Our friends at Publicis Groupe ended 2019 with a puzzling yet fun video featuring CEO Arthur Sadoun and key grip Maurice Lévy, now of WeWork fame.
But it looks like there is a good reason to party going into 2020 because of a new report from J.P. Morgan that says the holding company had the best new business luck this year compared to its rivals.
In a recent memo to staff titled “Ending 2019 on a high note,” Sadoun celebrated “global new business rankings” courtesy of J.P. Morgan.
According to the J.P. Morgan Ad Monitor, Publicis Groupe raked in roughly $3.4 billion in new business billings this year. It lost $1.1 billion in business, bringing its “net” gross reported billings to $2.2 billion, the highest of any holding company. The report says this shakes out to about $77 million in net equivalent revenue.
Sadoun pinned the #1 ranking on Publicis Groupe’s “unprecedented track record with wins such as LVMH, Novartis, Mondelez, Disney, Axa and Nivea.”
“Leading the pack in new biz is the demonstration that we have the right model for any client that is willing to transform,” Sadoun said in the memo, which was sent on Dec. 23. “I know how hard and demanding new business is, so I want to truly and sincerely thank all of you who have made this achievement possible. You rocked it! 2020 will be about transforming all of these efforts into organic growth, and I know I can count on you.”
IPG took second place, winning $1.5 billion in new business and losing $433 million. The report put IPG’s net equivalent revenue at $54 million. Omnicom, Havas, MDC Partners and WPP followed, with Dentsu coming in at last place.