Bonuses all round at Publicis Groupe as the global advertising company smashed through pre-pandemic growth rates.
Full year 2021 organic growth was 10% with the December quarter ahead of expectations at 9.3%.
Against pre-pandemic 2019, organic growth was 3% for the year and 5%in the second half.
“We are emerging from the pandemic as a stronger company, and a better one,” says CEO Arthur Sadoun.
Net revenue for the full year 2021 was 10.487 billion euros, up by 8% compared to 9.712 billion euros in 2020.
All employees not on incentive schemes will get one-week extra salary.
Publicis now expects organic growth of between 4% and 5% in 2022.
And 400 million euros to 600 million euros -- about double that of 2021 -- has been allocated to M&A to further expand “data and tech capabilities”.
Sadoun says the company exceeded 2019 levels faster and more strongly than expected.
The US was a big contributor, growing 8% compared to 2019.
“We have doubled our bonus pool versus ’19, but this is not all. We have decided that everyone who have been with us since the beginning of the crisis, fighting on our side, will receive a bonus this year,” Sadoun says.
“This includes 35,000 employees who do not have any valuable remuneration and will receive one week additional salary.
In Australia, organic growth was in the high single digits.
On the outlook for 2022 and beyond Sadoun told analysts: “When you look at our model, new business track record and the dynamic driving at the moment, we are actually confident that everything that we are building and the robust foundation … will help us deliver and will make us deliver sustainable growth and outperform the market in the midterm.
“But at this stage, don’t ask me more on the growth, because as you know there are many external factors and it’s way too early.”
The numbers:
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