H&K Strengthens IT Capabilities in Europe

WPP Group PLC
2 December 1999

        
                     WPP GROUP ('WPP')

 Hill and Knowlton acquires hi-tech German public relations
                            firm
            Strengthens IT capabilities in Europe

WPP  announces that its wholly-owned operating company, Hill
and  Knowlton  ('H&K'), the worldwide public  relations  and
public affairs company, has acquired Hiller, Wust & Partners
GmbH  ('HWP'),  a  leading  German  hi-tech  and  IT  public
relations agency.

HWP,  founded  in 1986, is a fast-growing specialist  public
relations company offering clients expertise in hi-tech  and
IT public relations,  including product PR, corporate PR and
investor relations.  Clients include multinationals such  as
Hewlett-Packard, Brokat, Novell and Level 3.

HWP  employs 30 people and has current annual fee income  of
DM5.3m  ($2.9m) and had net assets of DM2.1m ($1.2m)  at  31
October 1999.

For  H&K, this acquisition strengthens its European presence
in  the  specialist and fast-growing hi-tech/IT  sector  and
offers  an  opportunity to expand further  into  the  highly
competitive German market.

For  HWP,  the  move offers access to the  resources  of  an
established international network and enables it to  attract
major international clients.

Commenting on the deal, joint managing director, Conny Wust,
said: 'Supported by the stature and quality of H&K and  WPP,
we  will be able to offer greater depth of services  to  our
current  and  future clients, while we continue to  maintain
the innovative approach that has made HWP one of the leaders
in  its  field.  We will be given access geographically  and
qualitatively  to the resources of a group  which  not  only
provides  one  of  the most extensive global  networks,  but
importantly, is one of the best in the world.'

For further information:
Feona McEwan at WPP London               + 44 171 408 2204

www.wpp.com
www.hillandknowlton.com
www.hwp.de