Upwards, albeit slowly
Marketer PubliGroupe improves its operating result and is cautiously optimistic.
Marketers PubliGroupe improves its operating result and is cautiously optimistic PubliGroupe increased its sales by 2 percent to CHF 1.98 billion in 2004. While sales in the domestic advertising market (PubliPresse) fell again by 1 percent compared with the previous year, the group achieved a 9 percent increase abroad (Publicitas Promotion Network, PPN). This was primarily achieved in the Asian and European markets; in North America, however, PPN lost 11 percent. The PubliDirect division (Yellow Pages) continued to develop positively and even exceeded expectations despite the three-year recession. This division improved by 7 percent in Switzerland and 10 percent in France, while total sales were 7 percent higher than in the previous year. 17 percent more sales were also achieved by the web services provider Namics, which expanded its activities in Switzerland and made significant progress in the German market. Cinecom, which was acquired in the middle of the year, was consolidated for the first time; its income from the sale of cinema and television advertising amounted to CHF 25 million in the second half of the year, with total sales for the same period amounting to CHF 40 million.
All the group's divisions were able to improve their results, whether through increased sales and/or further significant cost reductions. According to PubliGroupe, the operating result will exceed the CHF 60 million mark. The previous year's figure was only 34 million francs. The consolidated group result should be in the region of CHF 50 million. The detailed annual accounts for 2004 will be published on March 23.
PubliGroupe is cautious in its forecasts for the current year. The behavior of advertisers does not indicate a general trend, it says. While at the same time and sometimes in the same sector individual advertisers are increasing their communication budgets by leaps and bounds, others are reducing their budgets just as suddenly. The advertising markets have become very volatile as a result.
Only the individual categories are more predictable. Job advertisements, which recorded a growth spurt of 11.2 percent in the second half of 2004, are up year-on-year for the first time in three years (+1 percent), as are real estate advertisements (+5 percent). On the basis of current estimates, PubliGroupe is expecting slight internal growth in 2005, which should also be boosted by the takeover of NZZ-Regie and the full consolidation of Cinecom.
The PubliGroupe Board of Directors has also decided to create two new functions at Group Management level. With Brigitte Schleipen as Director of the new Group Human Resources department and Moritz Wuttke as Director of Business Development, it has appointed two new members to the Group Management.
Marcel Kohler becomes director40 percent of the Zürcher Unterländer and 20 percent of the Zürichsee Presse will be ceded by PubliGroupe to NZZ - in exchange for the advertising management of NZZ and a minority stake in the NZZ subsidiary Freie Presse Holding (FPH). However, the size of the P share in FPH has still not been determined. What is clear is that the Publicitas branch NZZ Media has now been established. The current NZZ advertising manager Marcel Kohler is the director, flanked by no less than three vice-directors, namely Stefan Bernet, Markus Stettler and Daniel Truttmann. (mk)
PubliGroupe was able to increase its sales in 2004, but the forecasts for the current year are cautious.
Markus Knöpfli
All the group's divisions were able to improve their results, whether through increased sales and/or further significant cost reductions. According to PubliGroupe, the operating result will exceed the CHF 60 million mark. The previous year's figure was only 34 million francs. The consolidated group result should be in the region of CHF 50 million. The detailed annual accounts for 2004 will be published on March 23.
PubliGroupe is cautious in its forecasts for the current year. The behavior of advertisers does not indicate a general trend, it says. While at the same time and sometimes in the same sector individual advertisers are increasing their communication budgets by leaps and bounds, others are reducing their budgets just as suddenly. The advertising markets have become very volatile as a result.
Only the individual categories are more predictable. Job advertisements, which recorded a growth spurt of 11.2 percent in the second half of 2004, are up year-on-year for the first time in three years (+1 percent), as are real estate advertisements (+5 percent). On the basis of current estimates, PubliGroupe is expecting slight internal growth in 2005, which should also be boosted by the takeover of NZZ-Regie and the full consolidation of Cinecom.
The PubliGroupe Board of Directors has also decided to create two new functions at Group Management level. With Brigitte Schleipen as Director of the new Group Human Resources department and Moritz Wuttke as Director of Business Development, it has appointed two new members to the Group Management.
Marcel Kohler becomes director40 percent of the Zürcher Unterländer and 20 percent of the Zürichsee Presse will be ceded by PubliGroupe to NZZ - in exchange for the advertising management of NZZ and a minority stake in the NZZ subsidiary Freie Presse Holding (FPH). However, the size of the P share in FPH has still not been determined. What is clear is that the Publicitas branch NZZ Media has now been established. The current NZZ advertising manager Marcel Kohler is the director, flanked by no less than three vice-directors, namely Stefan Bernet, Markus Stettler and Daniel Truttmann. (mk)
PubliGroupe was able to increase its sales in 2004, but the forecasts for the current year are cautious.
Markus Knöpfli
