WPP teams with Ukrainian government to tell investors country is ‘open for business’
WPP is working with with the Ukrainian government on a campaign telling the rest of the world that Ukraine is “open for business“ and looking for investment.
WPP and Ukrainian government ties for ‘Advantage Ukraine’ initiative
Ukraine’s minister for culture and information policy, Oleksandr Tkachenko, and WPP’s chief executive officer, Mark Read, unveiled the ‘Advantage Ukraine’ initiative during a session at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Working with WPP agencies from Ukraine, Poland and Czech Republic, the project will target international business leaders to encourage inward investment to support Ukraine’s economic recovery.
The idea is to showcase Ukraine’s talent and expertise across all industry sectors and make the case for it’s a huge potential for commercial investment.
Tkachenko said the initiative “will create the right conditions for inward investment and create attractive opportunities for visionary business leaders and investors”.
He added: “We want the world to know that Ukraine is still open for business and has the potential to be a key European cultural and digital technology hub.”
WPP was one of the first major holding companies to pull out of Russia after the invasion, which pushed other agencies to question their Russian operations. At the time WPP had 1,400 Russian staffers on its books and 200 staff in its Ukrainian agencies.
Read said the partnership with the Ukrainian government aims to “underline the enormous commercial potential of the country while supporting the economic recovery essential to rebuilding Ukrainian social and cultural life and ensuring a positive future for its citizens”.