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Mark Penn

Welcome back to Hitting the Mark, my monthly analysis of developments at the intersection of business, marketing, and politics for modern C-Suite leaders. This month, I look at the metaverse in terms of how it can transform brands – and how it may transform society. 

Before we vault to the future, I want to acknowledge the turmoil that the overturning of Roe v. Wade has caused. As predicted in last month’s column, this summer is “chock-full of potentially divisive issues for corporations.” At Stagwell, we moved immediately to provide a travel benefit that ensures all employees maintain access to reproductive healthcare. I worked for Planned Parenthood of New York as their consultant for 10 years in the late ’70s and ’80s when this legal battle was new – and feel strongly about protecting choice. 

As you consider how to navigate this issue, our Harvard CAPS/Harris data shows that while most people would have supported continuing Roe, a majority would also have supported rollbacks to the viability standard as proposed by Justice Roberts, and large majorities oppose late-term abortions. The July edition of the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll – released today – continues to track American sentiment post-Roe. If you’d like to connect for advice on how to navigate this landscape, please reach out.  

Turning to the topic of this month’s newsletter, the metaverse. Today’s business leaders are faced with two major discussion tracks around the metaverse: how will it transform my brand? And how will it transform society?  

The Metaverse and Brands 

On the first: I had the pleasure earlier this June of giving a fierce argument on behalf of the future of the metaverse at the prestigious Oxford Union, alongside technologists, academics, journalists, and brand leaders seeking to determine whether “this house should live in the metaverse.” Spoiler alert: we lost the debate. But I got some interesting insights from the audience – mostly younger, Gen Z consumers. The reasons why we lost prove there’s much for marketers to dig in on as they drum up consumer excitement about the metaverse, map its contours, and start innovating their technologies, products, and services.  

Younger consumers are cynical almost to the point of anger about Big Tech and FAANG dominating the metaverse. I heard impassioned speeches from the opposition about the various ailments Web2 platforms have unleashed on the world, from broken freedom of speech to harassment, to the consolidation of power, and more. And that tracks with recent research from National Research Group showing consumers think the Internet has become more commercialized (80%), addictive (79%), and has encouraged people to treat each other more cruelly (69%). 

• My take: Big tech beware: if you look at the arc of innovation, tech empires have limited lifespans. Myspace fell to Facebook. YouTube is losing ground to TikTok. Facebook’s social empire based on the sale of user data is shrinking. In the metaverse, I believe Big Tech will certainly be part of the equation, but the hardware, servers, and aspects of the tools needed to build dominant visions of the metaverse and Web3 may push many new worlds and businesses into the market

These Oxfordians challenge the idea you can live a fulfilling life in the metaverse, even as they see the potential for it to scale and democratize access to global travel, quality education, and shared experiences. Blame it on the propensity of the young to see apocalypses lurking behind every corner or on the lingering psycho-social effects of the pandemic, but younger consumers are worried metaverse tech will open Pandora’s Box into a social dystopia where consumers live more in virtual reality than real life. 

• My Take: What they ignore – and where brands have an opening to bridge this gap – is the sheer volume of time we already spend in digital and virtual realities. A reliance on digital existence is already a norm and could intensify, given more engaging and immersive metaverse worlds. This may actually lead to a more positive state of mental health in comparison to current screen time practices.  

Oxford listeners are just as confused about the terminology as brand marketers (but that doesn’t matter). Metaverse? Web3? Blockchain? Younger consumers are just as baffled by the buzzwords as senior brand marketers. But they’re not invested in the halo excitement around this fresh new tech – and unimpressed with many of the early metaverse experiments which don’t model the true potential of Web3. 

• My Take: The most helpful definition brands can work with is, the metaverse is not a single application, or program, or virtual reality – it’s, as Wired points out, a multiverse of metaverses. Like streaming services, there are many, constantly competing with other groups, constantly breaking into new content niches. While it may benefit technologists and investors to think of the metaverse in the context of cryptocurrency of NFTs, there is no necessary connection between the multiverse of metaverse and those terms. They are only part of the tech-bro world, along with unrelated ideologies. Your best bet as a brand playing in the metaverse over the next year? Think about it in the context of the experiences it can create, more so than the technology that needs to be built to reach its most perfect vision

The Metaverse and Society

Beyond pure brand applications, the metaverse promises to transform society for the better. There are four immediate Metaverse applications that illustrate the power of this technology – and why we’re bullish on ensuring it comes to life. The below is an excerpt from my speech at the Oxford Union.  

