What is the strategy behind WPP Media’s rebranding?

The name “GroupM” — once synonymous with one of the leading media groups in Vietnam and around the world — is officially being retired. In its place comes WPP Media, a brand that better reflects the company’s strategic shift toward greater integration and enhanced AI capabilities.

Structurally, agencies like Mindshare, Wavemaker, and EssenceMediacom will now operate more like “teams” under the WPP Media umbrella, rather than as standalone agencies. While their brand names will remain, financial reporting will be consolidated at the market level rather than broken down by individual agencies. For current clients in Vietnam, this transition may not result in significant changes in the teams they work with day to day.

Like Facebook becoming Meta or RIM rebranding to BlackBerry, renaming a company can be a strategic move — sometimes successful, sometimes not — to adapt to market challenges and seize new opportunities.

In the first quarter of 2025, WPP’s revenue (excluding pass-through costs) came in at £2.48 billion, marking a ‑2.7 % decline on a like‑for‑like basis. GroupM’s earnings declined by 0.9%, while other integrated agencies under the holding group saw a sharper drop of 4.4%. In recent years, GroupM has lost several key global and local clients.

In a fast-changing and increasingly competitive world, the question arises: What is the strategy behind WPP Media’s rebranding?

Whatever that strategy may be, one thing is clear: a new value proposition is needed.

Some important questions to consider:
1. Will these changes help clients do their jobs better — faster, more accurately, more effectively? Will the service offering be truly different, not just in execution but in quality?
2. Will restructuring lead to cost efficiencies that help make agency fees more competitive?

Unlike Meta, which clearly laid out its vision for the metaverse, WPP Media’s future direction remains somewhat vague. The company introduced a tech product called “Open Intelligence,” but it’s still unclear whether this innovation will genuinely help clients achieve better results.

From my own experience during a recent agency pitch, I saw a team present impressive technology tools, but their campaign outcome metrics were less competitive than those from agencies that simply optimized existing ad platform tools. In other words, technology alone didn’t lower costs or improve results. For example, if a performance campaign leads to a higher cost per lead and doesn’t generate a better ratio of qualified leads, it’s hard to convince the client of its value.

I’m genuinely curious to see how WPP Media navigates these challenges — and whether this bold change will help them move confidently into the future. I believe that strategic actions will continue to unfold, with new propositions being revealed over time. Whether this strategy proves effective or not will become clearer in the near future.