GroupM unites Essence and Mediacom to form Essencemediacom

WPP's media investment business, GroupM, announced today the latest steps in its transformation to speed up innovation for clients and streamline operations.

The developments, which follow the April 2021 launch of WPP's global data and technology business Choreograph, will combine Essence with MediaCom and Mindshare with Neo to construct a new 9,000-strong cross-channel performance platform based on AI technology.

Essence and MediaCom are merging to become EssenceMediacom, a new agency that combines Essence's digital and data-driven DNA with MediaCom's scaled multichannel audience planning and strategic media skills to form EssenceMediacom.

GroupM Nexus, the world's top media performance organisation, will bring together industry-leading expertise and solutions from Finecast, Xaxis, and GroupM Services — GroupM's worldwide network of activation professionals.

Mindshare will finalise its merger with global performance agency Neo, giving customers access to a wider variety of transformational media offerings.

As Global CEO, Nick Lawson (Global CEO of MediaCom) will manage the newly established EssenceMediacom. After eight years at Essence, Kyoko Matsushita is elevated to WPP's Japan CEO as the business continues to invest in developing, high-growth industries. As GroupM Nexus' Global CEO, Nicolas Bidon (Global CEO of Xaxis) will be in charge.

GroupM's global CEO, Christian Juhl, stated: “We are passionate about the opportunity technology gives us to help our clients navigate constant change and achieve their growth goals. The future of marketing is outcomes-driven, supported by audience-first planning and continually improving AI-enabled performance standards. Through GroupM Nexus and our agency powerhouses Mindshare, Wavemaker, and EssenceMediacom we are building a tech-enabled future, side-by-side with our clients, that is accountable to advertisers’ growth goals and to our vision for an advertising ecosystem that works for everyone. I also want to congratulate Kyoko, who has grown and strengthened Essence in her time as Global CEO, on her exciting new role as WPP’s CEO in Japan. We will continue to work closely together to strengthen the position of our agencies across APAC.”

Google's VP of Marketing, Joshua Spanier, said: "Our long-term partnership with Essence, complemented by Mediacom, is helping us deliver on our ambitious marketing goals. The combination of smart insights, analytical rigor, and expansive creative thinking, scaled around the world, has been unlocking new opportunities, and delivering stronger impact; we’re excited about this next step forward in our work together.”