Agency-Powered AI: WPP and MACH Alliance Partner to Help Brands Win in the Age of AI

Show me a billboard on any city street, and there’s a good chance that “AI” is somewhere in the headline.

It’s a “sign” of our times, I suppose. Also, a reflection of the hype that’s consuming the market. 

Speaking of hype, a quick peek at Gartner’s AI Hype Cycle from way back in 2023 provides some context on where we thought things were headed – and how they’re actually playing out. Prognosticating aside, it’s clear that things have gotten more complex, more conflated, and enterprises are questioning the value of their AI investments.

In fact, a recent report suggests that some leaders are experiencing a “crisis of confidence,” with data suggesting that corporate AI adoption might be slowing down among some of the largest companies.

Building large-scale AI applications isn’t for the faint of heart. Enterprises are hungry to tap the potential of these new technologies and realize greater automation with the advent of agents, but getting there has proven challenging and costly. 

This is where outside expertise from consulting partners could prove indispensable – and they're ready for it. I’ve spoken to numerous stakeholders at several leading agencies and system integrators, and they’re delivering the kind of guidance and successful solutions that enterprises are looking for, particularly in the explosive category of digital retail and commerce. 

This demand is coming at a time when agencies themselves are faced with their own crisis as AI disrupts their traditional business models. But the concentrated focus on AI could be a bright spot of opportunity – and a win-win on both sides of the relationship. 

I just spoke to MACH Alliance president Casper Rasmussen (who is stepping down shortly from his role) about the complexity that AI is creating for enterprises. The not-for-profit industry body he helped create and lead – which champions composable architectures that help organizations adopt the right technologies and future-proof their businesses – has been evolving its charter. 

Now, the membership-driven community is focusing more succinctly on AI, particularly as agentic strategies enter warp speed and brands rush to adopt new capabilities. As he noted, the need for the MACH Alliance’s expertise and guidance has never been more essential.

“You can talk about technology for technology’s sake,” Casper said. “That’s what everyone is doing right now. A thousand pitches, a thousand prototypes. A thousand opportunities. It’s what rings in our industry.” 

He’s right. Between the “AI washing” and the projects that aren’t paying off, enterprises are wondering where the value is. In his mind, the MACH Alliance can provide the terra firma organizations need to build solid solutions that support their long-term goals.    

“Honestly, more than ever, it’s important for us to be that guiding light that helps turn the opportunity of AI into an actual new business reality for the brands and companies out there,” he affirmed.

That vision is evolving into action. Last week, the MACH Alliance announced a global partnership with WPP, a multinational collective that’s widely recognized as one of the largest advertising, marketing, and communications services platforms in the world. 

The partnership will harness WPP’s established world-class, MACH-certified expertise within a portfolio of specialized agencies – including powerhouse brands like AKQA, Ogilvy One, and VML – to support enterprise businesses as they implement AI at scale.

“In today's market, technological agility is the core driver of competitive advantage, particularly to keep up with the demands of consumers in the age of AI,” said Stephan Pretorius, Chief Technology Officer at WPP. “The expansion of our partnership with the MACH Alliance is a direct investment in our clients' and teams' success, giving them the modern foundation they need to unlock the full potential of AI and the power to not just adapt to the future, but to build it.”

Unlocking AI at scale with the right technology and practices 

According to the MACH Alliance, the expanded partnership will tackle a critical challenge for modern businesses: how to effectively integrate powerful AI tools and technologies into their marketing and commerce experiences. 

Of course, this makes sense. The energy around digital commerce is undeniable and has led the lion's share of digital transformation. Within this crucial segment, enterprises are seeking greater agility and flexibility to innovate faster and respond to an evolving digital shopper journey. 

To realize the promise of AI, MACH technologies and composable approaches are key parts of the secret sauce – enabling companies to build enterprise software from a wide range of independent services. The composable approach is ideal, allowing organizations to experiment with and adopt new AI technologies without the burden and cost of overhauling their entire stack. This is hugely advantageous when it comes to keeping pace with innovation and reaching consumers in new ways and across new channels. 

In terms of tangible output and guidance, WPP will partner with MACH Alliance members and communities to shape future best practices and define new industry standards for AI adoption and integration. This will help ensure that clients can get best-in-class technology solutions that meet their evolving needs.

"WPP's global reach and deep industry expertise in helping brands navigate technological transformation align perfectly with our mission,” said Holly Hall, Managing Director of the MACH Alliance. “Through this partnership, we can accelerate the adoption of MACH principles and enable more organizations to build composable, AI-ready architectures that deliver measurable business outcomes. Together, we're expanding the community of brands equipped to thrive in an AI-driven commerce landscape.” 

The partnership also represents another milestone in WPP's continued focus on AI and the company's ongoing annual $400 million investment into data and technology. This includes its AI platform for marketing, WPP Open, which is already in use by more than 69,000 people across the business. It also follows announcements with WPP’s strategic technology partners and fellow MACH Alliance members, including AWS, Braze, Contentful, Google Cloud, Stripe, and Vercel.

The verdict

The MACH Alliance is certainly entering a new chapter in its arc while staying true to its core architectural principles of being composable, connected, incremental, open, and autonomous. Now with over 100 global member companies, it continues to provide certification, community, and guidance to help organizations adopt transformative technologies and future-proof their businesses.

As a partner, WPP brings a depth and scale to the ecosystem that is simply unmatched. Each one of its specialized portfolio brands would be a welcome source of guidance to the MACH ecosystem, but creating a unified gateway to its awesome power and reach is a big plus. With 15,000 employees across its interests, it delivers a global braintrust with technology IP that is certain to unlock value. 

WPP is also working at the edge with AI, which is precisely with the MACH Alliance is focusing its roadmap. With its breadth of capabilities – particularly at the experience level, from technology to marketing – there could be significant gains in the form of mindshare, training, tools, and other resources that help guide more successful AI adoption. 

We’ll be watching to see how these tangible and actionable assets manifest in the coming months, but it could be positive all around. 

This news also comes as the Alliance is pivoting towards an end-user leadership model to provide faster, more salient solutions in the agentic era. Taken with the WPP announcement, it’s clear that the MACH Alliance is doubling down on its renewed charter to be an indispensable part of the AI fabric for modern enterprises. 

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