WPP plc

The company was founded as Wire and Plastic Products plc to manufacture wire shopping baskets in 1971. In 1985 Martin Sorrell and Preston Rabl,{{Cite news|last=Rothenberg|first=Randall|date=1989-07-02|title=Brits buy up the ad business|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/02/magazine/brits-buy-up-the-ad-business.html|access-date=2021-11-08|issn=0362-4331}} searching for a listed company through which to build a worldwide marketing services company, bought a controlling stake.{{cite web| url=http://www.wpp.com/wpp/about/whoweare/history.htm|title=Group history|access-date=30 August 2010|publisher=WPP plc}}{{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|access-date=12 July 2012|work=The Guardian| date=4 July 2010}}

In 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, so 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.[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 }}

In the 1980s, WPP began its strategy of growth via acquisitions.{{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 |access-date=17 September 2019}} In later years, WPP regularly acquired dozens of companies annually. In January 1987, the company acquired Scott Stern Associates, at the time Scotland's largest design and advertising company.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RDVdDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA413|title=Macmillan's Mergers and Acquisitions Year Book|page=413|first=K D |last=George|publisher=Macmillan Publishing|year=1988|isbn=978-0-333-45865-5}} In the same year (1987), the company acquired J. Walter Thompson (including JWT, Hill & Knowlton, and MRB Group) for $566m. The company was listed on the NASDAQ in 1988 (and later switched its secondary listing to the NYSE).{{cite news |title=WPP: a history |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/9329447/WPP-a-history.html |date=13 June 2012 |access-date=January 22, 2020}} In 1989, it acquired Ogilvy Group for $864m.

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. In 1998, WPP formed an alliance with Asatsu-DK Inc. of Japan.

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.{{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|access-date=12 July 2012|work=The New York Times| date=9 May 2000}} The takeover made WPP the largest advertising company in the world measured by billings and revenue, overtaking Omnicom Group and Interpublic.

In the 2000s, WPP Digital was created to develop the group's digital capabilities.{{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 |access-date=16 September 2019}} In October 2008, WPP acquired market research firm Taylor Nelson Sofres for £1.6 billion.{{cite web|url=http://www.stockopedia.co.uk/news/announcement/WPP/090306wpp4313o.htm|title=Stockopedia. Stock Screens, Stock Ranks, Stock Tips & Tricks|work=Stockopedia|access-date=21 March 2015}}{{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|access-date=12 July 2012|work=Ad Week| date=8 October 2008}} 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/mar/05/wpp-results-2009|title=WPP stable after 'brutal' 2009|access-date=12 July 2012|work=The Guardian| date=5 March 2010 }}{{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 |access-date=12 July 2012|work=The Telegraph| date=5 March 2010 }}

In June 2012, WPP agreed to acquire the digital advertising agency AKQA for US$540 million.{{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|access-date=12 July 2012|work=The New York Times| date=20 June 2012 }}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jun/20/wpp-buys-majority-stake-akqa|title=WPP buys majority stake in AKQA|access-date=12 July 2012|work=The Guardian| date=20 June 2012}} In November 2015, WPP agreed to acquire a majority stake in Essence, a global digital agency.{{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}}

In November 2016, WPP announced it will be acquiring PEP, LLC, a project management and procurement company that oversees shopper marketing promotions for clients, in the US.{{Cite web|title=WPP Adds Another Asset To Its Shopper Marketing Arsenal|url=https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/289998/wpp-adds-another-asset-to-its-shopper-marketing-ar.html|website=Media Post|language=en}}

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.{{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|access-date=8 July 2017}}{{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 |access-date=September 16, 2019}}

WPP merged Burson-Marsteller with Cohn & Wolfe to become BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe) in February 2018.{{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| access-date=28 February 2018| publisher=PR Week| date=27 February 2018}}

In April 2018, Martin Sorrell retired after 33 years, following allegations of personal misconduct and misuse of company assets. Sorrell has denied the allegations. Chairman Roberto Quarta was temporarily named executive chairman. In September 2018, Mark Read, who was the global CEO of Wunderman,{{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 |access-date=16 September 2019}} was named CEO.{{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 |access-date=16 September 2019}}{{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 |access-date=October 24, 2019}}

