WPP braced for new revolt over Martin Sorrell’s £43m May 31, 2015 Controversy over WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell’s remuneration has erupted once more, after two leading proxy advisory groups raised concerns over the £43m pay package he received last year. The size of Sorrell’s payout has remained a sticking point for many investors, despite the advertising giant introducing a new policy in 2013 and abandoning [...]
These are the most valuable brands in the world: Apple, Google, Microsft and IBM dominate in BrandZ 2015 ranking as tech triumphs May 27, 2015 Apple has overtaken Google as the most valuable brand in the world, reassuming the top spot in an annual ranking in which technology dominates. The value of the Apple brand grew 67 per cent, with an estimated worth of more than $245bn. The stellar performance of Apple over the past year pushed Google into second [...]
WPP buys stake in Ascot and Liverpool FC sports marketers Two Circles May 19, 2015 WPP has gained a majority stake in Two Circles Limited, a London-based, data-driven sports marketing agency. After the deal, Two Circles will become part of ESP Properties, GroupM’s newly launched company serving rightsholders in the worlds of sports and entertainment. Founded in 2011, Two Circles has become the market leader for a data-driven approach to [...]
Tesco’s Dunnhumby could fetch over £2bn as new suitors Nielsen and WPP mull bid May 11, 2015 US data giant Nielsen is reportedly eyeing a bid for Tesco’s Dunnhumby amid a flurry of interest that could push the price tag for the company above the mooted £2bn mark. Tesco boss Dave Lewis hired Goldman Sachs earlier this year to explore a sale or partial sale of the business – which analyses the [...]
Martin Sorrell is best paid FTSE boss pocketing £43m but WPP braces for fresh shareholder row April 30, 2015 Global advertising giant WPP hiked chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell’s pay by 43 per cent for 2014, taking his awards to £43m and making him the best paid boss in the FTSE 100. The payout comes after years of shareholder rebellions at the firm’s annual general meetings. In 2012, a majority of shareholders voted against [...]
Tesco moves £90m media account to WPP’s Mediacom ending 20 years with IPG’s Initiative April 30, 2015 Tesco boss Dave Lewis has done some more kitchen-sinking, ditching the company that has been in charge of placing its advertising for the last 20 years. The beleaguered supermarket has switched its media planning and buying account – worth £90m a year – to WPP's Mediacom from IPG's Initiative after a review, MediaWeek reports. It's [...]
WPP sales are up, but chief executive Martin Sorrell is cautious about the year ahead April 23, 2015 The world's biggest advertising firm had a good first quarter, but warns that clients are giving away less business. The figures During the first three months of 2015, like-for-like sales went up by 2.5 per cent for WPP, mainly driven higher by a strong performance in North America. Revenue was also up 8.3 per cent [...]
Tesco share price slides as Sir Martin Sorrell confirms WPP’s Dunnhumby interest March 17, 2015 Sir Martin Sorrell, the boss of the world’s largest advertising group WPP, has confirmed the company is interested in buying Tesco’s data arm Dunnhumby. Speaking at the Media & Telecoms conference in London, Sorrell said he was interested in the business behind the supermarket’s Clubcard loyalty scheme which was essentially put up for sale in [...]
Tesco share price spikes as Dunnhumby sale speculation mounts March 16, 2015 Tesco shares spiked four per cent in afternoon trading amid mounting speculation of a potential sale of its lucrative data business Dunnhumby. A deal, which could be worth as much as £2bn to the supermarket according to analysts, is moving ahead, with WPP and a host of private equity firms vying for the data company [...]
Sir Martin Sorrell in line for record £36m pay packet after 2014 success March 16, 2015 WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell is facing the prospect of a further shareholder revolt this summer with his remuneration for 2014 set to be £36m. Sorrell has fought several bruising battles with shareholders over the size of his pay packages in recent years, culminating with a heavy defeat in 2012. None of the recent [...]