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Talk:WPP plc/Archives/2020

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Latest comment: 4 years ago by Dormskirk in topic Proposing article updates


Proposing article updates

Latest comment: 4 years ago31 comments2 people in discussion

Hello! I'm here to make some suggestions to improve this article. Full disclosure: I have a financial conflict of interest, as I am here on behalf of WPP plc through my work at Beutler Ink. I've disclosed my COI at the top of this talk page. I've put all of my proposed updates in a draft in my userspace here: User:Inkian Jason/WPP plc. You can also see the changes compared with the current article here. These changes represent a thorough update of the live article. There a quite a few changes, and I want to be respectful of volunteer editors' time, so I'll post individual requests here for easier review.

History

For History, I'm asking to make the following changes to bring it up-to-date:

  • Deleted unsourced information that failed verification
  • Deleted unsourced detail on Sorrell's career, as this article should focus on WPP, not Sorrell
  • Added a brief summary of activity in the 1990s to fill a gap in the company's history
  • Tweaked language to show that WPP acquired Young & Rubicam Group, not just Y&R
  • Deleted unsourced and inaccurate information saying WPP entered China in 2006 (WPP already had business in China by that time)
  • For WPP Digital, changed founding from "2007" to "in the 2000s" to reflect sourcing and prevent the unsourced content from potentially being deleted
  • Removed mention of several minor acquisitions; as WPP has had many acquisitions over the years, I have tried to single out the biggest
  • Removed biased language (e.g. deleted "hard" from "hit hard")
  • For the Ukraine cyberattack, removed: "It was suggested that poor patch management and user access administration following IT staffing cuts may have contributed to the scale of the infection affecting WPP." While sourced, this accusation came from an unnamed source and only appears in this one article. Other articles on the cyberattack note that this happened to companies throughout Ukraine, not just WPP.
  • Added material on Sorrell's growth strategy
  • Added detail on industry changes and impact for WPP
  • Added material on Mark Read becoming CEO, his focus, and turnaround plan
  • Updated merger
History
History

The company was founded as Wire and Plastic Products plc to manufacture wire shopping baskets in 1971. In 1985 Martin Sorrell, searching for a listed company through which to build a worldwide marketing services company, bought a controlling stake.[1][2]

During 1986 WPP became the parent company of Picquotware, a manufacturer of teapots and jugs, based in Northampton. In November 1987 a fire destroyed the Northampton factory and production was restarted at Burntwood in Staffordshire. On 25 November 2004 WPP closed the Burntwood factory and stopped manufacturing Picquotware: all assets were sold on 14 December 2004.[3]

In the 1980s, WPP began its strategy of growth via acquisitions.[4] In later years, WPP regularly acquired dozens of companies annually.[4] In 1987 the company acquired J. Walter Thompson (including JWT, Hill & Knowlton and MRB Group) for $566m.[1] The company listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1988.[1] In 1989 it acquired Ogilvy Group for $864m.[1]

WPP's acquisitions continued into the 1990s, when WPP bought firms in the healthcare advertising, digital-marketing, online shopping, digital media, data management, retail and corporate consultancy, and sports-marketing industries. This included the 1999 acquisition of Lambie-Nairn.[4] In 1998, WPP formed an alliance with Asatsu-DK Inc. of Japan.[1]

In May 2000, WPP agreed to acquire the United States-based Young & Rubicam Group for $5.7 billion, in what was at the time the largest ever takeover in the advertising sector.[5] The takeover made WPP the largest advertising company in the world measured by billings and revenue, overtaking Omnicom Group and Interpublic.[5]

In the 2000s, WPP Digital was created to develop the group's digital capabilities.[6] In October 2008, WPP acquired market research firm Taylor Nelson Sofres for £1.6 billion.[7][8] During 2009 WPP reduced its workforce by around 14,000 employees, or 12.3% of its then total staff numbers, in response to the onset of the 2008–2012 global recession.[9][10]

In June 2012, WPP agreed to acquire the digital advertising agency AKQA for US$540 million.[11][12] In November 2015 WPP agreed to acquire a majority stake in Essence, a global digital agency.[13]

Many of WPP's constituent agencies use Microsoft Windows, and the organisation was among those hit by the 2017 cyberattacks on Ukraine, with some staff's computer access limited to webmail only as much as ten days later.[14][15]

WPP merged Burson-Marsteller with Cohn & Wolfe to become BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe) in February 2018.[16]

In April 2018, Martin Sorrell retired after 33 years, following allegations of personal misconduct and misuse of company assets. Sorrell has denied the allegations.[17] Chairman Roberto Quarta was temporarily named executive chairman.[17] In September 2018, Mark Read, who was global CEO of Wunderman,[18] was named CEO.[19][20]

