WPP acquires Who Digital in Vietnam

March 23, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

WPP announces that it has agreed to acquire the business of Who Digital, the leading full service digital agency in Vietnam, subject to regulatory approvals. Who Digital and OgilvyOne in Vietnam will form a joint venture in which WPP will take a majority stake.

Founded in 2005, Who Digital employs 25 people and is based in Ho Chi Minh City. Clients include Unilever, Megastar, HSBC, Baoviet and Sony Ericsson.

Who Digital’s unaudited gross assets as 31 December 2010 were VND 13.8 billion.

This investment continues WPP’s strategy of developing its networks in fast growing markets and sectors. Vietnam is a key market, where WPP has been operational through its companies for more than 10 years. Vietnam is one of the fastest growing markets in the world, identified by Goldman Sachs as one of the ‘Next 11’ world economies to watch. It has a population of 87 million and a forecast GDP growth rate of 7% in 2011, according to HSBC.

In 2009, Ogilvy acquired a majority stake in T&A Communications, a leading public relations and events agency in Vietnam. Prior to that, WPP acquired 20% of Smart Media, and GroupM, WPP’s media division, took stakes in three subsidiaries of the DacvietVAC Group Holdings.

Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City

Related articles

Posted in Marketing/Advertising, ~Asia. Leave a Comment »

Radian6 has acquired 6Consulting

March 11, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Social media monitoring firm Radian6 has acquired 6Consulting.

London-­based 6Consulting is a social media firm offering social media monitoring to enterprises and agencies in the UK. 6Consulting’s clients include Kellogg’s, EDF, Belron International, Dyson, Fujitsu, Sony Ericsson, the Central Office of Information, the Metropolitan Police, the Greater Manchester Police, as well as many of the region’s top public relations and ad agencies. The firm has been an official reseller for Radian6 since 2009.

The 20 employees at 6Consulting will become employees of Radian6 Technologies UK. That will take the total number of employees at Radian6 to over 280. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

UK, London & Canada, Fredericton

Posted in Marketing/Advertising, ~Europe, ~North America. Leave a Comment »

RadiumOne closes $21 million funding – for international expansion and acquisitions

March 11, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

RadiumOne, a digital ad network that leverages the social web has closed a $21 million Series B funding round led by Crosslink Capital. DFJ Esprit also participated in the round along with previous investors Adams Street Partners and Trinity Ventures, bringing total funding to $33.5 million. RadiumOne was founded by Gurbaksh Chahal in 2009.

The latest funding round will primarily be used for international expansion and acquisitions. RadiumOne recently opened its UK office, and in the coming months will be launching in continental Europe and Asia Pacific. The Company, which reached profitability in Q4, will use its existing and new capital for potential acquisitions designed to give the company additional resources and tools to effectively scale.

USA, San Francisco, CA

Posted in Marketing/Advertising, ~North America. Leave a Comment »

Penton acquires EyeTraffic Media

March 10, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

B2B media company Penton has completed its first marketing services acquisition with the purchase of EyeTraffic Media, an online marketing firm.  Terms were not disclosed.

Sharon Rowlands, CEO of Penton, said, “Our senior team has felt for some time that a marketing services offering – including online lead generation for our clients – was a critical component of our growth agenda. EyeTraffic forms the cornerstone of such an offering.  We intend to roll out these services to our more than 20,000 marketing clients and to our five million subscribers, many of whom are small- and medium-sized businesses that are thirsting for online marketing solutions.”

EyeTraffic, founded in 2004 and based in Washington, D.C., has a blue chip roster of clients including DuPont, Mazda and Georgetown University.  The company experienced record growth in 2010 and has recently opened new offices in Arlington, Virginia.

Mr. Assimakopoulos will join Penton as a vice president of digital media services and report to Kim Paulsen, senior vice president marketing services and member of the Penton Executive Committee.  “I am so pleased to have George and the EyeTraffic team join Penton,” Ms. Paulsen noted.  “Our customers are seeking guidance in the new, complicated world of online marketing.  We are excited to have EyeTraffic’s expertise, coupled with our deep market knowledge, to bring to our customers and subscribers across Penton’s multiple vertical markets.”

USA, New York, NY

Posted in Marketing/Advertising, ~North America. Leave a Comment »

Perform Group to float on the main market of the London Stock Exchange

March 10, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Perform Group, a digital sports media company, is planning to float on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.

