Publicis acquires iStrat and MarketGate in India

December 10, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

PublicisPublicis Groupe has acquired two different agencies in India : iStrat, an integrated digital agencies, as well as MarketGate, a Mumbai-based strategic business and marketing consulting firm.

iStrat was founded in 2003 and provides solutions across all forms of digital marketing. The agency services a broad range of clients, including Alpha G:Corp (real estate), the Confederation of Indian Industries, Dupont (luxury accessories), Hero Corp (motorcycles), Hindware (kitchen and sanitary appliances), Maruti Suzuki, the NASSCOM software trade association, and Nestlé. The agency, which is headquartered in Delhi and employs a team of 50, provides the full range of digital communications services including e-commerce store fronts, search engine optimization, social media, and rich media.

MarketGate, which was founded in 2005, delivers services in business growth planning, marketing strategy, brand positioning, portfolio strategy, brand architecture development, and marketing skills development. The agency’s 7 consulting experts aim to rejuvenate brands and power their growth by deploying marketing processes throughout their clients’ organizations. Clients include Colgate, Dabur (foods/personal care), General Motors, GlaxoSmithKline, Godrej (personal care), HSBC, ICICI (financial services/banking), Madura Garments (fashion), Mahindra & Mahindra (automobile), MTR (foods), and Radio Mirchi Viacom.

As a part of this acquisition Publicis Groupe will also acquire MarketGate Dimensions, a subsidiary providing research-based solutions to business, marketing and brand issues, with offices in Mumbai, Delhi & Bangalore. Its client list includes Glenmark (personal care), Kellogg’s, Maruti Suzuki, The Walt Disney Company and Viacom 18.

iStrat will be rebranded Publicis iStrat and will operate as a unit within Publicis Modem, Publicis Worldwide’s global digital network. Its founders Navneet Singh Sahni (CEO) and Sonya Sahni (Head of Marketing) will continue to lead the agency. MarketGate will retain its name and will operate within Publicis Worldwide.  It will also continue to be led by founders Shripad Nadkarni (CEO) and Sharda Agarwal (Executive Director).  Both iStrat and MarketGate leadership will now report into Nakul Chopra, CEO South Asia for Publicis Worldwide.

“We’ve recently made a number of smart, bold moves in India, and we’re going to continue doing so,” declared Jean-Yves Naouri, Chief Operating Officer of Publicis Groupe and Executive Chairman of Publicis Worldwide, during a press conference held in Mumbai today. “Building digital capabilities is a fundamental part of the Publicis strategy, and today’s acquisition of iStrat and the strengthening of our digital arm in this promising market is a key step towards realizing our growth goals. In addition, MarketGate is a fast-moving strategic outfit with strong skill-sets, an impressive range of clients and thorough knowledge of the Indian market and its consumers,” he continued.

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