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# WPP's Australian revenue falls 4.8% despite Asahi and BYD wins
- URL: https://www.promptthemarket.com/wpp-australia-revenue-falls-september-quarter/
- Published: 2026-10-30T03:30:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T03:30:00.000Z
- Description: Local revenue dropped 4.8% in the September quarter, from 1.8% in June, as the global group fell 2.1% and held its guidance for a return to growth in 2027.
- Author: Editor News
- Tags: Agencies, WPP, WPP Media, Cindy Rose, #author-james-dore

![James Dore](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/01/e4017178-c1da-4131-80aa-35f02cb5b999/content/images/2026/09/james-dore.jpg)

By **James Dore** · 2026-10-22

TLDR

WPP's Australian business shrank 4.8% like-for-like in the September quarter, more than double its 1.8% fall in the June quarter, according to AdNews, even as WPP Media won Asahi, Michael Hill and BYD. Group revenue less pass-through costs fell 2.1% and WPP kept its full-year guidance.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

01Australia fell 4.8% like-for-like in the September quarter, from a 1.8% fall in the June quarter.

02Group revenue less pass-through costs fell 2.1% like-for-like to £2,411 million.

03WPP Media returned to growth, up 0.3%, while WPP Creative fell 5.1%.

04WPP Media in Australia won Asahi, Michael Hill and BYD and kept L'Oreal and Uber.

05WPP expects a full-year headline operating margin of 12% to 13% and a return to growth during 2027.

## Australia falls faster

WPP's Australian business shrank 4.8% like-for-like in the September quarter, a steeper fall than the 1.8% decline in the June quarter, AdNews reported from the company's trading update. It came despite a run of wins for WPP Media in Australia, including Asahi, Michael Hill and BYD, and retentions of L'Oreal and Uber.[\[2\]](https://www.adnews.com.au/news/wpp-revenue-falls-2-1-australia-slides-4-8?ref=promptthemarket.com)

The Australian result was weaker than the group's. WPP's revenue less pass-through costs, the measure of what it earns after costs billed on to clients, fell 2.1% like-for-like to £2,411 million. Reported revenue rose 0.5% to £3,274 million, and year-to-date revenue less pass-through costs is down 3.9% like-for-like.[\[1\]](https://www.wpp.com/en/news/third-quarter-trading-update-2026?ref=promptthemarket.com) Asia-Pacific as a whole fell 4.3%, dragged by an 8.7% fall in China.[\[2\]](https://www.adnews.com.au/news/wpp-revenue-falls-2-1-australia-slides-4-8?ref=promptthemarket.com)

## Media recovers, creative slips

WPP Media returned to growth, up 0.3% after a 2.8% fall in the June quarter, helped by spending from existing clients and new account wins. WPP Creative fell 5.1%, with the decline concentrated in its integrated creative agencies. Every region fell, and revenue from WPP's top 25 clients dropped 2.7%.[\[2\]](https://www.adnews.com.au/news/wpp-revenue-falls-2-1-australia-slides-4-8?ref=promptthemarket.com)

By sector, consumer packaged goods, WPP's biggest at 27% of revenue less pass-through costs, fell 6.4%. Telecom, media and entertainment fell 15.7% and financial services 8.9%, while automotive grew 6.7%.[\[2\]](https://www.adnews.com.au/news/wpp-revenue-falls-2-1-australia-slides-4-8?ref=promptthemarket.com)

## Guidance held

"We are on track to deliver phase one of Elevate28: stabilising our business performance and laying the foundations for a simpler, more unified WPP," said chief executive Cindy Rose. WPP expects revenue less pass-through costs to fall by low to mid-single digits in the second half, with the fourth quarter towards the better end, and a full-year headline operating margin of 12% to 13%.[\[1\]](https://www.wpp.com/en/news/third-quarter-trading-update-2026?ref=promptthemarket.com)

WPP is targeting £250 million in gross run-rate savings by the end of the year and a return to growth during 2027\. During the quarter it kept its global media partnership with Coca-Cola.[\[2\]](https://www.adnews.com.au/news/wpp-revenue-falls-2-1-australia-slides-4-8?ref=promptthemarket.com) In Australia, WPP Media [kept Coca-Cola's Australian and New Zealand media account](https://www.promptthemarket.com/wpp-media-keeps-coca-cola-australia-nz/) earlier this month.

SOURCES & CITATIONS

1. [Third Quarter 2026 Trading Update, WPP](https://www.wpp.com/en/news/third-quarter-trading-update-2026?ref=promptthemarket.com)
2. [WPP revenue falls 2.1%, Australia slides 4.8%, AdNews](https://www.adnews.com.au/news/wpp-revenue-falls-2-1-australia-slides-4-8?ref=promptthemarket.com)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How did WPP Australia perform in the September quarter?

It fell 4.8% like-for-like, steeper than the 1.8% fall in the June quarter, AdNews reported.

How did WPP do globally?

Revenue less pass-through costs fell 2.1% like-for-like to £2,411 million; reported revenue rose 0.5%.

What is WPP's guidance?

A full-year headline operating margin of 12% to 13%, a low to mid-single-digit fall in second-half revenue less pass-through costs, and a return to growth during 2027.

![James Dore](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/01/e4017178-c1da-4131-80aa-35f02cb5b999/content/images/2026/09/james-dore.jpg)

[James Dore](https://www.promptthemarket.com/james-dore/)

James Dore is founder and editor of Prompt the Market and Strategy Director at Bushnote, a Sydney strategy, SEO and AI search agency. He has a background in strategy, media and financial services, and led consumer product marketing at MONEYME. He writes on AI search, answer engines, technology policy and media economics.