GroupM joins Mindshare

WPP's consolidated media investment and management operation GroupM was formally launched in Sri Lanka yesterday.

Mindshare, hitherto a division of JWT will now be part of GroupM. Maxus, another GroupM Agency was also formally launched.

Vikram Sakhuja addressing the event. Picture by Saliya Rupasinghe

"Sri Lanka is poised for growth, and we believe that GroupM through Mindshare and Maxus today and MEC and Mediacom in the future can help grow brands by enabling these companies to be best in class in Talent, Technology, Trading and full Value Chain Services," said Vikram Sakhuja - Chief Executive Officer, GroupM, South Asia at a press briefing, He said with their arrival to Sri Lanka it would bring in fresh air to the market, net technology and equipment.

All of GroupM's agencies are independent global operations in their own right. GroupM will act as the central buying point for WPP media agencies as well as a parent and collaborator in uplifting the performance of activities taken by its local offices in all its business critical capabilities.

"There is no doubt that the introduction of GroupM will greatly strengthen our position in the industry and equip us to effectively drive the integration of all media channels especially with the growing interest of digital as a future trend," GroupM Sri Lanka Country Head Sabry Haniz said. GroupM is the world's largest advertising media company in terms of billing handling over 32% of the world's media billings.

It has over 17,000 employees and 400 global offices in 81 countries.

GroupM was formed in 2003 by WPP Group to serve as the parent company for all its media agencies including Mindshare, Maxus, MEC, MediaCom, Xaxis and Outrider.