WPP Media and YouTube are expanding their partnership to bring non-public YouTube video and creator data into WPP’s AI system WPP Open, per a press release. Taking advantage of WPP Media’s offering gives advertisers the ability to partner with creators on the most popular social platform in a far more measurable, practical, and effective way than before.

WPP, once the top advertising group globally, will be retired from the FTSE 100 after almost 30 years as its market value has fallen dramatically in recent years. Removal from the FTSE 100 and a plummeting market value indicates that WPP’s struggles are deep-rooted and unlikely to vanish in the near future. For advertisers, the current imperative is to rethink partnerships, explore alternatives, and increase diligence.

Omnicom officially owns IPG after completing its long-discussed acquisition last week—and the new company is already implementing a massive wave of changes. Advertisers should prepare for an agency landscape where AI-driven capabilities become the norm and where consolidated services become a competitive differentiator.

The Omnicom-IPG merger has cleared its last obstacle after the European Commission—the last market whose approval was needed—officially granted greenlit the acquisition. Omnicom and IPG overcoming the final barrier to merge offers the potential for more comprehensive and efficient services—but also introduces new risks related to talent retention and creative diversity.

WPP is reportedly eyeing a merger with holding company Havas and private equity firms KKR and Apollo, per the Times. A merged WPP and Havas would provide more value to advertisers by giving access to a broader mix of services.

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.

Holding company WPP launched WPP Open Pro on Thursday, a self-serve AI tool piloted by Google and other clients that creates ad campaigns from start to finish in a push to attract small businesses. WPP’s newest move means marketers can continue to expect greater automation, cost savings, and a shift in agency relationships.

Google and WPP struck a $400 million, five-year deal to expand AI tools and services across the UK ad agency’s services. The extension of their partnership, first announced in April 2024, marks a structural acceleration of how AI is becoming embedded in marketing operations. Deals like Google and WPP’s redefine what “AI maturity” looks like in marketing and how alliances are reshaping competitive dynamics. For CMOs, announcements like this emphasize the need for strong oversight of agency partnerships and a clear framework for measuring AI-driven efficiency and creative quality.

Mastercard launched a commerce media network. Unlike rival networks, Mastercard already has a set of anchor partnerships, including Citi, WPP, American Airlines, and Microsoft. Mastercard will remain the biggest fish in the commerce network media pond—barring Visa’s entrance into the space. Until then, Mastercard has a chance to set the standard for how payment networks can monetize their first-party data.

Horizon Media and Havas are teaming up in a new $20 billion joint venture, Horizon Global, designed to add scale without a full merger. Headquartered in New York, the entity will focus on U.S.-centric global accounts while Horizon and Havas continue operating independently. Horizon Global unites Horizon’s Blu platform and Havas’ Converged.AI into a new system called BluConverged, billed as the first AI-native media network. The move comes as Omnicom and Interpublic finalize a $13.5 billion merger, intensifying competition across the agency sector. Horizon Global offers clients a more flexible, performance-based alternative to mega-holdcos weighed down by bureaucracy.

Japan-based agency holding company Dentsu is considering selling its international business, ending its goal to compete against rivals Publicis and WPP. Selling its international business could allow Dentsu to reposition itself as a specialized player in its core market rather than stretching itself thin internationally where it can’t match competitors. The change could make the company more sustainable in the long run, but even if it focuses solely on Japan, rapid adoption of emerging technologies in the ad sector will still necessitate innovation.

Hogarth CEO Richard Glasson says AI hasn’t diminished creativity—it’s made craftsmanship more essential. By pairing genAI with human expertise, Hogarth is reengineering production to meet nonstop content demands without sacrificing cultural nuance or brand voice. In an era when 54% of marketers fear AI will erode creativity, the agency’s hybrid model positions craft as the premium differentiator.

