Brussels, 5th September 2022 - In the financial year (2021/2022) ending June 2022, Serviceplan Group, Europe's largest owner-managed agency group, achieved a fee turnover of 623 million euros - representing an increase of 28% from the previous year’s 488 million euros. Therefore, it is by far the best result recorded since the company was founded in 1970.

Florian Haller, CEO Serviceplan Group, comments: "Even in a market that is characterized by uncertainty, volatility, and a shortage of skilled professionals, our 'House of Communication' concept has overwhelmingly proved its unique operational and creative potential. As a result, we are able to attract the sector’s most sought-after talent for our team."

Florian Haller emphasized that this result was only possible because the Group's ‘House of Communication’ culture has been just as successful in competing for the best talent as it has in keeping and gaining relevant clients. The Serviceplan Group defies the shortage of specialists in the agency sector, and currently employs more than 5,000 colleagues across 16 locations worldwide. These figures are also a good 13% increase compared to the previous financial year.

Grand Prix marks the most successful creative year in Serviceplan's history

From a creative perspective, the financial year 2021/22 has been the most successful since Serviceplan was founded in 1970. Serviceplan Group was named ‘Independent Network of the Year’ and named ’Craft Agency of the Year’ at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2022.

And at New York Festival Serviceplan won a triple whammy of accolades, being named Independent Agency of the Year, Agency of the Year & Regional Agency of the Year for Europe.

For Alexander Schill, Global Chief Creative Officer of Serviceplan Group, however, one award is particularly indicative of the Group’s strong development: "Being named Independent Network of the Year in Cannes is of immense significance to us. It is an expression of everything that is important to us and what makes us who we are: independence, internationality, and an uncompromisingly creative approach to every single task. This prize from the most important festival of creativity in the world is the crowning moment for the work of all our colleagues and will bring us long-term international visibility.”

In focus: Customized solutions and integration

Creative & Content, Experience & Commerce, and Media & Data – these modules are designed as an integral part of the Houses of Communication. They are implemented individually and in an agile manner, in accordance with client requirements. During the past financial year, the customised agency concept such as ‘The Marcom Engine’ (BMW/MINI) has continued to be established and provide remarkable proof of the Serviceplan Group’s innovative strength as an integrated communication services provider.

Florian Haller is convinced that customised agency concepts will determine the future relationship between the agency and its clients:

“Our clients have to survive in ever more complex markets. As their agency partner, we must be the 'facilitator' and create a tailor-made but scalable customised solution for every client, not only designed for the client’s requirements and targets, but also for the volatility and uncertainty of the markets. In the coming financial year, we will refine our Group's pioneering range of services.”

Consistent internationalisation in uncertain times

With a fee turnover of 148 million euros and 22% growth, Serviceplan International makes a considerable contribution to the overall success of the Group. In this area, the Mediaplus Group has provided strong impetus for growth. In addition to the new set up of Mediaplus US, the Group have laid the foundations for sustainable growth in Scandinavia with the opening of the new Stockholm office. The launch of Mediaplus Realtime has given a further push in the direction of internationalisation. With this integrated, data-centred consultancy, knowledge, and realisation hub, the agency group brings together all resources worldwide for globally scalable campaign planning and execution in real-time. In addition, with Medianest, Mediaplus has established a nearshore hub, operating out of Warsaw and taking care of cross-market search, performance, and social operations.  Even in times of war in Ukraine, the ongoing pandemic situation, and uncertainty in world politics, the desire is to hold fast to the internationalisation strategy in the major core markets in the future.

Serviceplan Group CEO Florian Haller says: "This is not the end of globalisation; it is merely being modified and driven ever more powerfully by digitalisation. Therefore, we adhere consistently, but flexibly, to our strategy of maintaining our presence in all key markets worldwide. As the agency partner alongside our clients, we see our core tasks for the future as reducing complexity, and setting standards in the metaverse and in real-time. In so doing, we will ensure that our unique Serviceplan culture can be experienced by the next generation of communications talent.

Serviceplan Belgium: Experiencing impressive 50% growth. From 8 million euros in 2021 to 12 million euros in revenue in 2022

Peter Vande Graveele, CEO Serviceplan BeLux, comments on the results for our country ‚ “Our last fiscal year ending in June 2022 was one of the best years ever for Serviceplan Group Belux. We realized significant growth of 4 million euro on the top line, mainly due to the full integration of the newly acquired clients ALDI, BMW & MINI in the last quarter of the previous fiscal year. It is our goal to develop these new major accounts to their full potential.

Together with ALDI, we realized their adapted positioning - ALDI, altijd slim/ALDI, le choix malin - in the Belgian market, confirming their position as the number one discounter in the retail market.

The Marcom Engine, the eco-system Serviceplan has formed with its agency-partners Beryll’s and Mediamonks for BMW and MINI in 26 European countries, also saw full implementation in the BeLux market. The Marcom Engine is not only an agency eco-system, but also a full digital transformation of the BMW Group business and the way in which the brands BMW and MINI communicate with their respective audiences. Having this innovative set-up at the heart of our House of Communication in Brussels generates interest which should attract many other new clients who are facing the same kind of challenges.

Datahub for campaigns in realtime

Alongside this, our datahub, Mediascale, experienced tremendous growth in both its national and international business. The innovative power of Mediascale at the heart of the agency group in Brussels also inspired our Munich headquarters and made a significant contribution to the acquisition of new international clients through its programmatic advertising products, but also through its real-time media solutions for brands.

BeNeLux offer

We also strengthened our Benelux proposition, together with our House of Communication in Amsterdam, uniting approximately 250 communication specialists in Creative, Tech and Media, for those brands who are looking for synergies and economies of scale in the BeNeLux cluster. New ways of working (due to Covid) enabled us to work even more closely between Amsterdam and Brussels and increasing our firepower for BeNeLux-clients.

New creative firepower

Finally, together with Jason Romeyko, our Worldwide Executive Creative Director, we took another step towards increasing our creative reputation, by hiring Tony Naudts-Ducène and An Rietjens as the creative leaders at Serviceplan. Results of this creative upgrade have already been seen in the work for our current client portfolio and more results are to be expected in the next fiscal year.

Diversity & Inclusion as a growth factor

Since talent is our most important weapon, we decided to highlight and celebrate our internal diversity (more than 18 different nationalities!) in the Brussels agency, with a D&I (Diversity & Inclusion) program alongside an external communication campaign, in order to emphasize how we are different and show the market our main driver of growth. We are proud of our 130 Belgian colleagues for the excellent last year!”.