Wins in H1 include Heineken’s global shopper marketing and commerce account, and Levi’s naming Burson its corporate communications agency of record in the U.S.
WPP’s chief financial officer (CFO), Joanne Wilson, admitted the Coca-Cola hit had already impacted the business in Q2.
On the investor call, Read said WPP had factored in that the Mars loss would impact Q1 2026, but “decisions made by the client” meant it would also now impact Q4 of 2025.
Wilson said WPP’s headcount of 108,000 dropped 3.5% in the first half of 2024, marking the loss of around 3,800 roles.
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Amid WPP’s challenges, Read has been upping investment in WPP’s AI and data capabilities, acquiring data clean room platform InfoSum and spending £300 million annually on proprietary AI tool WPP Open.
Wilson told investors to expect more of the same in the second half of the year: “We are continuing to invest selectively in the business of that focus on WPP Media and WPP Open, and it’s our intention to continue to do that through the second half.”
The search for Read’s successor continues.
