The world’s largest music rights company is teaming up with one of the world’s largest ad agencies.
Universal Music Group has entered into a strategic partnership with WPP, a publicly traded multinational advertising and public relations company. The partnership will largely focus on audience engagement strategies.
Listed on the London Stock Exchange, WPP is described as a “creative transformation company.” It owns a network of businesses in advertising, digital marketing, media planning, and market research.
WPP generated revenues of £3.6 billion ($4.5bn) in calendar Q3 (ending September 30), up 4.1% YoY on a like-for-like basis. UMG generated revenues of EUR €2.870 billion (USD $3.15bn) in Q3 across all of its divisions (including recorded music, publishing and more), up 4.9% YoY at constant currency.
UMG and WPP say that their partnership will “provide clients’ brands with cutting-edge audience engagement strategies leveraging the power of music”.
According to the announcement on Thursday (December 12), the new partnership brings together UMG’s family of artists and labels and UMG’s global data and insights team with WPP’s “creative scale and extensive client network, giving brands new opportunities to connect with audiences through music”.
In addition, WPP and UMG said that they work together to “responsibly explore new ways that AI can better help brands and artists connect and create authentic cultural moments”.
The announcement continued: “The collaborative partnership offers WPP clients new opportunities to connect with some of the world’s most popular artists and their music, and unique access to UMG’s iconic music catalog to unlock additional areas of amplification through data-driven and technological innovation”.
The announcement builds on the history of successful collaboration between WPP and Universal Music Group For Brands (UMGB), including their ongoing partnership with The Coca-Cola Company.
Working together, WPP and UMG have collaborated on global initiatives such as the Coke Studio and Sprite Limelight music platforms.
“Music is becoming an even more powerful cultural force, and technology is rewriting how we experience it,” said Stephan Pretorius, Chief Technology Officer, WPP.
“Music is becoming an even more powerful cultural force, and technology is rewriting how we experience it.”
Stephan Pretorius, WPP
Added Pretorius: “This partnership with UMG will allow us to leverage emerging technologies and data insights to create truly innovative music-driven campaigns for our clients, shaping the future of brand engagement.”
“In addition, working together with WPP, we will harness and amplify the unmatched power and reach of music for WPP’s clients and brands through new strategic initiatives and programs.”
Michael Nash, Universal Music Group
Michael Nash, Chief Digital Officer & EVP, Universal Music Group, said: “This collaboration provides benefits to stakeholders of each company.
“On one hand, combining innovative new technologies with UMG’s industry-leading data insights, we can create significant new commercial opportunities for our artists and songwriters.
“In addition, working together with WPP, we will harness and amplify the unmatched power and reach of music for WPP’s clients and brands through new strategic initiatives and programs.”Music Business Worldwide
