London-based WPP, one of the world’s largest advertising groups, this week introduced WPP Open Pro, a version of its proprietary AI platform designed for smaller brands and self-serving clients. The move allows users to access tools to generate ads, tailor campaigns and publish directly, reducing dependency on full-service agency models.

WPP said the platform will enable brands to create channel-specific advertisements in seconds. For example, a local coffee-shop chain could upload brand-approved imagery, deploy AI-generated creative content and drop the output into WPP’s media-studio infrastructure for direct publishing. The firm sees this as opening its capabilities to a much wider addressable market, beyond its traditional large-brand client base.

The launch comes amid industry disruption where ad groups face margin pressure because brands are increasingly leveraging AI tools and automation to reduce fees paid to agencies. WPP acknowledges that its creative and strategic talent remain integral, but is shifting to give more control and tool-access to clients themselves.

By embedding AI more deeply into the agency value chain, WPP aims to transform how marketing is delivered — moving from full agency options toward hybrid and self-service models. The strategic shift reflects both competitive threats (from tech-enabled marketing platforms) and opportunity (to tap smaller brands previously underserved).

Key Highlights
• WPP launched WPP Open Pro, an AI-powered marketing platform for brands that want to self-create campaigns.
• The platform allows creation of channel-specific ads in seconds using brand imagery plus AI-content generation.
• The move reflects brands’ growing desire to reduce agency reliance and fees by leveraging internal or self-service tools.
• WPP frames this as expanding its total addressable market by offering more flexible, tech-enabled services to smaller clients.
• The shift represents a broader trend in the ad-tech industry: agencies embedding AI, automation and platform-tools to stay relevant.

Why This Matters
• Brands gaining more direct access to AI-driven marketing tools could reduce the role of traditional agencies, reshaping the structure of the advertising industry.
• WPP’s move may force competitors to accelerate their platform-and-tool offerings rather than relying purely on creative talent and full-service contracts.
• As AI-powered marketing tools democratise campaign creation, smaller brands—traditionally underserved by large agencies—could access more advanced creative capabilities at lower cost.
• Agencies that fail to adapt may face margin compression and client attrition; conversely, those that embed AI services successfully may unlock new growth and business models.

Source
Reuters – Full Article