After Declining 5.4% in 2025, WPP Restructures for Growth in 2028 With a Bold Two-Year Strategy

This IDC Market Perspective discusses WPP's restructuring for growth with a plan. WPP reported a second successive calendar year of net revenue decline, with a 5.4% fall for 2025. CEO Cindy Rose used the results to unveil Elevate28, a bold two-year plan to simplify WPP's structure, cut running costs, drive greater internal collaboration, make account management more entrepreneurial, and put greater emphasis on professional services. Key initiatives include the creation of WPP Enterprise Solutions, a renewed focus on media and data, and aggressive cost rationalization. "The plan is ambitious and addresses long-standing structural issues and deserves to succeed," says Douglas Hayward, senior research director for CX strategies and services at IDC. "But WPP is up against the clock, and Elevate28's success will depend on effective execution, cultural-behavioral change, and the consequent ability to create differentiated cross-disciplinary offerings."