Founder of WPP plc Sir Martin Sorrell, the British multinational advertising and public relations company, effectively the largest marketing company in the world, jumped ship April last year to form S4 Capital which has posted pre-tax operating profits of $20.1m from revenues of pro forma revenues of £135.9m.
“The company’s purely digital model based on first-party data fuelling digital content and programmatic is resonating with clients. Our tag line “faster, better, cheaper” and unitary, one P&L structure also appeal strongly,” said Sorrell. The company’s successful returns have come largely from the shrewd acquisition of content business MediaMonks and MightyHive a programmatic marketing services agency.
Finance director of Saatchi and Saatchi from 1977 to 1985, a master of mergers and acquisitions, Martin Sorrell, became Chief Exec. of the company as it transitioned to WPP plc; the ubiquitous mega corporate advertising company through acquiring the best of the all the rest; companies like J Walter Thompson, Ogilvy, forming a unique business alliance with Asatsu-DK, the major player in Japan, then buying Young and Rubicam in 2000 for $5.7bn, making it the worlds largest advertising player.
Although leaving WPP for S4 Capital, Sorrell is still a major shareholder of WPP plc. With his experience of the sector, connections and access to finance is it any wonder that he is well placed to own digital.
