 Arthur Sadoun |
Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun reports 4Q revenues inched ahead 0.4 percent to $2.5B to wrap up what he calls “a productive year” for the French ad/PR holding company.
Organic revenue dropped 0.3 percent due to a “higher-than-expected rate of attrition in the traditional advertising business" in the US.
Sadoun sees better days ahead because Publicis' decision to use 2018 to move from “being a communication partner to a marketing and business transformation partner for our clients is making a massive difference commercially.”
He added that the “model connecting data, dynamic creativity and technology is working beautifully and fits the current and future needs of the clients.
For full-year 2018, Publicis posted a 3.9 percent drop in revenues to $10.2B and a 0.1 percent organic growth rate.
Though Publicis began 2019 with optimism, Sadoun he expects a “bumpy ride in the first quarter due to prolonged effects in the first months of the year” of advertising client losses of Q4 2018.
He expects Publicis will achieve a four percent organic rate in 2020.
WPP shares have been dropped from the London Stock Exchange’s prestigious FTSE 100 index as its stock market price has plunged by two-thirds this year.
Public Policy Holding Company registered 23.8 percent Q3 growth to $48.8M, with organic growth contributing 4.5 percent and the balance driven by merger & acquisition activity.
Publicis Groupe reported 3.1 percent in Q3 growth to $4B, sparked by a 3.6 percent jump North America, its biggest market.
WPP suffered a 10.2 percent drop in 1H revenues to $6.7B and a 47.8 percent plunge in operating profit to $297M.
Interpublic reported Q2 net revenues dropped 6.6 percent to $2.2B and operating income tumbled 23.4 percent to $243.7M. 
