***Omnicom and Interpublic have followed Publicis Groupe into the lists with their half-year numbers: Interpublic (given its legacy issues) seems OK, Omnicom growing by about two per cent may be deemed slightly worrying.
Omnicom may be falling behind in the digital stakes (although there are views to the opposite). Ditching Agency.com all those years ago still doesn’t look like a good idea.
***Google’s numbers disappointed yesterday with the growth of mobile knocking its desktop click revenue by about six per cent. It’s a mobile world these days and it’s affecting everybody. Google will no doubt bounce back. Microsoft also disappointed and if ever a company looked to be in (well-upholstered) decline it’s Microsoft.
How CEO Steve Ballmer (left) keeps his job is becoming more and more of a mystery. Maybe founder Bill Gates should lay off trying to save the world through his charity and pay attention to events back at the ranch.
***Much speculation in the ranks at WPP over who might take over one day from Sir Martin Sorrell as CEO (obviously at WPP this is a hanging offence, officially SMS goes on and lives for ever).
Current favourite is Havas CEO David Jones (leading internal candidate Johnny Hornby of CHI is deemed to be a bit too fond of a party). We tipped Jonesy a while ago; maybe we’ll be proved right in about 28 years’ time.
***While we’re on the subject of WPP, which we often are, it has yet to report its first half 2013 numbers. Someone who knows about these things told me that of course it’s last, there’ll be teams of the accountants dickering up the numbers after seeing what Omnicom et al have reported. I can’t believe this is true.
Who’s the best of the bunch? How long is a piece of string? For investors, Publicis Groupe maybe.
A really brave investor might cast their eye over Miles Nadal’s MDC Partners. In many ways it’s a miracle it’s still with us but somehow or other it’s survived the recession and the ad business generally is turning up.
If any one of the biggies want to get bigger in a hurry MDC might come into the frame.
***It’s the music festival season here in the UK (I’m too lazy I’m afraid). Is Van Morrison, who gets better with age, on anywhere? He should be. There’s a whole concert here, I think.
Have a nice weekend.
