As marketers navigate a global economy marked by instability and shifting consumer behaviour, WPP Media’s Global President – Business Intelligence, Kate Scott-Dawkins, offers a grounded look at what lies ahead. Speaking with IMPACT at Cannes 2025, Dawkins outlines the reasons behind WPP Media’s downward revision of the global ad growth forecast from 7.7% to 6%, citing ongoing tariff uncertainty and cautious business sentiment.
A significant turning point, she notes, is the rise of user-generated platforms. For the first time, ad revenue from UGC is projected to outpace professionally produced content—marking a structural shift in how and where marketers choose to invest. As content decentralizes further, brands are being challenged to meet audiences where they are: embedded in everyday, creator-driven narratives.
India, meanwhile, stands out. With high single-digit gains expected in 2025, it ranks as the second fastest-growing market after Brazil among WPP’s top ten. Dawkins attributes this to India’s large population, its youth-skewed demographics, and how seamlessly technology is integrated into daily life. The pace of digital adoption, mobile-first behaviour, and content engagement across social platforms make India a uniquely positioned growth engine in the global media mix.
Dawkins also reflects on the transition from GroupM to WPP Media, emphasizing the growing need for strategic media advisors and more privacy-first, fluid technologies to help brands adapt to a fast-evolving global media landscape.