Metaverse One: Avatar interviewing can massively increase women’s’ success in the job market.  

Should we wait decades for attitudes to change or hope that implicit bias training will someday produce effective and lasting results? No. You are likely aware of the practice of blind auditions to select members of symphony orchestras.  

In the past, candidates would perform before a selection committee on stage, where the gender of candidates was obvious. To combat likely gender bias, most American symphonies now conduct auditions with the performer behind a screen — only their music matters. The Guardian reported that the use of screens increases the odds that a woman will advance from preliminary rounds to finals by 50%! The percentage of women in American symphony orchestras has risen from 5% to nearly 30% in the period after screens were adopted. 

Imagine if job interviews were gender-neutral. Interviewers would meet with identical avatars distinguished only by their answers to interview questions and the questions that prospective employers ask. The metaverse could create a level playing field in hiring unimaginable in today’s world. Millions of women are waiting for the metaverse to advance their careers.  

Metaverse Two: The opportunity afforded by debate can reach thousands more. The Yale University high school tournament ordinarily brings 300 teams to its most heavily attended division of debate. In the Fall of 2020, 900 teams participated – three times as many when costs are reduced to a cell connection and a 4G cellphone, accessible to anyone for a small fraction of the cost of physical tournament attendance. Remarkably, by eliminating the expense of air travel, hotel stays, and local transportation, these efforts have significantly improved access for thousands of students. Are these events as moving, as satisfying, as physical attendance? Perhaps not, depending on how much you loathe the hassle, expense, and friction of travel, a virtual tournament has many advantages.   

But, with a multiverse of 3D speakers, who can go to rounds, wander a virtual campus, gather at virtual cafes to discuss the resolution and complain about teammates and judges, the experience can be made both more satisfying and really, really cheap. By making debate more accessible to students everywhere the many lifelong advantages of this activity can reach hundreds of thousands of students who are denied access by the accidents of geography and economic status.  

Metaverse Three: The metaverse can produce an explosion of educational opportunity. Zoom was a very taxing first step in distance learning. Let’s be clear: hours on a Zoom lecture can be mind-crippling. This explains the failure of Massive Open Online Classrooms – MOOCS – that enroll many and graduate almost no one because they are primarily cameras in lecture halls.  

But the Metaverse is not your father’s Zoom technology. Within a metaverse environment with classmates around a table, with course materials available at a click to all within a classroom, everything can change. No one disputes that an immersive, high-resolution environment is greatly more engaging than Zoom. If a professor wants you to study the Great Pyramids at Giza, you can go there in photoreal environments. You can tour the tombs of Cheops and Tutankhamun in real time. You can examine exhibits at the Louvre without pushing through crowds of tourists. Lab experiments can be performed before your very eyes. It is true that a picture is worth a thousand words – but a lived experience is worth a thousand pictures.  

Metaverse Four:  Medical miracles. For example, the BBC tells the story of one British woman who recounted her joyous experience of visiting new worlds and environments after being left severely disabled by a traumatic brain injury. These interventions—priced only at the rapidly decreasing cost of a VR headset—have the potential to bring people immense benefits, ranging from stress relief, anxiety treatment, and amelioration of chronic pain.

Furthermore, such technology will dramatically improve surgical training, saving lives and limbs. One study finds that surgical trainees using VR learned a procedure nearly seven times faster than their traditionally trained counterparts; the technology helps to always keep surgeons’ focus on their patients rather than on external displays. Additionally, consulting doctors in virtual reality for minor ailments can help reduce strain on the already-overwhelmed medical industry.

We’ll be inventing and reinventing the metaverse for years, if not decades, to come. To make the metaverse perform for consumers (not just for those of us geeking out about the technology) brands are going to need to keep their ears to the ground with polling, surveys, and data analysis to track where consumers see the metaverse adding value – and where they’re just confused about why brands are serving virtual hot dogs.  