In the late 2010s, the advertising industry faced significant challenges. Changes in the industry landscape included financial pressure on global clients, in particular fast-moving consumer goods clients, companies taking work in-house, ability to directly advertise on tech platforms, and competition with consultancies.[21][22][23] While WPP had previously outperformed other companies in the industry, its growth slowed starting in 2017 and its market value dropped in 2018.[24] Critics said WPP needed to become "nimbler" and "leaner".[21] At the time, many WPP agencies operated mostly independently and competed for accounts.[20][25] In late 2018, Read said the company had grown "unwieldy with too much duplication".[19] He instituted a plan to reposition WPP as a "creative transformation company" and make its offer simpler.[19] Read emphasized the importance of technology[26] and also merged several WPP agencies:[19] J. Walter Thompson merged with Wunderman to create Wunderman Thompson[27] and Y&R merged with VML to create VMLY&R.[19] Within Read's first year as CEO, he trimmed WPP by selling more than 30 subsidiaries,[28] including a majority stake in Kantar.[28] By selling a majority stake of Kantar to Bain Capital, WPP is believed to have generated $3.1 billion to help pay down debt.[29] Read also sold the original Wire and Plastic Products company that Sorrell had purchased to create his business empire.[30]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Group history". WPP plc. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  2. ^ "Sir Martin Sorrell: advertising man who made the industry's biggest pitch". The Guardian. 4 July 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  3. ^ Piquotware History Archived 11 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ a b c Klara, Robert (18 April 2018). "This Timeline Shows How WPP Acquired Its Way to Fame and Notoriety Over 3 Decades". Adweek. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Young & Rubicam Agrees to $5.7 Billion Takeover by WPP". The New York Times. 9 May 2000. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  6. ^ Sinclair, Lara (26 October 2007). "WPP alliance makes the call for mobile phone marketing". The Australian. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  7. ^ "Stockopedia. Stock Screens, Stock Ranks, Stock Tips & Tricks". Stockopedia. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  8. ^ "WPP Bid Garners 82% TNS Shareholder Approval". Ad Week. 8 October 2008. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  9. ^ "WPP stable after 'brutal' 2009". The Guardian. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  10. ^ "WPP profits fall despite job cuts". The Telegraph. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  11. ^ "WPP Acquires AKQA to Beef Up Digital Marketing". The New York Times. 20 June 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  12. ^ "WPP buys majority stake in AKQA". The Guardian. 20 June 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  13. ^ "WPP agrees to acquire a majority stake in digital agency Essence – WPP". www.wpp.com. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  14. ^ Hall, Kat (7 July 2017). "Largest advertising company in the world still wincing after NotPetya punch". The Register. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  15. ^ Nash, Kim S.; Castellanos, Sara; Janofsky, Adam (June 27, 2018). "One Year After NotPetya Cyberattack, Firms Wrestle With Recovery Costs". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  16. ^ Bradley, Diana (27 February 2018). "WPP Merges Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe". PR Week. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  17. ^ a b "WPP CEO Sorrell Quits After Three Decades at Top of Ad World". Bloomberg.com. 14 April 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  18. ^ Graham, Megan (17 April 2018). "Who are Mark Read and Andrew Scott, WPP's new chief operating officers?". Ad Age. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  19. ^ a b c d e Sweney, Mark (11 December 2018). "WPP advertising group to cut 3,500 jobs in £300m restructuring". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  20. ^ a b Kostov, Nick (September 3, 2018). "Ad Giant WPP Taps Company Veteran Mark Read for CEO". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 24, 2019. Cite error: The named reference "Kostov18" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  21. ^ a b "Sir Martin Sorrell leaves WPP in a sorry state". The Economist. 21 April 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  22. ^ Proud, Liam (23 August 2017). "WPP underestimates pinch from corporate austerity". Reuters. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  23. ^ Bond, Shannon; Garrahan, Matthew; Mooney, Attracta (2 March 2018). "WPP squeezed by advertisers and digital disruption". Financial Times. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  24. ^ Holton, Kate (25 October 2018). "WPP shares plunge as ad group falls behind in post-Sorrell era". Reuters. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  25. ^ Garrahan, Matthew (1 March 2019). "WPP bullish on second half of 2019 despite glum start to year". Financial Times. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  26. ^ Mayes, Joe (7 December 2018). "Biggest Ad Group WPP Adds Urgency to Digital Push After Slump". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  27. ^ Coffee, Patrick (26 November 2018). "WPP Will Merge J Walter Thompson with Wunderman to Form Wunderman Thompson". Adweek. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  28. ^ a b Nilsson, Patricia; Espinoza, Javier (12 July 2019). "WPP slims down with Kantar stake sale". Financial Times. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  29. ^ Graham, Megan (12 July 2019). "WPP will sell stake in market research unit to Bain Capital in deal valuing Kantar at $4 billion". CNBC. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  30. ^ Nilsson, Patricia (1 July 2019). "WPP sells stake in communications group Chime". Financial Times. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
Markup

==History==

The company was founded as '''Wire and Plastic Products plc''' to manufacture wire shopping baskets in 1971. In 1985 [[Martin Sorrell]], searching for a listed company through which to build a worldwide marketing services company, bought a controlling stake.<ref name="history">{{cite web| url=http://www.wpp.com/wpp/about/whoweare/history.htm|title=Group history|accessdate=30 August 2010|publisher=WPP plc}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2010/jul/04/wpp-sir-martin-sorrell-profile|title=Sir Martin Sorrell: advertising man who made the industry's biggest pitch|accessdate=12 July 2012|work=The Guardian| date=4 July 2010}}</ref>

During 1986 WPP became the parent company of Picquotware, a manufacturer of teapots and jugs, based in [[Northampton]]. In November 1987 a fire destroyed the [[Northampton]] factory and production was restarted at [[Burntwood]] in Staffordshire. On 25 November 2004 WPP closed the Burntwood factory and stopped manufacturing Picquotware: all assets were sold on 14 December 2004.<ref>[http://www.picquot.co.uk/history.htm Piquotware History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061211111618/http://www.picquot.co.uk/history.htm |date=11 December 2006 }}</ref>

In the 1980s, WPP began its strategy of growth via acquisitions.<ref name="Klara18"/> In later years, WPP regularly acquired dozens of companies annually.<ref name="Klara18"/> In 1987 the company acquired J. Walter Thompson (including [[J. Walter Thompson|JWT]], [[Hill & Knowlton]] and MRB Group) for $566m.<ref name="history"/> The company listed on the [[New York Stock Exchange]] in 1988.<ref name="history"/> In 1989 it acquired Ogilvy Group for $864m.<ref name="history"/>

WPP's acquisitions continued into the 1990s, when WPP bought firms in the healthcare advertising, digital-marketing, online shopping, digital media, data management, retail and corporate consultancy, and sports-marketing industries. This included the 1999 acquisition of Lambie-Nairn.<ref name="Klara18"/> In 1998, WPP formed an alliance with Asatsu-DK Inc. of Japan.<ref name="history"/>

In May 2000, WPP agreed to acquire the United States-based [[Young & Rubicam|Young & Rubicam Group]] for $5.7 billion, in what was at the time the largest ever takeover in the advertising sector.<ref name=nyt952000>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/05/09/business/young-rubicam-agrees-to-5.7-billion-takeover-by-wpp.html|title=Young & Rubicam Agrees to $5.7 Billion Takeover by WPP|accessdate=12 July 2012|work=The New York Times| date=9 May 2000}}</ref> The takeover made WPP the largest advertising company in the world measured by billings and revenue, overtaking [[Omnicom Group]] and [[Interpublic Group of Companies|Interpublic]].<ref name=nyt952000/>

In the 2000s, WPP Digital was created to develop the group's digital capabilities.<ref name="Sinclair07">{{cite news |title=WPP alliance makes the call for mobile phone marketing |last1=Sinclair |first1=Lara |work=The Australian |url=https://advance.lexis.com/api/permalink/e3280240-cbb3-43e7-81c0-f0f4888ac7a8/?context=1519360 |date=26 October 2007 |accessdate=16 September 2019}}</ref> In October 2008, WPP acquired market research firm [[Taylor Nelson Sofres]] for £1.6 billion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stockopedia.co.uk/news/announcement/WPP/090306wpp4313o.htm|title=Stockopedia. Stock Screens, Stock Ranks, Stock Tips & Tricks|work=Stockopedia|accessdate=21 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/wpp-bid-garners-82-tns-shareholder-approval-97183|title=WPP Bid Garners 82% TNS Shareholder Approval|accessdate=12 July 2012|work=Ad Week| date=8 October 2008}}</ref> During 2009 WPP reduced its workforce by around 14,000 employees, or 12.3% of its then total staff numbers, in response to the onset of the [[2008–2012 global recession]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/mar/05/wpp-results-2009|title=WPP stable after 'brutal' 2009|accessdate=12 July 2012|work=The Guardian| date=5 March 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/epic/wpp/7378917/WPP-profits-fall-despite-job-cuts.html|title=WPP profits fall despite job cuts |accessdate=12 July 2012|work=The Telegraph| date=5 March 2010 }}</ref>

