MediaPLUS is your weekly update on all that matters in media and marketing

Advertising giant WPP has rebranded its global media company GroupM as WPP Media as the group faces into the era of artificial intelligence.

WPP Media manages more than $60bn in annual media investment and works with more than 75% of the world's leading advertisers in over 80 markets.

Mindshare, Wavemaker and EssenceMediacom will continue to operate as brands within WPP Media, which said the companies would leverage "common capabilities, technology and support functions."

WPP said that WPP Media is connected to its wider global agency networks through WPP Open, its AI-enabled marketing system, which is backed by £300m in annual investment and partnerships with leading AI companies.

"WPP Media is built for a world in which media is everywhere and in everything. By investing in our AI-powered product, integrating our offer with data and technology, and equipping our people with future-facing skills, we’re helping our clients to stay ahead of rapidly changing consumer behaviour and unlock the limitless opportunities for growth that AI will create," said Brian Lesser, CEO of WPP Media.

Byrne steps down as PRII CEO

Dr Martina Byrne will step down as CEO of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) at the end of July to pursue new professional opportunities. 

The recruitment process to appoint her replacement as head of the representative body for public relations and communications practitioners is ongoing and is being led by the PRII national council in partnership with executive search firm Morgan McKinley. 

Dr Byrne has provided strategic leadership to the Institute, which represents professionals across the public relations and communications profession nationwide, for the past eight years. 

"I am really proud of all that we’ve achieved during my tenure. We have grown membership and financial reserves significantly, expanded our services and professional development offer, introduced a Membership Assistance Programme and, in the past year, launched AI Guidelines, a new Awards scheme and a successful digital transformation," said Dr Byrne.

"I am grateful for the support of the PRII membership, the Executive Team, and the National Council throughout my years with the Institute and I will work towards a smooth and effective transition over the coming months. 

"It has been a privilege to serve a profession that contributes so much to the success of organisations, large and small. This was not an easy decision, but I am excited to have the opportunity to realise a new ambition.” 

Paul Hand, president of the PRII national council thanked Dr Byrne for her contribution to the Institute and wished her every success in the future. 

"Under her leadership, the PRII has never been stronger in terms of membership numbers, education and training offerings, impactful events, financial strength, and strategic direction," he said.

“With the help of the talented PRII team, Martina has made a significant contribution to the elevation of the public relations and communications sector in Ireland’s economic, social, political, and cultural life. We wish her well in her future endeavours and warmly welcome her continued commitment to champion our proud profession.” 

Havas to launch Ledger Bennett in Ireland

B2B marketing agency Ledger Bennett is set to expand into Ireland as parent Havas continues to invest in its B2B capabilities.

Havas and Ledger Bennett will host a launch event in Dublin next Thursday (5 June) where they will introduce their newly enhanced B2B offering that supports marketers from brand to demand to advocacy. See here for more details.

They will also provide a preview of Converged B2B, their proprietary planning and activation platform, a week before its official launch at the Cannes.

"Created in partnership with LinkedIn, this new platform is a game-changer for B2B, combining disparate data sets, industry benchmarks, and media planning APIs into a single source of B2B audience insight," Havas and Ledger Bennett said.

"We’ll highlight some of the possibilities for planning, activating, and optimising campaigns based on a level of audience insight that has truly never been seen before in our space."

There will also be a panel discussion—Innovate to Captivate: Engaging the Future B2B Buyer in the Irish Market—where guests from LinkedIn, Ledger Bennett, and other prolific brands will discuss Havas’ Meaningful Brands report “Decoding B2B’s Brand Boom” and LinkedIn’s recent research into the Power of Buyer Groups and what they mean in context to the future of B2B.

Panellists on the evening include Andrea Glenn, CEO of Ledger Bennett; Jennifer Shaw-Sweet, EMEA lead for LinkedIn's B2B Institute; and Fiona Guest, VP of field marketing at Bentley Systems.

