Google and WPP have announced a five-year expansion to their partnership to bring more cloud computing and AI technology into the holdco’s fol, as well as “cultivating the essential skills to transform marketing as we know it”.
The collaboration is “designed to know it. The collaboration aims to revolutionise how brands approach integrated creative, production, media, experience, and commerce” as well as further improving personalisation efforts.
The expanded partnership includes a US$400 million (AU$617 million) spending commitment from WPP for Google technologies.
The spend will go towards WPP’s market-leading efforts to infuse AI into its services alongside the company’s increased investment into AI and technology through WPP Open, WPP’s AI platform for marketing, according to a release.
The deal was inked in Mountain View (the location of Google’s California headquarters) during a meeting between WPP CEO Cindy Rose, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian and members of their respective senior leadership teams. It marks the first major deal of Rose’s tenure as WPP head honcho.
“I’m incredibly excited about how our new and evolved partnership with Google will redefine what’s possible for our clients,” said Rose, a former technology executive at Microsoft.
“By delivering bespoke AI solutions and enabling hyper-relevant campaigns with unprecedented scale and speed, we’re accelerating innovation across every facet of marketing to drive unparalleled growth and impact.”
All the new tools and solutions developed in partnership will be validated first within Google’s own marketing operations. This should provide valuable insights for WPP’s clients, the holdco said.
“As an important partner to Google Marketing, WPP has been working closely with us on a number of AI tools and innovations built with Gemini — all focused on driving brand love and real business growth through truly helpful experiences that resonate with our billions of users around the world. I’m excited to continue exploring what marketing and storytelling looks like in this new era, together,” said Lorraine Twohill, SVP, global marketing, Google.
WPP said the move will give its clients “groundbreaking” solutions such as new bespoke AI solutions built with Google’s Gemini LLM.
Google’s cloud AI products, powered by its DeepMind models, will fuel WPP Media’s AI data solution, Open Intelligence. This should let WPP Media build and deploy bespoke audience models for clients with unprecedented speed and precision, delivering immediate, measurable impact.
The partnership will also see InfoSum’s Bunkers on Google Marketplace integrated to WPP Open. This, the holdco said, will unlock deeper insights for AI marketing whilst protecting privacy.
WPP will also receive early access to Google’s latest AI models (including Veo, Imagen, and others), and they’ll be integrated into WPP Open. WPP will also get “preferred access” to Google’s AI tech, allowing it to develop new audiences and activate highly customised campaigns across all media, inclusive of Google Ad Platforms.
Google has joined WPP’s Creative Technology Apprenticeship program as the primary curriculum partner. Building on more than 50 permanent placements across WPP agencies since 2022, this initiative will train more than 1,000 early-career creative technologists by 2030.
Google will also have a crack a transforming WPP’s internal operations. By integrating Google’s advanced AI into WPP’s workflows, tasks like automated data analysis, intelligent resource allocation, and instant access to global insights will drive efficiency and collaboration across WPP’s global workforce. This should mean faster development of cutting-edge solutions, more agile team responses, and ultimately, superior value and speed to clients worldwide.
The pair first partnered in April last year in a deal that let WPP use Google’s AI tools to gain deeper audience insights, improve targeting and optimise campaigns on the fly.
That collaboration was announced on stage at Google’s Cloud Next event in Las Vegas. It will see WPP integrate its Open AI-powered operating system with Google’s Gemini AI software.
