WPP reports 3.2% rise in data investment management revenue

“Even more significantly,” the company said, “[Q3 ] gross margin was up 4.2% like-for-like, a reversal of the trend seen during 2012.”

Looked at by region, WPP said the division – formerly known as ‘consumer insight’, and housing the agencies Kantar, TNS and Millward Brown, among others – saw above-average growth in North America, Asia Pacific and Africa and the Middle East, however the United Kingdom, Western Continental Europe and Latin America were “more challenging”.

In addition, the company noted that: “There seems to be a growing recognition of the value of ‘real’ data businesses, rather than those that depend on third party data.”

WPP revenue as a whole – including advertising and media investment management, PR and pubic affairs and other business lines – was up 6.4% to £2.68bn on a constant currency basis.

• Click here for an interview with WPP CEO Martin Sorrell, published in the most recent edition of our sister magazine Impact, explaining why ‘consumer insight’ has become ‘data investment management’, and what signal the name change sends to the market.