Coyne to join Irish Times next month

Ellen Coyne is set to join the Irish Times next month as a political correspondent after five years with the Irish Independent.

Coyne established herself at the now-defunct Times of Ireland with her reporting on bogus crisis pregnancy agencies ahead of the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment.

After a short stint with JOE.ie, she joined the Irish Independent in 2020 as a special correspondent, writing a regular column.

She published her debut book, Are You There, God? It's Me, Ellen, through Gill Books, the same year.

Coyne studied journalism at the University of South Wales and worked with BBC Radio Wales and BBC Wales

"After five fun and fascinating years at the Irish Independent, I'm leaving for a new role! I'm very grateful to the newsroom, the Indo Daily team and the Weekend magazine for making the job such a joy," Coyne wrote on LinkedIn.

"I'm really excited to be starting as a political correspondent at The Irish Times in June. It's a dream job and I can't wait to start."

Veldon appointed president of News Media Europe

Irish Times Group managing director Deirdre Veldon has been appointed president of News Media Europe, which represents more than 2,700 European news brands in print, online, on radio and TV.

Veldon replaces Victoria Svanberg of Swedish NWT Media Group, and News Media Europe said she brings both editorial and transformation expertise and a strategic outlook to the role from her nearly three decades in journalism.

As president, she will guide the organisation in its mission to promote a strong, sustainable and pluralistic media landscape across Europe.

At the Irish Times, Veldron has played a central role in the company’s digital transformation and editorial and business strategy as group managing director, and she previously served as deputy editor.

Veldon is a respected voice in the European media landscape, known for championing quality journalism and sustainable business models. She also is also the vice-chair of NewsBrands Ireland.

“I’m delighted to step into this role at a really important time for the news industry,” said Veldon. 

“Independent journalism is trying to balance serving new audience needs and the opportunities created by technology with huge pressure on their business models; political interference, and the dominance of large digital platforms.

"News Media Europe is a vital advocate for our sector, and I look forward to working with our members and partners to address the threats that face us and secure a thriving future for European media outlets.”

Google starts AI Mode ad testing

Google is rolling out advertising for AI Mode, its AI-assisted search function that launched in the US in March and is designed to handle more complex queries than AI Overview, which generates summaries at the top of search results pages.

Google announced at its annual Google Marketing Live event that it will start testing adverts on the platform.

“With AI Mode queries being almost twice as long as traditional search queries, there’s this expansive opportunity to introduce advertisers—and put them in front of consumers in places where they’re open to discovering new things,” Dan Taylor, Google’s VP of global ads, told AdWeek.

In an example shared by Google, a user searches ‘how to build a website for a small business with limited resources,' and they might receive “a comprehensive response with a step-by-step guide guide, tips and tricks on how to choose a product, connect with their audience, all the way to testing and launching,” wrote Vidhya Srinivasan, VP and general manager of Google Ads & Commerce, in a blog post.

“In some cases, a website builder might be a good next step, so we may show a helpful ad that can help them get started. From there, they can ask questions to explore possible business ideas, what type of content they should develop, and even learn about their target audience.”

Ads may appear both below or within AI Mode responses. 

Every week, Amárach and Future Proof Insights share exclusive findings from their PRIZM+ ad testing service, showcasing best practice creative advertising in Ireland.

Maltesers plays it light with a scene-stealing grandmother and a companion whose presence is more unsettling than smooth.

The opening draws viewers into a classic family moment before flipping expectations with a risqué joke.

But while it delivers a knowing smirk, the brain data suggests the storytelling doesn’t quite hit the sweet spot when it comes to influencing behaviour.

From the outset, curiosity rises as the grandmother and Gerard enter.

This moment activates the Von Restorff Effect (also known as the isolation effect): unusual or distinctive stimuli are more likely to be remembered.

Viewers are trying to make sense of this atypical pairing; we've come to expect younger couples introducing their partners to the family, but this flips that dynamic on its head.

To read more about this advert, CLICK HERE.