Matt Mullenweg has reignited debate around WordPress’ long-standing marketing challenges with a single question posted to X last Sunday: “What would be the best agency to elevate the WordPress brand?”
He didn’t elaborate. But replies quickly followed — ranging from curiosity to skepticism — with many asking what kind of elevation he had in mind, and for whom.
GoDaddy’s Courtney Robertson responded: “What are the specific goals? What does it look like to elevate? To whom? For what purpose?”
Human Made CGO Noel Tock, a longtime advocate for stronger product marketing in WordPress, offered a multi-step plan: begin with an audit of detractors and external perceptions, align messaging and positioning through product marketing, and finish with attention-grabbing campaigns and refreshed branding.
In response to someone who suggested WP Engine — the same company currently suing Mullenweg and his company, Automattic, over antitrust allegations — Mullenweg clarified that he “was definitely thinking more marketing / branding agencies, like an Ogilvy.”
“did a lot for getting WordPress to the high percentage it holds.”
Not denying they have some happy customers, including it sounds like yourself, but even the most optimistic look at their number of sites puts them well under 1% of market share.
In my question I was definitely…— Matt Mullenweg (@photomatt) May 5, 2025
Ogilvy is a global marketing powerhouse behind some of the world’s most iconic brand campaigns, with clients including Coca-Cola, Dove, IBM, and Ford. The agency was founded in 1948 by David Ogilvy, widely regarded as the “Father of Advertising.”
Mullenweg’s use of the phrase “WordPress brand” also raised questions. While the WordPress Foundation owns the WordPress name and logos, Automattic retains exclusive commercial rights to the trademark, and also owns and operates WordPress.com.
His post comes at a time when momentum across the WordPress project feels stalled and its future uncertain. The release cadence has slowed, with the next major version of WordPress not expected until sometime in 2026. The WP Engine vs Automattic legal battle continues to cast a shadow, and contributors have expressed frustration over leadership, governance, and direction.
Calls for a coordinated approach to marketing WordPress aren’t new. In 2019, Yoast founder Joost de Valk was briefly appointed Marketing and Communications Lead, but stepped down after five months citing conflicting views about his role.
In February 2024, Tock told Do the Woo’s Emerging Tech podcast that WordPress continues to suffer from outdated perceptions — especially in the enterprise space. His advice: “Learn marketing deeply — and do it together.”
In March 2024, former Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy launched a WordPress media corps, an initiative to support independent publications like WP Tavern, Do the Woo, and Gutenberg Times by making it easier for them to access timely, high-quality information. The announcement coincided with her decision to shut down the WordPress Marketing Team, which had lacked access to the project’s roadmap, budget, and key communications channels, including the official social media accounts.
The media corps was quietly abandoned after Haden Chomphosy left Automattic during the company’s first round of layoffs last October.
During an episode of WP Product Talk last August, Miriam Schwab, Head of WordPress Relations at Elementor, suggested forming a marketing consortium of major WordPress companies to pool resources and compete with aggressive campaigns from the likes of Wix and Squarespace.
“Large companies that are highly dependent on WordPress… everyone puts in some budget,” said Schwab. “Yes, I know that’s a crazy idea, but these companies tend to have pretty large marketing budgets anyway.”
“WordPress used to have this wow factor… Now, it feels like we’re just tweaking things. That excitement is what we’re missing.”
Whether Mullenweg’s post signals a serious attempt to revisit WordPress’ marketing strategy — or simply sparks more speculation — remains to be seen. But at a time of slow progress and growing uncertainty, the idea of enlisting a world-class agency to help shape the WordPress brand offers a glimmer of possibility, maybe even a path forward.
Image credit: Yigit Telyakar.
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