When we look back on a financial year, we usually talk about big numbers. Revenue. Growth rates. Client budgets. Awards.
And of course, we also have a big number to share: €873 million fee revenue. Once again, we were able to surpass the record result of the previous year.
But honestly, there is another number that occupies my mind much more. Or, more precisely, a symbol. The plus sign.
Because behind our result stands growth of one percent. At first glance, that may seem unspectacular. Yet in a market shaped by economic uncertainty, restrained investment, and profound transformation, it is anything but a given.
To me, this plus sign does not stand for growth. It stands for resilience.
It stands for the ability to remain stable in challenging times. For a business model that delivers, even as markets change. And for people who are not discouraged by headwinds but use them to stay the course and find new paths forward.
Transformation as a Growth Driver
That is exactly what we experienced over the past year. We won new clients, expanded existing partnerships, strengthened our international presence, and continued investing in new markets. At the same time, we consistently advanced the integration of AI across the entire marketing value chain, not as an end in itself, but with a clear objective: to deliver better solutions, greater efficiency, and stronger impact for our clients.
What makes me particularly proud is that we achieved all of this not despite transformation, but because of it.
Investing While Others Wait
The past few years have shown that change is no longer a temporary phenomenon. It has become the new normal.
The key question, therefore, is no longer how to avoid change. It is how to make the most of it.
Our answer is simple: we continue to invest. In talent. In technology. In creativity. In international collaboration. And above all, in the ability to bring all these elements together. That has always been the strength of our integrated model.
The Real Takeaway
The past financial year reinforces our confidence in this path. Not because every metric reached a new record. But because the overall picture is right: we stand on a solid foundation while remaining fully prepared for what lies ahead.
That is why, for me, the most important takeaway from our annual results is not the number 873.
It is that small plus sign.
Because sometimes a small symbol reveals more about a company's strength than any big number ever could.
You Might Also Like
About Serviceplan Group
Serviceplan Group SE & Co. KG is Europe’s largest owner-managed agency group (Source: W&V / GWA 2025). Founded in Munich in 1970, it now employs over 6,500 people at more than 40 locations in 24 countries. In the 2024/2025 fiscal year, the group generated fee revenue of €866 million, representing a 6% increase over the previous year and significantly exceeding the market average.
At the core of the business model is the internationally established House of Communication model, which fully integrates strategy, creation, media, data and technology under one roof and has been rolled out worldwide. 62% of clients receive integrated, cross-group support, enabling consistent execution across the entire marketing value chain.
The Serviceplan Group’s performance has been validated externally on numerous occasions: 19 Cannes Lions (2025) as well as awards for Independent Network of the Year and Independent Agency of the Year. Further recognition includes top placements at D&AD, ADC, Clio, Webby, and Eurobest, as well as leading positions in national and international agency and media rankings. Ad Age ranks the Serviceplan Group among the 15 largest agency groups worldwide. Furthermore, a client satisfaction rate of 87%, achieved for the third consecutive year in 2025 and based on the annual, independent survey of 2,761 clients, confirms the group’s high performance.