WPP has acquired minority shareholdings in T&Pm, bringing the agency fully into the WPP network.
T&Pm will continue to operate as a standalone multi-disciplinary agency, while collaborating closely with other WPP agencies.
As part of the move, T&Pm is placing WPP’s AI-powered marketing operating system, WPP Open, at the core of its marketing models, to drive further growth through cutting-edge solutions for clients.
T&Pm is an award-winning integrated agency with approximately 1,800 people in 42 locations around the world – including Sydney. Its roster of global and local clients includes Amazon, Argos, British Gas, EA, Mars, NatWest, News UK and Toyota, many of which are already served in collaboration with other WPP agencies. WPP first invested in the agency in 2007 with a 49.9 per cent stake before moving to a majority holding in 2019.
Since its founding in 2001 by Johnny Hornby and his partners, T&Pm has built a reputation as an industry innovator. Following WPP’s initial investment, T&Pm expanded into media, leveraging WPP’s global buying power and expertise through GroupM. The agency has also pioneered embedded teams on-site with clients – an agile, integrated approach which has proven increasingly relevant in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. T&Pm’s ability to synthesise diverse marketing functions within single, dedicated teams has fuelled its growth and success with clients.
Through its “close relationship” with WPP, T&Pm has already been at the forefront of utilising WPP Open’s AI tools within its agile content operations, enabling T&Pm to deliver enhanced creativity, speed and efficiency for clients. The full incorporation of the agency within WPP will deepen that integration, with WPP Open becoming the backbone of T&Pm’s future client service model.
Mark Read, CEO of WPP, said: “Two years ago, I showed Johnny the early iterations of WPP Open, our AI-powered operating system for marketing. He immediately saw its transformational potential and has since become one of its most compelling advocates. T&Pm is a great example of how we are putting AI at the heart of the groundbreaking work we do for our clients.”
Johnny Hornby, founder and CEO of T&Pm, added: “This is a very exciting next phase for us. Our belief in the superior agility of integrated teams has fuelled our global success. Now, AI is transforming the speed at which we can partner with clients to create growth and WPP’s early investment in Open gives us a big advantage.”
