Publicis has turned up the heat on its marcoms rivals with another strong quarter of solid growth in Q1 2026. It’s also juggled the way it reports growth to put pressure on Omnicom which appears to include pass-through costs or expenses in its own growth figures.
Publicis says its Q1 organic revenue reached €4.19m, up 6.4% with organic net revenue, ie less expenses, of €3.46bn, up 4.5%. Expenses are up then, proportionately anyway. North America, by far its biggest region, was up 4.7%, Europe 3.7%, Asia Pacific 5.9%. Middle East and Africa, scene of Trump’s latest war, was down 5.1%.
CEO Arthur Sadoun (above) says: “Publicis had a very strong start to the year, outperforming the industry for almost 20 quarters in a row despite the volatile macro environment.
“In what remains an uncertain global context, we are committed to giving visibility into our performance for the rest of the year. We are confirming our industry-leading organic growth guidance of 4-5%, with the 4% rock solid, and a sequential organic growth acceleration in Q2.
“At a time when our industry has seen more changes in the last 12 months than the last 12 years, we are confident that we will outperform again in 2026 and beyond, for three key reasons.
“First, with our transformation well behind us, we are laser focused on our clients’ growth. This has enabled us to be #1 in the new business rankings once again, and for the 7th consecutive year, and means we are still #1 in the U.S. and China in 2026, even after the consolidation of the market.
“Second, we are further increasing our addressable market in a shrinking competitive landscape, investing in the channels and capabilities that deliver the most value for our clients. This was the case again in Q1, with the acquisition of the content measurement platform AdgeAI, and 160over90, the global leader in sports marketing.
“Last but far from least, AI continues to be a tailwind for Publicis, driving our growth, widening the gap with the competition, and enabling us to expand our partnerships with some of the world’s most innovative companies like Microsoft.”
These days the so-called marcoms elite are a fraction of the size of Big Tech but Publicis, at least, is still taken seriously by Microsoft. And the recent fall-out at The Trade Desk following a spat with Publicis shows that media buying clout still counts.
How Publicis and others weather the storm in the Middle East and consequent energy issues we wait to see. Short term Sadoun will be looking for a lift in his share price.
