BizAims

Below is an abbreviated history of WPP.

1985

Martin Sorrell takes stake in Wire and Plastic Products Plc , a UK manufacturer of wire baskets, following his search for a public entity through which to build a worldwide marketing services company

1986-87

Sorrell becomes chief executive of the renamed WPP Group Builds below-the-line capabilities with acquisition of marketing services companies in the UK and US

1987

Acquires J. Walter Thompson Group for $566m, including ad agency JWT , PR firm  Hill and Knowlton Inc and market research network MRB Group

1988

Listed on NASDAQ exchange in New York Continued acquisition of US and UK-based marketing services companies

1989

Acquires The Ogilvy Group for $864m, including ad agency Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide ,  Ogilvy Direct and  Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide Research firms Millward Brown and Research International join WPP

1990-92

WPP named the world's top agency group by Advertising Age Group financial re-structuring

1992

Launches CommonHealth , an international healthcare communications network drawing on specialist skills of professionals across the Group

1994

IBM consolidates its global advertising at Ogilvy & Mather, moving from 40 agencies to a single global agency

1995

Establishes Kantar as internal parent company for the Group's research interests

1997

Introduces worldwide stock option program for all WPP people Launches new generation media planning, buying and research company MindShare , in Europe and Asia Invests in  Batey Holdings, Singapore-based advertising group,  Chime Communications and Latin American media research business IBOPE

1998

Forms strategic alliance with Asatsu-DK Inc , Japan's third largest advertising agency Continued acquisitions (30+) across all disciplines to strengthen existing networks, including US-based global retail consultancy  Management Ventures Inc Joins the London Stock Exchange's FT-SE 100 Index

1999

MindShare launches in the US Kimberly-Clark consolidates its global advertising account with JWT Acquires The Brand Union, includings corporate identity specialists Lambie-Nairn , and sports marketing company PRISM Group

2000

Acquires Young & Rubicam Group , including Y&R Advertising , Burson-Marsteller , Landor , Wunderman ,  Cohn & Wolfe and  Sudler & Hennessey 35+ acquisitions including  Spafax (in-flight media) and  Premiere Group (the sports marketing/sponsorship company) Commissions  BrandZ research tool from Millward Brown

2001

Launches Red Cell , fourth agency network; acquires US creative advertising agency  Berlin Cameron & Partners

Acquires Tempus Group plc. Tempus' media agency CIA joins forces with The Media Edge to form  Mediaedge:cia

Acquires majority interest in Korean advertising agency AD Venture Worldwide; 25+ further acquisitions including Penn, Schoen & Berland , MJM, VML , Finsbury ,  Glendinning and Ziment

2002

Strengthens presence in China and Taiwan through stakes in Shanghai Advertising Agency ,  H-Line Worldwide (China) and  Era Public Relations (Taiwan) Ogilvy & Mather and Young & Rubicam take controlling stake in LG Ad Inc , Korea's largest ad agency

2003

Acquires Cordiant Communications Group, bringing Bates , Fitch , 141 Worldwide and  HealthWorld into the Group. Bates re-launches as a standalone Asian agency brand WPP forms  GroupM to oversee Group's media investment management interests Red Cell strengthens in UK via stake in HHCL

2004

WPP teams win global HSBC and Samsung accounts, representing more than $1 billion in new business Strengthens creative and media presence in China and Taiwan AGB and Nielsen Media Research create international TV ratings company AGB Nielsen Media Research.

2005

WPP acquires  Grey Global Group Poster Publicity and Portland merge to create global outdoor media company  Kinetic WPP strengthens position in Russia via new venture with Video International WPP acquires Bridge Worldwide , a leading US-based interactive and relationship marketing specialist

2006

China presence further strengthened by acquisitions in advertising, media, specialist marketing and market research. WPP invests in digital partnerships with Visible Technologies , LiveWorld , WildTangent and Spot Runner

Launch of BrandAmp , a musical and brand partnership between WPP's GroupM and Universal Music

2007

WPP Digital created to harness digital media opportunities; forms further digital partnerships with 24/7 Real Media, JumpTap , iconmobile and mMetrics. WPP adopts carbon neutral strategy by introducing a Groupwide carbon offset program and setting CO2 reduction targets

Continued acquisitions and investments in strategically-important regions and disciplines Dell appoints WPP as worldwide marketing partner

2008

Launch of PARTNERZ, a powerful sponsorship research tool covering the fields of sport, the arts, music, film, festivals and entertainment

The Group’s digital capabilities strengthened with further acquisitions in China, Hong Kong, Europe and the US

WPP creates a new UK-listed, Jersey incorporated parent company to be called WPP plc and changes its domicile to Dublin, Ireland

TNS is acquired by WPP and joins the Kantar Group, which becomes the world's second largest market research group

Google and WPP launch a Marketing Research Awards Program to support research into online media and its influence on consumer behaviour.---Source: wpp.com