemaker’s regional lead for Asia-Pacific, will take on the additional responsibility for overseeing GroupM’s client leadership communities in the region. Rai will partner with GroupM and agency leaders throughout APAC, including CEOs Prasanth Kumar (South Asia), Rupert McPetrie (China), Michael Beecroft (North Asia), Himanshu Shekhar (Southeast Asia), Aimee Buchanan (Australia/New Zealand), and Arshan Saha (Singapore), to implement GroupM-wide best practices for client service and experience across all accounts and in all markets. 

Lastly, EssenceMediacom’s chief operating officer for APAC, Josh Gallagher, is promoted to client president for the agency in the region. In this new role, Gallagher will oversee GroupM’s client strategy capability and talent communities in the region, applying best practices and implementing cutting edge strategic planning tools and technologies across all agencies and APAC markets. He will also manage EssenceMediacom’s portfolio of clients across APAC, succeeding Rupert McPetrie who was appointed into a new role as CEO for GroupM in China in February.

Speaking about the leadership changes, Brian Lesser, global CEO at GroupM said “GroupM’s depth of talent in Asia Pacific is well known, both in the region and around the world. In Helen, Sindhuja, and Josh, we have some of the most outstanding leaders in the industry working to make sure GroupM keeps raising the bar for client service and marketing innovation. I’m excited to see the positive impact I know they will have on the way we leverage our collective intelligence and technology to deliver value for our clients and give our teams every opportunity to collaborate, grow, and win together.” 

Vietnam – L’Oréal Vietnam has selected WPP’s Onefluence as its full-service influencer marketing agency under a three-year retainer agreement, underscoring the beauty giant’s dedication to leveraging brand advocacy as a strategic driver for business growth.

Powered by VML’s ClickMedia and GroupM’s Mindshare in Vietnam, Onefluence is a bespoke agency solution designed to elevate L’Oréal’s influencer marketing strategy.

Following a rigorous pitching process, Onefluence secured the win as VML and Mindshare showcased a deep, nuanced understanding of the Vietnamese influencer market, backed by comprehensive audience insights and a strong command of emerging trends.

With a data-driven approach focused on performance management and analysis at every stage, the agencies will collaborate closely with L’Oréal Vietnam to deliver strategic and impactful influencer campaigns.

Additionally, a dedicated team of experts from L’Oréal Vietnam and WPP’s Onefluence, including local and regional specialists, will unite to form the WPP Beauty Tech Lab. This team will work seamlessly across agency-client boundaries to elevate their influencer marketing efforts. 

Matthieu Guerin, chief digital marketing officer at L’Oréal Vietnam, said, “In today’s dynamic landscape, advocacy has become a critical element for success, especially for the beauty industry. We are confident that this partnership will enable L’Oréal Vietnam to strengthen and accelerate our advocacy performance, drive advocacy strategy that connects with consumers in innovative and authentic ways, and drive strong love of our brands.”

Ha Nguyen, CEO of VML Vietnam, added, “We are thrilled to partner with L’Oréal Vietnam, a leader in beauty innovation. By bringing together our expansive capability suite in strategic thinking and creativity with our expertise in innovative technology, we will empower L’Oréal Vietnam to achieve its influencer marketing goals.”

This partnership represents a major milestone for L’Oréal Vietnam, VML, and Mindshare, reinforcing their shared commitment to shaping the future of influencer marketing in Vietnam.

New York, USA – Following their partnership launch last year, GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, has fully integrated SeenThis’ adaptive streaming technology into its carbon calculator tool, resulting in carbon emission reductions equivalent to charging over 15 million smartphones.

Through their collaboration, GroupM and its agencies have utilised SeenThis’ expertise and proprietary technology to manage and minimise carbon emissions while enhancing the performance of display advertising campaigns.

SeenThis’ technology minimises data waste by transferring data only for visible creative assets, which enhances user engagement and reduces the number of impressions needed to achieve campaign goals. This approach also lowers CO2e emissions, as it reduces the energy required across the internet supply chain.

Last year, the global partnership reduced over 230 tonnes of CO2e emissions, equivalent to charging more than 15 million smartphones. According to GroupM, approximately 260 of its advertisers across 28 markets have benefited from this technology, simultaneously enhancing the performance of their digital ads.

With SeenThis technology fully integrated into GroupM’s carbon calculator, advertisers can now evaluate optimisation impacts during pre-campaign planning. This integration highlights GroupM’s ability to scale successful trials into repeatable processes. 

