Worldwide creative services and advertising holding group, WPP (Worldwide Partnerships Plus) has unveiled an ambitious multi-year restructuring plan branded “Elevate 28,” positioning the group to transition into a single, integrated company built around four operating units and a unified marketing platform. The move marks a clear shift away from the legacy complexity of traditional agency network structures, toward a leaner, AI-powered model designed to boost growth, improve profit margins and deepen value for global brands.
WPP chief executive, Ms Cindy Rose, described the Elevate 28 plan as a strategy to create a “simpler, more integrated WPP” that can return to strong organic growth and deliver better returns for clients, employees and shareholders. Under the new model, the group will consolidate into four main operating units spread across four global regions, all housed under a single corporate structure and unified through the group’s in-house agent marketing platform, WPP Open.
Rose explained that recent underperformance has been driven by “excessive organizational complexity, a lack of an integrated operating model and inconsistent strategic execution,” all of which the group believes it can correct through this transformation. By breaking down legacy silos and aligning capabilities; creative, media, production and enterprise solutions, WPP aims to emerge as a “trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands in the era of artificial intelligence.”
The Elevate 28 framework is structured into three distinct phases: Stabilize (2026), Build (2027) and Accelerate (2028 and beyond). In 2026, the group’s priority is to stabilize net new business performance by rationalizing its portfolio and executing targeted cost-saving initiatives, thereby clearing the way for more coherent and client-centric engagement.
The 2027 “Build” phase will focus on entrenching a transformed go-to-market strategy, deepening the integrated operating model and bringing together a fully unified offer across media, creative, production and enterprise solutions. WPP targets a return to organic growth within 2027, leveraging the efficiencies and sharper client proposition that this integration is expected to deliver.
By 2028 and beyond, the group aims to emerge as a “simpler, lower-cost, AI-enabled business” widely recognized by clients as a strategic growth partner, with accelerated revenue growth, improved profit margins and stronger cash conversion. To support this, WPP expects to realize about 500 million British pounds (GBP) of gross savings by 2028, funded by an estimated 400 million GBP in phased cash costs over two years, with a significant portion reinvested into high growth capabilities and technology.
The Elevate 28 plan signals a decisive pivot toward end-to-end, technology-enabled solutions rather than fragmented relationships with multiple standalone agencies. An integrated WPP Open platform would make it easier for brands to orchestrate cross-channel campaigns, data driven creative and AI-augmented media planning from a single, coordinated partner.
