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Goodwill, acquisitions and disposals - Additional Information (Detail) - GBP (£) £ in Millions | 6 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Jun. 30, 2020 | Jun. 30, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2019
Disclosure of Goodwill acquisitions and disposals [Line Items] |  |  |
(Decrease) increase in Goodwill by subsidiary undertaking | £ (2,050.5) | £ 49.3 |
Goodwill impairment | 2,520.8 |  | £ 47.7
Goodwill foreign currency translation difference | £ 473.3 |  |
Projection period for determining impairment of goodwill | 5 years |  |
Global Integrated Agencies Segment [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Goodwill acquisitions and disposals [Line Items] |  |  |
Goodwill impairment | £ 1,630.9 |  |
Public Relation Agencies Segment [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Goodwill acquisitions and disposals [Line Items] |  |  |
Goodwill impairment | 144.8 |  |
Specialist Agencies Segment [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Goodwill acquisitions and disposals [Line Items] |  |  |
Goodwill impairment | £ 745.1 |  |
Bottom of range [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Goodwill acquisitions and disposals [Line Items] |  |  |
Revenue less pass through costs compound annual growth rate | 2.50% |  |
Average operating margins | 6.60% |  |
Top of range [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Goodwill acquisitions and disposals [Line Items] |  |  |
Revenue less pass through costs compound annual growth rate | 5.00% |  |
Average operating margins | 19.00% |  |
First Step [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Goodwill acquisitions and disposals [Line Items] |  |  |
Pre-tax discount rate | 13.50% |  | 8.50%
Pre-tax discount rate | For smaller CGUs that operate primarily in a particular region subject to higher risk, the higher of 13.5% or 100 basis points above the regional discount rate was used in the first step. |  |
Assumed annual long-term growth rate | 0.00% |  | 3.00%
First Step [member] | Global Networks [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Goodwill acquisitions and disposals [Line Items] |  |  |
Pre-tax discount rate | 13.50% |  |
Second Step [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Goodwill acquisitions and disposals [Line Items] |  |  |
Assumed annual long-term growth rate | 2.00% |  | 3.00%
Management forecasts for a projection period | five-years |  |
Pre-tax discount rate for global CGUs [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Goodwill acquisitions and disposals [Line Items] |  |  |
Pre-tax discount rate | 12.50% |  |
Bottom of range of Pre-tax discount rates for Global CGUs [member]. |  |  |
Disclosure of Goodwill acquisitions and disposals [Line Items] |  |  |
Pre-tax discount rate |  |  | 6.30%
Top of range of Pre-tax discount rates for Global CGUs [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Goodwill acquisitions and disposals [Line Items] |  |  |
Pre-tax discount rate |  |  | 7.40%
Range Of Pretax Discount Rates For Regional Specific Cash Generating Units [member] | Bottom of range [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Goodwill acquisitions and disposals [Line Items] |  |  |
Pre-tax discount rate | 10.80% |  | 4.10%
Range Of Pretax Discount Rates For Regional Specific Cash Generating Units [member] | Top of range [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Goodwill acquisitions and disposals [Line Items] |  |  |
Pre-tax discount rate | 19.30% |  | 13.60%

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- Definition The increase (decrease) in goodwill. [Refer: Goodwill] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IFRS -Number 3 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph B67 -Subparagraph d -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IFRS&num=3&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_B67_d&doctype=Appendix&subtype=B -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
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- Definition The amount of impairment loss recognised in profit or loss for goodwill. [Refer: Impairment loss recognised in profit or loss; Goodwill] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IFRS -Number 3 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph B67 -Subparagraph d -Clause v -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IFRS&num=3&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_B67_d_v&doctype=Appendix&subtype=B -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
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