Data Strategy & Cloud Consulting: Market Structure, Ecosystem Anatomy & Strategic Positioning (2026)

Anthropic invests $100 million to train AI engineers

Anthropic has launched the Claude Frontier Academy with a $100 million investment to train 10,000 'frontier deployed engineers' (FDEs) by the end of 2027. The program, which includes a multi-day in-person session and a 12-week residency where engineers work on real Claude use cases, aims to bridge the enterprise AI talent gap. The first cohorts include engineers from Accenture, Bain, Capgemini, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Deloitte, McKinsey, Morgan Stanley, and Novo Nordisk. Successful participants will earn the Claude Frontier Deployed Engineer badge, with first certifications expected in early 2027. This initiative builds on the Claude Partner Network, which has already certified over 175,000 professionals, and comes amid reports of Anthropic's potential IPO seeking a $2 trillion valuation despite significant operating losses.

• •Anthropic invests $100 million in the Claude Frontier Academy.
• •Goal to train 10,000 'frontier deployed engineers' by end of 2027.
• •First cohorts include engineers from Accenture, Bain, Capgemini, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Deloitte, McKinsey, Morgan Stanley, and Novo Nordisk.

Jon Cook Steps Down as CEO of WPP Creative and VML

Jon Cook, global CEO of VML and WPP Creative, will step down after more than 30 years with WPP, effective March 2027. Eric Campbell, currently CEO of VML and WPP Creative in North America, will succeed Cook as global CEO of VML, while retaining his North American role at WPP Creative. Cook will remain in his positions until the transition to ensure a seamless handover. The announcement, made on October 2, 2026, follows the recent exit of Troy Ruhanen from Omnicom Advertising, marking significant leadership changes in major holding companies. WPP has not yet named a successor for Cook's role as CEO of WPP Creative, which he has led since its launch in February 2026. Cook also led the creation of VML in 2024 through the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson. These changes come amid broader restructuring at WPP, with the industry closely watching the impact on creative landscape and client relationships.

• •Jon Cook will step down as global CEO of VML and WPP Creative, effective March 2027.
• •Eric Campbell will succeed Cook as global CEO of VML, retaining his North American role at WPP Creative.
• •Cook will remain in his roles until March 2027 to ensure a seamless transition.

Omnicom Media Group Wins L'Oréal's €350M Media Account

The Omnicom Media Group has won the media pitch for L'Oréal's €350 million account. The dedicated agency for the cosmetics giant will be named Beauty Co-Lab. The new agency is set to launch in January 2027. This follows the recent announcement that Wavemaker, the incumbent, lost the account. The article provides details on the agency structure and confirms the name of the new entity, but the full details are behind a paywall.

Amazon AI Tools Launch, Brands Cheer Review Requests

At Amazon's unBoxed event, the company unveiled a range of AI-driven advertising tools, including Amazon Ads Agent, Full-Funnel Campaigns, and conversational analytics. However, advertisers and agency professionals expressed more excitement about a simpler tool: Review Requests, which invites verified buyers to rate or review products with a single tap, leading to a threefold increase in reviews during testing. The event signaled Amazon's strategic focus on its core self-serve advertiser base of marketplace sellers rather than pushing upper-funnel offerings. The keynote dedicated little time to Prime Video or live sports, emphasizing onsite performance ads. Additionally, Amazon introduced Branded Conversations, a new ad unit inside its AI shopping assistant Alexa for Shopping, allowing brands to provide product expertise in shopping conversations. Industry observers noted a broader trend of retail media networks retrenching towards onsite ad formats, as evidenced by a Bain & Company and eMarketer survey.

• •Amazon launched Amazon Ads Agent, Full-Funnel Campaigns, and analytics tools at unBoxed.
• •Amazon introduced Review Requests, a tool that generated three times more product reviews in early testing.
• •Review Requests will launch in open beta in the US in late October 2026.

Rakuten TV and Omnicom Study: Multi-Touch CTV Ads Boost Effectiveness

A new study by Rakuten TV Enterprise and Omnicom Media Germany, titled 'Multi-Touch Advertising in CTV: A German Market Study', reveals that multiple CTV ad contacts significantly increase advertising effectiveness compared to a single pre-roll. The study surveyed 750 German CTV users aged 18+ who had used Rakuten TV in the past year. Participants were split into three groups: single pre-roll, four repeated exposures of the same creative, and four sequential exposures with different creatives. Results showed ad recognition improved from 63% (single) to 90% (repeated) and 93% (sequential). Unaided brand recall rose from 45% to 67% for both multi-touch strategies. Sequential contacts excelled in brand and content recall, while repeated contacts performed better in product interest and brand fit. The study suggests a hybrid approach can optimize different campaign goals.

• •Rakuten TV Enterprise and Omnicom Media Germany conducted a study on multi-touch CTV advertising in Germany.
• •750 German CTV users aged 18+ were surveyed from August 4-20.
• •Ad recognition reached 63% for single pre-roll, 90% for repeated contacts, and 93% for sequential contacts.