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, the ability to directly advertise on tech platforms, and competition with consultancies.{{cite news |title=Sir Martin Sorrell leaves WPP in a sorry state |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/business/2018/04/21/sir-martin-sorrell-leaves-wpp-in-a-sorry-state |date=21 April 2018 |access-date=25 September 2019}}{{cite news |title=WPP underestimates pinch from corporate austerity |last1=Proud |first1=Liam |work=Reuters |url=https://fr.reuters.com/article/companyNews/idUKKCN1B3147 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212200759/https://fr.reuters.com/article/companyNews/idUKKCN1B3147 |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 December 2019 |date=23 August 2017 |access-date=19 November 2019}}{{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 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/15c7814a-1e3b-11e8-956a-43db76e69936 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |date=2 March 2018 |access-date=19 November 2019}} While WPP had previously outperformed other companies in the industry, its growth slowed starting in 2017 and its market value dropped in 2018.{{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 |access-date=19 November 2019}} Critics said WPP needed to become "nimbler" and "leaner". At the time, many WPP agencies operated mostly independently and competed for accounts.{{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 |access-date=16 September 2019}}{{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 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/3e7f5f78-3bf8-11e9-b72b-2c7f526ca5d0 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |date=1 March 2019 |access-date=16 September 2019}} In late 2018, Read said the company had grown "unwieldy with too much duplication". He instituted a plan to reposition WPP as a "creative transformation company" and make its offer simpler. Read emphasized the importance of technology{{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 |access-date=16 September 2019}} and also merged several WPP agencies: J. Walter Thompson merged with Wunderman to create Wunderman Thompson{{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|access-date=26 November 2018}} and Y&R merged with VML to create VMLY&R. Within Read's first year as CEO, he trimmed WPP by selling more than 30 subsidiaries, including a majority stake in Kantar.{{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 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/9ef7e7b6-a46d-11e9-a282-2df48f366f7d |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |date=12 July 2019 |access-date=16 September 2019}} By selling a majority stake of Kantar to Bain Capital, WPP is believed to have generated $3.1 billion to help pay down debt.{{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 |access-date=17 September 2019}} Read also sold the original Wire and Plastic Products company that Sorrell had purchased to create his business empire.{{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 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/6a6cc12a-9bd9-11e9-9c06-a4640c9feebb |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |date=1 July 2019 |access-date=16 September 2019}}

The sale of 60% of the shares in Kantar was completed in December 2019. $1.9bn was used to reduce WPP's debt, and $1.2bn was returned to shareholders.{{cite web|url=https://mediatel.co.uk/news/2019/12/06/wpp-completes-kantar-deal-with-1-2bn-return-to-shareholders/|title=WPP completes Kantar deal with $1.2bn return to shareholders|date=6 December 2019|publisher=Mediatel|access-date=11 January 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/223803/wpp-to-return-1bn-to-shareholders-from-32bn-sale-of-kantar-stake-223803.html|title=WPP to return £1bn to shareholders from £3.2bn sale of Kantar stake|publisher=Proactive Investor|date=12 July 2019|access-date=11 January 2021}}

In July 2022, WPP acquired Corebiz, a Latin American ecommerce agency, for an undisclosed amount.{{Cite web |title=WPP Buys Corebiz to Strengthen Latin America Capabilities |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/wpp-buys-corebiz-to-strengthen-latin-america-capabilities-271658124746 |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=MarketWatch |language=EN-US}}

In July 2024, WPP announced the appointment of former BT Group chief Philip Jansen as its chairman succeeding Roberto Quarta.{{Cite news |date=29 July 2024 |title=WPP names former BT boss Philip Jansen as new chair |url=https://www.ft.com/content/a7c3c271-c82d-4de7-a719-60a31a026ef5 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-10-29 |newspaper=Financial Times }} Jansen is set to take over from Quarta as chairman on 1 January 2025.{{Cite web |last=Bold |first=Ben |date=30 July 2024 |title=WPP names ex-BT chief Philip Jansen chair as Roberto Quarta steps down |url=https://www.prweek.com/article/1882707/wpp-names-ex-bt-chief-philip-jansen-chair-roberto-quarta-steps-down |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=www.prweek.com |language=en }}