In June 2012, WPP agreed to acquire the digital advertising agency [[AKQA]] for US$540 million.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/21/business/global/wpp-acquires-akqa-to-beef-up-digital-marketing.html|title=WPP Acquires AKQA to Beef Up Digital Marketing|accessdate=12 July 2012|work=The New York Times| date=20 June 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jun/20/wpp-buys-majority-stake-akqa|title=WPP buys majority stake in AKQA|accessdate=12 July 2012|work=The Guardian| date=20 June 2012}}</ref> In November 2015 WPP agreed to acquire a majority stake in [[Essence Global|Essence]], a global digital agency.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wpp.com/wpp/investor/financialnews/2015/nov/04/wpp-agrees-to-acquire-a-majority-stake-in-essence-the-leading-global-digital-agency/|title=WPP agrees to acquire a majority stake in digital agency Essence – WPP|website=www.wpp.com|access-date=21 November 2016}}</ref>

Many of WPP's constituent agencies use [[Microsoft Windows]], and the organisation was among those hit by the [[2017 cyberattacks on Ukraine]], with some staff's computer access limited to [[webmail]] only as much as ten days later.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/07/ad_giant_recovering_from_notpetya/|title=Largest advertising company in the world still wincing after NotPetya punch|website=The Register|date=7 July 2017|last=Hall|first=Kat|accessdate=8 July 2017}}</ref><ref name="Nash18">{{cite news |title=One Year After NotPetya Cyberattack, Firms Wrestle With Recovery Costs |last1=Nash |first1=Kim S. |last2=Castellanos |first2=Sara |last3=Janofsky |first3=Adam |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/one-year-after-notpetya-companies-still-wrestle-with-financial-impacts-1530095906 |date=June 27, 2018 |accessdate=September 16, 2019}}</ref>

WPP merged Burson-Marsteller with Cohn & Wolfe to become [[Burson Cohn & Wolfe|BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe)]] in February 2018.<ref name="PR-Week-merge1">{{cite news | last1=Bradley| first1=Diana| title=WPP Merges Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe| url=https://www.prweek.com/article/1458213/wpp-merges-burson-marsteller-cohn-wolfe| accessdate=28 February 2018| publisher=PR Week| date=27 February 2018}}</ref>

In April 2018, Martin Sorrell retired after 33 years, following allegations of personal misconduct and misuse of company assets. Sorrell has denied the allegations.<ref name="bloomberg-april-2018"/> Chairman Roberto Quarta was temporarily named executive chairman.<ref name="bloomberg-april-2018"/> In September 2018, Mark Read, who was global CEO of Wunderman,<ref name="Graham18">{{cite news |title=Who are Mark Read and Andrew Scott, WPP's new chief operating officers? |last1=Graham |first1=Megan |work=[[Ad Age]] |url=https://adage.com/article/agency-news/mark-read-andrew-scott-wpp-s-coos/313145 |date=17 April 2018 |accessdate=16 September 2019}}</ref> was named CEO.<ref name="Sweney18">{{cite news |title=WPP advertising group to cut 3,500 jobs in £300m restructuring |last1=Sweney |first1=Mark |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/dec/11/wpp-advertising-cut-jobs-in-restructuring-martin-sorrell |date=11 December 2018 |accessdate=16 September 2019}}</ref><ref name="Kostov18">{{cite news |title=Ad Giant WPP Taps Company Veteran Mark Read for CEO |last1=Kostov |first1=Nick |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/wpp-names-mark-read-as-its-new-ceo-1535913242 |date=September 3, 2018 |accessdate=October 24, 2019}}</ref>

