The data and privacy race: Why the WPP-InfoSum acquisition marks a turning point for agencies
Last week, WPP announced it had acquired data firm InfoSum.
The holding company will look to embed InfoSum within GroupM and use its tech to create an AI-enabled, safe and secure infrastructure within WPP Open and scale its data intelligence services.
The acquisition comes at a time when its rival holdcos – including Publicis Groupe and Omnicom – are also scrambling to buy up successful adtech firms as brands increasingly want better, privacy-safe measurement tools and more transparency from their advertising investments.
The move has got the industry to stand up and take notice of the holdco, which had been trailing behind its agency counterparts after its FY2024 results revealed a fall in net revenue by 1%.
It confirms the battle between the big four agency groups centres around data and privacy. With many dubbing this as a “powerful” move from WPP, PMW spoke to industry experts to find out what this acquisition could mean for the advertising ecosystem.
‘WPP isn’t just buying tech; it’s investing in the future of clean, consented data collaboration’
Sean Adams, CMO, Brand Metrics, said: “This acquisition signals a major shift in how agencies are thinking about data ownership and privacy. WPP isn’t just buying tech; it’s investing in the future of clean, consented data collaboration. This proves that agencies are no longer just buying media – they’re engineering outcomes.
“It's also about fuelling AI with high-quality, privacy-compliant data. As third-party cookies disappear, owning safe, scalable data infrastructure is a smart move. Infosum gives WPP a powerful foundation to connect data without risking privacy, but what’s most interesting is how this could unlock new possibilities for accurate campaign measurement.
“With better-quality data stitched together compliantly, brands stand a better chance of truly understanding the impact of their campaigns. We will watch with interest to see how this plays out in the marketplace and if other agency groups seek to follow suit.”
Helen Keelan, Senior Sales Director, LG Ad Solutions, echoed Adams views, adding that the acquisition is a “timely and strategic move” from WPP, which “aligns with the industry’s shift toward privacy-first, AI-powered marketing”.
“With InfoSum’s federated data capabilities and WPP’s scale, this partnership could redefine how brands leverage first-party data responsibly – unlocking faster insights and campaign performance in an increasingly fragmented ecosystem and we are excited to see how it can be implemented with the CTV space,” she said.
Vlad Stesin, Co-founder and CSO of identity management and data collaboration platform Optable, describes the acquisition as a “turning point in the evolution of data collaboration” towards an “era where the buy side is striving to create a more comprehensive ecosystem for activation and measurement”.
He added: “Now InfoSum’s technology will have access to WPP core data assets in choreograph as well as their huge network of media partnerships. As we saw with Publicis’ acquisition of Lotame, these moves signal a continued investment at the holdco level in identity and data infrastructure, as agencies double down on creating addressability solutions for their brands in the wake of signal loss.
“With Google and Media maintaining dominance over audience data, holdcos are reinforcing their independence by scaling first-party data collaboration and interoperability, ensuring their clients can compete effectively to drive better results for brands in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.”
The race is one to ‘secure, structure, and activate data’
Chris Pettit, CEO and Co-founder, Revving, believes this is the start of a race to secure and leverage data, and those who are slow to act, will “pay the price in missed opportunities” down the line.
He said: “WPP’s move shows that the battle for agency differentiation is now being fought on the data layer. For too long, operational data has been underused; now the industry is finally waking up to its real value.
“This is the start of a race to secure, structure and activate that data in ways that move the needle, whether it’s powering media performance, fuelling AI, or, in our case, transforming when and how the ad industry gets paid.”
For Graham Field, CRO at Outra, this acquisition reinforces WPP’s “commitment to data-driven marketing while broadening InfoSum’s reach and capabilities across a larger client base”.
But Mateusz Rumiński, VP of Product at PrimeAudience, said this battle to acquire adtechs is becoming “increasingly worrying”. Previously, impartial tech vendors were there to “elevate standard of user privacy across the entire ecosystem”, but if they are all acquired, it limits them to a single agency holdco.
“This may create a conflict of interest and thus lead to relaxed standards of user privacy protection,” he explained. “For a thriving digital advertising ecosystem, it is imperative that there is fierce competition on the market.
“Clients need to be in a position to work with whichever vendor they see fit across the entire value chain, not a pre-determined list of entities owned by a given agency.”
Also published in: PMW
