WPP is looking to expand its presence in the Iranian market through a partnership with local digital marketing group PPG.
WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell has repeatedly talked up the potential of Iran for international advertisers and media companies, following the thawing of relations with the US and Western governments.
In an article written last year, Sorrell highlighted Iran’s sizeable population, half of whom are “under 30, almost all are literate and well-educated, and, despite the longstanding sanctions regime, they already have a taste for Western products and brands”.
In July, WPP’s data investment management arm Kantar signed an agreement with Iranian market research agency Rahbar Bazaar, with the aim of boosting its insights and data capabilities in the Middle Eastern market.
Now WPP has entered into an ‘exclusive affiliation agreement’ with PPG, which it describes as “the leader in digital marketing in Iran”.
PPG employs over 200 people across its 15 digital services brands, including online ad network Anetwork, real-time bidding platform ADRO, demand-side platform RASANEX and mobile ad network ADAD.
“This agreement will give WPP and its clients access, on an exclusive basis, to the most effective digital marketing channels in the Iranian market and provides PPG with access to a huge amount of knowledge through connections with the world leader in marketing communications,” said WPP in a statement.