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WPP has taken a rare public swipe at archrival Publicis Groupe, accusing its Epsilon platform of pushing low-quality ad inventory through its Conversant supply-side platform (SSP). In a client-distributed “intelligence report” backed by WPP Media, the group claims Epsilon’s inventory underperforms on key metrics like viewability and attention, falling below accepted industry standards.

The move marks a sharp escalation in tensions between the two ad giants. Global reports claim that WPP CEO Mark Read has privately warned Publicis clients for months, flagging issues related to “made-for-advertising” placements and murky supply path mechanics, some of which allegedly draw from findings in an unreleased Adalytics report.

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/end-of-an-era-mark-reads-legacy-and-the-uncharted-future-for-wpp-india-69502.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">End of an era: Mark Read's legacy and the uncharted future for WPP India</a>

The unusually direct confrontation signals a deepening rivalry as both holding companies battle for dominance in the programmatic and data-driven media space.

WPP has gone public with a damning assessment of Publicis-owned Epsilon, accusing the platform of trafficking low-quality programmatic inventory. In a report shared directly with clients, WPP claims that Epsilon’s SSP, Conversant, underperforms on critical ad metrics and pushes Made-for-Advertising (MFA) and clickbait content.

The audit, conducted over two days in May 2025, involved a controlled buy through a global DSP. WPP ensured placements came only from direct publishers on Epsilon’s exchange, excluding resellers, and benchmarked performance using third-party firms including Adelaide and Jounce.

What WPP Found

Ads appeared across 503 domains and apps.

Average viewability was 43%, with some placements dipping as low as 1–2%, far below the ANA’s 64.8% benchmark.

26% of impressions were flagged as MFA by independent auditors.

Attention scores lagged by over 40% versus Adelaide’s Q1 2025 standard.

Over 900 sellers appeared simultaneously as publishers and sellers, raising flags on transparency.

Certain domains were labelled as clickbait or IP-infringing by WPP’s partners.

A pointed slide in the report summed up the findings: “The intelligence report unveiled Publicis-owned supply that was MFA or clickbait at worst, and low-quality, low-attention at best.”

WPP went further, stating: “Epsilon (owned by Publicis) has made the decision to onboard these publishers directly onto their platform and is now commercially incentivised to sell MFA, clickbait, and chronically non-viewable inventory to their clients and the wider market.”

All analysis was conducted by third-party verification firms.

Why It Was Made Public

Though WPP Media frequently runs such supply chain audits, this report was deliberately published. The group cited rising concerns over programmatic inventory being resold through global SSPs, noting that it blocks such supply when detected.

The report also alleges that Publicis is not only monetising MFA inventory within its own SSP but is actively distributing it across the broader ecosystem.

The release comes at a pivotal time. With Mark Read stepping down as WPP CEO this year, the move signals a sharpened focus on programmatic accountability. 

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/we-are-ultimately-a-people-business-says-mark-read-as-ai-reshapes-wpp-workforce-69509.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">“We are ultimately a people business,” says Mark Read as AI reshapes WPP workforce</a>

WPP slams Publicis over Epsilon ad quality in client-facing report

WPP CEO Mark Read’s decision to step down by the end of this year ends a seven-year tenure as WPP boss defined by deep structural changes, consolidation and an aggressive pivot toward AI and data-led marketing. While Read called it a “privilege” to lead the world’s largest advertising network — until recently, industry insiders say his departure signals far more than just a leadership transition. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/could-brian-lesser-the-architect-of-wpp-medias-reinvention-be-the-likely-successor-to-mark-read-as-wpp-ceo-69540.htm">Read more: Could Brian Lesser, the architect of WPP Media's reinvention, be the likely successor to Mark Read as WPP CEO?</a>

Read took over in 2018, in the shadow of WPP founder Martin Sorrell’s dramatic exit. His mandate was clear: simplify, stabilize and modernize the group. Under his leadership, WPP merged iconic agency brands like JWT and Y&R into VML, and restructured its media portfolio with the creation of EssenceMediacom and the recent rebranding of GroupM as WPP Media. Investments in AI such as the acquisition of InfoSum and the development of WPP Open signaled a future-facing approach.

But in 2025, WPP was dethroned by Publicis Groupe as the world’s largest ad network by revenue. Coca-Cola’s $700 million US media business moved to Publicis. Paramount walked away after a two-decade relationship. Employees revolted against Read’s rigid return-to-office policy. Shareholder pressure mounted as WPP’s market cap sank to a four-year low.

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/we-are-ultimately-a-people-business-says-mark-read-as-ai-reshapes-wpp-workforce-69509.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">“We are ultimately a people business,” says Mark Read as AI reshapes WPP workforce</a>

Advertising industry veteran Naresh Gupta, says, “The share price is falling, market valuation is down and they have private equity investments — I’m sure those investors are putting pressure. As an organization, they seem reactive, knee-jerk.”

Mark Read’s exit signals deeper strategic fatigue, not just routine change, say industry observers. 

They highlight it's a bit strange that the exit is announced after all the downsizing and rightsizing has been done already globally. "Seems like he played the bad cop for all exits before he was asked to exit. I don’t believe in the AI story,” said Shubho Sengupta, Digital Marketer.

