Machine Learning: Our Journey with Salford University and Why It Matters for Businesses:

Written by David Brockway CEO WPP

Machine learning is often spoken about as something futuristic or reserved for big tech companies with vast budgets and specialist teams. Our experience has shown us something very different. Through our journey working alongside Salford University, we’ve seen firsthand how machine learning can be practical, powerful, and accessible especially when applied with clear intent and real-world purpose.

Our collaboration began not with complex algorithms, but with a simple question: how can data work harder and smarter for people? Like many growing businesses, we were sitting on vast amounts of information user behaviour, engagement patterns, preferences yet only scratching the surface of its potential. Partnering with Salford University allowed us to explore how machine learning could help us move from reactive decision-making to proactive insight.

One of the biggest learnings from this journey is that machine learning isn’t about replacing people it’s about augmenting human decision-making. By identifying patterns at scale, machine learning enables businesses to make faster, more informed choices. It spots trends humans might miss, highlights inefficiencies, and adapts in real time as behaviours change. For us, this meant better personalisation, smarter platform development, and clearer signals about what truly delivers value to users.

For companies more broadly, the benefits are significant. Machine learning can improve customer experience by tailoring content, offers, and communications to individual needs something today’s consumers increasingly expect. It can also enhance operational efficiency by automating repetitive analysis, reducing error, and freeing teams to focus on strategy, creativity, and growth. When applied responsibly, it becomes a competitive advantage rather than a technical burden.

Another key insight from working with an academic partner like Salford University is the importance of ethics and governance. Machine learning must be transparent, fair, and purposeful. Data quality, bias, and accountability matter. This collaboration reinforced the need to build systems that are not only intelligent, but trustworthy something every organisation should consider before adopting AI-driven tools.

Perhaps most importantly, our journey highlighted that machine learning is not a “one-off project.” It’s an evolving capability. The real value comes from continuous learning both for the systems themselves and for the teams using them. Businesses that succeed with machine learning are those willing to experiment, measure, adapt, and learn over time.

For organisations considering their own journey, the message is clear: you don’t need to have all the answers before you start. You need curiosity, the right partners, and a willingness to learn. Machine learning, when aligned with real business goals, can unlock insight, efficiency, and growth not tomorrow, but today.

At World Privilege Plus, our experience with Salford University has reinforced one belief above all else: technology is most powerful when it serves people. And machine learning, used thoughtfully, has the potential to elevate how businesses think, act, and grow.