SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the Month of February 2017
Commission File Number: 0-16350
WPP PLC
(Translation of registrant’s name into English)
27 Farm Street, London W1J 5RJ, England
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:
Form 20-F ☒ Form 40-F ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ☐
Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security holders.
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ☐
Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally organized (the registrant’s “home country”), or under the rules of the home country exchange on which the registrant’s securities are traded, as long as the report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has not been distributed to the registrant’s security holders, and, if discussing a material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other Commission filing on EDGAR.
Forward-Looking Statements
In connection with the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Reform Act”), the Company may include forward-looking statements (as defined in the Reform Act) in oral or written public statements issued by or on behalf of the Company. These forward-looking statements may include, among other things, plans, objectives, projections and anticipated future economic performance based on assumptions and the like that are subject to risks and uncertainties. As such, actual results or outcomes may differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ include but are not limited to: the unanticipated loss of a material client or key personnel, delays or reductions in client advertising budgets, shifts in industry rates of compensation, regulatory compliance costs or litigation, natural disasters or acts of terrorism, the Company’s exposure to changes in the values of major currencies other than the UK pound sterling (because a substantial portion of its revenues are derived and costs incurred outside of the United Kingdom) and the overall level of economic activity in the Company’s major markets (which varies depending on, among other things, regional, national and international political and economic conditions and government regulations in the world’s advertising markets). In addition, you should consider the risks described in Item 3D, captioned “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2015, which could also cause actual results to differ from forward-looking information. In light of these and other uncertainties, the forward-looking statements included in the oral or written public statements should not be regarded as a representation by the Company that the Company’s plans and objectives will be achieved.
The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
EXHIBIT INDEX
| Exhibit No. |
Description | |
| 1 | Press Release dated 1 February 2017, made by WPP plc. | |
| 2 | Press Release dated 1 February 2017, made by WPP plc. | |
| 3 | Press Release dated 2 February 2017, made by WPP plc. | |
| 4 | Press Release dated 3 February 2017, made by WPP plc. | |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| WPP PLC | ||||||||
| (Registrant) | ||||||||
| Date: | 03 February 2017. |
By: | /s/ Paul W.G. Richardson | |||||
| Paul W.G. Richardson Group Finance Director | ||||||||
Exhibit 1
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | 1 February 2017 |
WPP PLC (“WPP”)
Voting rights and Capital 31 January 2017
WPP confirms that its capital consists of 1,331,880,730 ordinary shares with voting rights.
WPP holds 51,026,358 of its ordinary shares in Treasury.
Therefore, the total number of voting rights in WPP is 1,280,854,372 shares.
The figure 1,280,854,372 may be used by share owners as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change in their interest in WPP, under the FSA’s Disclosure and Transparency Rules.
Contact:
| Feona McEwan, WPP | +44(0) 20 7408 2204 |
END
Exhibit 2
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | 1 February 2017 |
WPP PLC (“WPP”)
Kantar Media acquires Newsaccess in Ireland
WPP announces that Kantar Media, its global leader in media intelligence has acquired Newsaccess Limited (“Newsaccess”), a leading provider of multi-channel media monitoring in Ireland.
The company, founded in 2005, employs around 20 people, and has its headquarters in Dublin. Newsaccess’s revenues for the year ended 31 December 2015 were approximately EUR 2.3 million, with gross assets at the same date of approximately EUR 1.8 million.
With the acquisition, Kantar Media enhances its reputation, PR monitoring and evaluation capabilities, bringing to clients an expanding set of insights and expertise into earned media. This investment continues WPP’s strategy of investing in important markets and sectors. Worldwide, WPP’s data investment management companies (including associates and investments) collectively generate revenues of approximately US$5 billion and employ around 36,000 people. In Ireland, WPP companies (including associates) generate revenues of nearly US$75 million and employ over 500 people.
Contact:
Feona McEwan, WPP +44(0)20 7408 2204
Chris Wade, WPP
Exhibit 3
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | 02 FEBRUARY 2017 |
WPP PLC (“WPP”)
WPP’s GTB acquires Zubi Advertising Services in the US
WPP announces that GTB, its wholly owned full-service agency dedicated to the Ford Motor Company account, has acquired Zubi Advertising Services, Inc. (“Zubi”), a full-service advertising agency that focuses on the Hispanic market in the US.
Zubi’s unaudited net revenues were US$18.9 million as of December 31, 2016. Clients include Ford, JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Dunkin’ Donuts. Founded in 1976, Zubi employs approximately 120 people and is based in Coral Gables, Florida, with offices in Los Angeles and Detroit.
The acquisition continues WPP’s strategy of investing to strengthen its “horizontality” offer to clients by enhancing the capabilities of its global account teams, such as GTB, and in important markets such as the US. WPP currently has 48 account teams, representing over one third of the Group’s US$19 billion in revenues, with over 38,000 employees working on these clients. In the US, WPP companies (including associates and investments) collectively generate revenues of over US$7 billion and employ over 25,000 people.
Contact:
| Feona McEwan, WPP | + 44(0) 207 408 2204 | |
| Kevin McCormack, WPP | +1 (212) 632 2239 |
Exhibit 4
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | 3 FEBRUARY 2017 |
WPP PLC (“WPP”)
WPP invests in virtual reality company SubVRsive in the US
WPP announces that it has made an investment in SubVRsive, Inc. (“SubVRsive”), a technology company that works with advertisers that want to engage consumers in the emerging virtual reality and augmented reality sector.
SubVRsive’s clients include the American Heart Association, Lionsgate Entertainment, Procter & Gamble and Showtime Networks. It is based in Austin, Texas and was founded in 2015.
SubVRsive works with directors, producers, content creators and developers to develop video, apps and interactive experiences for virtual reality devices and computers. Separately, in November WPP invested alongside IMAX and others to create US$50 million fund focused on developing virtual reality media projects.
The investment continues WPP’s strategy of focusing on three key areas that differentiate the Group’s offering to clients: technology, data and content. WPP’s digital assets include companies such as Acceleration (marketing technology consultancy), Cognifide (content management technology), Conexance (data cooperative), Salmon (e-commerce), and Hogarth (digital production technology). WPP also has investments in a number of innovative technology services companies such as Globant, Mutual Mobile and Polestar (a specialist Alibaba ecommerce company in China), as well as ad technology companies such as AppNexus, comScore (data investment management), Domo, mySupermarket, Percolate and ScrollMotion.
The Group has invested in digital content companies like Russell Simmons’ All Def Digital, Fullscreen, Indigenous Media, Imagina (a content rights and media company based in Spain), MRC, Refinery29, VICE and Woven Digital. WPP’s roster of wholly owned digital agencies include AKQA, Blue State Digital, F.biz, Mirum, OgilvyOne, POSSIBLE, Rockfish, VML and Wunderman. In 2015, the Group acquired a majority stake in Essence, the global digital agency and the largest independent buyer of digital media. In October WPP’s wholly-owned operating company Xaxis acquired Triad Retail Media, a leading digital retail media specialist.
WPP’s digital revenues were over US$7 billion in 2015, representing 37% of the Group’s total revenues of US$19 billion. WPP has set a target of 40-45% of revenue to be derived from digital in the next five years. In North America, WPP companies (including associates) collectively generate revenues of over US$7 billion and employ over 28,000 people.
Contact:
| Feona McEwan, WPP | +44(0) 20 7408 2204 | |
| Kevin McCormack, WPP | +1 (212) 632 2239 |