WPP merges GroupM and Wunderman Thompson data units

Choreograph will operate as part of GroupM, led by Kirk McDonald, GroupM’s North America chief executive, and be accessible to WPP clients and companies.

WPP said Choreograph would build on the “data and consultancy capabilities” within its various creative, media, PR and specialist agencies.

It will offer insights and planning, private identity tools, media optimisation, predictive analytics, strategy consultancy, technology development and data management.

Mark Read, chief executive, WPP (pictured), said combining the two data units is “another important step in our simplification strategy”.  

The consultancy comprises around 700 data and technology staff from across WPP, with support hubs in Germany, France, the UK, India, the US, China and Australia.

Christian Juhl, global chief executive, GroupM, said: “Choreograph is built on common-sense principles that allow marketers to manage and use their data.”   

In a first quarter 2021 trading update, WPP also announced that it has combined separate operations into a brand research and analytics platform under its BAV Group, which it said would allow the company to better integrate brand data into its data analytics services.

The company’s reported revenue increased by 1.8% in the first quarter, with revenue minus pass-through costs up 3.1%, according to its trading update.