As WPP’s Cindy Rose marks a year as CEO, turnaround is underway but far from certain

Cindy Rose has been in charge of WPP for a year. So far, her tenure is best judged by examining the decisions deferred as much as the ones she’s taken.

At the time of writing, the London-listed agency group’s share price has almost recovered from last year’s exit from the FTSE 100 (its first-half results saw shares initially jump 30%, its biggest increase on record) while the company’s performance in the pitching room has also improved.

Two thirds of the way through the year, per COMvergence data shared with Digiday, WPP Media has won just over $3 billion in fresh accounts, by estimated media value, while accounts lost totaled $2.81 billion, with a retention rate of 43%. That’s a favorable contrast with last year’s 16% retention and lost accounts equalling $6.98 billion.

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How a content marketer became an award-winning cannabis creator

Ahead of opening its doors in 2023, Gotham Cannabis Dispensary had a marketing problem. Cannabis was legal in New York City, but social media platforms strictly prohibit selling, advertising, and marketing it. In some cases, you can’t even be seen consuming it. Gotham needed a savvy, platform-safe way to grow and as a hyper-specific and hyper-local brand, the challenge was even more daunting.

So Gotham, which set out to blend culture and cannabis in a high-concept retail space, made one of its own employees the face of its brand.

The company, led by founder and CEO Joanne Wilson, hired Rachel Bell as director of content and engagement in 2023, ahead of opening its first location in Bowery (it’s since opened three more) to grow its social media and brand awareness.

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