DoorDash names WPP Media global agency across 40 markets

By James Dore · 2026-09-25

What was decided

DoorDash has named WPP Media its first global media partner, consolidating planning and buying across three delivery brands, DoorDash, Deliveroo and Wolt, in more than 40 markets.^[1] The appointment covers media strategy, buying and activation across every market the three brands operate in, taking effect in early 2027.^[1]

DoorDash ran a competitive review before selecting WPP Media on the basis of its data capabilities, technology platform and measurement expertise.^[1] WPP Media's team will work alongside each brand's in-house marketing team rather than replace it.

Tim Castree, appointed as DoorDash's chief marketing officer in 2026, put his name to the decision.^[4] "As our brand has expanded globally, we've evolved to meet the moment in every way, including how we approach media. WPP has been our partner for DoorDash across the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and we've seen firsthand what they can do at scale. We're excited to expand that partnership across DoorDash, Deliveroo, and Wolt, ensuring we operate with a unified strategy globally, without losing the nuance that makes each market's approach unique and locally relevant," Castree said.^[1]

Australia: retained, not won

Wavemaker, the WPP Media agency, has held the DoorDash account in Australia since 2020.^[3] For local marketers watching the announcement, nothing changes in the short term. The global consolidation brings Australian activity into a unified planning framework, but the agency relationship on the ground was already in place.

Deliveroo and Wolt markets tell a different story. Those brands had independent agency arrangements before this decision, and the global brief now displaces those incumbents, giving WPP Media a much larger footprint in European and Asian delivery markets where neither DoorDash nor WPP previously held consolidated influence.

What WPP Media brings to the brief

WPP Media launched in May 2025 after rebranding from GroupM, positioning itself as a fully integrated, AI-powered media company managing more than $60 billion in annual media investment.^[2] The rebrand consolidated WPP's principal media agencies under a single technology platform called WPP Open and its data layer, Open Intelligence.

Brian Lesser, chief executive officer of WPP Media, pointed to that proprietary data infrastructure as central to the DoorDash relationship. "We're proud of the trust DoorDash is placing in us to continue accelerating their growth. Combining our global scale and local expertise with an operating model built around DoorDash's own data and proprietary intelligence and delivered through WPP Open and Open Intelligence will help DoorDash move faster, understand consumers better, and drive measurable, incremental growth in every market," Lesser said.^[1]

The broader context for WPP

WPP has extended an eight-year partnership with DoorDash in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand through this global consolidation.^[1] The mandate covers more than 40 markets across three brands.

Publicis led global new business rankings through 2026, and WPP absorbed the loss of LVMH's Asia-Pacific account mid-year. A single brief spanning DoorDash, Deliveroo and Wolt is the kind of consolidation that reads well in a holding company earnings call, even when half the markets were already inside the fold. Whether one agency can hold a coherent media strategy across three distinct brands in 40 markets, without flattening what makes each one work locally, is a question that will take at least a year to answer, with the partnership starting in early 2027.

James Dore

James Dore is Strategy Director at Bushnote, a leader in SEO and AEO in Australia. He writes on search, AI and the technology decisions shaping government and industry.