Basically, you are WPP’s bitch. They own at least a third of the world’s biggest advertising and marketing agencies. This is from their website:
What does ‘WPP’ stand for?
‘WPP’ stems from ‘Wire and Plastic Products’, a UK manufacturer of wire baskets, which became the ‘foundation’ company in which Sir Martin Sorrell invested following his search for a public entity through which to build a worldwide marketing services company.
How did WPP start?
Established as a marketing services group in 1986, WPP constructed its offer originally based on ‘below-the-line’ marketing services capabilities in the UK and US. Since then, WPP has grown to become one of the world’s leading advertising and marketing services groups, comprising leading brands such as J. Walter Thompson, Ogilvy & Mather, Y&R Advertising, MindShare, Hill and Knowlton, Landor, Burson Marsteller and Research International.
Here are some numbers about WPP in China from a recent South China Morning Post article:
Advertising giant WPP expects the mainland to account for 10 per cent of its media billings by 2007 as the China market becomes more sophisticated and innovative.
The mainland accounts for 2 per cent of its worldwide billings.
The company – which owns media buyers Mediaedge:cia and MindShare – spent up to US$450 million on marketing campaigns in China last year. Television advertising accounted for 55 per cent, against a mainland average of 76 per cent.
Last month, it set up an outdoor media unit, Portland, with offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. It expects billings in the first year to come to 300 million yuan.
Nielsen Media Research China director Rita Chan said: “The return on investment for outdoor advertising is sometimes higher than TV and radio.”
The SCMP article is available on Asia Pacific Media Network here. WPP’s website is here.