Accenture Song–WPP merger rumors fuel industry speculation
Accenture and WPP reportedly have had discussions about a potential M&A deal or partnership.
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Rumors of a possible merger between Accenture Song and WPP are swirling across the advertising and consulting worlds, as both companies navigate major transformation challenges in an AI-first economy.
Recent media reports suggest that informal discussions may have occurred between the two giants, though no deal has been confirmed.
The speculation comes at a time when Accenture is in the midst of a structural overhaul, phasing out the Accenture Song brand by integrating it into a new Reinvention Services unit.
While the U.S. listed consulting giant has been expanding in agency services through its Accenture Song division, valued at $175 billion (£130 billion), Campaign UK and The Drum reports suggest that it could afford to acquire some or all of U.K.-based WPP, one of the world’s largest agency groups, which is worth about £4.5 billion ($6.1 billion).
For both firms, a tie-up could address existing gaps: Accenture lacks scaled media planning and buying capabilities, while WPP has fallen behind in tech consulting and high-margin digital transformation services.
The merger talks also come at a time when both companies are in the middle of leadership changes. WPP has recently named Cindy Rose, a Microsoft executive and existing WPP non-executive director, as its new CEO, taking over in September from Mark Read, whose departure was announced on June 9.
Meanwhile, David Droga, the global CEO of Accenture Song, is also planning to step down and become vice chair of Accenture, and Ndidi Oteh, Americas lead for Accenture Song, will succeed him in September, the company announced on May 28.
Interestingly, Julie Sweet, chair and chief executive of Accenture, told investors in March that it was ramping up its media operation.
Moreover, Droga recently criticized what he called the 'broken' business models of holding companies at Cannes Lions in June. He mentioned that Accenture Song has no interest in what he described as “the old media game...that model is going to break. And if we can’t help or be one of the architects that creates a new model, then the platforms will do it without us.”
If a deal were to materialize, it would dramatically reshape the global advertising and consulting landscape, potentially creating a new kind of hybrid entity that combines creative, media, tech, and enterprise transformation at scale. But until formal talks are confirmed, the rumored deal remains just that, a bold idea that signals the high-stakes urgency for reinvention across both sectors.
