Publicis revenues continue to dip

Publicis Groupe, owner of Starcom and Saatchi & Saatchi, has seen revenues dip 7.4% in the first nine months of the year but says there is a “gradual recovery” on the way.

Maurice Levy

The global marketing services group says organic revenues drop to €1bn (£911m) in the nine months to 30 September, but says that new business is helping to fill gaps, accounting for $5bn (£3.1bn) in the first nine months. The group is also banking on its digital offering getting better, following its $530m (£318m) acquisition of Razorfish from Microsoft in August.

Maurice Levy, chairman and chief executive of Publicis Groupe, says: “In 2010, our share in digital should exceed 25% of our revenue. The advertising market is starting its recovery, which will be slow and progressive. First positive growth numbers should be established during the second half of 2010. Publicis Groupe should continue to outperform the market.”

The organic growth is a gradual improvement on the group’s second quarter results, which saw revenues slide 8.6%.

Revenue growth is also getting closer to the group’s performance in the last financial year. The group’s revenue for the first nine months of 2009 was €3.3bn (£3bn), down just 2.3% on the previous financial year.