Until next time, 

Mark Penn 

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1. WAIT, YOU MEAN IT’S ACTUALLY AN ECONOMY? Day three sessions proved that the creator economy is actually an economy in development, not just a buzzword. The influencers are growing up. Getting serious about brand partnerships. Leveraging creator funds and programs to maximize reach. And even becoming virtual. On the Terrace, Influence 3.0 assured us a new wave of influencers have entered the chat. .
2. THE MANY FACES OF STORYTELLING The Many Faces of Storytelling. There’s no playbook for telling the right story — but we know what needs to go right before you do. Regina Hall and Amazon’s Ukonwa Ojo showed us what happens when women lead. You have to blend great creative with fast-paced media (thank you, Ryan Reynolds). Look to the future — and, look for ways to continually deliver value.

3. PUT THE CREATORS IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT. We’re hearing brands get more comfortable with putting creators in the driver’s seat of campaign activations. Creators should be natural extensions of the marketing team. Will we see a category at Cannes in the future for visionary influencers turned creative directors? 

Beyond the Stage

Stagwell is the official sponsor of the Cannes Lions Speakers’ Lounge, bringing you exclusive interviews with some of the most interesting people at Cannes — and the stories beyond the main stage. 

First out of the Content Studio: Our Chairman and CEO Mark Penn in conversation with Axios Media Reporter Sara Fischer. They discuss the earliest trends coming out of Cannes 2022, including an evolved consumer path to purchase coming out of the pandemic, the Disrupted vs. Disruptors, and the bargain of first-party data. 

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1. CAN MY BRAND BE YOUR BEST FRIEND? B2B, B2C, D2C – the categories aren’t shifting but the way they connect with their key audiences are. Personalization, AI-enabled comms, and an emphasis on personifying brands to connect them with communities continue to win gold at Cannes. .
2. TELL YOUR CLIENTS TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. Nicely. Clients aren’t just looking for savvy ad men anymore, they’re looking for partners in transformation. We heard brands across every stage, including our partners at the N.F.L. on the Terrace tell stories of transforming their products, services, and categories to stay ahead of the new economy.
   
3. NO MORE TIME FOR GREENWASHING. A through-line from stunts earlier in the week to the Greenpeace dogs-on-ladders-Croisette-close-down on Thursday: “Creativity has to commit to change the planet.” Beyond climate messaging, we’re seeing products and services evolve to drive sustainable transformation in a meaningful way.

Beyond the Stage

Stagwell is the official sponsor of the Cannes Lions Speaker’s Lounge, bringing you exclusive interviews with some of the most interesting people at Cannes – and the stories they couldn’t tell on the Main Stage. 

Hear from Jesh Sukhwani, Head of Global Advertising, Lenovo on the importance of both the push and pull of a successful advertising campaign.

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1. WHEN DID MILLENNIALS BECOME UNCOOL? PAGES ARE SO 2010. Gen Z – now with the purchasing power – was the most talked-about consumer segment on Day 4. All about more purposeful brands and consumerism, this “activist generation,” as Malala Yousafzai calls them, is key to future growth. [Go Deeper: OK Zoomer – The Journey of Gen Z] 
2. HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY? Beyond racial and gender categories, brands are finding value in consumer groups organized around multiple categories, from age to regional affiliation, eating habits, and more. We’re hearing brands push agencies to build insights and creativity from the ground up to perform better together.” [Go Deeper: CPB and Buchanan’s Celebrate the Spirit of the 200%”]
3. MEET YOUR CUSTOMERS IN FORTNITE. An overlooked segment for many years, gamers are “the new pop culture icons.” Channeling gaming culture to scale reach and understanding that it cuts across standard demographics were key learnings for newcomers in The Forum. [Go Deeper: How can brands positively connect with video game enthusiasts?]

Beyond the Stage

Stagwell is the official sponsor of the Cannes Lions Speakers’ Lounge, bringing you exclusive interviews with some of the most interesting people at Cannes – and the stories beyond the main stage. 

Hear from Nola Weinstein, Global Head of Culture & Experiential, Twitter,  on “moving at the speed of the feed,” how Twitter approaches experiential marketing, Web3, career advice, and more.

