WPP loses major Ford advertising contract to US rival Omnicom October 9, 2018 WPP has been dealt a major blow as it lost a key Ford advertising contract to the agency of one of its biggest US rivals, Omnicom. The news will be a major setback for new chief exec Mark Read, who was only appointed at the start of September. Ford was one of WPP's longest-standing advertising partnerships, as [...]
Martin Sorrell says he regrets nothing months after leaving WPP amid allegations of misconduct October 1, 2018 Sir Martin Sorrell has said he has no regrets over his behaviour while in charge of WPP. The former chief executive left the firm in April after claims of personal misconduct, saying his departure was in “the best interest of the business.” In an interview with the BBC, Sorrell denied treating subordinates poorly, using company [...]
Shares in ad giants tumble on report of US advertising sector probe September 28, 2018 Shares in major advertising firms experienced movement today after a report claimed US federal prosecutors had started investigating media-buying practices in the US ad industry. An article in the Wall Street Journal claimed investigators had begun reviewing the ad industry and started to hand out subpoenas as part of the probe. Publicis shares fell 2.7 per [...]
Sir Martin Sorrell seals stock market return as S4 Capital shares enter market tomorrow September 27, 2018 Sir Martin Sorrell will seal his return to the stock market tomorrow when shares in his new advertising venture start trading under the name S4 Capital. A meeting of shell company Derriston Capital earlier today saw shareholders vote through all resolutions, rubber stamping the reverse takeover of S4 and its acquisition of Dutch agency MediaMonks. Sorrell purchased Derriston in [...]
Read reshuffles WPP as he combines two leading marketing agencies September 26, 2018 Advertising giant WPP continued consolidating its business today as it said it would merge two of its leading agencies. It confirmed it would combine VML and Y&R into a new agency called VMLY&R. It will be headed up by global chief exec Jon Cook, who will report to newly appointed WPP boss Mark Read. In his [...]
We are veering towards a Brexit brain drain – it’s time for brands to shake things up September 26, 2018 There is a lack of innovation among British businesses; this was a problem highlighted in our latest research. It’s also a problem which threatens the future of UK businesses outside of the EU bloc, potentially hindering our ability to attract and retain talent. Fast-growing economies such as China, Indonesia, India, the US, and Germany [...]
M&C Saatchi: WPP needs ‘radical surgery’ for post-Sorrell future September 21, 2018 M&C Saatchi's boss has warned his firm is ready to swoop on rival ad agency WPP’s territory as Sir Martin Sorrell’s successor is busy performing “radical surgery” on the business. David Kershaw hailed surging earnings at M&C Saatchi, seeing revenue almost double to £215.4m after new accounting rules changed the way revenue from customer contracts [...]
Deliveroo and Just Eat break into WPP most valuable brands league table September 20, 2018 Takeaway firms Deliveroo and Just Eat have broken into the ranks of the UK's most valuable brands, according to new analysis published today. The companies have broken into the top 75 list for the first time, as Deliveroo came 64th with a value of $888m while Just Eat nabbed 30th place with a brand value of $2.5bn. [...]
WPP appoints Mel Edwards as Wunderman boss following Mark Read’s promotion to top job September 13, 2018 One of WPP's biggest ad agencies Wunderman today announced it had appointed a new chief executive to replace Mark Read. Following Read taking the top job earlier this month, WPP said Mel Edwards had been hired as the agency's chief executive, effective immediately. Edwards will oversee 9,200 people in 200 offices and 70 markets in the [...]
Sorrell lays out expansion plans for new advertising venture S4 Capital ahead of market comeback September 12, 2018 Ad guru Sir Martin Sorrell today laid out ambitious plans to expand new venture S4 Capital after it starts trading shares later this month, in a move which could step on the toes of his former employer WPP. The founder of the advertising goliath is using a shell company, Derriston Capital, to launch his new business [...]