Issue #13: WPP CEO set to depart and top stories from TikTok and Meta

☕ Welcome back to a new week in digital

Grab a double shot latte and get the downlow on the news from last week.

🗞️ Top Stories

1. WPP CEO Mark Read to step down after 30 years
   The board confirmed Read will retire on 31st Dec 2025, kicking off a search for a successor as the group turns it focus towards AI services. The Drum

2. TikTok unveils AI powered Search Centre and new ad tools
   Fresh branding solutions, automated campaign workflows and an AI Search Centre aim to make buying search ads on TikTok easier. Marketing Dive

3. Meta’s AI ad plan raises stakes for creative agencies

   Meta wants brands to be able to generate and target ads entirely with AI by 2026, potentially squeezing creative agencies. Digiday

4. YouTube tests 30 second non-skippable CTV ads
   A limited beta inside Brand Awareness campaigns lets advertisers run 16-30 second spots exclusively on connected-TV devices. PPC News Feed

5. Omnicom-IPG merger clears Indian competition hurdle
   India’s competition commission approved the $13.3 billion deal, moving the agencies closer to creating the world’s largest integrated comms group. Financial Express

6. Channel 4 and Adform open premium BVOD to programmatic guaranteed
   The broadcaster’s partnership with Adform lets agencies activate Private Marketplace deals against Channel 4’s on-demand inventory. Exchange Wire

7. Lifestyle publishers rewrite the SEO playbook for AI driven search

   Editors are scrapping basic “how-to” pieces and leaning into more personal content as Google’s AI Overviews have cut search traffic up to 50% for some sites. Digiday

8. Trainline taps PubMatic to scale programmatic across Europe
   The rail booking app will fuse first party data with PubMatic’s Connect and OpenWrap to offer advertisers curated audiences across Europe. Exchange Wire

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