Furthermore, as industry interest grows and standardised metrics become more crucial, GroupM’s focus is on embedding this technology into ongoing campaigns to enhance business outcomes and reduce carbon intensity.

Commenting on the partnership, Kieley Taylor, global head of partnerships at GroupM, said, “In 2023, we set out in partnership with SeenThis to minimise emissions using data from our partners. One year on, we are achieving what we said we would do, building on our global framework for media decarbonization. The success of this partnership marks an important step in our commitment to decarbonise our media supply chain, and the more advertisers opt into SeenThis, the more they can drive positive results across both emissions and performance.” 

Thomas Bowens, global agency director at SeenThis, also said, “Our partnership is one of the first examples of a vendor providing an immediate turn-key solution to enable GroupM to deliver CO2e reductions while enhancing the user experience. We’re thrilled that GroupM is focused on the combination of minimising emissions while maximising performance and is embracing the use of SeenThis data to share this insight with their advertisers to encourage lower carbon cost of business outcomes.”

Singapore – GroupM and Internews have announced that over 350 news publishers in Asia-Pacific have received increased advertising investment from GroupM in 2023, following the rollout of an industry-first programme to help brands support quality journalism by re-investing media budgets in trustworthy news publishers.

In the Asia Pacific region, the duo has mapped a year-on-year increase in advertising investment on more than 350 news websites. These websites are from ten major Asian markets, including Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam. There’s been a further 43% year on year increase in spending on these sites when comparing Q1’23 to Q1’24 across the markets. 

GroupM and its Back to News initiative, in partnership with Internews, a media support nonprofit, have been working to provide advertisers access to ad environments on local, national, and international news websites across the globe.

This win for journalism and news accessibility comes when legitimate digital news publishers increasingly face competition from made-for-advertising websites and artificially generated content. With this increase in investment, positive changes on the publishers’ end will holistically help uplift the ecosystem. 

The positive impact on client campaigns is also clear with recent results from a leading automotive client in the region showing viewability improving by 16.5%, an increase in click-through rate by 60% and a decrease in CPM by about 20%.

Anita Munro, chief investment officer for APAC at GroupM, said, “As the largest single-point media buyer in APAC we have a responsibility to support a diverse, sustainable, transparent and high-quality media ecosystem. The Back to News initiative has been an important component of our Responsible Investment Framework and aims to ensure we continue to invest alongside our clients into high-quality news publishers and provide a counter to the proliferation of fake news and MFA content that has flooded the market in recent years. The work that our supply management team has done in this space is truly market-leading.”

London, England – GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, has announced its appointment as global media partner of record to international financial services provider Allianz Group to service the account on both a global and market-by-market basis.

In this appointment, GroupM will have full responsibility for Allianz’s full-funnel media strategy, planning, buying, and campaign execution.

Multiple agencies under GroupM will work together to service Allianz Group, with global media and marketing services company Mindshare taking the helm and leading the business globally and in two-thirds of its markets.

On the other hand, the global media, commerce, and content agency mSix&Partners will support Allianz’s business in their main headquarters in Germany, while marketing agency EssenceMediacom will continue to service Allianz in nine international markets where it was the incumbent.

Allianz’s decision to select GroupM and its agencies’ comes down to the group’s ability to coordinate effective and consistent media performance globally while delivering deep market-level expertise to help local teams navigate market-level complexity.

The media investment group is set to handle an account that serves more than 122 million customers in over 70 countries and is operating under a global ‘One Brand Strategy’.

Dr. Christian Deuringer, head of global brand management and marketing at Allianz SE, said, “With the new partnership, we are able to deploy our one-brand strategy perfectly and connect with our customers in an even more relevant way across the entire customer journey. The new set-up combines the strengths of globally managed strategies with tailored roll-outs in local markets. We also expect significant synergies through more standardised processes and performance measurement.”

Adam Gerhart, global CEO at Mindshare, also said, “Millions of people around the world trust Allianz to safeguard their futures for good reason. We’re excited to have the opportunity to help such a respected brand and responsible company harness the power of media to unlock new levels of growth, engagement, and marketing performance.”

Singapore – WPP’s media investment group GroupM and commerce media company Criteo have announced their partnership to strengthen omnichannel commerce media capabilities in the Asia Pacific region.

This is a first-in-APAC partnership that unifies product sales data and the proprietary media solutions of GroupM with Criteo’s proximity-based insights to enable omnichannel commerce through in-store and retail media integration.

