Insights & Strategy
The Breakup of WPP's PR Empire: From Burson-Marsteller to a 2026 Sale Process
On April 13, 2026, WPP confirmed it hired Goldman Sachs to explore a sale of Burson — the merged agency from Hill & Knowlton and BCW. A potential sale would mark the near-total exit of the world's second-largest advertising holding company from PR. The full arc of WPP's PR empire — how it was built, consolidated, and now dismantled.