Publicis reports 5.2% revenue growth for 2013 as Omnicom merger remains on course for end of Summer completion
Publicis Groupe has reported a 5.2 per cent growth in revenue to €6.953bn for 2013 as its merger with Omnicom remains scheduled for the end of summer.
The global marketing network which owns Saatchi and Saatchi, DigitasLBi, Razorfish and ZenithOptimedia, reported net income of €816m, up by 11.5 per cent on the previous year, and organic growth of 2.6 per cent.
Reported growth in North America was up by 5 per cent to €3,303m, while in Europe, its most established territory, it grew by 9.5 per cent to €2,060m.
Maurice Lévy, chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe described the performance as "outstanding" and said that it was ahead of schedule to meet its 2018 targets.
He also lauded the growth in digital share for the business, having seen it grow to become 38.4 per cent of its total revenue, accounting for 40.4 per cent of revenue in the fourth quarter alone.
"The only cloud on the horizon was our organic growth in the fourth quarter which was affected by campaigns being cancelled or postponed, particularly in the emerging markets," he continued.
"Our client portfolio, overweighed in the luxury sector, undoubtedly caused us to have a greater exposure than the market. This one-time blip does not call into question our growth plan, particularly for 2014."
Of the deal with Omnicom, he said: "The merger project is progressing steadily; we are currently working through the long process of obtaining the relevant administrative authorizations, one that is advancing smoothly. I wish to thank all our clients for their support and confidence and all of our people around the world for the quality of their work and their efforts.”
The merger is expected to be concluded by the end if the second quarter, the company has stated.