‘Brands, regardless of size & segment, now need to be nimble’

WPP Commerce is back after a three-year break. The one-day event will showcase WPP’s eCommerce offerings through a series of keynotes and workshops.
Tushar Vyas, President – Growth and Transformation, GroupM South Asia, shared with e4m what WPP Commerce has in store for the industry, the role of commerce in a business, the agency’s works and more.

Excerpts:

You must be excited about this year’s WPP Commerce. What should we look forward to?

Yes, we are extremely excited as this is the first WPP Commerce edition post-pandemic, after a hiatus of 3 years. This year we are bringing in the deep and broad perspective of WPP and other experts in the field – looking at today’s realities and how they drive future trends, gaining deep consumer insights, analyzing the role of User Interface and User Experience, the role of content in commerce, shopper targeted marketing, direct to consumer, measurement, and analytics – leaving no stone unturned.
Who would be the participants present here?

The participants would be clients, partners, industry leaders, start-ups, and WPP agencies. The event will include workshops, case studies, Product & Innovation showcasing disruption in the eCommerce space, and keynote speaker sessions.

Irrespective of a timeline, how does commerce play a significant role in a company’s business transformation?

In light of the rapid growth of eCommerce and the digitization of services that resulted from the pandemic, companies that needed omnichannel expertise to support commerce transformation or adapt existing business strategies around changing customer needs have increased their demand for agile, full-service partners. Commerce, simply put the business of buying and selling, affects all of us. However, 2022 has been a year of awakening toward a new paradigm that is taking shape all around us. Old rules simply don’t work. Regardless of size and segment, brands now need to be nimble. To achieve ever faster speed to market products and priorities around changing commerce landscape is taking centre stage for most brands. We want to lead those conversations for our clients and partners.

Could you tell us a little more about WPP’s work and commitment towards the commerce business?

We see ourselves as a growth partner for clients, helping them build brand commerce presence, awareness and drive online sales for them. The acceleration of ecommerce, the shift to customers buying directly from brands, and the increasing importance of social in the commerce journey have all meant a demand for a fully managed service with omnichannel expertise.

WPP’s strength and strategic ability in commerce have enabled our clients to modify their business models at pace, sell online, and grow despite the challenging environment.

We have an equally high level of presence of commerce experts in our agencies across WPP in India, providing solutions across marketplaces, D2C, D2B and omnichannel. There is a massive opportunity across a large number of clients. We believe the recognition of WPP as a leader in commerce services further strengthens our position as the global omnichannel partner of choice.