Disney acquires Rocket Pack

March 4, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

TechCrunch is reporting that Disney has acquired an HTML5 gaming engine startup called Rocket Pack, based out of Helsinki, Finalnd. Rocketpack will report into Disney Interactive Media Group.

Terms of the deal have not been released, but TechCrunch are suggesting a price of between $10 and $20 million. It’s a fast acquisition – as of Feb 1, Rocket Pack was still developing the engine.

Read the full story

USA, Burbank, CA & Finland, Helsinki

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Axel Springer acquires majority interest in kaufDA

March 3, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Axel Springer AG has acquired a 74.9 percent equity interest in online brochures and mobile couponing company, kaufDA.

Formed in 2009, the Berlin-based company offers retailers the ability to advertise their products and services in the mobile and stationary internet on a location-based service, making it possible for consumers to conveniently plan their shopping from home or away from home, using their mobile phones. Together with more than 80 partners and major internet companies like t-online.de and meinestadt.de, the kaufDA network reaches more than eleven million users in 12,000 German cities and towns.

Dr. Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Axel Springer AG: “We are pleased to have made this investment in kaufDA, as the most promising online marketing company for stationary retail sales. In the last two years, kaufDA has successfully established its innovative approach and business model in the market; and working together, we want to continue growing the company’s business on that basis. We are especially pleased that the company’s founders Christian Gaiser, Tim Marbach and Thomas Frieling will continue to manage the portal on a long-term basis as ‘entrepreneurs within the company.’”

Christian Gaiser, CEO of kaufDA – Juno Internet GmbH: “With its decades of expertise and success in traditional reach marketing, our new majority shareholder Axel Springer is unrivalled among media companies. It is also setting new standards in the digital business. That will create outstanding networking possibilities for kaufDA in the future. For that reason, Axel Springer was always our ‘dream investor.’”

kaufDA already counts more than 120 large corporations as its customers. It offers Internet users access to brochures, special offers and opening hours of approximately 200,000 German retail outlets. Currently, kaufDA reaches eleven million Internet users, including one million by way of mobile apps for the iPhone, iPad and Android.

Germany, Berlin

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Publicis Groupe acquires Kitcatt Nohr

March 3, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Publicis Groupe has acquired Kitcatt Nohr, a UK-based, integrated agency. Kitcatt Nohr will be merged with Digitas in the UK, creating a new agency, Kitcatt Nohr Digitas, which will be part of VivaKi. The new entity Kitcatt Nohr Digitas will be headquartered in London

Kitcatt Nohr was founded in January 2002 by Creative Partner Paul Kitcatt, Managing Partner Marc Nohr, Client Partner Vonnie Alexander and Chairman Jeremy Shaw. Kitcatt Nohr employs 68 staff taking the total number to 150 at the newly formed agency. The newly formed agency has a client roster that includes Body Shop, British Olympic Association, Delta Airlines, John Lewis, Lexus, NS&I, P&G, Samsung, Shell, Toyota, and Waitrose.

Kitcatt Nohr Digitas management will be led by Marc Nohr, Chief Executive Officer and Paul Kitcatt, Chief Creative Officer. Both will report to Stephan Beringer, President, Digitas International. Sav Evangelou, Executive Creative Director of Digitas London, has been promoted to an international role with responsibility to several multinational clients. He will report to Mark Beeching, Chief Creative Officer of Digitas.

Stephan Beringer, President, Digitas International, “There are many synergies between Digitas and Kitcatt Nohr which both compliment and strengthen the agencies. This move enables us to offer clients a deeper and wider service on a global basis. It’s a win win for all.”

France, Paris & UK, London

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ITE Group acquires Krasnodar Expo

March 3, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

ITE Group plc, the emerging and developing markets exhibitions specialist, today announces the acquisition of 100% of Krasnodar Expo LLC (‘the Company’) from its owners, a group of private shareholders. The total consideration is c. 410 million rubles (£8.8m), which is payable in cash, 50% on completion, and 50% deferred until audited figures are confirmed. The acquisition will be funded from existing cash and debt facilities.