In the late 2010s, the advertising industry faced significant challenges. Changes in the industry landscape included financial pressure on global clients, in particular [[fast-moving consumer goods]] clients, companies taking work in-house, ability to directly advertise on tech platforms, and competition with consultancies.<ref name="Economist18">{{cite news |title=Sir Martin Sorrell leaves WPP in a sorry state |work=[[The Economist]] |url=https://www.economist.com/business/2018/04/21/sir-martin-sorrell-leaves-wpp-in-a-sorry-state |date=21 April 2018 |accessdate=25 September 2019}}</ref><ref name=Proud17">{{cite news |title=WPP underestimates pinch from corporate austerity |last1=Proud |first1=Liam |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://fr.reuters.com/article/companyNews/idUKKCN1B3147 |date=23 August 2017 |accessdate=19 November 2019}}</ref><ref name="Bond18">{{cite news |title=WPP squeezed by advertisers and digital disruption |last1=Bond |first1=Shannon |last2=Garrahan |first2=Matthew |last3=Mooney |first3=Attracta |work=[[Financial Times]] |url=https://www.ft.com/content/15c7814a-1e3b-11e8-956a-43db76e69936 |date=2 March 2018 |accessdate=19 November 2019}}</ref> While WPP had previously outperformed other companies in the industry, its growth slowed starting in 2017 and its market value dropped in 2018.<ref name="Holton18">{{cite news |title=WPP shares plunge as ad group falls behind in post-Sorrell era |last1=Holton |first1=Kate |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-wpp-outlook/wpp-shares-plunge-as-ad-group-falls-behind-in-post-sorrell-era-idUSKCN1MZ0ML |date=25 October 2018 |accessdate=19 November 2019}}</ref> Critics said WPP needed to become "nimbler" and "leaner".<ref name="Economist18">{{cite news |title=Sir Martin Sorrell leaves WPP in a sorry state |work=[[The Economist]] |url=https://www.economist.com/business/2018/04/21/sir-martin-sorrell-leaves-wpp-in-a-sorry-state |date=21 April 2018 |accessdate=25 September 2019}}</ref> At the time, many WPP agencies operated mostly independently and competed for accounts.<ref name="Kostov18">{{cite news |title=WPP Considers Merger of Young & Rubicam and Digital Ad Firm VML |last1=Kostov |first1=Nick |last2=Vranica |first2=Suzanne |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/wpp-considers-merger-of-young-rubicam-and-digital-ad-firm-vml-1537729991 |date=24 September 2018 |accessdate=16 September 2019}}</ref><ref name="Garrahan19">{{cite news |title=WPP bullish on second half of 2019 despite glum start to year |last1=Garrahan |first1=Matthew |work=[[Financial Times]] |url=https://www.ft.com/content/3e7f5f78-3bf8-11e9-b72b-2c7f526ca5d0 |date=1 March 2019 |accessdate=16 September 2019}}</ref> In late 2018, Read said the company had grown "unwieldy with too much duplication".<ref name="Sweney18">{{cite news |title=WPP advertising group to cut 3,500 jobs in £300m restructuring |last1=Sweney |first1=Mark |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/dec/11/wpp-advertising-cut-jobs-in-restructuring-martin-sorrell |date=11 December 2018 |accessdate=16 September 2019}}</ref> He instituted a plan to reposition WPP as a "creative transformation company" and make its offer simpler.<ref name="Sweney18"/> Read emphasized the importance of technology<ref name="Mayes18">{{cite news |title=Biggest Ad Group WPP Adds Urgency to Digital Push After Slump |last1=Mayes |first1=Joe |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-07/wpp-ceo-set-to-highlight-digital-ambitions-in-strategy-update |date=7 December 2018 |accessdate=16 September 2019}}</ref> and also merged several WPP agencies:<ref name="Sweney18"/> J. Walter Thompson merged with Wunderman to create Wunderman Thompson<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adweek.com/agencies/wpp-will-merge-j-walter-thompson-with-wunderman-to-form-wunderman-thompson/|title=WPP Will Merge J Walter Thompson with Wunderman to Form Wunderman Thompson|website=Adweek|date=26 November 2018|last=Coffee|first=Patrick|accessdate=26 November 2018}}</ref> and Y&R merged with VML to create VMLY&R.<ref name="Sweney18"/> Within Read's first year as CEO, he trimmed WPP by selling more than 30 subsidiaries,<ref name="Nilsson19"/> including a majority stake in [[Kantar Group|Kantar]].<ref name="Nilsson19">{{cite news |title=WPP slims down with Kantar stake sale |last1=Nilsson |first1=Patricia |last2=Espinoza |first2=Javier |work=[[Financial Times]] |url=https://www.ft.com/content/9ef7e7b6-a46d-11e9-a282-2df48f366f7d |date=12 July 2019 |accessdate=16 September 2019}}</ref> By selling a majority stake of Kantar to [[Bain Capital]], WPP is believed to have generated $3.1 billion to help pay down debt.<ref name="GrahamKantar19">{{cite news |title=WPP will sell stake in market research unit to Bain Capital in deal valuing Kantar at $4 billion |last1=Graham |first1=Megan |work=[[CNBC]] |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/12/wpp-to-sell-kantar-stake-to-bain-capital.html |date=12 July 2019 |accessdate=17 September 2019}}</ref> Read also sold the original Wire and Plastic Products company that Sorrell had purchased to create his business empire.<ref name="NilssonChime19">{{cite news |title=WPP sells stake in communications group Chime |last1=Nilsson |first1=Patricia |work=[[Financial Times]] |url=https://www.ft.com/content/6a6cc12a-9bd9-11e9-9c06-a4640c9feebb |date=1 July 2019 |accessdate=16 September 2019}}</ref>

Due to my COI, I would prefer an uninvolved editor review and place the updates if they look ok. Thanks! Inkian Jason (talk) 19:00, 12 December 2019 (UTC)

@Dormskirk: Being one of the top editors to WPP plc, you might be interested in reviewing my proposed updates to this article. Full disclosure: I have a financial conflict of interest, as I am here on behalf of WPP plc through my work at Beutler Ink, which I've disclosed above. I'm requesting updates by section (starting off with History) because my changes represent a thorough update of the live article and I want to be respectful of the time and effort it takes for volunteer editors to review. Thanks for considering! Inkian Jason (talk) 15:30, 19 December 2019 (UTC)
Done. This proposal looks reasonable to me and was very well presented. Other editors may wish to tweak it. Best wishes. Dormskirk (talk) 21:05, 19 December 2019 (UTC)
@Dormskirk: Thanks for reviewing and implementing these changes! Also, thanks for the citation clean up. If you have the time, I'm posting my proposed infobox updates below. Inkian Jason (talk) 19:06, 20 December 2019 (UTC)

Infobox

WPP plc
Company typePublic limited company
LSE: WPP
FTSE 100 Component
NYSE: WPP
Industry
Founded1971; 53 years ago (1971)
(Wire and Plastic Products plc)
1985
(Sorrell acquisition and entry into advertising)
FounderMartin Sorrell (as an advertising company)
HeadquartersLondon
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Services
  • Integrated networks
  • media
  • data and insights
  • public relations and public affairs
  • brand consulting
  • production
  • health and wellness[1]
Revenue£15,602.4 million (2018)[2]
£1,431.4 million (2018)[2]
£1,139.4 million (2018)[2]
Number of employees
130,000 (2019)[3][4]
Subsidiaries
WebsiteWPP.com

In my proposed infobox (at right), I'm asking to make the following changes to streamline and update content:

  • Add "communications" to industry parameter
  • Clean up key people by adding wikilinks to CEO, removing "ED", and updating Roberto Quarta's title to "chairman" (executive chairman was a temporary title)
  • Update services (based on those listed at WPP website)
  • Update subsidiaries with current companies and names; remove non-notable subsidiary
  • Updated office locations to show WPP's headquarters location, which is London. Most sources refer to WPP as London-based, and the Dublin executive office has closed

References

  1. ^ "Our companies". WPP plc. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Preliminary Results 2018" (PDF). WPP plc. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Best Employers for Women". Forbes. 15 May 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  4. ^ "At a glance". WPP plc. Retrieved 11 March 2019.

Again, I'd prefer to have an uninvolved editor review and place the updates if they look ok, given my COI.

Thanks! Inkian Jason (talk) 19:06, 20 December 2019 (UTC)

Done. Best wishes. Dormskirk (talk) 19:42, 20 December 2019 (UTC)
@Dormskirk: Thanks again. I plan to return with additional requests in January and hope you might be willing to take another look. Until then, happy holiday season. Inkian Jason (talk) 19:52, 20 December 2019 (UTC)

Operations

For Operations, I'm asking to make the following changes to streamline and update content:

  • Rewrite content to give a description of the current company, its leadership, headquarters, and size
  • Add basic financial information
  • Focus content on notable WPP-owned companies, and remove mentions of companies without Wikipedia entries
  • Simplify mentions of notable WPP-owned companies, as details about those companies are available for readers on their respective Wikipedia pages
  • Replace WPP sourcing with secondary coverage

Currently, the article lists WPP-owned companies by specialty, but it's not entirely accurate how it is conveyed. My draft looks to minimize mislabeling companies.

