AD Agencies
IPG Mediabrands opens new global centre in Pune
Mumbai: IPG Mediabrands, the media holding company within Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), has announced the opening of its new global centre of excellence office at the International Tech Park, Kharadi, Pune India. In a significant expansion of the media network’s footprint in India, the Pune office will serve as a pivotal hub for media activation, product development, and engineering, to over 500 clients globally, spanning multiple industries.
The new state-of-the-art office spans 62,000 square feet and offers a range of advanced amenities for employees including a rooftop sports area with facilities for basketball, tennis, and a gym, along with a walking track. It also includes a crèche facility for employees’ children, a 24-hour canteen service, agile workspaces designed for collaboration, and dedicated company transportation.
“We are thrilled to expand our presence into Pune and create a world-class workplace for our talented team,” said KINESSO’s executive head of global operations Ankita Agarwal. “This office will be instrumental in implementing the highest standards of media activation, enhancing operational efficiency, and delivering exceptional value to our clients.”
KINESSO is the tech-driven performance arm of IPG Mediabrands that currently accounts for 90 per cent of the headcount in Pune.
KINESSO and Acxiom global CEO Jarrod Martin added; “We have built a network of global capability centres providing essential services, and India is our single biggest hub market, servicing other countries around the world. By centralising all these capabilities in one location, the Pune GCC will enable us to implement the highest standards media activation across all campaigns and brands, facilitate shared learnings, and enhanced product development. India is a world-leading source of advanced talent, and IPG Mediabrands is committed to tapping into this expertise to elevate our product and service delivery to clients.”
IPG Mediabrands India CEO Shashi Sinha commented, “The launch of the IPG Mediabrands Pune GCC is a significant milestone in our growth journey, expanding our existing footprint which already includes offices across Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Kochi, and Kolkata. In the last 12 months, we have doubled in size, and with continued growth trajectory anticipate India becoming the second-largest IPG Mediabrands market by employee headcount over the next two years. This not only underscores our continued commitment to investing in India, but also highlights our strategic focus on leveraging advanced talent to drive media innovation.”
The launch of IPG Mediabrands Pune is effective immediately and will deliver services across various crafts including biddable, analytics, and media operations, with an emphasis on innovation and execution.
AD Agencies
Publicis Groupe to acquire 160over90 from WME Group
Deal aims to build data-led platform linking brands, fans and culture at scale
MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe has agreed to acquire 160over90 from WME Group, in a move that signals a major push into the fast-growing world of sports and culture-led marketing.
The deal, subject to regulatory approvals, will see Publicis combine its existing Publicis Sports capabilities with 160over90’s global footprint to create what it calls a unified, end-to-end platform connecting brands with audiences through sport, entertainment and culture.
Founded as a division of WME Group, 160over90 has built a reputation for delivering high-impact campaigns across some of the world’s biggest sporting moments, including the Super Bowl, Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. With over 670 employees across the US, UK, EMEA and Apac, the agency works with global brands to create experiences that resonate both on and off the field.
The acquisition reflects a broader shift in marketing, where sport has become a central pillar of premium media. With the global sports media market estimated at $150 billion and sponsorships crossing $90 billion, brands are increasingly looking for more integrated ways to engage audiences.
Publicis is betting that a data-led approach will be the differentiator. By integrating 160over90 with its own capabilities, including the Epsilon identity ecosystem and Influential network, the company aims to offer marketers a seamless way to plan, activate and measure campaigns across media, sponsorships, live events and creator partnerships.
Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun said, “After building our industry-leading position in identity resolution, commerce, and creators, our next big bet is sport. In the age of AI, it has become one of the most high-value channels for clients.”
He added that combining 160over90’s expertise with Publicis’ data and technology stack would help “connect brands to fans in ways that are both meaningful and measurable”.
Echoing the sentiment, Publicis Connected Media CEO Dave Penski said, “Sport has become the most powerful intersection of culture, commerce and community,” highlighting the growing need to treat sports marketing as a measurable channel rather than just brand-building.
As part of the deal, Publicis will also enter into a strategic partnership with WME Group, enabling closer collaboration on talent, content and brand partnerships. WME Group president Mark Shapiro said the tie-up would open up new opportunities for talent and brands to scale their ambitions globally.
Post acquisition, the combined Publicis Sports entity will report to Suzy Deering, while Robbie Henchman will remain with WME Group to oversee the ongoing partnership.
The move builds on Publicis’ recent investments in the space, including acquisitions of Adopt and Bespoke in 2025 and a partnership with Magic Johnson Enterprises, underscoring its intent to dominate the intersection of sport, culture and commerce.
As brands chase both attention and accountability, Publicis’ latest play suggests the future of sports marketing may be less about moments alone and more about measurable impact at scale.
