Media Buying Briefing: What the holding companies’ H1 results indicate for the rest of 2024

First half 2024 earnings results for the major agency holding companies are in, save for Dentsu, which announces this week, and it appears the rich keep getting richer while the rest keep trying to find their footing to grow more than 1-3%.

The rich, in this case, are Publicis Groupe, which is followed closely by Omnicom, both of which posted strong six-month performances — and more importantly, expect solid mid-single digit organic growth in the second half of 2024. Their growth is largely attributable to the media side of the business, part of which includes the blending of data and tech (with machine learning and newer forms of AI the essential ingredients of that blend).

Analysts don’t see that dynamic changing anytime soon. Trailing them are IPG and Havas who expect modest growth for the full year, while WPP remains the most challenged of the Big Six, expecting flat growth at best for the rest of 2024 and possibly even shrinkage. 

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