The Offer will have a primary and secondary component in order to achieve a minimum free float of 25%, producing a company valuation of approximately £500 million. The primary proceeds, expected to be approximately £70 million, will principally be used both to accelerate PERFORM’s organic growth plans and to fund complementary strategic acquisitions.

The principal existing shareholders are current management and employees, who collectively own 40% of the Company, and Access Industries, a privately held U.S.-based industrial group, which holds 58% of the Company indirectly through a wholly owned subsidiary.
The Company has appointed Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley as Joint Sponsors and Joint Global Co-ordinators of the Global Offer, with Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley and UBS acting as Joint Bookrunners.

PERFORM is a global market leader in the commercialisation of multimedia sports content across multiple internet-enabled digital platforms and the owner of one of the largest portfolios of digital sports rights in the world. The Company is led by co-founders and Joint Chief Executive Officers, Oliver Slipper and Simon Denyer.  It generates revenues through four streams: content distribution, advertising & sponsorship, subscriptions and technology & production.

UK, London

Posted in Broadcasting, Content Media, Internet Media, Marketing/Advertising, ~Europe. Leave a Comment »

Publicis Groupe acquires digital engagement agency Airlock

March 10, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Publicis Groupe has acquired Airlock, a London-based digital engagement agency, specialising in multi-platform interactive solutions. The Airlock brand will become part of the Leo Burnett Group in the UK.

Airlock provides clients with the full spectrum of digital and interactive communications services including creative development, digital brand strategy, web design, online advertising, social media, digital outdoor, metrics & reporting, content management systems (CMS), e-commerce solutions, as well as platform & application development.

Founded in 2001, Airlock is an Emmy, Webby, BIMA and IAB award-winning agency with clients that include the BBC, NBC Universal, Channel 4 and Wrangler. The agency’s team of 16 digital specialists strengthens Leo Burnett’s rapidly-expanding digital capabilities, bringing the number of digital specialists in the UK Leo Burnett Group to more than 85.

The agency will continue to be headed by its current leadership: Will Lebens, Managing Director; Charlie Martin, Creative Director, Joseph Denne, Technical Director; Chris Mair, Strategy Director. They will report into the Group Chief Digital Officer, Marc Giusti.

Digital is one of the two growth drivers at the heart of Publicis Groupe’s targeted acquisition strategy and today accounts for 28% of the Groupe’s revenue. Over the next three years, Publicis Groupe aims to increase the percentage of revenue derived from digital to 35%.

Andrew Edwards, Group Chairman and CEO Leo Burnett (UK): “Leo Burnett UK digital operations have been gaining a very nice momentum over the past months. Today’s acquisition of Airlock not only further strengthens our offer, but more importantly, it represents an important investment in creativity and innovation for our clients.”

France, Paris & UK, London

Related articles:

 

Posted in Marketing/Advertising, ~Europe. Leave a Comment »

Demand Media acquires CoveritLive

March 3, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Demand Media has acquired CoveritLive. Brands like ESPN, Ford, News Corp and BBC use CoveritLive to engage event audiences with real-time commentary, instant reader polling and question and answer capabilities. Events hosted on CoveritLive attract an audience of over 60 million people every month, 60% of which comes from outside the United States.

“CoveritLive really reflects our mission as a company – publishing what the world wants to know and share. Consumers around the world are tuning in by the millions to participate in live events powered by CoveritLive, collectively spending over a billion minutes on the platform each month” said Richard Rosenblatt, Chairman and CEO of Demand Media. “CoveritLive’s live event platform helps us continue to work towards that mission, building on both our social publishing model and our social media product offering with a platform that offers proven value to both brands and consumers.”

CoveritLive has grown rapidly as major brands increasingly use its live event platform. For instance, last weekend CoveritLive powered conversations during Sunday’s Oscar ceremonies on properties like People, TMZ, Entertainment Weekly, Variety and the Daily Beast. According to Google Analytics, on Oscar Sunday over 2 million people viewed event coverage powered by CoveritLive.
Demand Media and CoveritLive have worked together since 2009, when Demand Media made a strategic investment in CoveritLive. With that investment, Demand Media secured a minority interest in CoveritLive. With today’s acquisition, CoveritLive will become part of Demand Media’s portfolio of social solutions, along with its integrated community platform Pluck.

“Like Demand Media, we started CoveritLive to help fill the gaps in online content. We saw an opportunity to cover live events in a way that no one had before by combining talented writers, multimedia and two way engagement via comments and polls” said Keith McSpurren, President and Founder of CoveritLive. “As a Demand Media partner, our joint customers have seen the value of combining our service with Pluck’s integrated community platform. It’s a powerful combination that helps marketers engage consumers before, during and after an event.”