The news: WPP has taken another hit in earnings, underscoring the current unstable market defined by economic uncertainty.Profits dropped 71% pre-tax in the first half of the company’s financial year, falling to £98 million ($125.2 million), while operating profit fell nearly half (47.8%), reaching £221 million ($282.3 million). Our take: WPP’s profit plunge serves as a wake-up call for agencies to accelerate transformation and prove value beyond media buying. In an AI-dominated landscape, advertisers are demanding more for less.

The news: Publicis Groupe has won PayPal’s global media business, building on the holding company’s winning streak and proving to rivals that its momentum in securing major accounts shows no signs of slowing. WPP Media previously handled PayPal’s media account but resigned the account in April, citing the need to “pursue other opportunities,” per Ad Age. Our take: Publicis’ win of PayPal’s global media business underscores a growing advertiser shift toward integrated partnerships, where creative, media, and retail strategies merge to unlock greater performance and monetization potential.

The news: WPP’s CMO and CEO of its Coca-Cola agency, Laurent Ezekiel, will depart the company to join Publicis, adding to a string of high-profile losses for the struggling holding company. Our take: With Ezekiel’s and Read’s departures, WPP is at an inflection point as it struggles to reinvent itself and keep pace with competitors. The company faces mounting pressure as other holding companies develop stronger digital and data-driven capabilities. WPP’s future depends on how well its new CEO can close gaps in modernization, build its AI investments, and enact significant operational changes.

Q2 2025 earnings highlighted a widening gap among the major advertising holding companies. Publicis Groupe posted 5.9% organic growth and won major accounts from WPP and IPG, including Mars and Paramount. Omnicom remained stable at 3% growth, while Interpublic shrank 3.5% organically but improved margins ahead of its acquisition by Omnicom. WPP fared worst, slashing its full-year forecast and citing client losses and macroeconomic uncertainty. As brands tighten budgets and demand results, winners like Publicis are doubling down on performance and AI tools. The sector is consolidating—and only the most adaptive players are poised to thrive.

The news: WPP slashed its 2025 outlook in an earnings update, citing declines in client spend and net new business—exacerbating the agency’s turbulence over recent months and sending WPP stock to its lowest point since 2009. WPP now expects an annual revenue decline of 3% to 5%, up from its previous forecast of 2%. Our take: WPP’s woes indicate that the traditional agency model is struggling to adapt to shifting client demands, AI-led marketing, and digital disruption.

The trend: At Cannes Lions 2025, Meta, TikTok, Google, and others made clear that AI-powered ad automation is no longer an experiment—it’s the plan. The news: Meta and TikTok each emphasized agency relationships, but both platforms expanded generative AI tools that let brands generate and manage campaigns without intermediaries. Amazon, Comcast, and Google are doing the same, pushing toward platform-native, self-serve ad models. Our take: As automation replaces traditional support services, agencies face existential pressure. To stay relevant, holding companies will need to prove they offer value that AI can’t replace—fast.

The news: YouTube unveiled Open Call at Cannes Lions 2025, a new platform-native feature allowing advertisers to post campaign briefs that monetized creators can directly respond to with self-produced content. The initiative removes the need for traditional influencer matchmaking, giving brands centralized control over content submissions, approvals, and performance via Google Ads. Our take: As costs rise and brand safety concerns mount, Open Call could tilt the branded content ecosystem in favor of marketers. It simplifies creator discovery, improves ROI measurement, and could lead to longer-term omnichannel partnerships. YouTube’s move positions it as a central hub for scalable, data-informed influencer marketing.

The news: WPP has lost the $1.7 billion Mars global media account to Publicis, just months after parting with Coca-Cola’s North America business. The deal encompasses media, social, production, and commerce, and further weakens WPP’s hold on major global clients. Our take: WPP’s loss is both financial and reputational—and their aggressive counterattack via a client-facing report signals a deeper crisis. As rivals like Publicis gain ground and agency power consolidates, WPP’s public posture and CEO transition raise questions about future strategy. Winning back trust will require more than critiques of the competition—it will demand structural clarity and client-first execution.