IPG cresce e dá uma banana para crise das agências

Pyr Marcondes
30 de abril de 2018 - 7h22

Eu, você e toda a torcida do Corinthians (embora eu seja santista) temos discutido com pesar, preocupação e muita expectativa diante do futuro, o tema de preferência das últimas duas semanas na nossa indústria: crise no modelo das holding companies, alimentado em grande estilo pela saída de Martin Sorrell do WPP, sob circunstâncias ainda não definitivamente esclarecidas, e agora pela prisão do Bolloré, controlador do Havas.

Já comentei que não estou nem aí para qual seja a razão da saída do Sir e acrescento agora que de verdade não me interessa a mínima se o Sr. Bolloré roubava ou não sua companhia. Nenhum dos dois acontecimentos é estrutural. Ladrão tem em todo lugar. Dane-se. Põe na cadeia.

O que de fato temos que saber é como isso impacta nossa indústria.

Pois os números do primeiro trimestre do IPG são, isso sim, coisa para prestarmos de fato atenção.

Eles revelam que o grupo cresceu bem acima das expectativas dos analistas da bolsa de NY, atingindo uma superação de impressionantes 5,9% sobre o mesmo período do ano passado.

Em evento do Ad Age semana passada, Michael Roth, CEO do grupo, declarou que os clientes da companhia estão em “growth mode”, ou seja, “modo de crescimento”, o que quer dizer, estão investindo.

Se não estivessem, obviamente, a companhia não teria tido a performance que teve. Portanto, os números confirmam as declarações otimistas do chefão do IPG.

Isso coloca um ponto final em toda a discussão sobre o estágio atual e, principalmente, futuro, do modelo das agências?

Nem ferrando.

Mas cala a boca de muita gente, a minha inclusive, mostrando que não há um barranco, um precipício abrupto repentino, que se abre de repente e traga todas as agências do mundo para um buraco negro de profundidade tal que espantaria até Stephen Hawking.

Nope!

Não é bem assim e, portanto, estamos diante de um cenário bem mais complexo para ser analisado. E analisado com um pouco mais de atenção aos detalhes, relativizando o atacadão.

Parabéns ao seu Roth e equipe do IPG. Torcendo aqui para que os demais grupos possam seguir o modelito.

Abaixo na íntegra reportagem do Ad Age sobre o tema.

Interpublic CEO Michael Roth at the Ad Age Digital Conference. Credit: Patrick Butler

PG’s Michael Roth: Marketers are returning to ‘growth mode’

By Megan Graham. Published on April 27, 2018.

Interpublic Group of Cos. reported organic growth of 3.6 percent in its first quarter earnings as it suggested clients are returning to “growth mode” and showing a willingness to invest in their brands.

The agency holding company saw a first quarter net revenue increase to $1.77 billion, a 5.9 percent rise over $1.68 billion in the first quarter of 2017. IPG reported an organic net revenue increase of 3.6 percent over the prior-year period. The organic net revenue increase in the U.S. was 4.3 percent and 2.6 percent internationally.

In a research note, Pivotal Research senior analyst Brian Wieser said the group’s earnings were good versus expectations that IPG “undoubtedly outperformed the industry to a significant degree.” He wrote that the ad industry is facing challenges including weakness among large marketers, zero-based budgeting from clients and increased contract security in the wake of transparency concerns around agency-marketer relationships.

“Building on a solid Q4 for last year, we believe we’re seeing evidence of marketers returning to growth mode, which would clearly be positive to us as well as our sector,” Interpublic Chairman-CEO Michael Roth said on the earnings call. He said though there are still macroeconomic uncertainties, “we continue to believe that economic fundamentals are sound, especially in the U.S. This is vital if we are to see clients further invest behind their brands as well as in business innovation.”

He cited recent wins at the group, including Liberty Mutual at media agency Initiative and Edgewell Personal Care to MullenLowe Group. Roth said IPG has remained net new business positive for the past 12 months amid a recent onslaught of agency reviews. “Most of them are not our clients,” Roth said. “We view them as opportunities.”

Roth said the agency group will continue to invest in developing its data stack and products that sit on top of it. “This will allow our media agencies to activate the data for highly targeted and accountable planning and buying services,” he said. “In time, it should also become an asset that all of our agencies can plug into to inform both the messaging and the channels we use to connect our clients with the right consumer audiences.”

As clients face continued cost pressures, Roth seemed optimistic that clients still look to their agencies to build loyalty.

“My view — and I think it’s the correct one — is that in order to grow a brand you have to spend marketing dollars, period,” he said. In meeting with the CEOs of top clients in recent months, Roth said the sentiment was that marketers believe marketing investment is needed to build brands.

“It feels like some of the bleeding on consumer goods and cuts is slowing down. And in some cases it has stopped. And that’s an opportunity for us. The tone for these clients is ‘We have to spend marketing dollars.’ On the other side, they want to make sure they’re not throwing money away on their marketing dollars.”

To ensure clients aren’t doing that, agencies must present a creative idea to help brand affiliation and brand loyalty and present it on the right platform with the right allocation of media and insights to help clients move the needle, he said.

“That’s where the battle is being fought right now,” he said.