WPP partners Reddit to beef up commerce and tech expertise

WPP and Reddit have tied up to help brands better leverage the purchasing power of online communities. Both parties will tap into the commerce and technology expertise across WPP and its media agencies within GroupM through quarterly advisory meetings.

The teams will be consulting on its commerce strategy, ensuring it incorporates the latest insights and intelligence from across the WPP network. WPP will receive a first look at Reddit’s commerce solutions with early access to alpha and beta tests so both companies can collaborate on joint products to take to shared clients. The joint partnership will also include a joint research piece, to test the effectiveness of future commerce products on Reddit, along with a training program through Reddit Ads Formula, which soft-launched last year.

At the same time, the partnership was said to be a mutually beneficial one, as many WPP clients were already working with Reddit to drive commerce solutions through its user base and more than 100,000 communities. Also, WPP was an instrumental part of Reddit’s Product Council, which launched last year as a first-look and feedback session for key partners regarding Reddit’s evolving ads product roadmap. Additionally, both parties will collaborate on client campaigns with a particular focus on lower-funnel education, strategy, and tactics to drive the strongest purchase outcomes.

WPP joins other agencies including Omnicom Media Group, IPG Mediabrands and Tinuiti to have partnered with Reddit. That said, Reddit stated in its press statement that this partnership with WPP is "a first of its kind" for the platform and was led by its global agency development team. The partnership will strengthen Reddit's on and off-platform commerce offering by closely aligning with WPP’s industry-leading commerce roadmap. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Reddit for additional information regarding the partnership. 

“Online communities are not new but they have emerged throughout the pandemic as an integral part of the commerce mix thanks to the highly influential role they play in the consumer path to purchase,” said Reddit's global EVP and president of advertising, Harold Klaje.

Separately, Reddit's global partnership with OMG currently offers clients for OMD, PHD, Hearts & Science, and Resolution access to a range of strategic and commercial benefits. OMG clients have access to Reddit's creative strategy team, education and training tools, innovation offering (including early ad product and feature testing), measurement and reporting, data, and its "unique insights capability".

Last July, Reddit expanded into Australia with its first office in Sydney, months after entering Canada and the UK. The company previously explained that Australia is core to its international growth strategy and its new team comprises locally-based community, engineering and sales staff. There are no immediate plans for Reddit to launch an office in Southeast Asia or Greater China.

Photo courtesy: 123RF

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