WPP weighs exit from the business of public relations with sale of Burson on the table
WPP may be the first of the holdco giants to get out of the public relations industry, according to credible reporting from the company’s home base of London.
WPP’s Burson division, which holds most of its PR capabilities, could be for sale under a restructure led by chief executive Cindy Rose.
The global holding company has hired Goldman Sachs to review “strategic options” for its PR operations, according to The Times.
The report follows an announcement that WPP would begin consolidating operations and leadership roles in a bid to save $1bn over the next three years as it seeks to turn around the beleaguered holding company. As part of the restructure, WPP will end separate reporting for its “public relations” operations and instead integrate its PR arm into the newly launched “WPP Creative” division.
WPP’s bust of Harold Burson still has pride of place… for now | Pic: Burson
WPP’s PR business is centred on the Burson brand, which traces its origins to Burson-Marsteller, founded by Harold Burson in New York in 1953.
In 2018, Burson-Marsteller merged with fellow WPP agency Cohn & Wolfe to form Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW). Six years later, BCW was folded into WPP’s other PR network, Hill & Knowlton, and the combined operation was rebranded simply as Burson. In Australia, much of WPP’s PR capabilities sits within Ogilvy.
Globally, the PR division has struggled in recent years, with revenue falling 41% between FY24 and FY25, to less than $1.5bn.
Locally, Burson has undergone a leadership change following the departure of South Pacific CEO Adrian Warr, who returned to the UK after previously being based in Hong Kong.
Warr’s responsibilities, which also included Australia and New Zealand, have since fallen to North Asia leader HS Chung, who is based in South Korea.
In Australia, Tom Horn and Jessie Gogan lead Burson as market leader and deputy leader, respectively.
Niether Burson nor WPP commented on the reports of the PR network sale, but confirmed the recent leadership changeover from Warr to Chung.
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