Even as AI promises “faster, better, cheaper” solutions, it has slowed global growth, rising tariffs, geopolitical tensions have forced it to rethink its strategy. Martin Sorrell ir, who built WPP in the world's largest advertising group and currently heads digital first advertising company S4 Capital, said in the interview that the interview will play a leading role in reshaping advertising and marketing. At the same time, Sorrell considers AI to be extremely disruptive, allowing businesses to do more with fewer people. His advice to CEO is to stay agile in the face of rapid change, while encouraging marketers to use AI to drive speed and efficiency. What does the current global business environment look like?In the world of geological politics, it is becoming more difficult for businesses to run and people to work. On top of that, tariffs have made it worse. We are in a very uncertain environment. Once some of the tariff issues have been resolved, they will not return to where they were. The tariffs were very low. Now they are 15% or more likely (in a particular country). Combine it with the main geopolitical challenges – I think this is fundamental and difficult to solve – and growth will inevitably slow. Global growth will likely remain below 3% due to stubborn inflation and higher interest rates. So it's really difficult to grow globally. Additionally, companies need to choose their market more carefully. Therefore, there is no fragmentation before globalization, but growth must be chosen. We are moving from globalization to fragmentation, but fragmentation only intensifies.What does a changed environment mean for business strategy?In a world that is growing more slowly, we must be as efficient as possible. Therefore, AI, technology and blockchain become increasingly important. Today's CEOs focus on two things: how to navigate geographic fragmentation and how to provide efficiency. So I think it's a different world. I think the last 40 or 50 years have been lucky. Where does India fit into this new global order?I remain a fierce Indian bull. India is in a great position. We have a great leader (Prime Minister Modi) who understands the importance of branding and positioning in India. It is a rapidly growing economy in regions that become even stronger. The second one has a technical backbone. This is extremely effective in the AI world, blockchain and quantum worlds. Yes, outsourcing jobs are under pressure – the TCS layoffs show that. But India can pivot. Although AI replaces several roles, India is well suited to exploit both fragmentation (as a neutral partner in geopolitics) and efficiency (through technology and talent).What are your views on AI? How destructive is that for work?It's a complicated picture and controversial. For example, visualization, copywriting, and media purchases allow AI to reduce time, people who need it, and costs. That's why there's less work. However, in large-scale personalization, new creative roles emerge. Sam Altman (CEO Openai) says more than 85% of advertising jobs could disappear. I don't think that's that extreme, but overall, there's less work. Look at investment management: trillions are managed algorithmically, not manually. The same goes for advertising. However, productivity increases. Companies do more with fewer people.
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What do you think of the Indian advertising market today?India is one of the top 10 advertising markets in the world. The AD spending here is about 0.3% of GDP, which is less weight compared to about 1% of the global average. Indian companies are not investing in marketing. As competition strengthens inbound and outbound, Indian companies must invest more in marketing and branding, especially when they become global. That's very important as Indian entrepreneurs are spreading their wings more and more. What role do Indian talent and innovation play in reshaping the global advertising and marketing landscape?As the world's most populous country and in the fastest growing economy, India inevitably plays a major role in reshaping advertising and marketing. It already uses a disproportionate number of CEOs and CMOs from major global companies. ”
