Dive Brief:

• Universal Music Group (UMG) has partnered with WPP to give the agency network’s clients deeper access to popular artists and an extensive music catalog for marketing purposes, according to a press release. 
• Brands working with WPP will also be able to tap into UMG’s global data and insights team to keep a pulse on cultural trends. UMG artists, in turn, will be able to receive more significant commercial opportunities via the ad-holding group. 
• The news expands WPP’s relationship with UMG, whose Universal Music Group for Brands division already collaborates with clients like The Coca-Cola Company. WPP has placed a larger focus on investing in data and technology partnerships. 

Dive Insight:

WPP’s tie-up with UMG gives the agency’s clients a more direct line to artists, catalogs and the reams of data wielded by the music giant that might help identify emergent cultural trends. The music landscape has been reshaped in recent years by the popularity of apps like TikTok, where short song snippets can go viral overnight, as well as the continued rise of streaming. Brands are relying on musicians to act as a bridge to the young consumers that have driven adoption of these platforms.

In addition, generative artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to disrupt the music industry, with licensing to AI a thorny topic of debate. WPP has made generative AI a strategic priority, pledging to invest hundreds of millions in the technology over the next few years, and stated that the UMG deal will explore new ways to connect brands with artists through AI.  

“Music is becoming an even more powerful cultural force, and technology is rewriting how we experience it,” said Stephan Pretorius, chief technology officer at WPP, in a press statement. “This partnership with UMG will allow us to leverage emerging technologies and data insights to create truly innovative music-driven campaigns for our clients, shaping the future of brand engagement.”

WPP’s prior work with UMG could indicate how clients might leverage the new partnership. For Coca-Cola, the two have developed projects like Coke Studio, a program for identifying emerging talent around the globe, and Sprite Limelight, a multi-season initiative that similarly spotlights up-and-coming artists. Coke Studio and Sprite Limelight are typically complemented by brand content and technology activations, among other marketing tactics.  

UMG’s roster features some of the biggest artists in the world, including Taylor Swift and Drake. The company also has licensing agreements in place with key platforms for marketers like TikTok.