Acquisition

WPP Group PLC
16 November 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          16 NOVEMBER 2001

                            WPP GROUP PLC ('WPP')
                    
 Acquires leading US strategic research and polling consultancy, Penn, Schoen
                                 and Berland

WPP announces that it has acquired 100% of Penn, Schoen and Berland
Associates, Inc., ('PS&B'), a leading US strategic research and polling
consultancy.

Founded in 1973, and headquartered in Washington DC, the agency employs 81
people across five locations: Washington DC, New York, Denver, Aurora
(Colorado) and Houston.

The company had revenues of US $31.4million for the calendar year 2000 and net
assets of $4.3million as at 31 December 2000.

PS&B provides a range of services including research-based strategic counsel
for corporations and associations, and political polling and strategy. It has
developed innovative techniques for developing and deploying the right message
in a corporate or political campaign. These methods were chronicled in Time
Magazine, which called them the  'Masters of Message.'

PS&B's most well-known political successes include its work on President Bill
Clinton's successful re-election campaign in 1996, and the election of Sen.
Hillary Clinton in New York.  The firm has been successful in the elections of
15 international heads of state. More recently the firm worked for New York
City Mayor-elect Michael Bloomberg in his upset victory earlier this month.

But the vast majority of Penn, Schoen and Berland's business has been applying
these skills to corporate situations, in brand positioning and messaging, and
especially helping businesses fend off competitive challenges in the
marketplace.  Major corporate clients over the years have included AT&T, Coca
Cola, American Express, BP, Novartis and Microsoft.

The firm will operate independently within WPP as a stand-alone public affairs
unit and will continue to be managed by Mark Penn and Doug Schoen and Michael
Berland, the three principals. It will continue to do work in both the
political and non-political areas.

Mark J. Penn, winner of 'Pollster of the Year' award (given every 4 years) in
1996 and 2000, runs the Washington DC office and has counselled both President
Clinton and Microsoft on a wide variety of matters. His work has been profiled
in the Washington Post which called him one of President Clinton's most
important advisers, and who for five years carefully integrated public
opinion, policy and message through the many crises of the administration. He
was head of message and strategy for the successful Hillary Clinton race, and
works in similar capacity for the companies and CEOs he advises on a
confidential basis.

Doug Schoen was a key strategic and polling  consultant for the upset victory
of Mayor-elect Michael Bloomberg in New York, and worked to elect Sen. Corzine
and Dayton in the last cycle. The firm won more contested Senate elections in
2000 than any other. He works extensively overseas and for companies like
Viacom, ICN and Major League Baseball teams.

Michael Berland, who together  with Mr. Schoen heads the  New York office, has
focused principally on corporate work, currently working closely with BP,
Siemens and KPMG in strategic, global branding and customer satisfaction
areas.  He also heads the firm's neural network modelling and retail site
location business.

Commenting on the acquisition, Howard Paster, CEO of sister WPP agency Hill
and Knowlton said, 'Penn, Schoen and Berland has been successful in taking the
research skills originally applied in the political arena and adapting them to
corporate issues including brand identification and enhancement, issues
management and executive positioning.  PS&B brings to WPP a strategic
consultancy with a built-in research capability.  As such it should integrate
well with a range of existing WPP capabilities, including the leading public
relations firms Hill and Knowlton and Burson-Marsteller and the identity and
branding firms Brand Union and Landor.'

Mark Penn commented, 'We believe that working together with WPP we will
achieve tremendous growth, and be able to bring our skills and methods to a
broader array of clients and important situations worldwide. We will continue
to offer a unique blend of corporate and political services, enabling us to
take the best practices from each and meld them into winning campaigns of all
types.'

The acquisition of PS&B continues WPP's strategy of expanding its
comprehensive offer to clients in important growth sectors and markets.


For more information:

Feona McEwan at WPP:                           44-20 7408 2204
Mark Penn at PS&B:                             [phone]

www.wpp.com