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WPP is set to retire its GroupM brand, which houses its media agencies, renaming it WPP Media, per several industry reports.
ADWEEK also learned of the decision to sunset the 20-year-old name from a source with knowledge of the matter.
A WPP spokesperson told ADWEEK: “We don’t comment on speculation.”
Switching out the 20-year-old name is set to occur before summer, and follows what WPP chief executive (CEO) Mark Read described in the company’s annual report as a “year of transition” for the media investment division under new CEO Brian Lesser, who joined in September 2024.
GroupM employs around 40,000 people, more than a third of WPP’s total global workforce.
Ad Age reported that there will be layoffs as part of the process, related to the consolidation of individual media agency teams. WPP declined to comment on any reduction in staff.
The (media) jewel in WPP’s crown
Just now, GroupM operates with a core group of four global agencies: Mindshare, Wavemaker, EssenceMediacom, and T&Pm. It also offers cross-channel performance via GroupM Nexus, data solutions through Choreograph, and entertainment services via GroupM Motion Entertainment.
Per WPP’s website, GroupM manages $63 billion worth of media budgets. Major clients include Amazon and Unilever. Coca-Cola is also a key account, however WPP recently lost the soda giant’s North American media business to rival Publicis Groupe.
Lesser revamped GroupM’s leadership restructure in January 2025, axing global CEO positions for individual agencies and naming McKinsey & Company’s Emily Del Greco global chief operating officer (COO).
Read recently told ADWEEK that GroupM was a key player in WPP’s turnaround plan as it posted a 5% Q1 2025 revenue dip amid ongoing financial struggles.
Year-on-year revenue declined at GroupM for the quarter too, with growth in the U.S. offset by client losses from “previous years” and weakness in China.
“At its best, GroupM is extremely competitive. We just need to make sure they’re on their best every day of the week,” Read said at the end of April.
The CEO’s six-year tenure at WPP has been marked by consolidation to cut operating costs.
One big change on the creative side involved bringing together VML and Y&R with Wunderman Thomson under the VML brand. On the media side, Read merged digital media agency Essence and media buying firm Mediacom to form EssenceMediacom.
He also merged five of WPP’s branding and design agencies into Superunion, which was then combined with Design Bridge to create Design Bridge and Partners.
