LONDON — Next 15, whose holdings include PR firms Archetype, M Booth and OutCast, reported net revenue rising 23% on an organic basis to £165.9m during the six months ending July 31, following moves including acquisitions and internal restructuring.

All four of the company’s segments — customer insight, customer engagement, customer delivery and business transformation — delivered double digit organic net revenue growth.

Next 15’s customer engagement businesses, which includes its PR firms, saw revenue rise 10% to £91.2m, with operating profit of £20.4m, an increase of 25%, delivered at an improved operating margin of 22.3%. The PR firms were part of Next 15’s brand marketing group until February 2021, when the company was restructured from three to four divisions.

“We have had positive performances across the board but MBooth has been the standout performer benefiting from a recovery in revenues from its more consumer-oriented client base and its broad range of service offerings. Archetype and Beyond’s profitability have both risen significantly in the period due to resilient revenue performances and efficiency savings,” the earnings report said.

Business transformation was the group’s fastest growing segment following the recent acquisitions of tech focused Mach49 and IPO advisory firm BCA, with organic net revenue rising 47.4% year-over-year to £19.7m.

Meantime, the group reported a 69% rise in adjusted profit before tax to £35.0m. Adjusted diluted earnings per share increased by 51% to 26.3p.

“Our first half results have seen very strong organic revenue and profit growth across all segments and we continue to benefit from the same momentum in our second half,” chair Penny Ladkin-Brand said. “The increasing mix of digital services is providing strong operating leverage although we are also taking the opportunity to accelerate investment in talent and product development to continue to drive longer term growth.”

The company also said “we are currently seeing no signs of a slowdown in client demand” and that “we anticipate delivering double digit organic revenue growth in our second half. Our new positioning as a growth consultancy is clearly resonating with our clients and we are confident in a positive financial performance for the rest of the year.”

All of which show a notable turnaround from the group’s performance in 2020, the height of the Covid pandemic. During the 12 months ending January 31, 2021, Next 15 saw revenue fall 3% on an organic basis to £266.9m from the same period one year earlier. The group's brand marketing segment, which at that time housed its PR holdings, reported an organic revenue decline of 5.5% (up 4% in reported terms) to £140.5m.