Multinational clients flocking to M&C Saatchi

M&C Saatchi, the Tories' advertising agency, is winning an increasing amount of international work helping to offset any jitters about the UK economy.

The advertising, PR and sports marketing group told today's annual general meeting that it has won a string of clients including Google, BAE Systems, Garmin, Vertu and Siemens.

Despite fears about an industry-wide ad slowdown in the UK since Easter, chairman Jeremy Sinclair said: "2011 has started well and we will be looking to maintain this performance into the second half."

Shares in M&C Saatchi, unchanged today, have risen almost 50% in the last 12 months but are down 12% since March because of wider economic worries.

M&C has opened several new offices, including in Italy and South Africa, which should be profitable by the year-end.

Sinclair said the group's worldwide network of agencies has been key to winning "increasingly international" business from multinational clients.