WPP Production is centralizing execution to serve today's always-on world of content creation.

For the past several years, commerce media has been defined by proliferation: New networks, new formats, new acronyms. As the category heads into 2026, industry leaders agree that growth alone is no longer the story. What matters now is connection: Across channels, across data, and across the full customer journey.

TikTok Shop's low prices came with shaky trust, but the budget retailer is maturing into a serious marketplace and attracting partnerships.

This FAQ explores the agency ecosystem, the forces reshaping it, and what marketers should consider when evaluating agency partners.

Social commerce has hit a turning point as creators, younger shoppers, and built-in checkout push spending higher. Growth is accelerating, but it’s uneven—favoring platforms and strategies that turn attention into action.

WPP cut its full-year outlook after Q3 organic revenue fell 5.9% to £2.46 billion, its steepest quarterly decline since 2020. New CEO Cindy Rose said the company “hasn’t gone fast enough” to meet client needs and outlined a turnaround focused on AI, operational efficiency, and simplifying its agency network. WPP’s slump reflects broader challenges facing holding groups in the AI era: proving value through speed, integration, and measurable results as brands increasingly turn to self-serve, platform-driven ad solutions.

For the first time in its history, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity awarded medals in retail media—a sign that commerce-driven creativity has fully arrived on the global stage.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss examples of generative AI (GenAI) in retail, how to convince consumers to engage with it, and what GenAI is not good for. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Yory Wurmser and Beth Ann Kaminkow, CEO of the New York office and global chief commerce officer at VML.

Brands expect agencies to understand AI while providing unique value. That means agencies need to walk the line between highlighting their AI innovations and emphasizing their human creative work. Since different agencies provide different value, some, like VML, are showing up to pitch meetings armed with an AI toolbox. Others, like Mischief USA, are letting AI fade into the background as they show off unique outputs.

Generative AI will “supercharge our creativity,” said VML chief innovation officer Brian Yamada. He believes the tech will improve marketers’ ability to tell stories, but it will also raise new privacy concerns.

WPP merges Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R: New powerhouse VML will launch as of January 1.