• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, October 20, 2011

Publicis Groupe posted a 7.5% increase in third-quarter revenues to $1.95 billion, with organic revenue growth (which excludes acquisitions and divestitures) of 6.4%. By comparison, organic growth in the same period a year ago was 9.2%.

For the first nine months of the year, revenues were $5.78 billion, up 6.7% from a year ago. Organic growth for the nine-month period was 6.9%, slightly higher than 6.6% achieved through the first nine months of 2010. The Paris-based agency holding company did not disclose profits for the third quarter or the first nine months.

For the first time, the company said its Specialized Agencies and Marketing Services division -- including direct marketing, PR, health care and other units as well as all digital operations -- accounted for 50% of the company’s revenue, up 2 percentage points from the first nine months of 2010.

Digital revenues accounted for just over 30% of total revenue for the first three quarters, up from 28.7% during the same period last year. Advertising made up 31% of the company’s revenues in the period, down from 33% a year ago, while the share of media-related revenues remained flat at 19%.

Publicis Groupe CEO Maurice Levy stated that the company was “well on the way” to meeting the growth goals that the firm set for itself this year in both digital and emerging markets. He described those areas as the firm’s “two strategic pillars for growth.”  

At 30% of revenues, the digital goal has already been reached, Levy said. Through the first nine months, emerging markets account for 23.7%, close to the 25% objective, said Levy. “We will be intensifying our efforts at development and investment given the key interest of these sectors for our clients,” he said.

Levy referred to the “economic slowdown” indicated by numerous downgraded forecasts in ad spending growth for 2011, and cautioned that “much of the decrease may occur in the fourth quarter.”  

That said, Levy indicated the company is standing by its target of “better than market growth for 2011 overall.” Unless the company has a terrible fourth quarter, that target should be easily met. The company is now forecasting just 3.6% ad-spend growth for the year, while its own revenue growth through the first three quarters is nearly double that.

By region, the company has posted its strongest revenue growth in Latin America, which is up 8.5% through the first nine months of 2011. Europe posted a strong 8.2% increase, while growth in North America reached 6.3%.

Publicis Groupe said it won $4.1 billion in net new business through September, including Burger King and Esurance in the U.S.

The company cited 10 “main acquisitions” it has made through 2011 so far, including digital firm Rosetta and social network shop Big Fuel, both based in the U.S.