Operations
Operations

WPP is a large holding company involved in communications, advertising, public relations, and other businesses.[1] It is considered the world's biggest advertising agency group.[2] When Mark Read took over as CEO in September 2018, he said WPP would focus on communications, experience, commerce, and technology.[3][4] Headquartered in London, England, WPP has approximately 130,000 employees throughout its portfolio of businesses across more than 100 countries, as of 2018.[5]

For 2018, WPP reported £15,602.4 million in revenue; £1,431.4 million operating income; and net profit of £1,139.4 million.[6]

Notable WPP-owned agencies include: AKQA, BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe), Essence, Grey, GroupM, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Hogarth Worldwide, Kantar Group, Landor, Mindshare, Ogilvy, Superunion (a combination of Brand Union, Lambie-Nairn, and three other brand consulting businesses),[7][8] Wavemaker, Wunderman Thompson, and VMLY&R.

References

  1. ^ Klara, Robert (18 April 2018). "This Timeline Shows How WPP Acquired Its Way to Fame and Notoriety Over 3 Decades". Adweek. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  2. ^ Mayes, Joe (7 December 2018). "Biggest Ad Group WPP Adds Urgency to Digital Push After Slump". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  3. ^ McClenllan, Steve (11 December 2018). "WPP Outlines Transformation Plans". MediaPost. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  4. ^ Coffee, Patrick (11 December 2018). "WPP to Cut 3,500 Jobs, Refocus on Creative and Data With No More Agency Mergers". Adweek. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  5. ^ Sweney, Mark (11 December 2018). "WPP advertising group to cut 3,500 jobs in £300m restructuring". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  6. ^ "Preliminary Results 2018" (PDF). WPP plc. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  7. ^ McCarthy, John (24 October 2018). "Landor names CCO Knapp as chairman to keep brand strategy' core to client transformation". The Drum. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  8. ^ Rittenhouse, Lindsay (23 January 2018). "WPP's New Global Brand Agency Combines 5 of Its Consultancies and Design Shops". Adweek. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
Markup

==Operations==

WPP is a large holding company involved in communications, advertising, public relations, and other businesses.<ref name="Klara18">{{cite news |title=This Timeline Shows How WPP Acquired Its Way to Fame and Notoriety Over 3 Decades |last1=Klara |first1=Robert |work=[[Adweek]] |url=https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/this-timeline-shows-how-wpp-acquired-its-way-to-fame-and-notoriety-over-3-decades/ |date=18 April 2018 |accessdate=17 September 2019}}</ref> It is considered the world's biggest advertising agency group.<ref name="Mayes18"/> When Mark Read took over as CEO in September 2018, he said WPP would focus on communications, experience, commerce, and technology.<ref name="McClellan18">{{cite news |title=WPP Outlines Transformation Plans |last1=McClenllan |first1=Steve |work=MediaPost |url=https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/329130/wpp-outlines-transformation-plans.html |date=11 December 2018 |accessdate=16 September 2019}}</ref><ref name="Coffee18">{{cite news |title=WPP to Cut 3,500 Jobs, Refocus on Creative and Data With No More Agency Mergers |last1=Coffee |first1=Patrick |work=[[Adweek]] |url=https://www.adweek.com/agencies/wpp-to-cut-3500-jobs-refocus-on-creative-and-data-with-no-more-agency-mergers/ |date=11 December 2018 |accessdate=16 September 2019}}</ref> Headquartered in London, England, WPP has approximately 130,000 employees throughout its portfolio of businesses across more than 100 countries, as of 2018.<ref name="Sweney18"/>

For 2018, WPP reported [[Pound sterling|£]]15,602.4 million in revenue; [[Pound sterling|£]]1,431.4 million operating income; and net profit of [[Pound sterling|£]]1,139.4 million.<ref name=PreliminaryResults>{{cite web|url=https://www.wpp.com/-/media/project/wpp/files/investors/2019/wpp-preliminary-results-2018.pdf|title= Preliminary Results 2018|publisher=WPP plc|accessdate=11 March 2019}}</ref>

Notable WPP-owned agencies include: [[AKQA]], [[Burson Cohn & Wolfe|BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe)]], [[Essence Global|Essence]], [[Grey Global Group|Grey]], [[GroupM]], [[Hill+Knowlton Strategies]], [[Hogarth Worldwide]], [[Kantar Group]], [[Landor Associates|Landor]], [[Mindshare (firm)|Mindshare]], [[Ogilvy (agency)|Ogilvy]], Superunion (a combination of [[Brand Union]], [[Lambie-Nairn]], and three other brand consulting businesses),<ref name="McCarthy18">{{cite news |title=Landor names CCO Knapp as chairman to keep brand strategy' core to client transformation |last1=McCarthy |first1=John |work=The Drum |url=https://www.thedrum.com/news/2018/10/24/landor-names-cco-knapp-chairman-keep-brand-strategy-core-client-transformation |date=24 October 2018 |accessdate=17 September 2019}}</ref><ref name="Rittenhouse18">{{cite news |title=WPP’s New Global Brand Agency Combines 5 of Its Consultancies and Design Shops |last1=Rittenhouse |first1=Lindsay |work=[[Adweek]] |url=https://www.adweek.com/agencies/wpps-new-global-brand-agency-combines-5-of-its-consultancies-and-design-shops/ |date=23 January 2018 |accessdate=17 September 2019}}</ref> [[MEC (media agency)|Wavemaker]], [[Wunderman Thompson]], and [[Young & Rubicam Brands|VMLY&R]].

Again, I'd prefer to have an uninvolved editor review and place the updates if they look ok, given my COI. @Dormskirk: If you have the time, would you be willing to review this request as well? Thanks! Inkian Jason (talk) 17:12, 7 January 2020 (UTC)

Just a few thoughts:

  • I think the analysis by speciality in the current version of the article is helpful and would prefer if the proposed new version was structured in a simlar way.
  • While I am OK on including a sentence on strategy, I don't think we need to quote the ceo
  • Recent financial results are best dealt with in the infobox rather than under operations
  • Your proposed list of notable agencies is not adequately referenced.

Please could you take another look? Thanks. Dormskirk (talk) 17:43, 7 January 2020 (UTC)

@Dormskirk: Thanks for your feedback. I'm happy to revise my proposal based on these points. But I have a question for you. In some cases, WPP-owned companies do not fit neatly into the specialty categories outlined in the live article. For example, Wunderman Thompson is a merger of ad agency J. Walter Thompson and digital network Wunderman. Similarly, this is the case with VMLY&R. WPP's website has these companies grouped together by specialty on its website. Would that be an acceptable source to use for this purpose? Thanks, Inkian Jason (talk) 18:12, 7 January 2020 (UTC)
Hi - The source needs to be independent. Please see WP:RS. Thanks. Dormskirk (talk) 18:31, 7 January 2020 (UTC)
@Dormskirk: Understood! I will see how I can make it work. Most of the current live section is sourced by WPP's website, so I was attempting to provide a summary of WPP-owned companies that did not rely on WPP as a source. I will ping you back here after I have had some time to adjust this proposal. Thanks again for your feedback! Inkian Jason (talk) 18:57, 7 January 2020 (UTC)

@Dormskirk: I revised my proposed Operations draft per your feedback. Below, you will see I updated the sentence on WPP's strategy to remove commentary from the CEO, deleted revenue, updated the listing of notable companies by specialty and included citations to show that the companies are WPP-owned.