WPP is a large holding company involved in communications, advertising, public relations, and other businesses. It is considered the world's biggest advertising agency group. WPP focuses on communications, experience, commerce, and technology.{{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 |access-date=16 September 2019}}{{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 |access-date=16 September 2019}} Headquartered in London, England, WPP has approximately 130,000 employees throughout its portfolio of businesses across more than 100 countries, as of 2018.

WPP's notable advertising agency company holdings include Grey, Ogilvy, VMLY&R, and Wunderman Thompson.{{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 |access-date=7 January 2020}} The XM Gravity Indonesia subsidiary company was founded in 2008.{{cite web|last=McEwan|first=Feona|title=XM Asia to acquire a stake in PT Magnivate Group, a digital agency in Indonesia|url=http://www.wpp.com/wpp/investor/financialnews/2012/feb/09/xm-asia-to-acquire-a-stake-in/|publisher=WPP Plc|access-date=4 December 2013}}

WPP's digital company holdings include AKQA. WPP's public relations and public affairs company holdings include Hill+Knowlton Strategies, BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe), and Ogilvy. WPP's media investment management company holdings include GroupM, Mindshare, Wavemaker and Essence.{{cite news |title=WPP unveils Wavemaker as name of merged MEC-Maxus agency |last1=Spanier |first1=Gideon |work=Campaign |url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/wpp-unveils-wavemaker-name-merged-mec-maxus-agency/1443769 |date=6 September 2017 |access-date=7 January 2020}} WPP's research insight and consulting companies include Kantar. Hogarth Worldwide is a WPP-owned production company.

WPP's shopper marketing promotions company is PEP, LLC (formerly Promotion Execution Partners). WPP-owned brand consultancies include Superunion (a combination of Brand Union, Lambie-Nairn, and three other brand consulting businesses){{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 |access-date=17 September 2019}}{{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 |access-date=17 September 2019}} and Landor.

In 2005 advertising agency Cohn & Wolfe (later merged into WPP) was contracted by Reckitt to operate a blog as the fictional character Barry Scott, advertising mascot for Reckitt's cleaning fluid Cillit Bang, as a viral marketing platform. In October of that year blogger Tom Coates wrote an emotional post to his own blog about his long-estranged father. Among the expressions of condolences and sympathy in the post's comment section was one from a user identifying themselves as Barry Scott, with a link back to Cohn & Wolfe's in-character blog as Barry Scott. Offended by the apparent use of his blog comments on such a personal post as a spam advertising venue, Coates traced the comment's originating IP address through addresses owned by Young & Rubicam and back to Reckitt. Reckitt initially denied responsibility for the message, but wrote Coates an apology acknowledging the message's inappropriateness, and Cohn & Wolfe issued a statement of remorse for their misuse of the "experimental" blog which they then ceased operating.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Fictional+web+character+fails+to+amuse+net.-a0137734353|title=Fictional web character fails to amuse net. - Free Online Library|website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.prwatch.org/spin/2005/10/4058/fake-blogging-and-equally-fake-apology|title=Fake Blogging and an Equally Fake Apology|date=8 October 2005|website=PR Watch}}

The controversy and its fallout led to further discussions among the blogger community as well as the advertising industry on the ethical issues surrounding blogs being "operated" by fictional characters for the purposes of advertising without being clearly labeled as such, and the extent to which those blogs should be allowed to participate in the greater blogosphere.{{Cite web|url=http://ads.womma.org/2005/10/on_cillit_bang_.html|title=WOMMA's Word of Mouth vs. Advertising: On Cillit Bang and a new low for marketers... (plasticbag.org)|date=12 December 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051212153845/http://ads.womma.org/2005/10/on_cillit_bang_.html|archive-date=12 December 2005}}{{cite web|url=https://adland.tv/content/cillit-bang-stains-their-cult-reputation-comment-spam|title= Cillit Bang stains their cult reputation with comment spam|publisher=Adland|access-date=3 August 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/diary-barry-scott-makes-real-mess-blog-posting/527455|title=Diary: Barry Scott makes a real mess with blog posting|website=www.campaignlive.co.uk}}