GroupM’s clients will be able to access Criteo’s insights technology to further enhance media planning, budget allocation, and best-in-class activation, enabling new levels of relevance, optimisation, and conversion.

The partnership will also expand access for GroupM’s clients to Criteo’s holistic omnichannel monetization solution, allowing retailers to manage their entire media inventory across both ecommerce and physical retail while enabling brands and agencies to seamlessly discover and purchase omnichannel media from leading retailers.

The tools now available to GroupM clients include 360° media asset activation, ranging from in-store activations such as point-of-sale displays to out-of-store activations like inbox sampling and online activations such as email and social.

Criteo and GroupM are also planning to evolve the partnership by looking at strategic opportunities across media-buying capabilities and insights to drive predictive decision-making. Their collaborative efforts to develop best practices in the area aim to unlock many exciting possibilities as a response to the continuous acceleration of commerce media.

Anita Munro, chief investment officer at GroupM APAC, said, “The innovation in commerce that will be made possible through this collaboration with Criteo is a significant and hugely exciting development for advertisers in APAC and for our industry as a whole.”

She added, “Combining Criteo’s commerce media capabilities with our own not only strengthens our commerce offering in the region but also allows us to set a new standard for what’s possible in advertising by bringing products, media, clients, and consumers closer than ever before.”

Speaking on the partnership, Taranjeet Singh, managing director of enterprise at Criteo APAC, also shared, “Together with GroupM, we are honoured to usher in the next era of omnichannel marketing in the region. This partnership represents a union of industry leadership, and we are optimistic that it will drive greater integration across omnichannel campaigns and elevate success for brands and advertisers.”

Singapore – IT service and consulting firm SeenThis has announced a global partnership with GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, with the goal of reducing and avoiding unnecessary carbon emissions from digital advertising.

The collaboration will enable GroupM and its agencies to leverage SeenThis’ expertise and proprietary technology to manage and minimize carbon emissions from creative delivery while improving the performance of display advertising campaigns.

Initially, GroupM’s agencies will use the SeenThis emissions dashboard to measure data transfer and create deeper understanding of campaign emissions; ultimately, the data will be integrated directly into GroupM’s tools to enable the planning of display campaigns.

GroupM and SeenThis will also align methodologies on the carbon cost of data transfer, incorporating these into GroupM’s own carbon calculator for use in planning and post-campaign analysis. This will enable GroupM’s agencies to refine and provide more detailed supply-chain decisioning for data transfer within digital channels.

Ed Fanning, global head of partnerships, advertising and retail technology at Group M, commented, “As the world’s leading media investment company, the team at GroupM is on a mission to develop tools and technologies which ensure that carbon emissions are considered a part of the media planning process. This partnership builds on the global framework for media decarbonization we announced in 2022 and is an important step in our commitment to decarbonize our media supply chain.”

Jesper Benon, CEO at SeenThis, also said, “We are excited to extend the benefits of  the SeenThis solution to new and existing GroupM clients, as our proprietary streaming addresses the trade-off that otherwise exists between performance and sustainability in the digital ecosystem. GroupM agencies are able to increase performance while minimizing carbon emissions, and at the same time helping drive attention and unlock creative capabilities. We deliver lightning-fast ad-loading that attains higher attention from users, which translates into fewer wasted impressions and a more efficient use of resources.”

Meanwhile, Thomas Houge, CCO at SeenThis, adds, “We are honored to partner with GroupM globally as it further enhances its commitment to minimizing the carbon impact of digital media campaigns. Knowing that WPP´s clients need to drive towards a more sustainable business through their marketing, we are thrilled to offer our technology to drive sustainability and sustainable business results all in one.”

Gurgaon, India – Media agency Mindshare in India has been appointed by car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki to handle its media mandate. With a focus on innovative strategies and technology-driven solutions, Mindshare aims to leverage its expertise in performance, data, digital, and content to co-create innovative solutions for Maruti Suzuki’s growth in the coming years.

Moreover, as a flagship agency from GroupM, Mindshare’s expertise, creativity, and strategic vision will help steer the Maruti Suzuki brand towards a faster lane of growth and success, operating from its Gurgaon office.

Shashank Srivastava, senior executive officer of marketing and sales at Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “We are looking forward to this partnership with Mindshare (Group M) as our integrated media agency. We expect to leverage Mindshare’s strengths in the media industry to synergize and optimise our media spends and co-create ground-breaking initiatives that will give us an edge in today’s competitive automotive industry. We look forward to the exciting possibilities that lie ahead.”

