It didn’t happen overnight. Instead, it was a gradual process. This became very evident, though, when Mars transferred its $1.7 billion media account to Publicis, and Coca-Cola North America subsequently followed suit with $785 million.

This isn’t just a terrible quarter; rather, what was once the most recognizable brand in the world is slowly but spectacularly collapsing. Meanwhile, an even more formidable adversary is closing in on the titan as it staggers.

The Scene of the Crime

Only a short time ago, WPP was all business. Today, however, it falters. The holding company’s $300 million moonshot to reimagine advertising was a huge wager on artificial intelligence and its in-house platform, WPP Open, made by CEO Mark Read. Yet, even as WPP presented the future, clients were stealthily leaving.

Consequently, Q1 revenue fell 2.75%. Furthermore, under Read’s watch, stock dropped by half. As a result, the CEO has finally admitted defeat and announced his intention to resign before the end of the year.

Internally, the Slack channels are very active. Moreover, Reddit has a vicious side. Concurrently, competing recruiting firms are also hot on the heels of the Cannes festival.

Read also: Mark Read to step down as WPP CEO after three decades of service

Enter The Assassin

Publicis CEO Arthur Sadoun refrained from taking pride. Indeed, that wasn’t necessary. Quiet, methodical, and merciless in its efficiency, he has constructed a lethal machine. Therefore, as WPP focused on AI in the news, Publicis was busy securing accounts: Pfizer, The Hershey Company, Mars, and Coca-Cola.

The Fallout

Moving forward, will WPP put more emphasis on AI? Will they detach from that? Or will they maintain the status quo while more clients disappear?

The issue is not with the creativity. WPP continues to produce work that deserves awards. However, none of that swagger or flair is there; instead, all you get are meetings about meetings and a crushing feeling that the crown is missing.

The “Power of One” approach, which combines creative, media, analytics, and technology, has gone from being a trendy term to a weapon for businesses. Consequently, Publicis achieved 5.8% organic growth in 2024 and unwittingly became the world’s most valuable ad holding firm.

So, Who Really Killed WPP’s Mojo?

Is Publicis the one? Has AI gone too far? Has leadership had enough? Perhaps none of the above.

However, it’s also possible that it was death due to inactivity. One thousand little mistakes. The omission of a thousand signals.

Because trust is king in the advertising industry. Once you let it go, you’re not just out of the pitch; you’re out of the game.

Ultimately, they didn’t just take WPP’s clients; they took its thunder.

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