WPP Milestones

1997 Worldwide Ownership Plan
WPP’s share ownership program gives those working in a WPP company for over two years a financial stake in the business and a share in its success. So far, share options have been granted to more than 70,000 people.

1990s Training programs
WPP has introduced a number of personal development programs geared specifically for our business. Among the most popular are Maestro, which teaches leadership skills to senior talent, and SparkLabs, which refresh daily work habits and inject creative spark using theatre techniques to improve presentation and communication skills. The constantly-evolving Digital Acceleration program is keeping the Group’s people up to speed on all things digital.

1997 Worldwide Partnership Program
This internal program recognises collaborations across marketing disciplines which demonstrably enhance client service. Winning teams, representing two or more WPP companies, are those judged to have made the most valuable contribution to a client’s business objectives. Teams might be partnerships, alliances or simply individuals working in harness across companies, and the winning teams share up to $90,000.



1993 Atticus Awards
Open exclusively to professionals working in WPP companies, the annual Atticus Awards honour original thinking in communications services with cash prizes of up to $55,000. Entries are judged by a distinguished independent panel of marketers, academics and writers. Winning entries are published in the Atticus Journal, now in its 15th volume.

2009 Reading Room
Originally created as WPP Bookstore in the 1990s, the Reading Room features the latest and the best published thinking from professionals past and present around the Group and beyond, including groundbreaking books, new research, keynote videos, the best blogs, Atticus winners and an online bookshop powered by Amazon. www.wpp.com/readingroom

2007 WPPED Cream Awards
These annual awards showcase the best work in all disciplines across the Group - from design and branding to public relations, saluting the many ways WPP companies help clients enhance brand value. The winning work is published in print and online. www.wpp.com/wppedcream



2002 Corporate Responsibility Reports
WPP’s CR report, now in its eighth year, carries comment, hard data and analysis on the CR policies, goals, performance and initiatives of the parent company and showcases outstanding pro bono work, social marketing and cause-related campaigns from WPP companies around the world.
www.wpp.com/wpp/cr/



2006 CO₂ reduction goals
Having achieved the 2006 goal of reducing WPP’s carbon footprint by 20 per cent by 2010, a tough new target has been set: to reduce our collective footprint by 20 per cent by 2020. With the help of Groupwide Energy Action Teams and Climate Champions, the Group is slashing energy and water use in buildings and IT, buying green electricity and reducing flights.

2009 Global videoconferencing
WPP Connect is a free global videoconferencing infrastructure that any member of the Group can use in over 40 major cities worldwide. It makes videoconferencing simple, minimizing the impact of travel and its effect on individuals.

2009 Building Public Trust recognition
WPP wins the FTSE 100 category for excellence in corporate reporting in the prestigious Building Public Trust Awards, based on our Annual Report, Corporate Responsibility Report and investor presentations. The judging criteria were content, quality and consistency of messaging. www.bptawards.com


This article originally appeared in WPP's global newspaper, The WIRE (issue 35).