Krasnodar is a significant exhibition business based in the South of Russia (EUREX: OMXR.EX – news) . The business has a portfolio of more than twenty exhibitions with annual volume sales of circa 50,000m2. Krasnodar’s largest annual exhibitions serve the construction and agriculture industries, amongst others. The portfolio of events is complementary to ITE’s existing exhibition interests and will both broaden and strengthen ITE’s presence in the increasingly important regional markets of Russia.

The business reported operating profit before tax of c. 90 million rubles (£1.9m) for the 2010 calendar year. This acquisition is expected to be earnings enhancing for the financial year ending 30 September 2011. The Company is a new entity which holds the trademarks and rights to run the exhibition business and had nil gross assets on completion.

Commenting on the acquisition, ITE’s Chief Executive Officer, Russell Taylor, said, “Krasnodar has a strong regional market position in the South of Russia which fits well with ITE’s current business. Krasnodar’s portfolio is complementary and the addition of this business is consistent with our strategy of expanding our regional presence in Russia.”

UK, London & Russia, Moscow

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UBM disposes of French medical print business

March 1, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

United Business Media has sold its French medical newspaper and magazine business to a management buyout team led by Gérard Kouchner, the business’s Chief Executive since 2005.  UBM has sold the business on behalf of its UBM Medica division and will retain a 37.1% equity stake.  The cash consideration was €4.4m and UBM has extended vendor finance of €6m to the management buyout team, valuing the transaction at €13m on an enterprise basis.

The business publishes weekly, bi-weekly, monthly and other subscription and controlled circulation titles for the French healthcare professional community.  It also has a number of smaller print media and customised marketing products for the French medical community.  In 2010 the business generated revenues of approximately €40m and employed around 170 staff at its Paris premises.

UK, London & France, Paris

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UBM disposes of UK licensed trade portfolio

March 1, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

United Business Media is disposing of its UK licensed trade portfolio to William Reed for an initial cash consideration of £1.5m and further deferred performance-related consideration of up to £150,000. UBM is selling the portfolio on behalf of its UBM Connect division. The transaction is expected to close within a month, subject to the conclusion of a TUPE consultation process.

The sale of the portfolio – which comprises The Publican print magazine title, websites and awards event, together with the Theme and Bar Show brands – augments William Reed’s existing portfolio serving this market.

This transaction involves a total of 14 staff transfering to William Reed in accordance with the application of TUPE.

UK, London & West Sussex

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Qype acquires Coupon Provider and Launches QypeDeals.com

March 1, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Consumer reviews and recommendations site, Qype has added coupons and discount vouchers to its business through the acquisition of Munich based CooleDeals.de, Germany’s third largest coupon and voucher business after Groupon and DailyDeals. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Outlining this latest move Ian Brotherston, CEO at Qype said, “The coupons and vouchers model offers the perfect complement to our existing reviews and recommendation business. We are pleased that bringing the CooleDeals platform and expertise onboard will allow QypeDeals to rapidly extend our ability to deliver ever more value for our consumers and business partners. Qype has always had a major part to play as a positive community-led force demanding improved customer service, product quality and value for money for consumers through Europe” Brotherston continues,”I feel that adding the QypeDeals discount vouchers service through our acquisition of CooleDeals will only reinforce this as we all move forward together.”

Thomas Bernik, CooleDeals, “Blending together the Qype consumer content with our vouchers and discounts will provide a unique proposition in the marketplace and add significant value to our own existing customers, who will really benefit from this deal. We have seen huge growth in our business over the past 12 months and now as part of Qype I am expecting that as demand for discounts and vouchers continues to explode, QypeDeals will become the dominant force through 2011 and beyond”

Germany, Hamburg & Munich

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Future Publishing emerges as a contender for BBC Worldwide’s magazine division

February 24, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

PaidContent is reporting that Future Publishing has emerged as a contender for BBC Worldwide’s magazine division.

