The Aegis Group plc, the parent company of Aegis Media and Synovate, has reported 8.2% organic revenue growth for the first half of 2008.
Due to slowing demand in Spain, the US and the UK, the marketing communications group said its revenue outlook for the second half of 2008 is less certain. For example, client losses at Carat in the US will impact Aegis Media’s second-half organic revenue growth rate, according to the company. However, it remains confident that it can “[deliver] a result for the year at the upper end of market expectations,” the group said.
During the first half of the year, Aegis Group made 14 acquisitions, including five search marketing agencies. The five agencies — Extenseo in Belgium, Checkit in the Netherlands, rmsarcar.com in Germany, Globlet in Thailand and Aposition in France — are in the process of being rebranded as iProspect.
“We already have more search specialists than any other agency group and we are determined to build the world’s preeminent search practice,” said Robert Lerwill, CEO of Aegis, during a live webcast today.
The other nine acquisitions made by Aegis Group were made to further emerging market exposure and to build the media group’s specialist services, Lerwill said.
In addition, the company said that 29% of Aegis Media revenue came from digital, an increase from 26% in 2007. Worldwide, the company reports 3,300 digital staff.