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1. PRODUCT PAGES ARE SO 2010. Product pages are so 2010. WARC spotlighted changing frontiers of e-commerce across its sessions today. The big takeaway? It’s creative + media + e-commerce as the new formula for marketing. Food for thought: How can we take e-commerce, a creatively challenging space, and fuse content, branded entertainment, influencer integrations, and more throughout? [Go Deeper: Building a Best-in-Class Marketplace for Thrive Market]
2. E-COMMERCE HAS TO GET EXPERIENTIAL It’s clear that extended reality is nearer than the metaverse, powering strong, connected experiences for consumers, adding dimensionality to product pages, and allowing consumers to encounter not just the product but the experience it promises. Snap & Gucci wowed with their look into how AR is changing “experiential digital commerce.” [Go Deeper: Marketing Frontiers – Augmented Reality]
3. HOW TO SELL AND NOT BE A SELLER. Pure sales messages are poor drivers of commerce. Social commerce – bringing the content-driven channel of influencer closer to the point of sale – along with branded entertainment is a plus for reaching ad-avoidant consumers, our very own Jae Goodman (two-time Entertainment Lions juror) reminded marketers today. [Go Deeper: Celebrity Drives Brand Awareness. Nano-Influencers Drive Commerce.]

Beyond the Stage

Stagwell is the exclusive partner of the Speakers’ Lounge, where every festival speaker goes before and after their slot. Check out our exclusive interviews with brand leaders and go beyond what they said on the Main Stage.

We’ll be posting new, daily content on Youtube. Join us!

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1. SUN’S OUT, BUDGETS OUT. We saw creative and media snuggle closer together to make the art of adland really perform on the Creative Effectiveness track. Agencies are CMOs’ best friends when they can tie the results of a headline-grabbing activation to every dollar spent. (Go Deeper: 3 Things to Know When Creating Branded Entertainment).
2. DUA LIPA ISN’T THE ONLY ONE WITH NEW RULES. 1+1=3 – our shorthand for collaboration is key – was the talk of the day across afternoon sessions. A question everyone is asking: do asynchronous work tools help or hinder collaboration? (Go Deeper: To Make the Most out of the Audio Renaissance, Brands Need a Global Outlook)
   
3. MOVE OVER INDIES, THE GLOBAL NETWORKS ARE BACK IN TOWN. Clients love coming in the front door of the splashy shops (who doesn’t want to sit with the cool kids), but they’re hoping the full host of marketing services will perform at scale once the dinner conversation really begins. New network models were the talk of the day, from the Lumiere Theater to the WSJ House. (Go Deeper: A fun (really) look at our approach to integrated services.)

Beyond the Stage

Stagwell is the exclusive partner of the Speakers’ Lounge, where every festival speaker goes before and after their slot. Check out our exclusive interviews with brand leaders and go beyond what they said on the Main Stage.

We’ll be posting new, daily content on Youtube. Join us!

Originally released on

CONTACT

Beth Sidhu
pr@stagwellglobal.com
202-423-4414

NEW YORK – June 9, 2022 – Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) today announced Koalifyed, an end-to-end SaaS influencer marketing management platform within the Stagwell Marketing Cloud, has added TikTok integration, making it one of few influencer marketing management platforms able to support brands and agencies seeking value on one of the fastest-growing platforms for influencer and social commerce.

By

Barbara Laidlaw
Partner, Global Risk, Reputation + Public Affairs
Allison+Partners

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When an organization begins to expand globally, it often faces a new set of challenges that could mean adjusting current strategies that have yielded success on the domestic front. Economic, regulatory and operational factors are just some of the many considerations nascent global businesses must address to succeed on the international stage.

A less tangible but imperative concern is the organization’s reputation and how it will scale along with other elements of the business. Reputation takes years to build and only minutes to tarnish, making it one of the most precarious factors at play during expansion. Therefore, before pursuing an ambitious global footprint, businesses should consider how reputation management coexists with the following:

• Cultural & regional differences: Global expansion will require the ability to adjust some aspects of how a business operates to meet the standard of wherever the expansion takes place. Consider how different factors, such as language barriers, lifestyle, cultural history, education and politics, impact business objectives from employees’ and customers’ perspectives. By developing a strong understanding of these components and how they may factor into the business’s reputation, an organization will be positioned well to avoid pitfalls and preempt potential damage from related issues.
• Regulatory & political issues: Establishing an intimate understanding of how relevant political issues may affect the business is critical to avoid becoming trapped in them. Tapping into the expertise of third-party consultants and internal personnel within the region are just two ways a company can ensure it operates with the correct understanding of the political landscape. Strict regulatory compliance is another area in which businesses should invest resources to insulate themselves from running afoul of regulations or laws they may not have considered otherwise.
• Social impact & ESG: As organizations expand globally, they will inevitably increase their global footprint and their environmental and societal one. Depending on the nature of the business, there could be additional social considerations to account for, such as human rights or political turmoil. Today, enterprises prioritize their societal impact more than ever. To continue to thrive, global organizations must navigate the complexities that come with the recent rise in investor and consumer activism.
• Core values: As is true with any period of growth within an organization, maintaining core values is one of the most prominent challenges a business must contend with. This is only magnified when the company begins to expand globally. Upholding core values is essential to brand reputation and should be a priority item when considering further expansion. Emphasizing the importance of quality onboarding procedures, internal initiatives and other team-focused programs are ways a business can maintain its values as it grows.
• Communications infrastructure: Ultimately, scaling communications capacity and capabilities to match company growth will provide a business with the fundamental infrastructure it needs to preempt potentially damaging issues and effectively react to them when they occur. Through regular assessments of an organization’s communications capabilities, the business can proactively address weak spots and build on areas of strength, resulting in a more robust global communications program that underpins every core function of the business itself.

Navigating the reputational complexities of a global business is a challenge. While organizations should always remain prepared to tackle known sources of risk to their reputation, there will always be unpredictable events or incidents that present additional risks. Environmental disasters, wars, political turmoil, supply chain challenges and regulatory issues are just some of the many hurdles businesses need to contend with and overcome regularly.

Ultimately, the most effective way to mitigate the potential fallout from known and unknown risks is to continually ensure the organization is operationally resilient and maintains a robust communications infrastructure that it can leverage before, during and after an adverse event.

Barbara Laidlaw brings 25 years of experience developing and running programs that help companies prepare, protect and defend their brand reputations through global and national events, recalls, litigation, data breaches, regulatory issues and labor disputes.

Originally released on

FEATURING

Record first quarter financial results driven by high-growth digital transformation, consumer insights & strategy, and large client wins in media

• GAAP Revenue grew 254.7% in 1Q and 31.5% on a Pro Forma basis

• Pro-Forma Organic Net Revenue grew 23.6% in 1Q

• Net Income of $33.6M in 1Q or Diluted EPS of $0.10 per share

• Net Income attributable to Stagwell of $12.7M in 1Q

• Adjusted EBITDA of $101.4M in 1Q representing a 19.3% margin on Net Revenue

• Record first quarter Net New Business of $54M

• 56% of 1Q Net Revenue came from high-growth digital services

• Reaffirms 2022 full-year outlook

New York, NY, May 6, 2022 (NASDAQ: STGW) – Stagwell Inc. (“Stagwell”) today announced financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2022.

FIRST QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS:

• Revenue of $642.9 million, an increase of 254.7% versus the prior year period.
• Pro Forma GAAP revenue growth of 31.5% versus the prior year period and 30.2% ex-Advocacy.
• First quarter net revenue of $526.6 million, an increase of 233.2% versus the prior period.
• Pro Forma net revenue growth of 22.8% versus the prior year period and 22.3% ex-Advocacy.
• Pro Forma organic net revenue growth of 23.6% versus the prior year period and 23.2% ex-Advocacy.
• First quarter net income of $33.6 million versus $4.6 million in the prior year period.
• First quarter net income attributable to Stagwell Inc. common shareholders of $12.7 million versus $4.4 million in the prior year period.
• First quarter adjusted EBITDA of $101.4 million, an increase of 325.4% versus the prior year period.
• Pro Forma adjusted EBITDA growth of 33.8% versus the prior period and 32.4% ex-Advocacy.
• First quarter Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 19.3% of net revenue.
• Net New Business wins totaled $54 million in the quarter.

“While the GDP may be contracting, Stagwell is growing strongly. The merger has spurred revenue synergies immediately apparent in the big wins, significant industry awards, and integration of talent and technology across our network,” said Mark Penn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stagwell. “We grew first quarter net revenue 24% versus the prior year, more than double the pace of legacy holding companies, and grew Adjusted EBITDA at an even faster rate of 34% year-over-year. We also made a key e-commerce acquisition in April with Brand New Galaxy, which connects to our media and digital transformation offerings and provides increased scale in Europe. Our record quarter continues to build on our post-combination track record of delivering growth, free-cash-flow, and growing profitability.”

