LBi Q1 2008

PRESS RELEASE
Stockholm/Amsterdam, 24 April 2008
 
LBI International AB ("LBi"), the global marketing and technology
agency, today announces its Quarterly report for January - March.
 
Executive summary
 
Net sales in January-March 2008 increased by 3.8%, while at constant
rates sales grew by 7.6%.
 
EBITDA normalised reached EUR 2.2 million (5.7%) compared to EUR 3.9
million (10.6%) last year, impacted by disappointing results in the
Netherlands and Scandinavia. EBITDA was EUR 3.6 million (4.6), a
margin of 9.3%.
 
The net result was EUR -0.7 million (2.1). The EBIT was EUR 0.6
million (3.1).
 
Earnings per share came to EUR -0.01 (0.03).
 
For the quarter we have posted an EBIT result normalised of EUR 0.4
million. This is a very poor result and has warranted aggressive
intervention. We are however confident that we are tracking well to
the recovery plan in key problem areas.
 
The Netherlands posted an operational loss (EBITDA) of EUR 1.4
million due to sharp deterioration in top line. New management is now
in place and is taking further steps to improve and rebuild the new
integrated Lost Boys/Satama organisation. We are confident that the
Dutch organisation will return to profitability over the next two
quarters.
 
Scandinavia posted a EUR 0.7 million EBITDA. This compared to a
result of EUR 1.8 million in Q1 2007. The delta of EUR 1.1 million is
almost entirely due to a sharp decrease of topline in the region.
This is partly due to the trading environment becoming more
competitive and challenging.
 
Appointment of Luke Talyor as new CEO (January 2008) followed by
strategic roadmap announcement in March 2008 with priorities set at
(1) Building expertise centers and strengthening full service
offering in key hub markets US, UK and Asia, (2) Leveraging local
best-in-class service offering, skills and country rate cards across
the international client base (3) Evolving offer in local European
markets and (4) Moving towards one
global brand for consistency of offer and increased recognition.
 
Acquisition of Netrank (January 2008), a London (UK)-based digital
agency extending and deepening LBi's Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
skills.
 
Acquisition of OX2 (February 2008), a Belgian interactive agency
specifically strenghtening LBi's knowledge and expertise in the field
of website measurement and web analytics.
 
Acquisition of Special Ops Media (early April 2008), a New York (US)
- based agency with a broad client portfolio of major national and
international brands, strengthening LBi's online strategy, marketing
and media planning and buying capabilities in one of LBi's key hub
markets.
 
The full report can be downloaded from the attached link.
 
 
For further information please contact:
Luke Taylor, CEO, LBI International AB
+44 20 7446 7500, luke.taylor@lbi.com
Huub Wezenberg, acting CFO, LBI International AB
+31 20 460 4500, huub.wezenberg@lbi.com
Eva Ottosson, Group Communications Manager, LBI International AB
+46 709 41 21 40, eva.ottosson@lbi.com
 
 
About LBi:
LBi is the global marketing and technology agency. The Company
employs approximately 1,500 professionals located primarily in the
major European, American and Asian business centers, such as
Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, London, Milan, Mumbai, New York, Paris
and Stockholm. LBi blends the full range of service disciplines to
create innovative multichannel solutions for national and
international corporate clients. By combining business and media
strategy development with creative design, industry expertise and the
latest digital communications technology, LBi offers a unique , and
uniquely valuable proposition. LBi is listed on OMX Nordic in
Stockholm and Euronext in Amsterdam as (symbol: LBI).