The win is also a significant milestone for GroupM, making it one of the largest media wins in the region further demonstrating its commitment to delivering exceptional results for clients and driving growth for businesses.

Meanwhile, Helen McRae, CEO of Mindshare Asia Pacific, commented, “This win by Mindshare in securing the media mandate for Maruti Suzuki is a significant milestone for the advertising industry in India. It highlights the agency’s exceptional capabilities in providing innovative and technology-driven solutions to their clients. We are excited to see the strategic vision and expertise of Mindshare to steer Maruti Suzuki towards sustainable and responsible growth. This partnership is a testament to the agency’s commitment to delivering exceptional results for clients and driving growth for businesses in the region.”

Lastly, Amin Lakhani, CEO at Mindshare South Asia, stated, “We are thrilled and deeply honoured to have been awarded this esteemed mandate. We are committed to delivering outstanding results for Maruti Suzuki. Our continuous investments in new products, platforms, and people have helped us build a future-ready team that can partner with clients in their growth journey. We are excited to co-create innovative solutions using our expertise in performance, data, digital, and content to drive Maruti Suzuki’s growth in the coming years.”

Singapore – WPP’s media investment group, GroupM, has announced the launch of its advanced digital out-of-home (DOOH) solutions and technology suite Sightline in Singapore. 

Developed by GroupM Nexus, Sightline enables advertisers to take advantage of intelligent data-driven DOOH planning capabilities and an in-house studio that delivers ‘highly impactful’ programmatic creatives.

With Sightline, GroupM Nexus aims to help brands harness data insights such as audience movement patterns to create targeted campaigns that reach ‘the right audiences at the right time’. The end-to-end DOOH suite also allows brands to measure and optimise their campaigns in real-time and at scale to make it easier to adjust ads, creatives, and targeting as needed. 

In Singapore, Sightline has also recently supported StarHub to raise awareness of their live cricket offering amongst cricket fans through cost-efficient DOOH that avoided wastage. Relevant screens were precisely activated which resulted in an optimised campaign that yielded a higher target audience reach.

“We’re thrilled to officially launch our innovative DOOH technology to serve businesses across Singapore,” said Josh Quek, managing director of Sightline Singapore at GroupM Nexus. 

He added, “Our proprietary technology is designed to help brands make the most of their advertising budget by providing them with the insights they need to create cost-efficient and impactful campaigns that drive tangible results.”

This follows GroupM’s launch of its addressable TV solution, Finecast, in the Philippines.

Manila, Philippines – WPP’s media investment arm GroupM has officially launched its addressable TV solution, Finecast, in the Philippines. This year, Finecast will be introducing new innovative solutions, technology, and enhanced viewing experience for TV stakeholders, including audiences, advertisers, and brands.

The launch of Finecast, which took place at the Globe Auditorium in Bonifacio Global City in Manila on February 2, will add to the market’s addressable TV capabilities and provide a platform for entrepreneurs and marketers to network, share ideas, and learn from leaders on how to effectively promote ads as well as drive growth in a digital-focused era.

Puneet Arora, CEO of GroupM Philippines and Singapore, said, “We are thrilled to launch Finecast in the Philippines, one of the largest markets in this space, and to see the best in the industry come together to celebrate our official launch.”

Kathryn Domingo, lead at Finecast Philippines, shared that they aim to offer a one-stop-shop access to the entire addressable TV system, coordinating the distribution and frequency across all broadcasters and screens to reach relevant audiences no matter where they are viewing.

“Finecast will keep pushing the boundaries of TV innovation and is committed to leading the transformation of the industry. We are incredibly excited and proud to bring an addressable TV solution to the market for our clients,” she added.

During the launch event, some of the discussions put forth include the impact of the pandemic to the shift of a digital society, as well as the successful integration of addressable TV in the industry’s future.

Brett Poole, CEO for APAC at Finecast, also commented that as the media ecosystem continues to evolve, TV ads continue to wield the greatest influence in generating the most positive brand impressions.

“Historically, brands in Southeast Asia that have harnessed the power of storytelling through TV – either through a single advertisement or through a series of stories over a period of time – have enjoyed high performance and profitable gains. We look forward to continue helping brands in the Philippines unlock new and exciting opportunities to engage with their target audience and achieve sustainable growth,” Poole added.