WPP Production and the APA Clash Over 'Internal Triple Bids'
A leaked internal document shows WPP Production urging staff to talk clients out of the industry-standard 'triple bid' and take three options from inside WPP instead - and the Advertising Producers Association says it threatens fair competition.
What the Leak Shows
An internal WPP Production document, reported this week, encourages staff to convince clients to insource all content production and to 'avoid traditional commercial triple bidding by proving the value of a centralized partnership' - offering three treatments, locations or directors from within WPP itself.
The Advertising Producers Association (APA) and its US counterpart AICP hit back hard. APA chief executive Steve Davies called it 'a serious threat to the free market in commercials production'. WPP responded that any suggestion it 'misleads clients or undermines fair competition is fundamentally wrong'.
Why the Triple Bid Matters
The triple bid - inviting three independent production companies to quote on a job - is how advertisers benchmark cost, craft and creative approach. Replacing three independent bids with three options from a single owner removes the external price tension that keeps production honest.
For clients, the pitch is convenience and integration. The risk is that 'competition' becomes internal theatre, with the same parent company winning whichever option is chosen. That is a governance question as much as a creative one.
Marketing Minute's Take
Holding companies are under real pressure to capture more of the production value chain, and in-housing genuinely can be cheaper and faster for certain always-on content. But advertisers should be clear-eyed about what they are trading away when they drop independent bidding.
Our advice: keep at least one genuinely independent bid in the room for anything where craft, cost or originality matters. Use in-house production for volume and speed, not as a default for your hero work, and make sure procurement understands the difference between three suppliers and three menus from one supplier.
Quick FAQ
What is a triple bid in advertising production?
It is the practice of asking three independent production companies to quote on the same job, so advertisers can compare cost, craft and creative approach before choosing.
Why is WPP Production's memo controversial?
It reportedly urges staff to steer clients away from independent triple bidding and toward three options from within WPP, which producer bodies say undermines fair competition.
Should brands still use independent production companies?
Keeping at least one independent bid preserves external price and craft benchmarking, especially for high-stakes creative work, even if in-housing suits high-volume content.
Integration is seductive, but three menus from the same kitchen is not the same as three restaurants competing for your booking. Keep one truly independent bid in every important pitch - it is the cheapest insurance you can buy against overpaying for work that is merely fine. - Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
In-housing can cut cost and time, but 'three options from one owner' is not real competition - protect independent bidding for the work where craft and price actually matter.
When did you last benchmark your production costs against a genuinely independent bid?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Campaign, MediaPost, Shots.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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