Global economy ‘less worse’, but not in recovery just yet, says Sorrell

Tim Burrowes

February 1, 2010 10:52

Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive of marketing communications group WPP, has played down the economic recovery, describing the global situation as “less worse”.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Sir Sorrell said media companies in particular are coming out of the economic crisis with like-for-like sales down between five to 10 per cent, instead of being down by as much as 30 per cent.

But while many are declaring it as a “victory”, Sorrell said: “I’m not so sure that we’re seeing that much of a recovery. We describe it as being less worse.”

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Tim Burrowes

Tim Burrowes is the publisher of Mumbrella and Unmade. He co-founded Mumbrella in 2008 and sister title Unmade in 2021. He's worked in the UK, Middle East, Asia & Australia and has specialised in writing about the communications world for the last 25 years. He wrote the book Media Unmade, published in 2021, and became the presenter of MediaLand on ABC Radio National in 2025.