Strong Growth for YouGov

UK-based online research firm YouGov has announced interim results for the six months ended 31st January, with revenue up 11% year-on-year to £36.2m - up 10% in organic terms - and adjusted profit before tax up from £3.0m to £3.5m.

Profit margin was steady at 9%. Custom Research revenue rose by an impressive 9% to £24.3m, and each of the firm's other business areas grew even faster: Data Products and Services revenue by 15% to £11.9m; BrandIndex by 20% to £4.7m; and Omnibus by 15% to £5.8m. The company launched its Profiles product in the UK in November, garnering extensive publicity for the product and the company, and has recently appointed a Group COO and a new UK CEO.

Group CEO Stephan Shakespeare (pictured) pointed to continued organic growth 'well ahead of the market' as 'clear evidence that we have the right strategy: a focus on providing timely in-depth marketing data delivered on a digital platform and made compelling by insightful industry experts.' He added: 'Growth has been most substantial in the US where our public profile is rising and where BrandIndex and Custom Research have both made significant progress.' The company's new markets - Asia Pacific and France - are also continuing to grow well. One area where revenue and operating profit were both lower was the Middle East, due mainly to reduced project activity in Kurdistan.

Separately, Shakespeare and his wife Rosamund have each been issued just under 560,000 shares in the company, as a deferred consideration relating to YouGov's purchase of Doughty Media 2 Limited in 2013. Stephan now holds nearly 6.3m shares, or 6.1% of the total, with a current value just over £8m. Ten years ago, when the company was headed for its AIM flotation and was valued at around £15m, Shakespeare's holding was 37%.

YouGov now boasts 25 offices in seventeen countries, and panels in 33 countries, putting it 'in the world's top ten international market research networks'.

Web site: www.yougov.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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