MediaMonks reorganises, rebrands to Monks and puts focus on AI-powered services

S4 Capital’s MediaMonks has rebranded to Monks and consolidated its capabilities into two practices: Marketing services and technology services. 

Both will be powered by MonksFlow, an AI solution that automates marketing workflows, and will be supported by a consulting group that will offer end-to-end services, including strategy and implementation.

Marketing services will house Monks’ creative, content, media, social and data-driven marketing capabilities while leveraging audience engagement and performance marketing.

Technology services will cover user experience, product engineering, data, digital transformation, consulting and technology, with a focus on digital infrastructures, products and data and analytics solutions. 

The agency will launch organisational and reporting structures for the new services model in 2025.

“Many of today’s agencies are wrestling with the pace of change in a world profoundly transformed by technology. It’s always been our ambition to disrupt the legacy model and today marks another important milestone in that journey,” said Martin Sorrell, S4 Capital founder and executive chairman.

Monks’ rebranding comes not long after co-founder Wesley ter Haar told Campaign that media buying will be one of the first marketing disciplines to be impacted by the rise of AI. Sorrell recently explained how tech platforms are encroaching on the media agency-client relationship by forging direct relationships with brands.

It launched numerous AI products last year, including a production service that selects highlights from live broadcasts and an internal version of ChatGPT called MonkGPT. It launched MonksFlow at CES in 2024, which it had been using with one of its major clients in 2023 before the official launch.

Monks, which has 7,600 employees, has previously sought growth by winning “whoppers”—clients delivering more than $20 million of revenue per year. However, that strategy was challenged last year by slower market growth and tech clients reducing their marketing budgets. 

In 2022, Monks delayed its quarterly earnings reports twice due to an audit delay as a result of poor documentation around M&A activity and staff turnover after the company grew rapidly through multiple acquisitions in the years prior. 

In March, the Wall Street Journal reported that rival firm Stagwell made several merger offers to Sorrell to buy Monks, including one worth around $700 million. He rejected both, citing that they undervalued the company and weren’t a good strategic fit.