The partnership, which involves a flexible new Team Unilever model along with specialist input from WPP, is designed to meet the FMCG giant’s marketing needs in a period of technological change and drive innovation.

It will draw on expertise from across WPP’s agencies including: Design Bridge, Geometry, J Walter Thompson/Mirum, Kantar, Mindshare, Ogilvy and Wunderman. They will work alongside Unilever Foundry and more than 50 start-ups, such as Datacraft, Happi, Try & Review, Unruly and Vidsee. 

Sudipta Roy, managing director, Team Unilever for the Singapore Hub and SEA will lead the Singapore effort. He said: “We have taken a fresh approach to the Team WPP design. Instead of designing around the brand or the category, we have designed around capabilities and intelligence to solve business problems.”

Peter Dart, WPP’s global team leader for Unilever, added: “We wanted to co-create a structure that allows us to work more closely with Unilever and focus on all the various services along the consumer journey that can help Unilever and its brands grow. The key is agility and the enhancing ability to respond to disruption in the consumer products market as well as in marketing services offerings.”