WPP has reported a sharp slide in profit and revenue for 2025 as it unveiled a multi-year restructuring plan aimed “for a simpler, more integrated WPP fit for the future.”
The advertising group posted full-year revenue of AUD$25.7 billion, down 8.1% on a reported basis and down 3.6% like-for-like.
Image: WPP
Reported operating profit fell 71.2% to AUD$724 million, compared to AUD$2.52 billion in 2024.
Headline operating profit declined 22.6% to AUD$2.5 billion, with margin slipping to 13.0% from 15.0%.
The company also cut its full-year dividend to 15.0p, down from 39.4p a year earlier.
Elevate28 strategy
Alongside the results, WPP announced Elevate28, a multi-year strategic plan to simplify operations and return to organic growth during 2027.
The group will transition from a holding company structure to a single-company model with four core operating units: WPP Media, WPP Creative, WPP Production, and WPP Enterprise Solutions.
The strategy includes AUD$949 million in gross annualised cost savings by 2028, with restructuring cash costs of approximately AUD$759 million over two years.
CEO Cindy Rose comments
Cindy Rose
Chief executive Cindy Rose said the business needed to address structural complexity and execution challenges.
“My first six months as CEO have only reinforced my conviction that WPP is an extraordinary company,” she said.
“As our clients navigate uncertainty, AI disruption and macro-volatility, we’re looking ahead with a clear and focused mission: to be the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands in the era of AI.”
“Our intention is to stabilise the business, return to organic growth, create capacity to invest in the future and deliver attractive returns for our shareholders.
“WPP will become a single company, streamlined into four operating units across four regions, all unified by our pioneering agentic marketing platform, WPP Open.”
WPP expects like-for-like revenue, less pass-through costs, to decline in the first half of 2026, with improvement in the second half, and forecasts a headline operating profit margin in the range of 12% to 13% for the year.