WPP reveals astonishing 30% monthly revenue fall in first region hit by global pandemic

Tim Burrowes

April 29, 2020 5:29

The global impact of the COVID crisis has been laid bare in a market update from the world’s biggest marketing holding company WPP.

The quarterly update – covering the beginning of the year until the end of March – is the most detailed one setting out the disastrous economic impact of the pandemic for the media and marketing industry.

WPP revealed that during March, revenues for Greater China, the first geographic area to be hit by the coronavirus shutdowns, fell by 29.9%.

Much of the global economic disruption has come since the quarter closed.

Be a member to keep reading

Join Mumbrella Pro to access the Mumbrella archive and read our premium analysis of everything under the media and marketing umbrella.

Become a member

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.