AI @ WPP

WPP shares declined sharply as AI disrupted traditional advertising models despite launching WPP Open, an AI-powered marketing operating system; company continues to prioritize AI integration amid market pressures.

• Barron's: WPP Shares Plummet as Artificial Intelligence Undercuts Advertising

WPP launched WPP Media as a fully integrated, AI-powered media company managing $60 billion in media investments. The Open Intelligence platform uses AI-driven data integration and custom models to optimize audience targeting beyond ID-dependent methods. WPP also promoted its AI investments in a high-profile B2B campaign emphasizing transformation via AI. However, challenges emerged with CEO Mark Read stepping down amid AI market disruptions.

• WPP: WPP Media launches as fully integrated, AI-powered media company
• Marketing Dive: WPP Media launches AI-driven tool to push beyond ID-based targeting
• The Guardian: WPP chief Mark Read to step down as ad agency battles AI

WPP expanded AI investment through a £300m annual budget and acquired stakes in generative AI firms like Stability AI. They developed an integrated AI-powered marketing platform (WPP Open) that unifies creative, media, and data to regain industry leadership. CEO Mark Read emphasized AI as augmenting creativity, not replacing it.

• City AM: WPP bets big on AI to regain industry leadership
• Adweek: WPP Makes Next Big AI Bet With Investment in Stability AI

WPP articulated the philosophy of combining AI with human empathy and creativity, emphasizing AI's role in augmenting rather than replacing human intelligence in advertising.

• WPP: Scaling AI: where empathy and automation converge

WPP launched Production Studio, an end-to-end AI-enabled content creation platform developed with NVIDIA Omniverse, automating text, image, and video production to generate exponentially more content. Formed AI partnerships with Google to co-create ads using Google's AI.

• WPP: WPP unveils AI-powered Production Studio
• Marketing AI Institute: Google and WPP Announce Partnership to Reinvent Advertising

WPP committed £250 million annually to data and tech investment for AI capabilities. CEO Mark Read emphasized AI as a deal-winning capability, critical for client engagement and competitive positioning.

• AI Expert Network: How WPP is Harnessing AI to Lead in Advertising
• Diginomica: WPP sees AI as a deal winning capability

WPP partnered with NVIDIA to build a generative AI content engine using NVIDIA Omniverse to enhance creative teams' ability to produce digital advertising content.

• NVIDIA Newsroom: WPP Partners With NVIDIA to Build Generative AI-Enabled Content Engine

CEO Mark Read highlighted AI as a fundamental driver helping WPP win clients eager to leverage AI technology in advertising.

• The Guardian: WPP chief on how AI has revolutionised advertising