Every quarter, Interpublic Group -- which owns ad agencies such as Deutsch, McCann and DraftFCB -- updates investors with a slideshow that includes its trailing 12 months of organic revenue growth. Organic growth is like-for-like revenue growth, ignoring acquisitions and divestments.
Back in 2009, in the teeth of the recession, I gave that slide a nickname: IPG's Powerpoint From Hell. It depicted a nosedive of growth. The company laid off at least 5,500 people in the months that followed.
In Q3 2012, the Power Point From Hell made a return. Here it is (and it's not the only ad network predicting disaster):
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