Revenue during the quarter went up marginally by 0.68 percent to $1,753.90 million from $1,742 million in the previous year period. Total expenses were 98.31 percent of quarterly revenues, down from 98.68 percent for the same period last year. This has led to an improvement of 37 basis points in operating margin to 1.69 percent.

Operating income for the quarter was $29.70 million, compared with $23 million in the previous year period.

"Against very challenging comparisons, we showed solid organic revenue growth in the quarter, with contributions from across our agencies and all marketing disciplines. Operating margin increased 40 basis points compared to last years first quarter. Underlying this performance is the excellence of our people. Outstanding consumer insights, industry-leading creativity, top tier digital capabilities, and the delivery of efficient and precisely targeted communications have all become hallmarks of the agencies in our portfolio. By continuing to deliver integrated open architecture solutions and increasing investment in our holistic data platform, we will ensure that we stay highly relevant in todays complex marketing landscape," said Michael I. Roth, Interpublics chairman and chief executive officer.