Aegis Media, the London-based holding company that operates Carat, Vizeum and Isobar in Canada (among others), reported revenues of $1.49 billion globally, representing growth of 20% in 2011.
The group saw organic revenue growth of 9.9% – an improvement over the 5.3% in 2010 – including 12% in the fourth quarter.
“The successful sale of Synovate represented the largest structural change in our history and gives the group increased flexibility to move ahead with our program of targeted acquisitions and investments,” Aegis CEO Jerry Buhlmann said in a statement. “We completed 18 acquisitions and investments in 2011, and they have improved our core capabilities and positioning in a number of key geographies.”
In November, Ad Age reported that the group had spent around $110 million on acquisitions, and Nomura estimated that Aegis had another $350 million to $500 million to spend.
The group also attributes much of its success in 2011 to net new-business wins of over $2.7 billion. Businesses in faster-growing regions, including China, Russia and Brazil, as well as North America, contributed about 50% of Aegis Media’s revenue in 2011. That portion is compared to 43% in 2010.
Last month, media shop Carat won the nearly $4 billion GM account, and earlier this month it completed the acquisition of U.S. digital agency Roundarch, positioning it for a heightened focus on digital in 2012.
Referencing its recent acquisition targets, Buhlmann stated, “This is in line with our strategy to increase revenue contribution from digital, faster-growing regions and North America.”
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