Revised Operations draft
Operations

WPP is a large holding company involved in communications, advertising, public relations, and other businesses.[1] It is considered the world's biggest advertising agency group.[2] WPP focuses on communications, experience, commerce, and technology.[3][4] Headquartered in London, England, WPP has approximately 130,000 employees throughout its portfolio of businesses across more than 100 countries, as of 2018.[5]

WPP's notable advertising agency company holdings include Grey, Ogilvy,[1] VMLY&R, and Wunderman Thompson.[6] WPP's digital company holdings include AKQA.[1] WPP's public relations and public affairs company holdings include Hill+Knowlton Strategies, BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe), and Ogilvy.[1] WPP's media investment management company holdings include GroupM, Mindshare, Wavemaker and Essence.[7] WPP's research insight and consulting companies include Kantar.[8] Hogarth Worldwide is a WPP-owned production company.[4] WPP-owned brand consultancies include Superunion (a combination of Brand Union, Lambie-Nairn, and three other brand consulting businesses)[9][10] and Landor.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Klara, Robert (18 April 2018). "This Timeline Shows How WPP Acquired Its Way to Fame and Notoriety Over 3 Decades". Adweek. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  2. ^ Mayes, Joe (7 December 2018). "Biggest Ad Group WPP Adds Urgency to Digital Push After Slump". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  3. ^ McClenllan, Steve (11 December 2018). "WPP Outlines Transformation Plans". MediaPost. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  4. ^ a b Coffee, Patrick (11 December 2018). "WPP to Cut 3,500 Jobs, Refocus on Creative and Data With No More Agency Mergers". Adweek. Retrieved 16 September 2019. Cite error: The named reference "Coffee18" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  5. ^ Sweney, Mark (11 December 2018). "WPP advertising group to cut 3,500 jobs in £300m restructuring". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  6. ^ Beer, Jeff (26 November 2018). "WPP merges ad agency giants JWT and Wunderman". PR Week. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  7. ^ Spanier, Gideon (6 September 2017). "WPP unveils Wavemaker as name of merged MEC-Maxus agency". Campaign. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  8. ^ Nilsson, Patricia; Espinoza, Javier (12 July 2019). "WPP slims down with Kantar stake sale". Financial Times. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  9. ^ McCarthy, John (24 October 2018). "Landor names CCO Knapp as chairman to keep brand strategy' core to client transformation". The Drum. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  10. ^ Rittenhouse, Lindsay (23 January 2018). "WPP's New Global Brand Agency Combines 5 of Its Consultancies and Design Shops". Adweek. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
Markup

==Operations==

WPP is a large holding company involved in communications, advertising, public relations, and other businesses.<ref name="Klara18">{{cite news |title=This Timeline Shows How WPP Acquired Its Way to Fame and Notoriety Over 3 Decades |last1=Klara |first1=Robert |work=[[Adweek]] |url=https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/this-timeline-shows-how-wpp-acquired-its-way-to-fame-and-notoriety-over-3-decades/ |date=18 April 2018 |accessdate=17 September 2019}}</ref> It is considered the world's biggest advertising agency group.<ref name="Mayes18"/> WPP focuses on communications, experience, commerce, and technology.<ref name="McClellan18">{{cite news |title=WPP Outlines Transformation Plans |last1=McClenllan |first1=Steve |work=MediaPost |url=https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/329130/wpp-outlines-transformation-plans.html |date=11 December 2018 |accessdate=16 September 2019}}</ref><ref name="Coffee18">{{cite news |title=WPP to Cut 3,500 Jobs, Refocus on Creative and Data With No More Agency Mergers |last1=Coffee |first1=Patrick |work=[[Adweek]] |url=https://www.adweek.com/agencies/wpp-to-cut-3500-jobs-refocus-on-creative-and-data-with-no-more-agency-mergers/ |date=11 December 2018 |accessdate=16 September 2019}}</ref> Headquartered in London, England, WPP has approximately 130,000 employees throughout its portfolio of businesses across more than 100 countries, as of 2018.<ref name="Sweney18"/>

WPP's notable advertising agency company holdings include [[Grey Global Group|Grey]], [[Ogilvy (agency)|Ogilvy]],<ref name="Klara18">{{cite news |title=This Timeline Shows How WPP Acquired Its Way to Fame and Notoriety Over 3 Decades |last1=Klara |first1=Robert |work=[[Adweek]] |url=https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/this-timeline-shows-how-wpp-acquired-its-way-to-fame-and-notoriety-over-3-decades/ |date=18 April 2018 |accessdate=17 September 2019}}</ref> [[Young & Rubicam Brands|VMLY&R]], and [[Wunderman Thompson]].<ref name="Beer18">{{cite news |title=WPP merges ad agency giants JWT and Wunderman |last1=Beer |first1=Jeff |work=[[PR Week]] |url=https://www.prweek.com/article/1422439/ogilvy-consolidates-agencies-one-p-l |date=26 November 2018 |accessdate=7 January 2020}}</ref> WPP's digital company holdings include [[AKQA]].<ref name="Klara18"/> WPP's public relations and public affairs company holdings include [[Hill+Knowlton Strategies]], [[Burson Cohn & Wolfe|BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe)]], and Ogilvy.<ref name="Klara18"/> WPP's media investment management company holdings include [[GroupM]], [[Mindshare (firm)|Mindshare]], [[MEC (media agency)|Wavemaker]] and [[Essence Global|Essence]].<ref name="Spanier17">{{cite news |title=WPP unveils Wavemaker as name of merged MEC-Maxus agency |last1=Spanier |first1=Gideon |work=[[Campaign (magazine)|Campaign]] |url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/wpp-unveils-wavemaker-name-merged-mec-maxus-agency/1443769 |date=6 September 2017 |accessdate=7 January 2020}}</ref> WPP's research insight and consulting companies include [[Kantar Group|Kantar]].<ref name="Nilsson19">{{cite news |title=WPP slims down with Kantar stake sale |last1=Nilsson |first1=Patricia |last2=Espinoza |first2=Javier |work=[[Financial Times]] |url=https://www.ft.com/content/9ef7e7b6-a46d-11e9-a282-2df48f366f7d |date=12 July 2019 |accessdate=7 January 2020}}</ref> [[Hogarth Worldwide]] is a WPP-owned production company.<ref name="Coffee18">{{cite news |title=Ogilvy Announces New Global Partnership With WPP-Backed Production Company Hogarth |last1=Coffee |first1=Patrick |work=[[Adweek]] |url=https://www.adweek.com/agencies/ogilvy-announces-new-global-partnership-with-wpp-backed-production-company-hogarth/ |date=27 February 2018 |accessdate=7 January 2020}}</ref> WPP-owned brand consultancies include Superunion (a combination of [[Brand Union]], [[Lambie-Nairn]], and three other brand consulting businesses)<ref name="McCarthy18">{{cite news |title=Landor names CCO Knapp as chairman to keep brand strategy' core to client transformation |last1=McCarthy |first1=John |work=The Drum |url=https://www.thedrum.com/news/2018/10/24/landor-names-cco-knapp-chairman-keep-brand-strategy-core-client-transformation |date=24 October 2018 |accessdate=17 September 2019}}</ref><ref name="Rittenhouse18">{{cite news |title=WPP’s New Global Brand Agency Combines 5 of Its Consultancies and Design Shops |last1=Rittenhouse |first1=Lindsay |work=[[Adweek]] |url=https://www.adweek.com/agencies/wpps-new-global-brand-agency-combines-5-of-its-consultancies-and-design-shops/ |date=23 January 2018 |accessdate=17 September 2019}}</ref> and [[Landor Associates|Landor]].<ref name="Klara18"/>

