LONDON: WPP Group reported PR and public affairs revenue of about $331 million for its first quarter ended March 31, 2008, up nearly 10% from the same period last year.
Overall, WPP revenue totaled about $3.09 billion, up 9% based on constant currency exchange rates.
PR still makes up the smallest sector of WPP's earnings. Advertising and media investment management revenues were at about $1.38 billion for the quarter, up 4.2% from a year ago; branding and identity, healthcare, and specialist communications generated $929 million, up 18%; and information, insight, and consultancy accounted for $450 million, up 6.6%.
North America generated revenues of about $1.15 billion; the UK $428 million; continental Europe nearly $830 million; and Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East nearly $677 million.
“First-quarter growth reflected the continued steady overall economic development, despite the continuing uncertainly stimulated by the credit and liquidity crisis and the much heralded slowdown in the United States,” the company said in a statement.
WPP's PR agencies include Burson-Marsteller, Hill & Knowlton, Ogilvy, Cohn & Wolfe, and several others.
