Are we witnessing the slow death of advertising holding companies? May 5, 2025 The feted founder of AKQA, Ajaz Ahmed, has launched a new agency that promises to take on the “slow, bureaucratic” ad groups that since the pandemic have have been labouring under stagnant revenues and falling share prices. Ali Lyon asks: “Are those holding companies on borrowed time?” Ajaz Ahmed is not a man to shy [...]
WPP bets big on AI after a slow start to 2025 April 25, 2025 WPP‘s revenue edged lower in the first quarter of 2024, as macroeconomic uncertainty and cautious client spending, as well as competitive pressure, weighed on advertising budgets globally. Yet, the firm is leaning heavily into AI, data and integration to fuel long-term growth, securing new business wins and pressing ahead with its transformation strategy. The advertising [...]
WPP: FTSE 100 giant offers free-lunch Friday to get staff into office April 13, 2025 The FTSE 100 advertising agency WPP has began offering free lunches to lure employees back into the office on Fridays. From April, WPP’s team of 108,000 people is expected to be in the office at least four days a week. The new rules require employees to work in the office at least two Fridays a [...]
British firms sticking to DEI policies despite Trump crackdown April 8, 2025 UK business leaders are not adjusting their approach to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) despite many high profile American counterparts rowing back on their policies in the face of pressure from the Trump administration, a survey has found. According to a poll conducted by the Institute of Directors (IoD), more than seven in 10 (71 [...]
Exclusive: WPP ad agencies Ogilvy and Grey have not yet introduced four-day office policy April 4, 2025 Two of WPP’s flagship advertising agencies have not been able to introduce their holding company’s contested return-to-office mandate because they do not have enough desks to accommodate the influx of staff. City AM has learned that Ogilvy and Grey’s London offices have not yet implemented WPP’s demand for staff to work four days a week [...]
WPP wins Heineken marketing deal amid AI push March 31, 2025 Beer giant Heineken has selected WPP as its global marketing and commerce partner, as it looks to leverage AI to enhance its retail and customer experiences. Under the new agreement, the ad giant will use its AI-powered operating system, WPP Open. Together, both companies will collaborate to optimise in-store activations, retail strategies and various e-commerce [...]
WPP bets big on AI to regain industry leadership March 22, 2025 Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just reshaping industries, it’s upending them. Nowhere is this more evident than in advertising, where AI is reshaping how brands create, deliver and optimise campaigns. While many firms are still finding their feet with AI, WPP is claiming it has hit the ground running. For the global communications giant, the AI [...]
WPP eyes AI-driven growth after missing estimates February 27, 2025 WPP has delivered a mixed set of full-year results today. The group reported an unexpected revenue decline despite a slight rise in operating profit. Revenue less pass-through costs dipped by just one per cent on a like-for-like basis, with its fourth quarter down 2.3 per cent due to weak client spending. Headline operating profit reached [...]
WFH: Just one in 10 Gen Z want to be in the office full-time February 14, 2025 Only one in ten Gen Z employees want to work in the office full-time and more than half admit they are less industrious than their parents. According to a Times-led study into the generation, more than one in five respondents (21 per cent) of Gen Z, who are between 18 and 27 years old, spend [...]
‘Once you legislate, people will rebel’: Why a vibes-based WFH policy is working for Vitality February 13, 2025 The debate-stirring issue of working from home (WFH) has never been far from the headlines so far in 2025. The likes of FTSE 100 giant WPP, Lord Alan Sugar and London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan have all made waves with where they stand on the topic. Now Neville Koopowitz, the chief executive of health and [...]