GroupM Pounds Out Deal With BuzzFeed, Includes Proprietary Social Data Tool

WPP’s GroupM said today that it has struck a deal with media company BuzzFeed to provide GroupM’s and WPP’s agencies and clients with what was termed “unprecedented access” to BuzzFeed’s creative and data assets. GroupM and BuzzFeed stressed that the agreement involves no investment or equity exchange between the companies.

As part of the arrangement, WPP units will enter into the first “beta partnership” with Pound, a BuzzFeed offering that analyzes how content shares across the social Web. WPP/GroupM and clients will also utilize BuzzFeed Motion Pictures, a creative group that produces branded video content.

A so-called “creative residency” is being formed that will enable WPP creative teams to access the media company’s expertise in producing social content for all platforms.

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The companies also said that GroupM agencies would receive preferential media pricing for clients.

“The future of advertising lies at the intersection of creativity, data, media and technology,” said GroupM Chief Digital Officer Rob Norman. “That’s where BuzzFeed has built its business and proved its value to brands. This is a terrific opportunity for our clients to move swiftly and succeed in the fastest-growing media platforms. We have appointed partnership leaders from each GroupM agency, and other WPP agencies will do the same.”

Greg Coleman, president of BuzzFeed, added: “This is an exciting time for our company. Our audience is growing on and off platform. Our Motion Pictures studio is booming and now reaches 1.5 billion video views a month -- from shorter than short-form on Snapchat to original scripted series. We’re excited to take our unique approach and voice in branded content, data and iterative learning in a big way with GroupM and their clients.” 

This agreement is just the latest between a WPP unit and BuzzFeed. Last year, Mindshare forged an agreement with BuzzFeed to help create content for its real-time marketing service that it calls The Loop.

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