Sir Martin Sorrell has reiterated WPP’s target for growth from digital and the world’s faster growing markets to as much 45% of total revenue within the next five years.

Sorrell, emboldened by the failed merger of rivals Publicis and Omnicom, said WPP would up its growth targets.

The previous goal was to hit 35% to 40% of total revenue from new media and markets such as Brazil, India and China. This has now been raised to 40% to 45% over the next five years.

Sorrell originally set the new target when Omnicom and Publicis, the world’s second and third largest marketing services groups respectively, announced a $35bn merger.

The WPP targets were seen as an aggressive counter-response to drive business. Despite the failure of the merger talks earlier this year, Sorrell has decided to maintain the target.

The world’s largest marketing services group increased revenues by 2.7% to £5.45bn in the first six months. Pre-tax profits grew 15% to £491m.

Organic growth, a key measure watched by investors, was 4.1% in the first half and 10.2% in the second quarter.

Like-for-like sales grew 4.3% in North America to £1.68bn in the first half. The UK grew a healthy 6.9% to £665m. Western continental European markets continued to struggle, growth was just 0.6% to £1bn.

Sales in the rest of the world rose 5.5% to £1.4bn.

WPP’s advertising and media buying sales, the engine room of the group’s business accounting for 44% of the total, rose a healthy 5.9% in the first half to £2.1bn.

Data investment management rose just 1.2% to £843m. The PR division, which includes agencies such as Ogilvy and Cohn & Wolfe, rose 2.7% to £430m.

WPP said that for the year, the company expects net sales growth “over 3%”.

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