WPP chairman complains some businesses see creativity as ‘lipstick to make a product look more appealing’

“At least in the context of marketing communications, I believe that much of the business world, much of the financial world and even much of the media world, has still not fully grasped the nature of this word 'creativity',” he said.

“I believe there are still businesses that still see creativity as little more than a cosmetic: a final touch of lipstick to make a product look more appealing.

“And secondly - and this is where my exasperation shows itself: to misrepresent commercial creativity as just a bit of fancy window-dressing is hugely to underrate the talents of those who create it. To make entrancing things within the unforgiving discipline of a marketing brief is a very, very difficult thing to do; and all the more so, since it's often made to look so easy.”

His complaints come as shareholders again vote on Sir Martin Sorrell’s pay package, as the WPP CEO could earn more than £100m in share awards over the next three years.

Revenues were up 7.6 per cent like-for-like at WPP, excluding the impact of acquisitions and currency fluctuations, while net sales dropped 2.5 per cent to £3.908bn.

WPP reported that advertising and media investment management and branding & identity, healthcare and specialist communications (including direct, digital and interactive), were the strongest sectors within its business.

Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP spoke to The Drum about his view on how advertising networks were being disrupted, beginning by discussing the change taking place within client companies (see below).