Would you mind reviewing this draft? Thanks! Inkian Jason (talk) 15:56, 14 January 2020 (UTC)

Done. Best wishes. Dormskirk (talk) 17:11, 14 January 2020 (UTC)
@Dormskirk: Thanks again for you assistance. Inkian Jason (talk) 17:33, 14 January 2020 (UTC)

Television Audience Measurement subsection

I created a draft to streamline the Television Audience Measurement subsection of Controversies that I hope editors will consider. You can find it in my user space draft and below. Essentially, this topic is given undue weight. The live article quotes legal briefs and memorandum of law; it includes the threat of a countersuit, and a response to that threat. To me, it feels like excessive detail for a lawsuit that was ultimately dismissed. My draft below deletes much of the excessive back and forth. It is probably best for editors considering this request to also review this diff highlighting the differences between the live article and my draft.

Television Audience Measurement draft
Television Audience Measurement

In 2012 the Indian broadcasting NDTV filed a lawsuit against Television Audience Measurement (TAM), a joint venture of the former competitors Nielsen and Kantar Media Research which for years has provided the only TV audience measurement system in India. The lawsuit alleged that viewership data were manipulated in favor of broadcasters willing to provide bribes.[1] WPP Plc was listed among the defendants as the holding group of Kantar and IMRB.[2][3][4][5][6]

The lawsuit was dismissed in its entirety on 4 March 2013.[7]

References

  1. ^ Gardner, Eriq (30 July 2012). "Nielsen Sued for Billions Over Allegedly Manipulated TV Ratings". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  2. ^ Shamni Pande and Anusha Subramanian (2 September 2012). "Taming TAM:What is holding India back from improving TV audience measurement?". Business Today.
  3. ^ Anusha Subramanian (3 August 2012). "NDTV bells the cat, files suit against TAM". Business Today.
  4. ^ "NDTV sues Nielsen for viewership data manipulation". Business Today. Press Trust of India. 2 August 2012.
  5. ^ "NDTV-WPP war of words continues over ratings issue". Business Standard. 28 August 2012.
  6. ^ "Advertising firm WPP may sue NDTV for defamation". The Economic Times. 23 August 2012.
  7. ^ "WPP Statement on Dismissal of NDTV Law Suit". WPP. 10 March 2013.
Markup

===Television Audience Measurement===

In 2012 the Indian broadcasting [[NDTV]] filed a lawsuit against Television Audience Measurement (TAM), a joint venture of the former competitors [[Nielsen Company|Nielsen]] and Kantar Media Research which for years has provided the only TV audience measurement system in India. The lawsuit alleged that viewership data were manipulated in favor of broadcasters willing to provide bribes.<ref name="Gardner12">{{cite news |title=Nielsen Sued for Billions Over Allegedly Manipulated TV Ratings |last1=Gardner |first1=Eriq |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/nielsen-sued-billions-manipulated-ratings-355829 |date=30 July 2012 |accessdate=25 September 2019}}</ref> WPP Plc was listed among the defendants as the holding group of Kantar and IMRB.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/ndtv-sues-tam-nielsen/1/187015.html|title=Taming TAM:What is holding India back from improving TV audience measurement?|author=Shamni Pande and Anusha Subramanian|date=2 September 2012|publisher=Business Today}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/ndtv-bells-the-cat-files-suit-against-tam/1/186887.html|title=NDTV bells the cat, files suit against TAM|author=Anusha Subramanian|date=3 August 2012|work=Business Today}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/ndtv-sues-nielsen-for-viewership-data-manipulation/1/186880.html|title=NDTV sues Nielsen for viewership data manipulation|agency=Press Trust of India|work=Business Today|date=2 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ndtv-wpp-warwords-continues-over-ratings-issue/484666/|title=NDTV-WPP war of words continues over ratings issue|date=28 August 2012|work=Business Standard}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-08-23/news/33342265_1_wpp-ndtv-viewership-data|title=Advertising firm WPP may sue NDTV for defamation|date=23 August 2012|work=The Economic Times}}</ref>

The lawsuit was dismissed in its entirety on 4 March 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wpp.com/wpp/press/2013/mar/10/wpp-statement-on-dismissal-of-ndtv-law-suit/|title=WPP Statement on Dismissal of NDTV Law Suit|work=WPP|date=10 March 2013}}</ref>

Again, I'd prefer to have an uninvolved editor review and place the updates if they look ok, given my COI. @Dormskirk: Would you mind reviewing this draft also? Thanks! Inkian Jason (talk) 14:46, 15 January 2020 (UTC)

I am OK with this but will leave it for others to take a look first. Best wishes. Dormskirk (talk) 14:54, 15 January 2020 (UTC)
@Dormskirk: Sounds good, happy to wait and see if others have any input. I have a proposed introduction and improvements to the navigation box (which has a lot of red links, and things that aren't linked at all) in the works. Thanks again for reviewing. Inkian Jason (talk) 15:57, 15 January 2020 (UTC)
Looks fine to me. Best wishes. Dormskirk (talk) 17:50, 21 January 2020 (UTC)
Thanks again for your help. Inkian Jason (talk) 17:55, 21 January 2020 (UTC)

Introduction

For the introduction, I'm asking to make the following changes to streamline the content and improve accuracy:

  • Update the description of the company
  • Update the names of WPP-owned companies to match those listed in the infobox
  • Remove Dublin office (which has closed) and correct secondary stock listing to New York Stock Exchange. The live article says NASDAQ, which is incorrect
  • Simplify the content on WPP leadership
Introduction

