WPP Russia

Assets

As of mid-2015, WPP is represented by all its main brands in Russia. The holding has local offices of its creative networks Young & Rubicam, JWT, Grey and Ogilvy & Mather, as well as specializing in advertising procurement Mindshare, Mediacom, Maxus and MEC.

In addition, there is a local office of the Hill + Knowlton PR network in Moscow, and the representative of another PR network - Burson-Marsteller - is the Mikhailov & Partners agency. The ^[1].

WPP's research business is represented in Russia by TNS Russia, which has been a television audience meter since the early 2000s, and Armi-Marketing, which is controlled by the Millward Brown network. In total, taking into account the thematic divisions of the main networks, the holding in Russia has more than thirty companies, indicated on the WPP website.

The management of the assets of the British holding is not consolidated. Only to manage agencies specializing in advertising procurement, Group M. In Russia, its office also manages the local office of the JWT creative network. Until 2014, the co-owners of several agencies managed by Group M were former shareholders of Video International, but later WPP became their sole owner.

Performance indicators

The Russian revenue of WPP in 2014 exceeded £300 million ($494 million), follows from the presentation for investors.

History

2015: Ruslan Tagiyev - Head of the Company

In July 2015, it became known that Ruslan Tagiyev, general director of TNS Russian research company, was appointed head of the entire Russian division of WPP. This was announced this week by the general director of the entire WPP Martin Sorrell in writing to the management of all Russian companies owned by the British holding. At the same time, Tagiev retained the position of general director of TNS.

Ruslan Tagiyev confirmed his appointment, specifying that, in fact, we are talking about the position of country manager. WPP already has such leaders in more than ten countries, now it is the turn of Russia, Tagiyev added.

Until now, top managers of advertising agencies have become country managers at WPP, now a representative of a research company is responsible for the whole country, Tagiyev notes. In his opinion, this indicates the role that this industry now plays in the communications business.

Ruslan Tagiyev is one of the most famous managers in the Russian media advertising market. He stood at the origins of TNS Russia, whose data I consider to be a currency when selling advertising on TV, radio, the press and the Internet. Tagiyev was a minority shareholder of TNS Russia until 2013, when WPP bought his package.

2012: Acquisition of the Russian agency Grape

In May 2012, it became known that the British communication holding WPP, through its subsidiary Possible Worldwide, acquires a controlling stake in the Russian agency Grape, which specializes in the digital segment (advertising, PR and Internet marketing). Among the clients of the agency at the time of the transaction are MTS, Unilever, SABMiller, Henkel, Reckitt Benckiser, JTI, Diageo and others. The amount of the transaction and its details were not disclosed. The interlocutor of RBC daily in the media market estimated a 51% stake in the company at 150-160 million rubles. Sources familiar with the situation claim that it is "significantly higher."

The purchase of a Russian company meets the strategy for the development of a communications holding. WPP seeks to strengthen its position in fast-growing markets and is growing in digital media.

Grape CEO Andrei Anishchenko confirmed the fact of the transaction, but refused to call the amount of the transaction.

"We are joining the digital network Possible Worldwide. Russia, represented by our agency, is the last in the BRIC countries to fall into a large international holding. At the same time, Grape does not join the classic advertising agency, but digital. The leaders of such agencies inside Possible Worldwide are people of similar mentality, motivation. We want to make Grape a well-known world agency, participate in global projects^[2].

2011: Revenue more than $200 million

The total Russian revenue of the structures controlled by WPP (GroupM Russia, Grey Group Russia, Ogilvy Group Russia, Y&R, JWT) exceeds $200 million per year (May 2012 data).

2007: Purchase of 49.9% of Russian PBN agency

In early September 2007, the WPP Group communications holding acquired 49.9% of PBN (political and business consulting in Russia and the CIS countries), which showed revenue of $10.6 million in 2006.

Notes