• WPP’s GroupM, the largest media agency network, has faced challenges recently and is addressing them by establishing a “global growth and marketing team.

    WPP’s GroupM, the largest media agency network, has faced challenges recently and is addressing them by establishing a “global growth and marketing team.

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    Interestingly, Wavemaker, a media agency that was formed by merging MEC (formerly CIA and later Tempus Group) and Maxus, has emerged as a leader. Initially, Wavemaker was considered a secondary player in GroupM’s lineup, trailing behind the dominant MediaCom and Mindshare, both of which focused on large, global accounts.

    Under the leadership of WPP CEO Mark Read, the tech-focused Essence was combined with MediaCom to create EssenceMediacom, a move that hasn’t yet yielded the expected results. Mindshare continues to operate independently for the time being. However, Wavemaker has performed strongly, and its global CEO, Toby Jenner, has now also taken on the role of global president of GroupM clients, leading the new marketing team. Supporting him are Wavemaker’s Chief Growth and Marketing Officer, Hamish Davies, and Head of Growth Operations, Emma Maple. Additionally, two members from EssenceMediacom and another from Wavemaker are part of this team, which may raise concerns among Mindshare employees.

    This new team is essentially a global new business team, addressing a recent area of weakness for GroupM.

    GroupM used to secure the best deals due to its size, leveraging its influence to expand into areas like entertainment. However, with 80% of global ad spending now digital, the focus has shifted to data. WPP, in particular, faces challenges in matching the resources of its main competitor, Publicis.

    To bolster its capabilities, WPP has brought back veteran Brian Lesser as a data expert to lead GroupM, replacing Essence founder Christian Juhl, who remains with the company. Meanwhile, Jenner and his Wavemaker team are spearheading the new client outreach efforts.

    In hindsight, some might argue that WPP/GroupM would have been better off maintaining Maxus, which had a strong team, a good track record in new business, and the L’Oreal account in the UK, while leaving MediaCom as it was and positioning Essence closer to Silicon Valley. As it stands, the unexpected leader, Wavemaker, has been tasked with steering the organization forward.