WPP Australia has reported a larger organic decline than global in the first quarter of 2026.
WPP’s global organic revenue was down 4 per cent, while in Australia the decline was 7.9 per cent year on year.
This was an improvement on the previous quarter in which Australia reported an 8.3 per cent decline.
WPP Media down 8.5 per cent globally and creative agencies down by 6.4 per cent. PR declined by 2.6 per cent and other specialist agencies were down 2.3 per cent.
Globally, WPP blamed the revenue drop on account losses and clients spending less. In Australia, WPP Media has had a solid run of new business wins in the past year, including BYD and Suncorp.
B&T has approached WPP for comment about its Q1 Australia results.
In February, WPP revealed it was planning to consolidate its back office functions and transition from a holding company structure to a single P&L after reporting a huge 71 pr cent decline in profit.
The company aims to save £500m ($950 million) in gross costs over the next two years as part of a strategic plan labelled ‘Elevate 28’.
Elevate 28 aims to simplify the business to deliver fully integrated, AI-enabled solutions via WPP Open through four core operating divisions: WPP Media, WPP Creative, WPP Production and WPP Enterprise Solutions.
In a press release, WPP CEO Cindy Rose said the Q1 results reflect the stabilisation phase of the Elevate28 strategy.
“Building a simpler, integrated WPP – powered by WPP Open – is resonating with clients and driving strong new business. While it is only a few months since we unveiled our Elevate28 strategy, I am encouraged by this momentum which validates the ‘Stabilisation’ phase of the plan and our path to growth,” she said.
“Consistent organic growth remains our North Star. While it will take time to outpace historical losses, our Q1 results are in line with expectations and ahead of Q4 2025.”
