AD Agencies
Dentsu India continues its contribution towards social responsibility with ‘One Day for Change’
Mumbai: Dentsu India has marked yet another milestone on its path to sustainability by celebrating the latest edition of its flagship volunteering initiative – ‘One Day for Change’. Aligned to the network’s 2030 Sustainability Strategy, the seventh iteration of this initiative was themed around one of the network’s global sustainability pillars – ‘Fair and Open Society’.
ODfC is dentsu’s annual initiative driven by its commitment to create solutions to impact business and society positively. This year, the event focused on cultivating a more diverse and inclusive community through activities that empowered individuals to think, feel, and act with empathy & mindfulness.
On 4 & 6 October 2023, a two-day event was organised at dentsu offices in Mumbai, Gurgaon, Bangalore, and Pune. Indoor and outdoor activities were planned in collaboration with Giftabled, an NGO that focuses on life skills, fine motor skills, and perception for children with autism and developmental delays. The event drew enthusiastic participation from over 478 employees contributing over 1434 hours across the two days.
The outdoor activity emphasized the importance of eating nutritious meals and creating healthy and hygienic behaviors in children. It also provided them with the necessary knowledge and abilities to care for themselves, prevent illness, and live better lives. The indoor exercise, on the other hand, was designed to address the issues connected with sensory processing and perceptual skills that are frequent in children with cognitive deficits and autism. It gave volunteers the opportunity to design games for children who struggle with sensory processing and perceptual skills utilizing colors and sensory aspects.
Commenting on the event, dentsu CEO Harsha Razdan said, “Sustainability is not just an idea; it is a way of being. At dentsu, our social impact goals are driven by our commitment to offer people-centered transformations that shape society. Our priority is to empower people – in business and beyond. As a leader in the space, we are privileged to have the expertise to influence people, making it our moral responsibility to ensure that opportunity and equality are provided as fundamental rights. They are not meant to be earned, but rather to be owned. Our goal for ODfC 2023 was to give this vision a boost, modify preconceptions, and embed the values that drive an open and fair society for all.”
AD Agencies
Publicis posts €4.19bn Q1 revenue, 6.4 per cent growth; backs FY outlook
Ad giant signals Q2 acceleration as AI and new deals power momentum
PARIS: Publicis Groupe continues to outperform the industry, delivering a strong start to 2026 under Chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun. Despite a volatile global macro environment, the company has now outpaced the industry for nearly 20 consecutive quarters.
For Q1 2026, total revenue reached €4,191 million, up from €4,161 million last year, with organic growth of 6.4 per cent. Net revenue, which excludes pass-through costs, stood at €3,460 million, reflecting organic growth of 4.5 per cent.
Exchange rates had a negative impact of €268 million, mainly due to a weaker US dollar and pound sterling. Acquisitions, including Adge.AI and 160over90, contributed an additional €46 million.
Performance across regions was largely positive, with some variation:
- North America, accounting for 59 per cent of net revenue, grew 4.7 per cent
- Europe recorded growth of 3.9 per cent, led by the UK at 6.2 per cent, while France grew 1.6 per cent
- Asia Pacific posted 5.9 per cent growth, driven by China at 11.7 per cent
- Latin America grew 13.3 per cent
- Middle East and Africa declined 5.1 per cent due to geopolitical challenges
AI-powered marketing services, which now make up 86 per cent of the business, grew 5.6 per cent. However, the technology segment, representing 14 per cent of revenue, declined slightly as clients reduced spending on large-scale transformation projects.
Sharing his outlook, Publicis Groupe chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun said, “Publicis had a very strong start to the year, outperforming the industry for almost 20 quarters in a row despite the volatile macro environment. Organic revenue growth reached 6.4%, leading to 4.5% in net and further increasing the gap with our peers.” He added that the company remains confident of delivering industry-leading performance. “We are confirming our industry-leading organic growth guidance of 4 to 5%, with the 4% rock solid, and a sequential organic growth acceleration in Q2 despite a higher comparable.”
Publicis continued its expansion with the acquisition of Adge.AI in March, followed by 160over90 in April to strengthen its sports and culture marketing capabilities.
Net financial debt stood at €1,156 million at the end of March, reflecting a seasonal shift from the net cash position at the end of 2025. Average net debt over the past twelve months was €1,035 million.
The company has reaffirmed its full-year guidance, expecting net revenue organic growth of 4 to 5 per cent in 2026. It also anticipates an operating margin slightly above 18.2 per cent and free cash flow of approximately €2.1 billion.
With expectations of stronger performance in the second quarter, Publicis remains well positioned to sustain its growth momentum.