WPP plc is a multinational communications, advertising, public relations, technology, and commerce holding company headquartered in London, England. It is considered the world's largest advertising company, as of 2019. WPP plc owns many companies, which includes advertising, public relations, media, and market research networks such as AKQA, BCW, Essence Global, Grey, GroupM, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Kantar Group, Mindshare, Ogilvy, Wavemaker, Wunderman Thompson, and VMLY&R. It is one of the "Big Five" agency companies, alongside Dentsu, Publicis, Interpublic Group of Companies and Omnicom.[1] WPP has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.[2] It has a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange.[3]

On 14 April 2018, Martin Sorrell retired 33 years after founding the company. Roberto Quarta is chairman.[4] Mark Read is CEO.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Advertising's Big Four: It's Their World Now". The New York Times.
  2. ^ "WPP". London Stock Exchange. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  3. ^ "WPP". New York Stock Exchange. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  4. ^ "WPP CEO Sorrell Quits After Three Decades at Top of Ad World". Bloomberg.com. 14 April 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  5. ^ "WPP names Mark Read as CEO". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
Markup

'''WPP plc''' is a [[Multinational corporation|multinational]] [[communications]], [[advertising agency|advertising]], [[public relations]], technology, and commerce holding company headquartered in [[London]], [[England]]. It is considered the world's largest advertising company, as of 2019. WPP plc owns many companies, which includes advertising, public relations, media, and [[market research]] networks such as [[AKQA]], [[Burson Cohn & Wolfe|BCW]], [[Essence Global]], [[Grey Global Group|Grey]], [[GroupM]], [[Hill+Knowlton Strategies]], [[Kantar Group]], [[Mindshare (firm)|Mindshare]], [[Ogilvy (agency)|Ogilvy]], [[MEC (media agency)|Wavemaker]], [[Wunderman Thompson]], and [[Young & Rubicam|VMLY&R]]. It is one of the "Big Five" agency companies, alongside [[Dentsu]], [[Publicis]], [[Interpublic Group of Companies]] and [[Omnicom]].<ref name="Advertising's Big Four: It's Their World Now">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/31/business/advertising-s-big-four-it-s-their-world-now.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm| title=Advertising's Big Four: It's Their World Now| work=The New York Times}}</ref> WPP has a primary listing on the [[London Stock Exchange]] and is a constituent of the [[FTSE 100 Index]].<ref name="LSE">{{cite web |title=WPP |work=[[London Stock Exchange]] |url=https://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/prices-and-markets/stocks/summary/company-summary/JE00B8KF9B49JEGBXSET1.html?lang=en |accessdate=17 September 2019}}</ref> It has a secondary listing on the [[New York Stock Exchange]].<ref name="NYSE">{{cite web |title=WPP |work=[[New York Stock Exchange]] |url=https://www.nyse.com/quote/XNYS:WPP |accessdate=17 September 2019}}</ref>

On 14 April 2018, [[Martin Sorrell]] retired 33 years after founding the company. [[Roberto Quarta]] is chairman.<ref name="bloomberg-april-2018">{{cite web|title=WPP CEO Sorrell Quits After Three Decades at Top of Ad World|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-14/wpp-ceo-sorrell-quits-after-three-decades-at-top-of-ad-world|website=Bloomberg.com|accessdate=14 April 2018|language=en|date=14 April 2018}}</ref> Mark Read is [[CEO]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-wpp-ceo/ad-giant-wpp-names-read-as-ceo-for-post-sorrell-era-idUKKCN1LJ0O4|title=WPP names Mark Read as CEO|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>

Again, I'd prefer to have an uninvolved editor review and place the updates if they look ok, given my COI. @Dormskirk: If you have the time, would you be willing to review this request as well? I appreciate all your help reviewing these requests, and I believe this will be my last section re-write request.

Thanks! Inkian Jason (talk) 19:31, 21 January 2020 (UTC)

Looks good to me. I have added an extra reference. Dormskirk (talk) 19:38, 21 January 2020 (UTC)
Thanks again! Inkian Jason (talk) 20:09, 21 January 2020 (UTC)

Small fix

@Dormskirk: Sorry to bother again, but I noticed an error from previous versions of the article that I had not caught before when drafting my updates.

The History section says: "The company listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1988." The company was listed on the NASDAQ in 1988. This secondary listing was changed to the NYSE in late 2017. Is it OK to edit that sentence to say:

  • The company listed on the NASDAQ in 1988 (and later switched its secondary listing to the NYSE).[1][2]

Thanks for considering this fix! Inkian Jason (talk) 17:00, 22 January 2020 (UTC)

References

  1. ^ "WPP: a history". The Telegraph. 13 June 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  2. ^ "WPP". New York Stock Exchange. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
Done. Best wishes. Dormskirk (talk) 17:19, 22 January 2020 (UTC)
@Dormskirk: Thanks again! Inkian Jason (talk) 17:22, 22 January 2020 (UTC)

2017 cyberattack

@Dormskirk: I hope this ping isn't a bother. I was looking over this article again, and hope to get your thoughts on the sentence about the 2017 cyberattacks on Ukraine: "Many of WPP's constituent agencies use Microsoft Windows, and the organisation was among those hit by the 2017 cyberattacks on Ukraine, with some staff's computer access limited to webmail only as much as ten days later."

I've been deliberating if this is necessary for the WPP article, especially since there is an article about the cyberattacks and not all companies affected have similar content written in those Wikipedia articles, but I'll defer to volunteer editors such as yourself. Yes, it was an event that occurred in WPP's history, but it's not an event that defined WPP as a company. Perhaps the article could link to 2017 cyberattacks on Ukraine in See also instead? Just an idea.

Of course, if you think it's best just to keep 2017 cyberattack in History, I will support your decision. I just wanted to point it out as something to think about. I appreciate your time with this. Thanks! Inkian Jason (talk) 15:02, 30 January 2020 (UTC)

I don't have strong views on this. I would support deletion on the basis of WP:UNDUE if that is the view of other editors. Best wishes. Dormskirk (talk) 15:32, 30 January 2020 (UTC)
Thanks for taking a look at this, I'll leave this discussion open to see if anyone else weighs in. Inkian Jason (talk) 16:04, 30 January 2020 (UTC)
@Dormskirk: I have been going through the article to see if there are any other updates needed, and I can't find anything at this time. Thank you again for all your assistance in reviewing and collaborating on this article. If you don't mind, I'll ping you if I have any proposed updates in the future. Thanks! Inkian Jason (talk) 15:17, 28 February 2020 (UTC)
No problem. Best wishes. Dormskirk (talk) 15:19, 28 February 2020 (UTC)
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