IPG Mediabrands has implemented a network of AI bots that now handle approximately 75% of its investment workflow.
IPG Mediabrands has completed a multi-year overhaul of its operational model, embedding artificial intelligence and automation into its core processes.
The move has saved more than 86,000 hours of manual work and fundamentally reshaped how the company delivers media services.
Since launching the automation program in March 2021, the agency group has implemented a network of AI bots that now handle approximately 75% of its investment workflow.
Delivering what IPG Mediabrands’ chief operating officer Geoff Clarke describes as not just cost efficiencies, but a significant uplift in output quality and internal capability.
“We’re not just removing low-value work, we’re changing the way our business operates and the kind of work our people do,” Clarke told AdNews.
“The real benefit isn’t about saving money. It’s about improving the value of what we produce and how we engage with clients.”
The transformation began five years ago with a full-scale audit of IPG Mediabrands’ workflows, mapping 155 separate operational steps from initial client brief to final invoicing.
Each task was assessed by duration, cost, and resource allocation.
The company then categorised tasks into rule-based (easily automated) and non-rule-based (requiring human judgment), before identifying 15 to 20 viable automation candidates with the help of consultants from Cognizant.
Clarke said the upfront mapping was crucial.
“If you automate broken workflows, all you’re doing is scaling inefficiency. We didn’t start with bots, we started by rebuilding the system,” he said.
The bots were developed by filming staff completing tasks and replicating each step with robotic process automation (RPA).
These include TV media buying functions, press and out-of-home bookings, budget reconciliations, and post-analysis reporting.
The system now enforces compliance with internal best practices, if data is incorrect, the bot refuses to proceed, flagging the error for correction.
Clarke likened the change to building a rail network.
“You don’t lay one track at a time and hope for the best. You zoom out, design the system, and then build for efficiency,” he said.
In total, the automated hours have returned an estimated $8.5 million to $10.5 million in resource value.
But Clarke is careful to frame that value in terms of reinvested time, not just raw cost savings.
“Every hour someone isn’t stuck in a spreadsheet is an hour they can spend having strategic conversations with clients or vendors,” he said.
“That’s where the value really multiplies.”
Clarke said what sets IPG Mediabrands apart is its decision to focus AI investment on the bottom of the funnel, execution and operations, while most competitors currently concentrate on top-of-funnel planning and analytics.
“It’s unglamorous, messy work. But automating that layer allows everything else to move faster and more accurately,” he said.
The shift has also prompted a rethink of entry-level roles.
With much of the traditional grunt work now handled by machines, the business is pushing for a more senior skillset at the outset.
Clarke believes the education pipeline must evolve accordingly.
“We can’t keep training people for jobs that are disappearing. Entry-level roles need to reflect the new reality,” he said.
Internally, adoption required careful change management.
“People develop an attachment to the tasks we’re trying to eliminate,” Clarke said.
“It took time to help staff see the value in what’s next, not what’s being taken away.”
The automation program has also enforced greater uniformity across the agency network, with all teams now working within standardised processes and toolsets.
Media plans, for example, have moved from Excel to systems embedded with code that integrate directly with finance tools, reducing friction and risk of human error.
Clarke sees automation as an enabler of better client outcomes and a stronger intellectual property base.
“We spent decades linking agency value to scale, more people, more volume,” he said.
“But what clients really want is sharper thinking, better insights, and higher-quality work. Automation gives you the time and headspace to do that.”
Looking ahead, Clarke believes AI will play an even greater role across both ends of the media funnel.
“Eventually, automation and data processing will be table stakes. The differentiator will be craftsmanship, the human skill that sits behind the tech.” he said.
For now, IPG Mediabrands is positioning itself as a test case for what a modern, partially automated agency structure can look like.
Clarke remains clear on the bigger picture.
“If you’re not using automation to enhance your people and the value of your product, you’re missing the point,” he said.
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