WPP crusade doubles down on 'holy trinity of marketing'

WPP is continuing to ramp up its technology offering with a “first-of-a-kind collaboration” designed to reimagine how brands engage with customers through the holy trinity of data, tech and AI – and at scale.

With both agency and client adoption of AI continuing at pace, one of the key stumbling blocks to full implementation has been moving from pilot stage to full roll out.

Like most groups, WPP has been keen to address this situation. The company started its own tech drive years ago and is likely to be going even further and faster under new global CEO Cindy Rose (pictured), who only joined a fortnight ago.

The deal sees data-driven agency VML jump into bed tech giant Kyndryl, one of the world’s largest providers of IT infrastructure services, formed in 2021 from the spin-off of IBM’s managed infrastructure business.

The company designs, builds, manages, and modernises the “mission-critical” IT systems that businesses depend on. With a global presence and thousands of enterprise customers, including a majority of the Fortune 100, Kyndryl offers services in cloud, data, AI, and digital workplace solutions.

Kyndryl brings decades of deep engineering expertise along with Kyndryl Bridge, its AI-powered open integration digital business performance platform, Kyndryl Vital co-creation services, and IT infrastructure and data management capabilities.

VML Enterprise Solutions, meanwhile, will deliver customer experience solutions, leveraging AI-powered, real-time data and WPP Open – the company’s AI-powered operating system.

Coupled with Kyndryl and VML’s wider ecosystem of alliance partners and solutions, it is claimed the partnership will enable end-to-end transformative customer engagements that deliver measurable business value.

Both parties insist the move “marks a new era in customer experience where the power of AI, combined with human creativity, will drive opportunities for brands to develop differentiated and deeply personalised interactions with their customers”.

Customers across all industries want to move beyond small proofs of concept and unlock the full potential of AI, but face challenges with data access, security vulnerabilities, organisational alignment and increasing infrastructure costs.

Kyndryl Vital and VML Enterprise Solutions will join forces to deploy expert squads – from experience designers to AI experts, developers, and software and infrastructure engineers – to help drive connections to support growth.

For instance, in financial services organisations are challenged to secure and integrate enterprise data and build a roadmap towards infrastructure readiness. Kyndryl and VML intend to explore using AI agents across Kyndryl’s Agentic AI Framework and WPP Open to manage the orchestration of data for financial firms to create robust customer intelligence for personalised banking.

Meanwhile, Kyndryl and VML insist they can help retailers harness AI’s transformative impact on omnichannel commerce, implement enhanced security for personal data and unify their technology foundation across order management, customer relationship management and beyond.

VML Enterprise Solutions global CEO Jeff Geheb said: “Our vision for the future of experiential brand engagements is clear – building memorable customer experiences that are informed by data, led by seamlessly connected teams of brilliant people, and full of new opportunities for our clients,”

“Together, VML and Kyndryl are breaking down silos, integrating talent and services and ultimately simplifying the path that our customers will take to move from idea to proof of concept and delivery at scale.”

Kyndryl Consult senior vice-president Ismail Amla added: “Customer expectations are evolving faster than ever, and to stay competitive, brands must continuously deliver meaningful, personalised experiences while navigating complex technology ecosystems.

“This partnership is about removing the friction that often slows down experience transformation engagement, enabling businesses to orchestrate seamless customer journeys while modernising the data and technology infrastructure behind them.”

WPP crusade doubles down on ‘holy trinity of marketing’

Be the first to comment on "WPP crusade doubles down on ‘holy trinity of marketing’"

Leave a comment Cancel reply