Atifa Silk Rick Boost
Apr 16, 2018

What Sorrell wanted for WPP

Just weeks before resigning as WPP chief, Martin Sorrell talked with Campaign Asia-Pacific about his vision for the holding company he built.

"I don't know if we're at a tipping point or not, but we're at a point where the need for speedy adjustment and change is really important."

Just weeks before his hasty departure WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell told Campaign Asia-Pacific brand director Atifa Silk where he wanted his holding company to go in the next two years.  His answer, which included a further simplification of the verticals and more 'horizontality', indicate Sorrell was far from done with consolidating the firm. 

The man who built a multi-billion dollar marketing communications giant will now pass that job to a successor, one that will be made all the more difficult by rising shareholder pressures.  

While we continue to watch how these latest developments unfold, here is part two of our in-depth chat with Sorrell in the days immediately before he become the target of an in-house investigation for an undisclosed allegation of personal misconduct. 

In this video, Sorrell explains his vision for restructuring the company in a way that "breaks as few eggs as possible" in the process, while comparing WPP with recent changes at Publicis.

"I would like to see it fully integrated," Sorrell elaborated of his short-term vision for WPP.  "Clients aren't interested in the brands."

Source:
Campaign Asia

Related Articles

Just Published

19 hours ago

Coachella: The California music festival-turned ...

Reflecting on memory-making brand moments from 818 Tequila, Neutrogena, Pinterest and more as we head into Coachella weekend two.

19 hours ago

Clicks, consent, and conscience: Marketing to the ...

With livestream restrictions and content filters rising, marketers are rethinking their strategies about connecting with the youth, while keeping trust and ethics front and center.

19 hours ago

Bats, reels, and buys: The new IPL media mix

From creator collabs to AR chefs, IPL 2025 proves brands must chase relevance across memes, match breaks, and micro-moments—not just media buys.

20 hours ago

Omnicom Media Group consolidates influencer ...

Creo to operate influencer capabilities across 40-plus markets select markets, while select markets like the UK will operate as OMGCreo.