Exposing Anti-White Harassment + Discrimination in US Media Companies
FAQs
WPP plc
FAIL
wpp.com/en
TYPE: Global Communications, PR, Advertising, Commerce + Tech Holding Company
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: BlackRock, Vanguard Group, State Street Global Advisors, et al.
OWNER: Publicly Traded
SUBSIDIARIES: AKQA, BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe), CMI Media Group, Design Bridge and Partners, Direct Impact, EssenceMediacom, FGS Global, Finsbury, Geometry Global, Grey, GroupM, GroupM Nexus, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Hogarth Worldwide, Kantar, Landor & Fitch, Maxx, Mindshare, Ogilvy, PEP, LLC, Superunion, T&Pm, VML, Wavemaker, et al.
2024 REVENUE: $18.838 billion
HEADCOUNT: 114,732
175 Greenwich St
New York, NY 10007
enquiries@wpp.com
louise.lacourarie@wpp.com
+ 1 212 632 2200
Through the lens of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), federal law, and New York State's Human Rights Law (NYSHRL, § 296), which prohibits discrimination based on protected characteristics including race, WPP’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the U.S., particularly in New York, raise potential concerns about harassment or discrimination against White employees or hires. Chief People Officer Lindsay Pattison and Black woman Global Chief Talent and Inclusion Officer LJ Louis, appointed in 2022 to advance the company’s “racial equity commitments,” directly oversee these initiatives along with CEO Mark Read, with Louis explicitly tasked with prioritizing diversity and equity.* These commitments included substantial funding for inclusion programs specifically designed to "support Black and minority** talent." WPP’s comprehensive DEI framework includes internal policies like the Racial Equity Taskforce and Black Professionals Network, which focus on advancing representation for Black and other underrepresented groups, with a global target of 30% ethnic minority senior leadership by 2025. Between 2020 and 2023, WPP invested $30 million in a Racial Equity Program, funding initiatives like a diversity-focused agency, Majority, where over 75% of staff identify as BIPOC*** or LGBTQ+, which could be seen as preferential treatment based on race. Mandatory DEI training, covering unconscious bias and microaggressions, is provided to all U.S. employees, alongside the Inclusive Leadership Programme to foster equitable decision-making. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) such as “Noir” (for Black and “Afro-” employees) and “WPP Soul” (focused on ethnic diversity) explicitly cater to non-White identities, with no equivalent groups for White employees, potentially fostering exclusion. Hiring practices emphasize diversity diverse interview panels and partnerships like the 4A’s Multicultural Advertising Intern Program, targeting underrepresented groups, with a reported 4% increase in U.S. ethnic minority hires in 2023. Externally, WPP promotes inclusive marketing with clients such as AT&T, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell Technologies, Ford, Google, HSBC, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Mars, Microsoft, Mondelez International, Nike, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Verizon, Walmart, and Walt Disney Company, aligning with recent industry DEI standards. The explicit focus on advancing specific racial groups and the lack of equivalent programs for White employees could potentially be perceived as creating a hostile work environment or discriminatory hiring practices under NYSHRL. CEO Mark Read, who has overseen these shifts, recently moderated DEI language in the 2024 annual report, replacing “diversity, equity, and inclusion” with “people and culture” and emphasizing legal compliance amid U.S. scrutiny, suggesting awareness of potential legal risks. He has said, “WPP must support and elevate Black employees, and those from other under-represented groups,” which could be seen as prioritizing one racial group over another. WPP’s numerous agencies implement WPP’s DEI initiatives, which, while aimed at fostering inclusion, must be carefully managed to avoid potential discrimination claims under NYSHRL, particularly in New York-based operations.
*DEI "equity" involves prioritizing certain racial, gender, or identity groups with targeted resources or opportunities to ensure equal outcomes at the cost of fairness and individual merit. DEI’s equity focus shares some similarities with communism and socialism in its group-based, redistributive approach, and with totalitarianism in ideological coercion.
**In 2025, non-Hispanic Whites are a minority in Hawaii, California, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Georgia, with several other states like Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Arizona approaching majority-minority status. At an estimated 12.6% of the global population, White people are a global minority. MSQ is incorrect in viewing White people as an overarching majority.
***WPP’s practice of segregating employees into two adversarial racial categories, BIPOC vs White, can be seen as problematic under the NYSHRL and may raise concerns under federal law and with the EEOC, as it creates distinctions based on race that could foster division, disparate treatment, and a hostile work environment, potentially violating prohibitions against discriminatory employment practices.
WPP CEO Mark Read has publicly stated what he views as systemic racism against Black Americans, particularly in response to the 2020 social unrest following George Floyd’s killing. No records can be found of him mentioning the 770,000 violent interracial crimes committed every year between White and Black Americans, with Whites being victims 85% of the time. He hasn’t shared sentiments or enacted policies around the fact that Black men in the U.S. murder at 20x the rate as White men. For some reason, he hasn’t expressed concern or enacted policies around Black men in the U.S. murdering police officers at 4-5 times the rate of White men, despite being one-fifth as numerous. Instead, Read—leading a global advertising holding company—seems to go out of his way to put forward the false narrative that White people are problematic, racist, unjust, violent, and worthy of shame, harassment, and discrimination.
Institutional investors like BlackRock, Vanguard Group, and State Street Global Advisors increasingly emphasize Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors, including diversity and inclusion metrics, in their investment stewardship and proxy voting guidelines. This external pressure from major shareholders likely serves as a significant driver for WPP's public commitments and strategic focus on ESG and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). Consequently, accountability for the design and impact of DEI initiatives rests primarily with the company's leadership and board, who must navigate these influential investor expectations.
This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements. The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice; consult a licensed attorney for specific legal guidance.
It is illegal and contrary to public policy for any organization, including nonprofits, to instruct companies on discriminatory or harassing practices, potentially resulting in serious legal and financial repercussions such as lawsuits for facilitating discrimination, reputational harm, loss of IRS tax-exempt status, and investigations by state and federal civil rights authorities.
As reported on April 1, 2025 by MM+M, WPP removed references to DEI in its latest annual report, replacing them with "people and culture."
DieDEI.co is waiting on internal materials for a fuller picture of WPP’s DEI program. Follow us on social and subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
CLIENTS INCLUDE: ABInBev, Adidas, Amazon, asos, AT&T, Bank of America, Bose, Campbell's Soup, Captain Morgan, Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Company, Coach, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Dell Technologies, DIAGEO, Duracell, et al., Fanatics, FoodSaver, Ford, Google, Haleon, HEVOLUTION, HSBC, IBM, Indeed, JCPenney, Jimmy John's, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, KraftHeinz, Lay’s, Lidl US, Lipton, M&M’s, Manolo Blahnik, Mars, McDonald’s, Microsoft, MiraLAX, Mondelez, Mondelez International, MUG Root Beer, NatWest, Nestlé, Nike, Nissan, Ocean Spray, Pedigree, Pepsi, PepsiCo, Pfizer, Planters, Procter & Gamble, Roblox, ScottsMiracle-Gro, Sharpie, Shell, Sony, The Wall Street Journal, Tinder, Tubi, Uber, Unilever, Universal Music Group, U.S. Specific Clients, Verizon, Victoria’s Secret, Volkswagen, Walgreens, Walt Disney Company, Walmart, Wendy’s, Wingstop, Xponential Fitness, Yaamava' Resort & Casino, Zalando, Zappos, etc.
NOTE: Client lists are subject to change. This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements.