Advertising leader WPP has announced it is creating a new entity from the combination of MediaCom and Essence, its media agencies.
GroupM is bringing together the two agencies to create EssenceMediacom, an organisation which can combine Essence’s digital and data expertise with MediaCom’s understanding of multichannel, audience planning and strategic media knowledge.
It will launch formally in 2023 with, it says, 10,000 employees across 125 offices – and is set to handle total billings of nearly £20 billion.
EssenceMediacom will be led by Nick Lawson, the current global CEO of MediaCom – while the current global CEO of Essence, Kyoko Matsushita, will take up the role of CEO at WPP Japan.
Both MediaCom and Essence share clients including Google, NBCUniversal and Mars, which appointed MediaCom as its global media agency in February, and handed its biddable media brief to Essence.
Christian Juhl, Global CEO of GroupM, said: “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.
Nick Lawson, CEO of EssenceMediacom, added: “The formation of EssenceMediacom builds on the strong and proven relationship between the agencies to create the agency model our clients want for the future – one founded on brilliant strategy and brand-building capabilities, with pioneering digital expertise running throughout.
“EssenceMediacom will not only help our clients see the bigger picture and reimagine what’s possible; it will also provide opportunities for our people to upskill and train in new areas, further enriching and enhancing their careers.”