Frank Lanuto, Chief Financial Officer, commented: “The Company reported strong first quarter results with GAAP revenue of $643 million, net revenue of $527 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $101 million. Organic pro forma net revenue increased 24% over the prior period quarter and also increased sequentially in a typically smaller seasonal quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 160 bps year-over-year on a Pro Forma basis to 19.3% of net revenue as the Company began to see the benefits of expected cost synergies.”

Financial Outlook

2022 financial guidance is as follows:

• Pro Forma Organic Net Revenue growth of 18% – 22%

• Pro Forma Organic Net Revenue growth ex-Advocacy of 13% – 17%

• Adjusted EBITDA of $450 million – $480 million, excluding the contribution from 2022 acquisitions

• Pro Forma Free Cash Flow growth of approximately 30%

• Guidance assumes no impact from foreign exchange, acquisitions or dispositions.

Conference Call

Management will host a video webcast and conference call on Friday, May 6, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. (ET) to discuss results for Stagwell Inc. for the three months ended March 31, 2022.  The video webcast will be accessible at https://stagwellq12022earnings.open-exchange.net/. An investor presentation has been posted on our website at www.stagwellglobal.com and may be referred to during the conference call.

A recording of the conference call will be accessible one hour after the call and available for ninety days at www.stagwellglobal.com.

Stagwell Inc.

Stagwell is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing.  Led by entrepreneurs, our 10,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

Basis of Presentation

The acquisition of MDC Partners (MDC) by Stagwell Marketing Group (SMG) was completed on August 2, 2021. The results of MDC are included within the Statements of Operations for the period beginning on the date of the acquisition through the end of the respective period presented and the results of SMG are included for the entirety of all periods presented.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to its reported results, Stagwell Inc. has included in this earnings release certain financial results that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) defines as “non-GAAP Financial Measures.”  Management believes that such non-GAAP financial measures, when read in conjunction with the Company’s reported results, can provide useful supplemental information for investors analyzing period to period comparisons of the Company’s results. Such non-GAAP financial measures include the following:

Pro Forma Results: The Pro Forma amounts presented for each period were prepared by combining the historical standalone statements of operations for each of legacy MDC and SMG. The unaudited pro forma results are provided for illustrative purposes only and do not purport to represent what the actual consolidated results of operations or consolidated financial condition would have been had the combination actually occurred on the date indicated, nor do they purport to project the future consolidated results of operations or consolidated financial condition for any future period or as of any future date. The Company has excluded a quantitative reconciliation of adjusted Pro Forma EBITDA to net income under the “unreasonable efforts” exception in Item 10(e)(1)(i)(B) of Regulation S-K.

(1) Organic Revenue: “Organic revenue growth” and “organic revenue decline” refer to the positive or negative results, respectively, of subtracting both the foreign exchange and acquisition (disposition) components from total revenue growth. The acquisition (disposition) component is calculated by aggregating prior period revenue for any acquired businesses, less the prior period revenue of any businesses that were disposed of during the current period. The organic revenue growth (decline) component reflects the constant currency impact of (a) the change in revenue of the partner firms that the Company has held throughout each of the comparable periods presented, and (b) “non-GAAP acquisitions (dispositions), net”. Non-GAAP acquisitions (dispositions), net consists of (i) for acquisitions during the current year, the revenue effect from such acquisition as if the acquisition had been owned during the equivalent period in the prior year and (ii) for acquisitions during the previous year, the revenue effect from such acquisitions as if they had been owned during that entire year (or same period as the current reportable period), taking into account their respective pre-acquisition revenues for the applicable periods, and (iii) for dispositions, the revenue effect from such disposition as if they had been disposed of during the equivalent period in the prior year.

(2) Net New Business: Estimate of annualized revenue for new wins less annualized revenue for losses incurred in the period.

(3) Adjusted EBITDA: defined as Net income excluding non-operating income or expense to achieve operating income, plus depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, deferred acquisition consideration adjustments, and other items. Other items include restructuring costs, acquisition-related expenses, and non-recurring items.

