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Segment Information
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Segment Reporting [Abstract]  
Segment Information
Segment Information
The Company determines an operating segment if a component (i) engages in business activities from which it earns revenues and incurs expenses, (ii) has discrete financial information, and is (iii) regularly reviewed by the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) to make decisions regarding resource allocation for the segment and assess its performance. Once operating segments are identified, the Company performs an analysis to determine if aggregation of operating segments is applicable. This determination is based upon a quantitative analysis of the expected and historic average long-term profitability for each operating segment, together with a qualitative assessment to determine if operating segments have similar operating characteristics.
Due to changes in the composition of certain businesses and the Company’s internal management and reporting structure during 2019, reportable segment results for the 2018 periods presented have been recast to reflect the reclassification of certain businesses between segments. The changes were as follows:
Doner, previously within the Global Integrated Agencies reportable segment is now included within the Domestic Creative Agencies reportable segment.
HL Group Partners, previously within the Specialist Communications reportable segment, and Redscout, previously within the All Other category, are now included in the Yes & Company operating segment. The Yes & Company operating segment previously within the Media Services reportable segment is now included within the Domestic Creative Agencies reportable segment.
Attention, previously within the Forsman & Bodenfors operating segment, has operationally merged into MDC Media Partners, which is included within the Media Services reportable segment.
Varick Media, previously within the Yes & Company operating segment, is now included within MDC Media Partners, which is included within the Media Services reportable segment.
The four reportable segments that result from applying the aggregation criteria are as follows: “Global Integrated Agencies”; “Domestic Creative Agencies”; “Specialist Communications”; and “Media Services.” In addition, the Company combines and discloses those operating segments that do not meet the aggregation criteria as “All Other.” The Company also reports corporate expenses, as further detailed below, as “Corporate.” All segments follow the same basis of presentation and accounting policies as those described throughout the Notes to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included herein and Note 2 of the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.
The Global Integrated Agencies reportable segment is comprised of the Company’s four global, integrated operating segments (72andSunny, Anomaly, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, and Forsman & Bodenfors) serving multinational clients around the world. These operating segments share similar characteristics related to (i) the nature of their services; (ii) the type of global clients and the methods used to provide services; and (iii) the extent to which they may be impacted by global economic and geopolitical risks. In addition, these operating segments compete with each other for new business and from time to time have business move between them. The Company believes the historic and expected average long-term profitability is similar among the operating segments aggregated in the Global Integrated Agencies reportable segment.
The operating segments within the Global Integrated Agencies reportable segment provides a range of different services for its clients, including strategy, creative and production for advertising campaigns across a variety of platforms (print, digital, social media, television broadcast).
The Domestic Creative Agencies reportable segment is comprised of seven operating segments that are primarily national advertising agencies (Colle McVoy, Doner, Laird + Partners, Mono Advertising, Union, Yamamoto, and Yes & Company) leveraging creative capabilities at their core. These operating segments share similar characteristics related to (i) the nature of their services; (ii) the type of domestic client accounts and the methods used to provide services; and (iii) the extent to which they may be impacted by domestic economic and policy factors within North America. In addition, these operating segments compete with each other for new business and from time to time have business move between them. The Company believes the historic and expected average long-term profitability is similar among the operating segments aggregated in the Domestic Creative Agencies reportable segment.
The operating segments within the Domestic Creative Agencies reportable segment provide similar services as the Global Integrated Agencies.

The Specialist Communications reportable segment is comprised of four operating segments that are each communications agencies (Allison & Partners, Hunter, KWT Global, and Veritas) with core service offerings in public relations and related communications services. These operating segments share similar characteristics related to (i) the nature of their services; (ii) the type of client accounts and the methods used to provide services; (iii) the extent to which they may be impacted by domestic economic and policy factors within North America; and (iv) the regulatory environment regarding public relations and social media. In addition, these operating segments compete with each other for new business and from time to time have business move between them. The Company believes the historic and expected average long-term profitability is similar among the operating segments aggregated in the Specialist Communications reportable segment.
The operating segments within the Specialist Communications reportable segment provide public relations and communications services including strategy, editorial, crisis support or issues management, media training, influencer engagement, and events management.

