MAM
WPP’s Possible to acquire majority stake in German digital agency
MUMBAI: WPP’s global digital agency Possible Worldwide has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Conrad Caine GmbH, a full service digital agency headquartered in Munich, Germany.
Founded in 1998, Conrad Caine delivers digital strategy, user experience, asset creation, campaigns and CRM to its clients. Conrad Caine employs 140 people at its headquarters in Germany, and other offices in Pelotas, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Conrad Caine’s revenues for the year ended 31 December, 2014 were approximately €8.5 million with gross assets of approximately €3.6 million as at the same date.
This acquisition continues WPP’s strategy of investing in fast growth markets, new media and digital, including data and the application of technology.
WPP’s digital revenues were $6.9 billion in 2014, representing 36 per cent of the Group’s total revenues. WPP has set a target of 40-45 per cent of revenue to be derived from digital in the next five years. WPP companies in Germany generate revenues of approximately $1.3 billion and employ around 7,000 people (including associates). On this basis, Germany is WPP’s fourth largest market after the US, the UK and China.
Brands
MakeMyTrip partners with OpenAI to boost AI-powered travel planning
Conversational AI now guides travellers from inspiration straight to booking
GURUGRAM: MakeMyTrip, India’s leading online travel company, has teamed up with OpenAI to bring a fresh twist to AI-driven travel planning. The collaboration integrates OpenAI’s APIs into MakeMyTrip’s app, making it easier than ever for travellers to move from chatting about dream trips to booking them.
The move centres around MakeMyTrip’s Myra interface, a GenAI trip planning assistant that now handles over 50,000 conversations a day in languages ranging from English and Hindi to Tamil, Telugu and Bengali. Myra helps travellers explore options, create itineraries and book flights, hotels and extras without the usual hassle of searching and filtering.
MakeMyTrip co-founder and group CEO Rajesh Magow said, “With OpenAI, we turn curiosity into confident decisions. When travellers start their journey through conversation, MakeMyTrip becomes a seamless extension of that discovery process. AI combined with our travel data makes it possible to deliver personalised, bookable options at scale.”
OpenAI managing director- international Oliver Jay added, “MakeMyTrip is showing how AI can make travel planning feel more like a conversation than a chore. Advanced AI isn’t just about back-end efficiencies, it’s about transforming the way travellers experience and engage with the platform.”
MakeMyTrip has long invested in AI across the travel lifecycle, from inspiration and discovery to booking and post-sales support. Nearly half of Myra’s queries now come from tier-2 and smaller cities, and voice interactions are booming outside metros, making AI travel assistance more accessible than ever.
With this partnership, MakeMyTrip is not just keeping up with AI trends, it’s aiming to lead the way, turning every traveller’s whim into a smooth, bookable adventure.
