Sir Martin Sorrell: Three things you didn’t know about the WPP Group CEO September 15, 2014 1. Sir Martin’s oldest friend is the historian Simon Schama. They met at school and went up to Christ’s College, Cambridge together. They toured Eastern Europe, including a visit to what had been the Nazi concentration camp at Theresienstadt. 2. Fresh from business school, he was marketing consultant for Heinz baked beans and ketchup. 3. [...]
Darin Brown of WPP agency POSSIBLE on digital-focused advertising and the rise of gamification September 14, 2014 WPP has been rapidly building up its digital presence in recent years, partly by acquiring smaller agencies worldwide and folding them into POSSIBLE. Darin Brown, POSSIBLE’s Europe, Middle East and Africa chief executive, talks to City A.M. about creating digital-focused advertising, and why brands are increasingly looking at interactive campaigns. You’ve worked on both [...]
Advertising giant WPP buys up a slice of Brazil with Try acquisition September 4, 2014 Advertising agency WPP yesterday announced it had acquired a majority stake in Cairos Usabilidade Eireli, a Brazil-based development agency known as Try. Described by WPP as “a user experience agency that designs and develops custom web, mobile, desktop and touch-enabled applications”, Try employs 22 people and has a number of high profile clients. WPP said [...]
WPP results ‘ravaged’ by strength of the pound August 26, 2014 The world’s largest advertising company, WPP, reported a 1.5 per cent rise in profit to £532m in the first half of the year yesterday, hampered by the effects of a strong pound. WPP reported that the strength of sterling had “ravaged” its billings and at a constant currency the same profits would have risen 15.6 [...]
Ride a black swan? WPP’s Sir Martin Sorrell adds Russian crisis to his list August 26, 2014 The Sochi Winter Olympics in February were a key turning point in the West’s deteriorating relationship with Russia, says WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell who now lists the Russian crisis as the most threatening of his unknown unknowns – or “black swans” – supplanting the Eurozone debt crisis. “I think we made a mistake [...]
Advertising giant WPP need not fret over black swans – Bottom Line August 26, 2014 The sun, I hope, has finally made an appearance this morning, to remind us that – despite this week’s cold and wind and rain – we are still, technically, in summertime. There have been several common themes to the summer months of 2014. A constant stream of miserable data about the Eurozone economy, is one. [...]
WPP share price rises as it reports profits ahead of forecast – but it’s been “ravaged” by strong pound August 26, 2014 WPP has reported a 1.5 per cent rise in headline pre-tax profits to £532m in the first half of the year, slightly ahead of forecasts. Taking into consideration currency differences, pre-tax profit grew 15 per cent as the world’s largest advertising group felt the effects of a strong pound. Reported revenue was up 2.7 per cent [...]
Martin Sorrell under fire as WPP clashes with investors June 25, 2014 Advertising titan WPP clashed with investors at its annual meeting yesterday after nearly 30 per cent of shareholders failed to support chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell’s £30m pay package. Sorrell’s total pay for 2013 shot up by 70 per cent, nearing to £29.8m, making him the highest paid executive in the FTSE 100. At the [...]
Just how big is the pay packet of WPP boss Martin Sorrell? June 25, 2014 WPP shareholders have once again aired unhappiness at the size of Sir Martin Sorrell's pay packet at the holding company's AGM today. Sorrell's total pay for 2013 has shot up by 70 per cent nearing the £30m mark making him the highest paid exec in the FTSE 100. At today's meeting which took place at [...]
Five things WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell said at Cannes June 17, 2014 WPP chief exec Sir Martin Sorrell made an appearance at the Cannes Lions ad industry festival today, talking "state of the industry" at an event hosted by Wunderman. Here are the highlights, as shared by the audience on Twitter. 1. There are no such things as mergers, there are only acquisitions. via @RandomlyRuna 2. No [...]