WPP has opened its first UK campus outside of London on the former site of Granada Studios.
The Enterprise City address will be occupied by 8 WPP agencies – EssenceMediacom, Cheetham Bell, Code Computerlove, Wavemaker, Cloud Commerce Group and Kinetic – as well as agencies new to the region: Ogilvy Health and VMLY&R Health.
In total 550 staff will move into the 67,000sq ft office space, which is split over 8 floors.
“Our Manchester agencies have achieved significant growth and success, driven by the extraordinary talent and dedication of our people,” said Mark Read, CEO of WPP.
“It is their accomplishments that have paved the way for the creation of this new state-of-the-art campus. Manchester is a thriving creative hub and it has always been our intention to invest in a campus that would bring our agencies together in the city. This move further demonstrates our commitment to facilitate collaboration, fuel creativity, and give clients access to the breadth and depth of WPP talent in one location.”
Read was joined at the opening by WPP’s UK President Karen Blackett OBE and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.
“Manchester has always been a city brimming with growth and creativity and we wanted to be at the heart of that,” stated Blackett.
“The city is also home to a beautiful fruit salad of people and we need to reflect that in our organisations in order to generate growth. We are thrilled to see this vision come to life and become an integral part of the vibrant Manchester community.”
The office space features 3 double-height social hubs with feature stairs, additional accessible toilets and dedicated mothers’ rooms. It also has a roof terrace, a café, bar and business event space.
“WPP’s new campus, bringing together the innovation and talent of its agencies, will help to solidify Manchester’s status as one of the UK’s most successful creative powerhouses,” added Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer.
“Building on these clusters of excellence across the country is at the heart of the government’s plans to maximise the potential of our world-leading creative industries.”
The Manchester Campus is WPP’s 36th campus globally and is part of plans to have 85% of its staff in campuses by 2025.