India, for now, offers a fast-growing and stable market in WPP global map. WPP has historically dominated the local market led by the creative weight of Ogilvy and the scale of GroupM. 

However, Tarun Rai, former Chairman and Group CEO of Wunderman Thompson South Asia and currently Co-Chairman, Start Design Group warns, “With constant mergers, or now more turmoil with a change of global leadership, agencies start to focus internally. In a client-facing business like ours, getting too internally focussed and taking the eye off the clients' business and issues, is a real danger. Clients can lose patience."

For many veterans, Read’s tenure will be remembered not just for bold reinvention but for what was also lost in the name of simplification. That emotional undercurrent — the feeling of legacy lost is echoed across geographies.

“Mark Read's task after the departure of Sir Martin Sorrell was to heal. He however decided to trim - and that became the hallmark of his innings. The WPP group has remained in perpetual turmoil throughout his tenure, losing its long reigning supremacy...I started my advertising career at Thompson. You couldn't believe they killed the brand. VML is not a fraction of the juggernaut JWT was. So the rejigging has only been about value destruction,” stated Sandeep Goyal, Managing Director at Rediffusion.

Mark Read’s departure doesn’t just close a chapter for WPP; it throws open questions about the identity, leadership and future-readiness of the world’s once-dominant ad empire. As India’s market becomes more competitive, and clients seek relevance over legacy, the kind of leadership that emerges in the coming months — both globally and locally will determine if WPP can take the top spot again, or be remembered as a giant that shrank itself.

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/global-mergers-local-ripples-consolidations-reshape-indias-ad-land-as-clients-seek-single-window-partners-67505.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Global Mergers, Local Ripples: Consolidations reshape India's ad land as clients seek 'single-window' partners</a>

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/agency-news/wpp-unveils-ai-powered-wpp-media-replacing-groupm-in-major-strategic-shift-67746.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">WPP unveils AI-Powered WPP Media, replacing GroupM in major strategic shift</a>

End of an era: Mark Read's legacy and the future for WPP India

Ogilvy has appointed Devika Bulchandani as its new global chief executive officer. In this role, she will be responsible for all aspects of the creative network’s business across 131 offices in 93 countries and spanning its Advertising, Public Relations, Experience, Consulting, and Health units. She will also join WPP’s Executive Committee as she takes on her new role. Bulchandani most recently served as global president and CEO of Ogilvy North America. She takes the helm from Andy Main who is stepping down as global CEO and will serve as a senior advisor until the end of the year.

Commenting on the development, Mark Read, CEO of WPP, said, “Over the last two years, under Andy’s leadership, Ogilvy has seen a transformation in its creative and business performance. This stems from the consistently outstanding quality of work from Ogilvy’s teams around the world, the investment in attracting and developing talent across the business, and the strong and more diverse leadership team Andy has built. With the agency’s transformation a year ahead of the schedule we originally envisioned, Andy has decided that now is the right time to seek a new challenge and he is moving on with my personal thanks and best wishes.

“Devika is a champion of creativity who brings passion, purpose, and an uncompromising focus on generating impact to everything she does. In partnership with Andy and Liz Taylor, she has been instrumental in Ogilvy’s recent growth and development. Her love for our industry, deep understanding of clients’ needs, and track record of delivering growth for agencies and brands, make her the perfect choice to lead Ogilvy to even greater success,” he added.

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/631b6e800e717-631b6e800e71aWho-is-Devika-Bulchandani-Ogilvys-new-global-CEO.jpg-434x1024.jpg" alt="" width="434" height="1024" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1950" />

On his exit, Main said, “When I joined Ogilvy, my goal was to build on the company’s incredible heritage, raise its ambitions, and deliver growth for our clients through work that has impact. Our progress is a testament to all the talented people across the network and our amazing clients for whom I have the deepest gratitude and respect. David Ogilvy spoke about the importance of hiring giants and Devika is truly one of the giants in the industry. It has been an honor being a part of this company’s rich history and I know Devika will continue accelerating the momentum our team has built.”

On her new role, Bulchandani said, “David Ogilvy changed the industry 74 years ago when he founded this iconic agency. As we write the next chapter in the history books of Ogilvy, we will do it together with our clients, using creativity to push the boundaries of what’s possible. I am honored and humbled to take on this role, and to do it with all our incredibly talented people all over the world.”

Prior to joining Ogilvy, Bulchandani spent 26 years at McCann in various leadership roles including President of McCann North America. She was the driving force behind Mastercard’s long-running “Priceless” campaign as well as “True Name,” a first-of-its-kind feature launched in 2019 that empowers transgender and non-binary people to display their chosen name on their Mastercard. Known for ideas that capture the cultural zeitgeist, Bulchandani also helped launch “Fearless Girl,” an iconic and beloved symbol of women’s equality; the campaign became one of the most awarded campaigns in the history of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. 

Next month she will be honored by New York Women in Communications (NYWIC) at the 2022 Matrix Awards, which honors women who are making a difference, building community, and inspiring the next generation of female leaders in their field.

MARK READ