WPP, which includes PR firms Burson-Marsteller, Hill & Knowlton, and Ogilvy, among others, said in a statement that the increase reflects “the positive impact of [PR's] growth of fact-based polling techniques and social networking on the Web.”
Overall, WPP reported company revenue was about $6.2 billion, a 14.3% increase from the same period last year.
WPP also reported net income of about $557.5 million for the first half of 2008. In looking at revenue by region, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East reported 26.7% revenue growth, with Europe reporting 20.5%, North America 7%, and the UK 4.6%.
“In spite of the financial crisis, we think '08 will be another good year,” said Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP, in a webcast. “We'll continue to be very well placed by region and discipline to benefit from the key industry trends as we see it.”
