Advertising agency plans 40% growth in operation

THE chairman and chief executive of McCann Erickson, Mr John Dooner, told The Irish Times yesterday that the company is to set up a number of new companies early next year and has already begun talking to potential new employees.

The new ventures, which would include public relations, direct marketing and event and promotional marketing, would be start ups, he added. The group would also consider possible acquisitions as part of its long term expansion programme.

Speaking in Dublin, Mr Dooner said some of the new businesses would be up and running by next January, to be followed by further expansion over the next 12 months. "The additional areas should allow us to grow the Irish operation by up to 40 per cent in both staff numbers and revenues over the coming year," according to Mr Dooner.

The agency, which has been operating in Ireland for five years, is one of the biggest in the world. Its clients include Coca Cola, Nestle, Motorola, General Motors and Boots Healthcare, many of which it represents in the Republic.

The agency has also won a substantial number of accounts from Irish businesses and is currently.a directing advertising campaigns for companies such as Premier Dairies and Cablelink.

The Irish market was one of the most attractive centres in Europe for the group, Mr Dooner said, with the potential for growth estimated to be among the highest in western Europe.

"There is outstanding potential for growth in the Irish economy. The favourable economic environment here lends itself to business growth, while the increasing importance of advertising targeted at a younger population will continue to drive the business," he said.

This year, McCann Erickson generated £22 million worth of business in Ireland and expects to see further strong growth in 1997. While expanding its range of services, Mr Dooner said the company would also be concentrating on adding more Irish businesses to its client base.

At the moment, the bulk of the agency's business comes from the multi national sector, which is estimated to account for more than 60 per cent of its total Irish income.

McCann Erickson employs 11,067 people worldwide. Last year, the group's global income amounted to $1.2 billion (£740 million).