With a number of shareholder revolts over executive pay having already happened at other public companies' AGMs earlier in the year, the media coverage of Martin Sorrell's intended £12.93m compensation package drew increasing public attention in 2012.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/jun/17/sir-martin-sorrell-doesnt-pay-advertise|title=Sir Martin Sorrell finds out that it doesn't always pay to advertise|access-date=12 July 2012|work=The Guardian| date=17 June 2012}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jun/13/wpp-shareholders-vote-against-sorrell-pay|title=WPP shareholders vote against £6.8m pay packet for Sir Martin Sorrell|access-date=12 July 2012|work=The Guardian| date=13 June 2012}} The result was a 59.52% shareholder vote to reject the resolution.{{cite web|url=http://www.wpp.com/wpp/press/press/default.htm?guid={84e3b8c4-4f0e-451f-a203-809c08c22a35}|title=AGM Total Proxy Votes|work=wpp.com|access-date=21 March 2015}}

It has been reported that WPP goes to great lengths to lower its own corporate tax bill. The Guardian reported that between 2003 and 2009 the company paid £27m in UK corporation tax, compared to what the newspaper "might expect" based on reports of the firm making 15% of its profit in the UK, of around £126m.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2009/feb/04/tax-gap-series|title=Seeing double: Avoidance scheme allegedly used by UK ads agency|work=The Guardian|date=4 February 2009|access-date=11 December 2012}}

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.{{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 |access-date=25 September 2019}} WPP Plc was listed among the defendants as the holding group of Kantar and IMRB.{{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}}{{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}}{{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}}{{cite news|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}}{{cite web|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-08-23/news/33342265_1_wpp-ndtv-viewership-data|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120824122034/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-08-23/news/33342265_1_wpp-ndtv-viewership-data|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 August 2012|title=Advertising firm WPP may sue NDTV for defamation|date=23 August 2012|work=The Economic Times}}

The lawsuit was dismissed in its entirety on 4 March 2013.{{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}}

WPP handles the accounts of many major oil companies.{{Cite news|last=Dang|first=Andrew R. C. Marshall, Valerie Volcovici, Sheila|date=2020|title=Climate change turns up the heat on ad industry|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/climate-change-advertising-insight-idUSKBN28R1NJ|access-date=2021-07-12}} Asked by Reuters to disclose their client list, WPP refused to do so. WPP has defended its work for fossil fuel companies. Lawsuits have alleged that four of WPP's advertisement campaigns for fossil fuel companies have been misleading or entailed greenwashing.

WPP has been fined on three occasions by the Ministry of Information and Communications for advertising products on YouTube and Facebook in a manner which breached Vietnam's strict laws on cross-border advertising.{{cite news|url=https://vietnamagriculture.nongnghiep.vn/wpp-faces-triple-fines-in-2023-for-cross-border-advertising-violations-d370002.html|title=WPP faces triple fines in 2023 for cross-border advertising violations|newspaper=Vietnam Agriculture|access-date=2 May 2024}} The legislation is designed to combat offensive material which is intended to damage the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Government of Vietnam.{{cite web|url=https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/companies/media-firm-fined-for-illegal-youtube-ad-4682818.html|title=Media firm fined for illegal YouTube ad|date=29 November 2023|newspaper=VN Express|access-date=2 May 2024}} WPP had committed various advertising violations, including inserting advertisements into intervals in the Chinese drama series Flight to You which depicted the disputed U-shaped line.{{cite news|url=https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/media-firm-fined-for-running-youtube-ad-involving-illegal-u-shaped-line-4736552.html|title=Media firm fined for running YouTube ad involving illegal U-shaped line|date=19 April 2024|newspaper=VN Express|access-date=2 May 2024}}

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