Publicis Sees Revenues Rise After New Account Wins

Global media group, Publicis, has revealed optimistic results for the first half of 2005, reflecting what the company states is a strategy to make Publicis one of the world’s “top contenders in media and communications”.

The results, which show revenues rising by 6.1% year on year, are attributed, in the main, to new account wins, with growth and profitability now “amply present” across the group’s finances.

Maurice Lévy, chairman and CEO of the company, welcomed the half-yearly accounts, stating: “These outstanding results were achieved through a sound structure built on a strategy anticipating both advertisers’ needs and trends in communication options. They reflect just how attractive Publicis Groupe has now become in some of the world’s most fiercely competitive markets, including the US and China, while underscoring our teams’ ability to understand clients’ expectations and find solutions to their needs.”

The new figures show the company’s operating income rising by 8% year on year, while group net income has risen by a massive 49% in the same period.

The company has also achieved a “marked reduction” in average net debt, with a trimming of the company’s outgoings resulting in debt falling by €329 million to €1,070.

In addition, the company stated that it had booked an “exceptional number” of new accounts in the first half of the year, totaling $6.1 billion (€4.8 billion), one-third of which were in advertising, while two-thirds were in media buying and consultancy.

Publicis Groupe: www.publicis.com