(4) Free Cash Flow:  defined as Adjusted EBITDA less capital expenditures, change in net working capital, cash taxes, interest, and distributions to minority interests, but excludes contingent M&A payments.

(5) Financial Guidance:  The Company provides guidance on a non-GAAP basis as it cannot predict certain elements which are included in reported GAAP results.

Included in this earnings release are tables reconciling reported Stagwell Inc. results to arrive at certain of these non-GAAP financial measures.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Statements in this press release that are not historical facts, including without limitation the information under the heading “Financial Outlook” and statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, earnings (loss) guidance, recent business and economic trends, potential acquisitions, and estimates of amounts for redeemable noncontrolling interests and deferred acquisition consideration, constitute forward-looking statements. Words such as “estimates”, “expects”, “contemplates”, “will”, “anticipates”, “projects”, “plans”, “intends”, “believes”, “forecasts”, “may”, “should”, and variations of such words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current plans, estimates and projections, and are subject to change based on a number of factors, including those outlined in this section.  Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any of them in light of new information or future events, if any.

Some of the factors that could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows include, but are not limited to, the following:

• risks associated with international, national and regional unfavorable economic conditions that could affect the Company or its clients;
• the effects of the coronavirus pandemic (“COVID-19”), and the impact on the economy and demand for the Company’s services, which may precipitate or exacerbate other risks and uncertainties;
• an inability to realize expected benefits of the combination of the Company’s business with the business of MDC (the “Business Combination” and, together with the related transactions, the “Transactions”);
• adverse tax consequences in connection with the Transactions for the Company, its operations and its shareholders, that may differ from the expectations of the Company, including that future changes in tax law, potential increases to corporate tax rates in the United States and disagreements with the tax authorities on the Company’s determination of value and computations of its attributes may result in increased tax costs;
• the occurrence of material Canadian federal income tax (including material “emigration tax”) as a result of the Transactions;
• the Company’s ability to attract new clients and retain existing clients;
• the impact of a reduction in client spending and changes in client advertising, marketing and corporate communications requirements;
• financial failure of the Company’s clients;
• the Company’s ability to retain and attract key employees;
• the Company’s ability to compete in the markets in which it operates;
• the Company’s ability to achieve its cost saving initiatives;
• the Company’s implementation of strategic initiatives;
• the Company’s ability to remain in compliance with its debt agreements and the Company’s ability to finance its contingent payment obligations when due and payable, including but not limited to those relating to redeemable noncontrolling interests and deferred acquisition consideration;
• the Company’s ability to manage its growth effectively, including the successful completion and integration of acquisitions which complement and expand the Company’s business capabilities;
• the Company’s material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting and its ability to establish and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting;
• the Company’s ability to protect client data from security incidents or cyberattacks;
• economic disruptions resulting from war and other geopolitical tensions (such as the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine), terrorist activities and natural disasters;
• stock price volatility; and
• foreign currency fluctuations.

Investors should carefully consider these risk factors, other risk factors described herein, and the additional risk factors outlined in more detail in our 2021 Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 17, 2022, and accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, under the caption “Risk Factors,” and in the Company’s other SEC filings.

By

Stagwell Insights

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Today’s businesses have more reputational capital than ever before. When reputation is managed, it has the potential to add business value and mitigate risks. Stagwell annually produces the Reputation Quotient, the industry’s leading barometer of American corporate reputation, in partnership with Axios and The Harris Poll to uncover insights which brands are gaining or losing reputational capital – and the expectations of a new generation of reputation-minded consumers.  

The Axios Harris Poll 100 is a trusted ranking of the reputations of the companies most on the minds of Americans using a framework Harris has used since 1999. Download the 22nd Annual Reputation Quotient Study report to view the full rankings and gain additional insights about performance year over year. 

Register to receive our 2022 research – set to release in late May – using this form. Reach out to hello@stagwellglobal.com if you have questions. 

Methodology:  

The Axios Harris Poll 100 is based on a survey of 42,935 Americans in a nationally representative sample. The two-step process starts fresh each year by surveying the public’s top-of-mind awareness of companies that either excel or falter in society. These 100 “most visible companies” are then rated by a second group of Americans across the seven key dimensions of reputation to determine the ranking. If a company is not on the list, it did not reach a critical level of visibility to be measured.