The Media Services reportable segment is comprised of a single operating segment known as MDC Media Partners. MDC Media Partners, which operates primarily in North America, performs media buying and planning as its core competency across a range of platforms (out-of-home, paid search, social media, lead generation, programmatic, television broadcast).
All Other consists of the Company’s remaining operating segments that provide a range of diverse marketing communication services, but generally do not have similar services offerings or financial characteristics as those aggregated in the reportable segments. The All Other category includes 6Degrees Communications, Concentric Partners, Gale Partners, Kenna, Kingsdale (through the date of sale on March 8, 2019), Instrument, Relevent, Team, Vitro, and Y Media Labs. The nature of the specialist services provided by these operating segments vary among each other and from those operating segments aggregated into the reportable segments. This results in these operating segments having current and long-term performance expectations inconsistent with those operating segments aggregated in the reportable segments. The operating segments within All Other provide a range of diverse marketing communication services, including application and website design and development, data and analytics, experiential marketing, customer research management, creative services, and branding.
Corporate consists of corporate office expenses incurred in connection with the strategic resources provided to the operating segments, as well as certain other centrally managed expenses that are not fully allocated to the operating segments. These office and general expenses include (i) salaries and related expenses for corporate office employees, including employees dedicated to supporting the operating segments, (ii) occupancy expenses relating to properties occupied by all corporate office employees, (iii) other office and general expenses including professional fees for the financial statement audits and other public company costs, and (iv) certain other professional fees managed by the corporate office. Additional expenses managed by the corporate office that are directly related to the operating segments are allocated to the appropriate reportable segment and the All Other category.
 
Three Months Ended September 30,
 
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
Revenue:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Global Integrated Agencies
$
145,890

 
$
157,308

 
$
429,977

 
$
444,995

Domestic Creative Agencies
57,593

 
59,151

 
176,711

 
183,504

Specialist Communications
42,101

 
38,838

 
128,224

 
117,966

Media Services
21,222

 
29,593

 
75,815

 
90,948

All Other
76,101

 
90,940

 
223,101

 
245,128

Total
$
342,907

 
$
375,830

 
$
1,033,828

 
$
1,082,541

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Segment operating income (loss):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Global Integrated Agencies
$
21,036

 
$
23,486

 
$
45,527

 
$
28,247

Domestic Creative Agencies
7,216

 
(14,031
)
 
22,533

 
(6,887
)
Specialist Communications
5,129

 
3,703

 
18,889

 
13,646

Media Services
(1,677
)
 
850

 
(3,630
)
 
(78
)
All Other
6,828

 
6,634

 
15,790

 
29,065

Corporate
(9,111
)
 
(18,024
)
 
(30,565
)
 
(45,236
)
Total
$
29,421

 
$
2,618

 
$
68,544

 
$
18,757

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other Income (Expenses):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest expense and finance charges, net
$
(16,110
)
 
$
(17,063
)
 
$
(49,284
)
 
$
(50,005
)
Foreign exchange gain (loss)
(3,973
)
 
3,275

 
4,401

 
(9,934
)
Other, net
(431
)
 
189

 
(4,559
)
 
1,222

Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in earnings of non-consolidated affiliates
8,907

 
(10,981
)
 
19,102

 
(39,960
)
Income tax expense (benefit)
3,457

 
2,986

 
6,292

 
(3,367
)
Income (loss) before equity in earnings of non-consolidated affiliates
5,450

 
(13,967
)
 
12,810

 
(36,593
)
Equity in earnings of non-consolidated affiliates
63

 
300

 
352

 
358

Net income (loss)
5,513

 
(13,667
)
 
13,162

 
(36,235
)
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest
(7,265
)
 
(2,458
)
 
(10,737
)
 
(5,900
)
Net income (loss) attributable to MDC Partners Inc.
$
(1,752
)
 
$
(16,125
)
 
$
2,425

 
$
(42,135
)



 
Three Months Ended September 30,
 
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
Depreciation and amortization:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Global Integrated Agencies
$
4,009

 
$
4,553

 
$
12,511

 
$
16,705

Domestic Creative Agencies
1,213

 
1,266

 
3,708

 
3,793

Specialist Communications
644

 
1,100

 
1,909

 
3,059

Media Services
755

 
675

 
2,531

 
1,995

All Other
2,555

 
3,341

 
7,580

 
9,077

Corporate
192

 
199

 
630

 
583

Total
$
9,368

 
$
11,134

 
$
28,869

 
$
35,212

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock-based compensation:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Global Integrated Agencies
$
4,673

 
$
3,241

 
$
9,672

 
$
8,176

Domestic Creative Agencies
352

 
550

 
1,338

 
2,056

Specialist Communications
45

 
52

 
123

 
291

Media Services
5

 
102

 
(11
)
 
251

All Other
118

 
677

 
1,058

 
2,019

Corporate
833

 
1,620

 
452

 
4,089

Total
$
6,026

 
$
6,242

 
$
12,632

 
$
16,882

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Capital expenditures:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Global Integrated Agencies
$
3,470

 
$
1,927

 
$
6,704

 
$
6,581

Domestic Creative Agencies
694

 
967

 
1,757

 
2,440

Specialist Communications
198

 
732

 
680

 
3,176

Media Services
(2
)
 
385

 
165

 
699

All Other
1,492

 
1,500

 
4,450

 
2,271

Corporate
11

 
32

 
30

 
65

Total
$
5,863

 
$
5,543

 
$
13,786

 
$
15,232



The Company’s CODM does not use segment assets to allocate resources or to assess performance of the segments and therefore, total segment assets have not been disclosed.
See Note 2 of the Notes to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included herein for a summary of the Company’s revenue by geographic region for three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018.