Latest news with #Sadoun
The Star
6 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Publicis' CEO dismisses Meta threat, raises yearly growth guidance
Arthur Sadoun, Chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe, attends a conference at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, in Cannes, France, June 19, 2018. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo (Reuters) -French advertising firm Publicis on Thursday raised its full-year organic growth forecast following stronger-than-expected second-quarter results, as CEO Arthur Sadoun dismissed concerns over Meta's AI-powered ad creation system. "When Meta comes along and says that they can do everything themselves, I think that they are completely underestimating the intelligence of our customers, who, moreover, are not fooled," he said during an earnings call. Sadoun highlighted clients' reluctance to entrust their data to single platforms. "None of our customers want to leave their data in the world of 'walled gardens.' None of our customers want to work with a single platform," he said, adding that customers wanted to measure the impact of their spending "which obviously cannot be offered by those that do it within their own walls." Publicis said it has completed its $12 billion, decade-long tech transformation and will now focus on executing its strategy. The company highlighted its proprietary platform, which leverages in-house AI and big data capabilities to track consumer behavior and target individualized ads for over 4 billion internet users globally. "I've been hearing for nine years that the platforms are going to 'eat us for breakfast.' Honestly, I think it's time to stop talking about how platforms are going to replace us, because it's not a reality," Sadoun stressed. The company upgraded its 2025 organic growth forecast to close to 5%, up from the previous range of 4% to 5%, after reporting 5.9% net revenue organic growth in the second quarter. Publicis cited a "unprecedented new business run" in the first half of 2025, including wins with Coca-Cola, Nespresso, Lego, Paramount, and Spotify. Second-quarter revenue rose 10%, with growth across all regions: 5.3% in the U.S., 4.6% in Europe and 5.7% in Asia-Pacific. The company reported $5.2 billion in net new business wins for the first half of 2025, outpacing flatlining competitors such as WPP, Omnicom, Dentsu, and Interpublic, according to JPMorgan data. (Reporting by Leo Marchandon and Noémie Naudin; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Reuters
17-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Publicis on track to meet yearly forecasts, buoyed by major client wins
April 15 (Reuters) - Advertising giant Publicis ( opens new tab on Tuesday reaffirmed its annual guidance, attributing its optimism to steady client spending in the midst of the global trade war and an influx of new business. Publicis reported a 9.4% increase in net revenue for the first quarter, driven by new business wins from major clients such as Coca-Cola, Santander, and Subway. The Paris-based company also recorded an organic growth of 4.9% during this period. For the full year 2025, Publicis projects organic growth of 4% to 5%, with a slight improvement in margin against the industry-high level of 18% in 2024. "The main question for the year is: are we in a position to meet our organic growth forecasts? The answer is yes," CEO Arthur Sadoun said during a call. Sadoun also noted that clients were cautious but were not reducing operational expenditure budgets, aiming to maintain and win market share. He acknowledged the presence of macroeconomic uncertainties, saying, "we could see budget cuts in certain industries for the rest of the year." However, he added that the significant client wins already secured would offset any potential slowdown in the second half of the year. This outlook comes as significant shifts are transforming the advertising landscape. The "Big Four" are set to consolidate to the "Big Three" following the planned merger of Omnicom (OMC.N), opens new tab and Interpublic (IPG.N), opens new tab. Publicis also announced in March the acquisition of the data group Lotame, a move expected to substantially enhance its technological edge in the rapidly evolving digital advertising landscape. The integration of Publicis and Lotame will enable the firm to engage with 91% of all adult internet users, it said.
