Chime Communications highlights 'best results ever'

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

Despite a brutal year for many rivals, the firm's chairman, Lord Bell, hailed "our best results ever" as operating revenues rose 10% to £123.1 million.

Chime, whose subsidiaries include PR firm Bell Pottinger and ad agency VCCP, thrived by increasing overseas revenue from 45% in 2008 to 57%.

Fears of a hung parliament have prompted companies to spend more money on political advice to represent themselves with a new government. Chime's public affairs division had a record first quarter.

Lord Bell, a Tory peer who advised Edward Heath and Margaret Thatcher, said: "I lived through the last hung parliament. During the election campaign the stock market crashed and currency crashed and caused great uncertainty."

He identified sports marketing as a key growth area, bringing in 20% of revenues from events such as the London 2012 Olympics and international rugby..

"Sport is becoming one of the staples of people's lives," he said. "Markeeteers are using sports sponsorship to establish the brands."

Chime increased the final dividend to 3.5p, making the total for the year 4.72p, up 10% on 2008. Shares, up 230% in the last year, today slipped 5p to 210p.

Analysts at Numis Securities, which advises Chime, described the results as "excellent" and raised its price target for the shares to 292p, saying they look "undervalued".