BBC Worldwide expects to receive formal, non-binding offers from two bidders this week. It is not known who the final two companies are, though German publisher Bauer is thought likely to be one of them. German publisher, Hubert Burda has also been linked with the deal.

BBC Magazines publishes over 50 consumer titles including Top Gear, Radio Times, BBC Good Food and Gardeners’ World. They are the UK’s fourth largest publisher in terms of circulation; but it is the third largest in terms of retail sales value.

Read the full story

UK, London

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PERFORM acquires Goal.com

February 23, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

PERFORM has acquired Goal.com, the world’s largest football portal, from a consortium of investors including Bessemer Venture Partners.

The deal is a major development for PERFORM, rapidly increasing its scale and reach in the global digital sports market to over 95 million users a month.

Over the last three years, Goal.com has used its strong brand and broad news coverage in fifteen languages to build up a leading position in the online football portal market. In January 2011, Goal.com was visited by 19.4 million unique users (Comscore).

PERFORM will integrate its live sports data (GSM), video news (OMNISPORT), video highlights (ePlayer) and live streaming (LIVESPORT.TV) from its catalogue of over 40 different football leagues and competitions.

Goal’s CEO, Ron Elwell, commented. “Over the last 5 years, Goal.com has grown from nothing to the largest football site in the world, reaching tens of millions of passionate fans thanks to the vision of our founder, Gian Luigi Longinotti-Buitoni. The acquisition by PERFORM provides a great platform for the continued growth of the site with the addition of world class video content and I’m sure it will continue to be a fantastic business.” Michael Simpson, one of Goal.com’s original founders assumes the role of Senior Vice President for Product and Content, Jonathan Gamble becomes Senior Vice President for Commercial and Sales and Scott Rothrock will continue as Chief Technology Officer of Goal.com. All three members will report to Simon Denyer, joint-CEO, PERFORM.

UK, Middlesex & USA, Waltham, MA

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Publicis Groupe acquires Interactive Communications Ltd in Taiwan

February 23, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Publicis Groupe is to acquire Interactive Communications Ltd (ICL), a Taiwan public relations and social media consultancy. For the past seven years, ICL has been an affiliate of MSLGROUP, Publicis Groupe’s flagship specialty communications, PR and events network.
Founded in 1998 and employing 30 communications professionals, ICL specializes in innovative communications campaigns combining public relations, social media and event experiences. The ICL team has worked for companies across more than 25 different sectors, and clients include Procter & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Company, Sony, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Particularly renowned for its creativity and innovative social media capabilities, ICL was recently recognized at Campaign Asia-Pacific’s 2010 ‘Digital Media Awards’ for its social media work for Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Following the acquisition, the agency will continue to be led by founders Cindy Chou, who serves as Chair of ICL MSL, and Mario Fang, Managing Director. Both leaders have more than 15 years of experience in the marketing industry. Cindy Chou was named Taiwan CEO of the year in 2009 and 2010 by BRAIN magazine, Taiwan’s leading marketing and technology publication. Both Cindy Chou and Mario Fang will join the MSLGROUP Greater China Management Board, and Cindy Chou will henceforth report to Glenn Osaki, President, MSLGROUP Asia.

The acquisition of ICL is Publicis Groupe’s fourth in Asia for the MSLGROUP network in the past five months. MSLGROUP Greater China is a top five international PR agency with eight offices and 225 staff across Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Olivier Fleurot, Chief Executive Officer, MSLGROUP remarked, “We are delighted that ICL has become a fully fledged member of MSLGROUP. This new addition reflects our commitment to provide our local and multinational clients with a best-in-class team in Taiwan and seek out partners who share our long-term vision and commitment to building an innovative offering for clients.”Cindy Chou, Chair of ICL MSL and member MSLGROUP Greater China Management Board, commented, “ICL has worked with the MSLGROUP global network as an affiliate for the last seven years and our staff and clients have come to rely upon this relationship to add value to our activities in Taiwan. Now that we are officially joining MSLGROUP, we will be focused on expanding our role in the Greater China team to service key clients and deepening our expertise in social media marketing.”

France, Paris & Taiwan, Taipei

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