Relationships matter much in advertising. But they no longer decide everything.

In May, cosmetics and beauty firm L’Oréal India endedexchange4mediaPublicis' Zenith bags L'Oreal India's media business its 16-year partnership with WPP’s Wavemaker and handed its Rs 900 crore media account to Publicis Groupe’s Zenith.

The short reason: Publicis was better prepared. The communications firm’s data and AI capabilities, built through acquisitions of tech-first companies like Epsilon, Sapient, and Performics, aligned better with L’Oréal’s growing focus on digital........

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