WPP is targeting £500 million of gross annualized cost savings by 2028 and more than £200 million of asset-sale proceeds during 2026 as the advertising company restructures around a more integrated operating model powered by its WPP Open agentic marketing platform.
The Elevate28 program is expected to generate £100 million of savings during 2026 on the way to the broader £500 million target. WPP intends to use the savings to free capital for reinvestment in its primary growth businesses.
The company is also rationalizing its portfolio through the sale of non-core assets. Based on activity completed and underway, WPP expects more than £200 million of disposal-related proceeds during 2026 and continues to evaluate additional potential divestitures.
The restructuring is reducing WPP’s traditional holding-company structure. The company has organized client delivery around four operating units across four regions, with WPP Open serving as the central agentic marketing platform connecting the organization.
WPP also launched its unified Enterprise Solutions business to address demand for enterprise AI transformation. WPP Open is increasingly being used to automate high-volume creative, production and media activation, while Open Intelligence serves as the company’s AI-powered data layer.
The company expanded strategic technology partnerships with Google, Meta and AWS during Q2 to integrate predictive and generative AI technology directly into its platform. WPP said a predictive Cultural Intelligence Engine developed with Google Cloud is already deployed with clients to help identify shifting consumer trends.
The overhaul is occurring against a challenging revenue backdrop. H1 revenue fell 4.4% to £6.373 billion, while revenue less pass-through costs declined 4.7% on a like-for-like basis to £4.745 billion. Headline operating margin nevertheless improved to 8.4% from 8.2%, helped by lower staff and severance costs and other savings.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are firmly on track with Phase 1 of our Elevate28 plan to stabilise the business. Our objective for the first half was to put in place the building blocks of the new organisational structure and this is now complete. We are successfully transitioning from a complex holding company to a single, integrated company – with four operating units across four regions, all underpinned by WPP Open, our agentic marketing platform, which enables and connects everything we do.”
“Organic growth remains our North Star. While the turnaround of our financial performance will take time to fully flow through, our strong new business wins and improved client retention, as well as progress on cost savings and portfolio actions, demonstrate that we are building a simpler, more competitive and higher-performing WPP.”
Cindy Rose OBE, Chief Executive Officer Of WPP
