The Coca-Cola Company has officially renewed its global marketing partnership with WPP’s dedicated OpenX unit.
The development extends an existing agreement for WPP to serve as Coca-Cola’s primary global marketing partner, continuing a collaboration that has driven “innovation and creative excellence” since its inception in 2021.
WPP Open X is a bespoke global marketing network created by WPP in 2021 to serve as The Coca-Cola Company’s exclusive global marketing partner. It was established following Coca-Cola’s decision to consolidate its extensive agency roster into a single, integrated model aimed at enhancing efficiency, creativity, and digital transformation.
Announcing the renewal on LinkedIn, Coca-Cola executive vice president and Global chief marketing officer Manuel “Manolo” Arroyo emphasized the significant value the partnership has delivered over the past three years. “We built and scaled Open X, the industry’s first open-source marketing model,” Arroyo noted, reflecting on the transformative milestones achieved together.
Key highlights of the partnership include the development of Studio X, Coca-Cola’s global content production powerhouse, and a forward-looking approach to AI experimentation aimed at reshaping consumer engagement. “We’ve significantly stepped up our capabilities,” said Arroyo, underlining the role of WPP Open X in enhancing Coca-Cola’s global marketing agility and creative impact.
The results have been widely recognized. In 2024, Coca-Cola was named Creative Brand of the Year at Cannes Lions and earned the title of the most valuable global food and drink brand by Kantar, testifying to the brand’s reinvigorated marketing strategy.
Arroyo described this phase as a “special moment in marketing” for the company, expressing gratitude to WPP Open X and its global teams, including WPP’s chief marketing and growth officer Laurent Ezekiel. “I’m glad to have WPP Open X on our team to help us create the future of marketing,” he added.
The renewed partnership sets the stage for the next era of marketing innovation, as Coca-Cola continues to embrace bold, data-driven, and creatively inspired approaches to brand building worldwide.
