In the bustling western suburbs of Mumbai, nestled within The Orb complex, lies Bay99—a WPP Campus. This locale, established over five years ago, has become more than just a workplace. It is home to some of the most advanced work that India is doing in the realm of creativity and innovation. For any marketing leader who works with WPP or its agencies, one must-visit spot on the Campus is the Technology Experience Centre, an outcome and indicator of the creative and tech transformation that WPP has focused on in the last five years.
The WPP of 2024 is a very different marketing and communication company than what it was five years ago. Back in 2019, when WPP was battling challenges around sustaining its high growth pace and remaining relevant, BW Businessworld caught up with the company’s global CEO Mark Read and Country Manager for India CVL Srinivas. The company had just about begun the path of shedding its traditional form, responding to the fast-evolving marketing sector.
Five years hence, WPP’s creative transformation is evident. A noteworthy aspect here is India’s role in not just growing the company globally but also taking the lead from a technological standpoint.
Following the post-pandemic high of 2021, the late 2022 and 2023 were slower years for WPP. Muted growth in the tech sector imposed a restrain on the global numbers but India defied some of these trends. WPP reported its revenue in FY23 was £14.8 billion ($18.31 billion), a 2.9 per cent increase from the previous year. India grew by 7.7 per cent in 2023 and it helped WPP in reflecting a “strong double-digit growth in the second half”.
Creative & Tech Transformation
In its transformation journey, WPP has embraced and pioneered advancements in digital technologies. The establishment of the Tech Experience Centre at the WPP Campuses marks a significant milestone. This initiative is dedicated to exploring uncharted territories of technology and addressing needs where solutions are scarce. It symbolises WPP’s commitment to staying at the forefront of innovation—serving both the under-connected markets in India and the global corporate giants with equal prowess.
Some evidence that the strategy is working can be seen in the new business wins for the company. Globally, WPP added a net new business of $4.5 billion in 2023.
Key wins included Adobe, Allianz, Estée Lauder, Ford, Hyatt, Krispy Kreme, Lenovo, Maruti Suzuki, Mondelēz, Nestlé, Pernod Ricard and SC Johnson among others.
In India, WPP’s agencies remain in the top order. In the media investments space alone, for example, GroupM continued its dominance. The media holding company that is home to brands such as Mindshare, Wavemaker and EssenceMediacom surged ahead with new media business wins exceeding $654 million in 2023. This was followed by IPG Mediabrands with a new business value of over $200 million and Omnicom Media Group ($128 million).
In line with its tech-focussed approach, WPP has also invested significantly in its client-facing technology including its AI-driven platform WPP Open, data products and technology unit Choreograph and other AI tools and services delivered through WPP Open.
“WPP Open is powered by our own proprietary Al products, WPP Brains - each is trained on a variety of data sources and Large Language Models to optimise the entire marketing process, and our first Brand Brain™ was built on Amazon Web Services in fact,” Read informs. WPP Open brings together all of WPP’s proprietary tools, technologies, data and services into one operating system, and is already being deployed across some of its largest global clients, with broad adoption by over 30,000 of WPP’s people.
The India-first Strategy
Underpinning WPP’s transformation is the strategic consolidation of its operations in India, making it a nexus for global service delivery. “India can play a very important role in WPP in several aspects. First, growing and solving for our clients in India and then growing and helping Indian companies as they increasingly globalise,” remarks Mark Read, CEO of WPP.
WPP’s Global Delivery Centre (GDC), another marker of change driven from India, is evolving into a hub of technological innovation, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to revolutionise marketing strategies globally. “Through our GDC strategy, India can be a technical capability for the rest of WPP, helping us innovate and deliver services more efficiently and effectively,” says Read.
He highlights the extent of this transformation, noting, “In the last five years, we have significantly grown the number of people working in India for the rest of the world from 1000 to 5000, which is 50 per cent of our total employee base in the market.” This exponential growth is not just in numbers but also in capabilities.
CVL Srinivas, credited with setting up and growing this mandate, emphasises, “We are looking to scale GDCs up and add a lot more value there.”
If the GDC benchmarks India’s role in taking a lead globally, WPP’s Campus approach is around encouraging a culture of collaboration.
Collaborative & Integrated Work Environment
The Campus, WPP’s attempt to bring all its brands under the same roof is not something its peers have not done or are doing. Examples range from Havas Village and also what Omnicom is doing in markets such as India.
In the case of WPP however, given the sheer legacy of the business in India being home to behemoths such as Ogilvy, VML (that brings the J. Walter Thompson heritage), Mindshare, Landor, Grey, a move such as this must bring incremental gains. And results show that it has.
Despite the unforeseen delays caused by the pandemic, by the end of 2022 and into early 2023, the likes of Bay99 truly started to embody the vision WPP had for Campus—a place where ideas transcend boundaries and industries, appealing to businesses eager to forge deeper connections with their consumers.
In India, the collaboration fostered by integrating physical spaces in Mumbai and Gurgaon is not only blending ideas and specialities—from media and consulting to data analytics and content creation—but also fostering a competitive yet cooperative atmosphere that breeds innovation.
Leadership & Cultural Shifts
The year 2024 can be seen as a milestone year for WPP’s creative businesses. January witnessed leadership changes at Ogilvy India, as advertising legend Piyush Pandey stepped down and Hephzibah Pathak became Ogilvy’s first woman Executive Chairperson. “Piyush has been a terrific industry leader. He built a strong culture and leadership team, and with Hephzibah and VR Rajesh, Ogilvy will only go from strength to strength,” Srinivas says.
The J. Walter Thompson brand was also completely phased out this year to strengthen VML with Babita Baruah at the helm. Saying that this was seen as a positive change, Srinivas adds, “India is playing an important role in WPP’s simplification and transformation.”
The Road Ahead: India’s Growing Influence
The outlook for 2024 is optimistic. The Indian economy is displaying robust growth post-Covid despite global headwinds. India’s economy will attain the size of $34.7 trillion by 2047 with a per capita income of $21,000, says industry body PHDCCI.
“At a disaggregated level, each sector will bolster the economy on the path to Viksit Bharat by 2047. The sectoral value added will be 34 per cent of industry and 54 per cent of services, with a share of manufacturing in GDP at 25 per cent by 2047,” remarks Sanjeev Agrawal, President, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
India’s advertising market is expected to continue its double-digit growth trajectory, fueled by robust private sector and government initiatives and an array of large-scale events. “This year is looking better than last,” Srinivas comments, projecting a sustained pattern of growth that positions India as a leader among global markets.
WPP’s transformation, led significantly by its strategic focus on India, exemplifies how localised strength can catalyse global success. As WPP continues to navigate the complexities of global ad and marketing, its India-centric approach remains a cornerstone of its growth strategy, ensuring that the company not only adapts to the changing dynamics of the global market but also sets the pace for the industry’s future.
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