WPP buys influencer marketing company Village Marketing

Based in North America and founded in 2013 by Vickie Segar, the business has 150 employees and was specifically created with the vision of building brands in a social media and mobile first world.

WPP said it was one of the first creative firms "to fully honour the unique impact of creators and has led creative campaigns for some of the foremost consumer brands of the last decade", including Equinox, Nike, Netflix, The Farmer's Dog, Boll and Branch, Honest Co., Tommy John, SoulCycle, and many others.

Village Marketing will join the Wunderman Thompson network.

WPP chief executive Mark Read said: "Influencers have an increasingly important role in creating brands. Village Marketing will bring tremendous experience with some of the world's leading brands in using influencer content alongside performance marketing strategies to drive results for modern marketers. I'm delighted to welcome them to WPP."