USA, Santa Monica, CA

Related articles:

 

Posted in Content Media, Internet Media, Marketing/Advertising, ~North America. Leave a Comment »

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

Related articles:

 

Posted in Marketing/Advertising, ~Europe. Leave a Comment »

Motorola Mobility invests in Catch Media

February 25, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Motorola Mobility Holdings, through its strategic investment arm, Motorola Mobility Ventures has made a strategic investment in Catch Media Inc., the provider of a patented licensed digital rights locker platform – Play Anywhere.

Catch Media’s patented registry, tracking, routing and clearinghouse technology, together with its unique post-acquisition license, provides retailers, carriers and consumer electronics vendors the ability to offer their customers legal and convenient access to their digital content from disparate devices – smartphones, tablets, set-tops, connected TVs and other connected devices inside and outside the home.

“Instant and easy access to music and video collections from any device, any place and at any time has become a necessity for consumers,” said Mony Hassid, managing director, Motorola Mobility Ventures. “Catch Media’s innovative B2B platform gives consumers the ubiquitous access they crave while compensating the content owners, content distributors and every other party that contributes to the ecosystem.”

“Teaming up with Motorola Mobility is very exciting for us and adds the support and expertise of a leading vendor for cellular carriers and Cable/Telco operators to the Play Anywhere® ecosystem,” said Yaacov Ben-Yaacov, co-founder and CEO of Catch Media. “Motorola Mobility’s support will enable our platform to be more tightly integrated across their devices.”

Ari Emanuel, Co-CEO of WME Entertainment, a strategic investor in Catch Media and one of the largest and most diversified Hollywood talent agencies, said, “Catch Media stands at the forefront of digital media companies seeking to offer consumers maximum convenience while ensuring that all the stakeholders in the process, including the actors, directors and content owners, share in the revenues generated. Motorola Mobility’s investment and guidance will serve as an important catalyst in the launch of Catch Media’s Play Anywhere services.”

Catch Media’s Play Anywhere system was rolled out with Best Buy Europe in Q4 2010 through a service called “Music Anywhere” offered by The Carphone Warehouse in the UK, and is expected to be rolled out in the U.S. in early 2011 in cooperation with the music industry. Catch Media will continue to work closely with the content industry to offer legal media cloud services that ensure rights holders are compensated as content is consumed across disparate devices.

USA, Libertyville, IL & Beverly Hills, CA

Posted in Broadcasting, Content Media, Internet Media, Marketing/Advertising, Mobile Apps, ~North America. Leave a Comment »

Collective acquires video ad platform Oggifinogi

February 24, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Collective, a full service provider of media and technology solutions for display and video advertising, has acquired video advertising platform and services provider, Oggifinogi. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“The dramatic growth in video viewership over the past three years led to television quality video being more widely distributed online,” said Joe Apprendi, CEO, Collective. “The full potential of online video advertising has yet to be unleashed. This acquisition enables us to bring the right mix of art and science to brand advertisers, especially as they rethink their television advertising budget and look to online to complement their broadcast and cable ad spend.”

Oggifinogi provides highly interactive video advertising in both the banner and interactive pre roll space and is recognised for the significant interactive rates that its product drives. Collective’s acquisition of Oggifinogi combines audience targeting with engaging ad units, making it possible for AMP clients to more readily tap the benefits of rich media and video ad formats into their existing AMP capabilities.

Oggifinogi’s platform is already seamlessly integrated into Collective’s AMP platform and media network, with more than 300 campaigns executed since 2009.

Based in Bellevue, Washington, Oggifinogi’s client roster includes more than 100 companies, including Bing, Best Buy, Sony, NBC, Paramount and others. Oggifinogi reaches more than 150 million unique users across more than 2,500 publisher sites, and will continue to operate as a subsidiary of Collective, servicing its existing agencies, advertisers and publishers.

“We are thrilled to become a part of Collective, integrating our creative and technical know-how with Collective’s access to publisher, agency and marketer channels,” said Michael Hyman, CEO, Oggifinogi. “Together, we can offer a turn-key video advertising solution for brand advertisers.”

USA, New York, NY & Bellevue, WA

Posted in Marketing/Advertising, ~North America. Leave a Comment »
« Older posts
Newer posts »