GroupM officially rebrands to WPP Media
GroupM has officially rebranded as WPP Media and is now describing itself as an 'AI-driven media company'.
Campaign UK first reported on the move to rename the media investment arm in early May. At the time, a spokesperson said that WPP doesn't 'comment on speculation'.
Of the rebrand, Mark Read, chief executive at WPP, said that while 'GroupM was built for a time when media scale mattered most, WPP Media reflects the power of AI, data and technology and simpler, more integrated solutions'.
Mindshare, Wavemaker and EssenceMediacom are set to continue to provide clients with dedicated teams as brands within WPP Media.
Despite media agencies continuing to operate as distinct brands within WPP Media, GroupM told staff earlier this month that these brands will move to a single P&L and act as 'one voice in the market', with agency-specific titles set to 'sunset'.
Last week, the media operating arm told staff which roles would be at risk of redundancy in the UK.
The latest move comes after Brian Lesser, chief executive of WPP Media, told investors in March 2025 that WPP '[knows] that we have to be simpler' and laid out a five-point plan which included a shift to focus on an AI-based data strategy.
Lesser added: 'By investing in our AI-powered product (WPP Open), integrating our offer with data and technology, and equipping our people with future-facing skills, we're helping our clients to stay ahead of rapidly changing consumer behaviour and unlock the limitless opportunities for growth that AI will create.'
Lesser has made a series of changes to streamline the business since joining in September 2024, when he replaced Christian Juhl.
For instance, he axed global agency brand chief executive roles for media agencies EssenceMediacom, Mindshare and Wavemaker in a bid to further centralise operations.
GroupM EMEA chief executive Josh Krichefski left the business in March, after 14 years. Its leaders in key markets, including the UK, now report directly to Lesser.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
3 hours ago
- Zawya
IntelliDent AI and Manipal Academy of Higher Education sign strategic MoU to transform healthcare through AI
IntelliDent AI, a Dubai-based healthtech innovator transforming dentistry through artificial intelligence, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), India—an Institution of Eminence and global academic leader. This strategic three-year partnership aims to accelerate advancements in AI-powered oral healthcare through collaborative research, education, and entrepreneurship. The MoU, executed on behalf of MAHE's Manipal College of Dental Sciences (MCODS), Mangalore, lays the foundation for academic-industry cooperation focused on developing future-ready dental AI solutions and equipping students with the technical and entrepreneurial skills to lead the next era of digital healthcare. Key Pillars of the Collaboration: Joint Research Programs: MAHE and IntelliDent will co-develop research initiatives in AI-driven diagnostics, public health, and healthcare innovation—contributing to academic publications, patents, and whitepapers. Training & Internships: MAHE students will gain hands-on exposure through internships and mentorships at IntelliDent, supported by industry insights, guest lectures, and workshops. Entrepreneurial Development: The collaboration will foster cohort-based learning modules, innovation hackathons, and startup support to accelerate the commercialization of student-led healthtech ideas. Knowledge Exchange: Faculty, researchers, and industry experts will engage in reciprocal learning and cross-training to fuel innovation, skill-building, and strategic growth. Affaan Shaikh, Founder & CEO of IntelliDent AI, shared his thoughts on the collaboration: 'This partnership is about reimagining healthcare through ethical AI and innovation. We are thrilled to work alongside one of India's top institutions to shape the next generation of AI health leaders.' The MoU was signed by Dr. Giridhar P. Kini, Registrar of MAHE, and Mr. Affaan Shaikh, with active engagement from academic and innovation stakeholders from both organizations. This collaboration underscores IntelliDent AI's mission to scale accessible, AI-powered dental care globally and MAHE's continued commitment to integrating technology, research, and impact-driven education in the healthcare ecosystem. Together, MAHE and IntelliDent AI are building a bold future where education, innovation, and oral health equity intersect.
Khaleej Times
12 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Apple executives held internal talks about buying Perplexity: Reports
Apple executives have held internal talks about potentially bidding for artificial intelligence startup Perplexity, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The discussions are at an early stage and may not lead to an offer, the report said, adding that the tech behemoth's executives have not discussed a bid with Perplexity's management. "We have no knowledge of any current or future MA discussions involving Perplexity," Perplexity said in response to a Reuters' request for comment. Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment. Big tech companies are doubling down on investments to enhance AI capabilities and support growing demand for AI-powered services to maintain competitive leadership in the rapidly evolving tech landscape. Bloomberg News also reported on Friday that Meta Platforms tried to buy Perplexity earlier this year. Meta announced a $14.8 billion investment in Scale AI last week and hired Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang to lead its new superintelligence unit. Adrian Perica, Apple's head of mergers and acquisitions, has weighed the idea with services chief Eddy Cue and top AI decision-makers, as per the report. The iPhone maker reportedly plans to integrate AI-driven search capabilities, such as Perplexity AI, into its Safari browser, potentially moving away from its longstanding partnership with Alphabet's Google. Banning Google from paying companies to make it their default search engine is one of the remedies proposed by the US Department of Justice to break up its dominance in online search. While traditional search engines such as Google still dominate global market share, AI-powered search options including Perplexity and ChatGPT are gaining prominence and seeing rising user adoption, especially among younger generations. Perplexity recently completed a funding round that valued it at $14 billion, Bloomberg News reported. A deal close to that would be Apple's largest acquisition so far. The Nvidia-backed startup provides AI search tools that deliver information summaries to users, similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini.
The National
a day ago
- The National
AI, investment and energy discussed during UAE meeting at White House with Vice President JD Vance
UAE officials met US Vice President JD Vance at the White House on Friday to discuss AI, recent investment initiatives and increased energy co-operation. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and managing director and group chief executive of Adnoc, along with Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE's ambassador to the US and Minister of State, took part in the meeting with the US Vice President. The discussions centred on the UAE's commitment to invest $1.4 trillion in the US for artificial intelligence infrastructure, semiconductors, energy and manufacturing. Earlier this week in Washington at the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Forum, Dr Al Jaber reflected on the unique opportunities unfolding for countries around the world – chiefly the burgeoning AI sector. In March, Mr Vance praised the UAE's focus on AI at the American Dynamism Summit. 'One of the things they [UAE] consistently hammer upon … is that if you want to lead in artificial intelligence, you have got to be leading in energy production,' he said. Over the past decade, the UAE − the Arab world's second largest economy − has been working to become an AI frontrunner as it diversifies its economy away from oil. The country's efforts have resulted in the establishment of start-ups as well as partnerships and investments with industry leaders like Microsoft, Nvidia and OpenAI. Through the creation of language models such as Falcon Arabic, the UAE has also sought to ensure aspects of Arabic culture are not left behind in the AI surge, with many large language models based on English-language data. In 2019, the UAE announced the establishment of a university dedicated to AI, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. Several years before, the UAE was among the first in the world to appoint an AI Minister, Omar Al Olama.
