• MarTech Today
  • Sections
    • Ads
    • Marketing
    • Content
    • Sales
    • Analytics
    • Management
    • Resources
    • More
    • Home
  • MarTech Today
  • Ads
  • Marketing
  • Content
  • Sales
  • Analytics
  • Mgmt
  • Resources
  • More
  • Events
  • SUBSCRIBE

MarTech Today

MarTech Today
  • Ads
  • Marketing
  • Content
  • Sales
  • Analytics
  • Management
  • Resources
  • More
  • Events
  • Newsletters
  • Home
Martech: Advertising

WPP merges agencies to form ‘data-driven’ Wunderman Thompson

The new agency aims to offer "inspiration that is rooted in data-driven insight."

Pamela Parker on November 26, 2018 at 8:58 pm
  • More
Wunderman Thompson Global CEO Mel Edwards and Chairman Tamara Ingram

Wunderman Global CEO Mel Edwards (left) will take on the same role at the new agency, while J. Walter Thompson CEO Tamara Ingram (right), will become Chairman. Photo provided by WPP.

Advertising holding company WPP Group said Monday it would merge the venerable creative shop J. Walter Thompson with the data- and direct-marketing-oriented Wunderman to form a new agency, which it says will offer “end-to-end solutions… at a global scale.”

“Wunderman Thompson is a formidable combination,” WPP CEO Mark Read said in a statement, “bringing together the capabilities our clients are demanding – award-winning creativity alongside deep expertise in technology, data and commerce – in a single organization. ”

Data before creative. Leading with the Wunderman brand, whose roots in direct marketing are decidedly less glamorous than the Mad Men-esque creative brand J. Walter Thompson, speaks volumes about how WPP seeks to position itself for its clients — it wants to be creative, but driven by data rather than by more nebulous “big ideas.”

“To achieve transformative outcomes, clients today need inspiration that is rooted in data-driven insight,” said Mel Edwards, the current global CEO of Wunderman who will take the same title at the new agency. “Wunderman Thompson offers precisely what clients want: brilliant creativity, expertise in data and sophisticated technology skills.”

Over the moon to be leading Wunderman Thompson https://t.co/eTAjEVYq2r

— Mel Edwards (@_MelEdwards) November 26, 2018

What it means for marketers. The reorganization affirms the need to focus on marketing technology in today’s marketplace. Noting the profound influence of technology on marketing, the WPP announcement touts “close and long-standing partnerships with Adobe, Amazon, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Salesforce and SAP.” In recent months, Wunderman has beefed up its technology portfolio with two acquisitions: Dutch martech performance company Emark and Amazon consulting firm 2Sales, which helps brands maximize their partnerships with the online retail giant.

Edwards was just appointed global CEO of Wunderman in September, but previously served as CEO in the UK and EMEA regions. Tamara Ingram, CEO of J. Walter Thompson, will take the Chairman role at the new agency.

Wunderman Thompson, which is expected to be “fully operational” early next year, will employ 20,000 people and operate in 90 markets. They already share a number of clients, WPP says, and the agencies’ sites showcase work for brands like Coca-Cola, Shell, Nestlé, Samsung and ING.

This article originally appeared on Marketing Land.



About The Author

Pamela Parker
Pamela Parker is Research Director at Third Door Media's Content Studio, where she produces Martech Intelligence Reports and other in-depth content for digital marketers in conjunction with Search Engine Land, Marketing Land, MarTech Today and Digital Marketing Depot. Prior to taking on this role at TDM, she served as Content Manager, Senior Editor and Executive Features Editor. Parker is a well-respected authority on digital marketing, having reported and written on the subject since its beginning. She's a former managing editor of ClickZ and has also worked on the business side helping independent publishers monetize their sites at Federated Media Publishing. Parker earned a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.

Related Topics

Acquisitions & Mergers: MartechChannel: Martech: AdvertisingDisplay Advertising & Martech

Subscribe to receive daily martech news and expert insights. See terms.


We're listening.

Have something to say about this article? Share it with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Get the daily newsletter digital marketers rely on.
See terms.

ATTEND OUR EVENTS

Next Event: Sept. 14-15

Available On-Demand: March 2021

Available On-Demand: October 2020

×

Attend MarTech - Click Here


Learn More About Our MarTech Events

White Papers

  • Nielsen Annual Marketing Report: Era of Adaptation
  • Global Social Media Advertising Trends Among Retailers in 2021
  • 2020 Hispanic Market Report
  • Delivering Audio Success: Industry Trends in Streaming Audio & Podcast Performance
  • Ten Tips for Acquisition Email Success
See More Whitepapers

Webinars

  • Drive Customer Engagement with the Power of Personalization
  • 7 Use Cases That Prove Why You Should Implement DAM
  • Accelerate Your SEO & Content Marketing Program with 4 Key Milestones
See More Webinars

Research Reports

  • Local Marketing Solutions for Multi-Location Businesses
  • Enterprise Digital Asset Management Platforms
  • Identity Resolution Platforms
  • Customer Data Platforms
  • B2B Marketing Automation Platforms
  • Call Analytics Platforms
See More Research

On-Demand Free Training

Receive daily martech news and analysis.

Channels

  • Advertising
  • Marketing
  • Content
  • Social
  • Commerce
  • Sales
  • Analytics
  • Management
  • Home

Our Events

  • MarTech
  • SMX

Resources

  • White Papers
  • Research
  • Webinars

About

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Marketing Opportunities
  • Staff

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Newsletters
  • RSS

© 2021 Third Door Media, Inc. All rights reserved.