Posts Tagged "Agency deals"

Sir Martin Sorrell has made a spectacular return to the London stock market only weeks after his acrimonious departure from one of the world’s biggest advertising groups.

Technology services and consulting group Infosys has agreed to acquire WONGDOODY, a US-based ad and marketing agency with a strong focus on insight and consumer experience

Sir Martin Sorrell’s resignation has raised the question of whether his successor will be able to stop a breakup of the world’s largest advertising group. Some analysts believe that there is more value in breaking up the sprawling empire – WPP employs more than 200,000 staff in 400 separate ad businesses in more than 3,000 offices in 112 countries – particularly as its stock market value has plummeted more than a third in the past year

Accenture is making one of its largest acquisitions to date by purchasing publisher Meredith’s digital agency, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing (MXM). Terms of the deal were not disclosed

Publicis, the world’s third-largest advertising agency by revenues, has unveiled a wide-ranging strategic plan for the next three years to position itself in an industry beset by widespread disruption and the lowest growth since the financial crisis.

Digital communications group Next 15 said it had acquired innovation agency  Brandwidth. Group for up to £10.3m. The consideration involved an initial payment of £6.2m, including £4.9m in cash and the rest in shares. Further payments in 2018 and 2020 were conditional on performance. The maximum total consideration of £10.3m represented a 5.5 times multiple of Brandwidth’s adjusted earnings before interest and tax in the year ended 30 June, Next 15 said.

WPP’s new unit Kantar Consulting has acquired brand consultancy Mash Strategy for an undisclosed sum.

Press release: WPP announces that its wholly-owned marketing communications network, Ogilvy & Mather (Ogilvy), has acquired a majority stake in ARBA, a digital consultancy

Marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network has agreed to buy Netherlands and Dubai-based performance marketing agency Oxyma Group, which will subsequently be integrated into its Merkle subsidiary. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed

WPP is preparing to lock horns with Bain Capital in Tokyo, after the Boston-based private equity firm launched a $1.3bn tender offer for Japan’s third-biggest advertising agency — a long-term business partner of the UK-listed giant. Just hours after Bain’s offer was made public, people close to WPP said on Monday night that it did not intend to sell its 24.7 per cent stake in Asatsu-DK (ADK) at the ¥3,660 price offered by Bain, as the tender “severely undervalues” the Japanese firm.

Press release: Next 15, the digital communications group, is pleased to announce the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Elvis Communications Limited (“Elvis”), a UK based integrated digital agency with a focus on consumer brands

Press Release: WPP announces that it has acquired Design Bridge Limited (“Design Bridge”), a leading independent and highly-awarded brand design agency. Design Bridge combines strategic thinking, intuition and creative excellence to bring brands to life through great ideas that connect with people

Press Release: Next 15, the digital communications group, is pleased to announce the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Velocity Partners Limited (“Velocity”), a B2B digital agency with a focus on technology clients. Velocity was founded by Doug Kessler and Stan Woods in 2000, who will remain in the business following its acquisition. Clients include multi-national technology groups, such as Sprint, Xerox and Informatica. Velocity is based in the UK, however, 70% of its revenues came from US-based clients in financial year ended 30 April 2017

Press Release: WPP announces that it has agreed to acquire thjnk AG (“thjnk”), a leading independent creative agency group in Germany. Founded in 2012 in Hamburg, with offices in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Munich, Zurich and New York, thjnk is a multi-award winning agency group specialising in advertising, design and corporate publishing. Recently it was named Agency of the Year 2017 by German trade publication Werben & Verkaufen. The agency employs 400 people

Press Release: Huntsworth plc, the healthcare communications and public relations group (“Huntsworth” or “the Group”), today announces the acquisition of the entire share capital of The Creative Engagement Group (“TCEG”) from funds managed by LDC (Managers) Limited (“LDC”) and certain members of TCEG’s management for total consideration of £24.7m

In Austria, marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired full-service media agency media.at, which provides consulting, research and data analysis relating to comms strategy, ad planning and buying, and ad verification. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Japanese advertising giant Dentsu has agreed to buy US digital marketer Leapfrog. The Tokyo-based company said it would acquire a 100 per cent stake in Leapfrog, whose proprietary LFX Conversion Platform aims to optimise the consumer experience via channels ranging from social media to physical stores. Leapfrog, which is headquartered in Illinois, generated revenue of $32m in the 12 months ended December 2016 and employs 150 people, most of who are software engineers and data scientists

Havas Group is acquiring Agence79 to strengthen its expertise in transferring classic media and content to digital platforms. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Press Release: WPP announces that its wholly-owned marketing communications network, Ogilvy & Mather, has acquired a stake in its digital partner in Ireland, Eightytwenty Customer Experience Limited (“Eightytwenty”), market leader in the Irish digital communications industry

Marcoms group Dentsu Aegis has acquired Geneva, Switzerland-based digital agency blue-infinity, which offers a range of integrated marketing, CRM, commerce, retail, tracking, and analytics services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.