New wins fuel growth at McCann Manchester

ADVERTISING agency McCann Manchester was hit by the loss of Durex-maker SSL as a key client last year, but recovered with new business wins.

It lost the work after SSL was acquired by Reckitt Benckiser in 2010 for £2.5bn.

“However, this was largely mitigated by a solid performance delivered via both organic active growth and new client wins,” said the company in newly filed accounts for the year to December 31.

During the period sales were up 5% to £80.4m, but 2010’s £2.5m pre-tax profit became a £2m loss following a one-off pension contribution of £5m. Without this the firm made a pre-tax profit of £2.7m.

The Macclesfield-based business is behind award winning TV ads for discount supermarket chain Aldi.

The directors added: “The current year has started well with continued organic growth and kicking off projects with a number of new clients secured at the back end of 2011.

“The company continues to focus on growing the digital business and enhancing the competitiveness of our production offering.

“Yet again this year will be challenging due to a continuation of weak market conditions and slow economic growth but the company remains in a strong position to outperform in the market in which we operate.”

The business employed 220 people during the year, and the highest paid – likely to be chief executive Sue Little – received pay, excluding pension contributions, of £346,000.

McCann Manchester is part of the listed US group Interpublic.