WPP Reports Insight Revenues Up 4.4%

Marcoms giant WPP has recorded a 4.4% increase in 2010 revenues to £2.43 billion in its Consumer Insight division. Meanwhile operating margins improved by 1.1 points to 9.7%.

The division - which includes TNS, Millward Brown, Added Value, Cymfony, Compete, Kantar, Lightspeed Research and IMRB - recorded a 19.2% increase in 2010 headline operating profit to £234.8m (2009: £196.9m).

For the WPP group as a whole, reported revenue rose 7.4% to £9.33 billion, an increase of 5.6% on a constant currency basis. During the year, headline profit before tax was up 27.3% to £1.03 billion - over £1 billion for the first time, from £812m in 2009.

Reported staff costs, excluding incentives, were up 3.2% to £5.43 billion, and incentive payments totalled £342.3m (2009: £177.9m). WPP now employs more than 146,000 full-time staff in almost 2,400 offices in 107 countries.

'The group's strategic focus on new markets, new media and consumer insight represent the correct strategic priorities for the group,' CEO Sir Martin Sorrell said in a statement. 'These priorities, and a focus on not only strategic planning, creative execution and distribution, but also on both the application of technology and analysis of data, will benefit our clients and people.'

Web site: www.wpp.com .