Dive Brief:
- BuzzFeed and GroupM, WPP’s media buying division, have inked a one-year deal.
- The agreement gives GroupM and WPP agencies access to BuzzFeed data and creative assets.
- This is BuzzFeed's first agency deal. The popular media site said it has more than 200 million monthly users watching 1.5 billion videos.
Dive Insight:
BuzzFeed cut its first major agency deal with WPP’s GroupM, its media buying arm. The deal, worth millions, provides GroupM as well as WPP agencies with what was described as “unprecedented access to BuzzFeed’s creative and data assets,” according to the companies.
“The future of advertising lies at the intersection of creativity, data, media and technology; that’s where BuzzFeed has built its business and proved its value to brands,” Rob Norman, Chief Digital Officer of GroupM, said in a statement. “This is a terrific opportunity for our clients to move swiftly and succeed in the fastest growing media platforms. We have appointed partnership leaders from each GroupM agency, and other WPP agencies will do the same.”
WPP agencies will have access that includes "preferential" media pricing as well as a beta testing partnership with BuzzFeed's POUND technology, which tracks how and where sponsored content spreads across social channels. Additionally, WPP clients will be able to tap BuzzFeed Motion Pictures with help on branded video content.
BuzzFeed President Greg Coleman said of the deal, “We’re excited to take our unique approach and voice in branded content, data and iterative learning in a big way with GroupM and their clients.”
According to a release on the news, the agreement does not involve any investment or equity exchange between the companies.
