• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, June 6, 2013

WPP and Twitter on Thursday announced a global strategic partnership that will expand collaboration between the two companies. The deal follows a wide-ranging alliance that Twitter and Publicis Groupe agreed to in April.

Covering data and analytics, media investment and social media, the WPP agreement spans several holding company units, including GroupM, research arm Kantar and digital agencies such as Wunderman.

As part of the deal, which was led on the WPP side by its Data Alliance unit, various WPP companies will utilize Twitter data across a number of initiatives. The holding company believes the alliance will deliver more effective campaigns, enhanced targeting and more real-time insight to clients.

Under the partnership, the companies will launch new data products and services, and will integrate Twitter data into key WPP media and analytics platforms. The deal also calls for training staff in the application of these new capabilities and a “partnership approach” to key clients and markets.

The companies also said the agreement would help develop GroupM client investments on Twitter’s platform --particularly in key markets where the service has experienced rapid user growth in recent years, including Western Europe, Japan, Turkey, Mexico and Brazil, in addition to the United States.

Earlier this year, Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP, commanded headlines when he proclaimed that Twitter was more of a PR platform than an advertising platform. Today he stated: “Twitter’s relevance continues to grow -- not only as a social platform, but also as a window into consumer attitudes and behavior in real-time. “ He described the new agreement as a “very wide-ranging strategic partnership” that will “ensure that Twitter data is a key ingredient in many of our disciplines."

Dick Costolo, CEO of Twitter, said: “As Twitter has grown, marketers are leveraging the platform for brand insights, relevant real-time messaging and customer research. This partnership will benefit clients by pairing Twitter with WPP’s world-class analytics, targeting and creative capabilities.”