WPP acquires digital agency Salmon

January 24, 2013 — Fusion DigiNet

wppWPP has acquired Okam Limited, the holding company of the Salmon Group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Salmon provides digital consulting, design, delivery and support services to retail, wholesale and manufacturing brands including Akzo Nobel, Argos, Game, Halfords, Kiddicare, Morrisons, Selfridges and Premier Farnell.

Salmon’s consolidated unaudited revenues for the year ended 31 October 2012 were £34.3 million, with gross assets as at the same date Salmonof £11.3 million.

With a worldwide workforce of 420 people, Salmon was founded in 1989 and operates from offices in the UK, in China and in Australia.  Salmon will continue to operate as an independent and stand-alone brand within WPP and be led by CEO Neil Stewart.

Commenting on the arrival of Salmon, Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP, said “The application of technology to marketing continues to accelerate, not least in the retail market and success requires close collaboration between our clients’ marketing and sales organisations and their IT organisation. Close collaboration between Salmon and WPP’s other agencies will allow WPP to bring clients a tightly-integrated solution across both marketing and technology and help both the CMO and CIO deliver customer-centric multi-channel solutions – yet another example of where CMO and CIO have to work together.”

UK, London

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Match Marketing Group acquires Marketing Drive and WELD media

January 14, 2013 — Fusion DigiNet

Match Marketing Group, a Canadian shopper marketing agency, has acquired Norwalk, CT-based Marketing Drive, along with its digital subsidiary, WELD media. The agencies are owned by Chicago-based River North Group and specialise in retail, digital, shopper marketing and consumer promotion services.

This is Match’s fifth acquisition this year. This summer, Match acquired three marketing promotion and brand engagement agencies – Action Marketing Group, OSL Marketing Group and Ignite Activation. The addition of Marketing Drive’s offices in Norwalk, Boston, Chicago, New York and Bentonville will build upon Match’s existing office in Boulder and help establish a strong U.S. footprint for the company.

“Our goal is to quickly become the top, full service shopper marketing agency in North America,” said Brett Farren, Match Marketing Group president and CEO. “Bringing a top ten U.S. shopper marketing and digital agency into the fold provides us with a strong platform in place to pursue new opportunities, new clients and added market success.”

Canada, Toronto & Norwalk, CT

 

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TBWA acquires Indian digital company Magnon

January 11, 2013 — Fusion DigiNet
tbwaTBWA has acquired Magnon Group, one of India’s largest digital agencies. The acquisition includes Magnon Solutions, the domestic digital agency, and Magnon International, a digital outsourcing agency that serves clients across five continents.

Founded in 2000 by Vineet Bajpai , Magnon employs nearly 150 professionals between Mumbai and New Delhi.magnon

Magnon offers clients the full spectrum of digital services, including graphic design for web and mobile; digital marketing; search and social media optimization; bespoke technology applications development; online brand strategy consulting; eCommerce solutions; and mobile sites and apps development.

Effective immediately, Magnon will become part of the TBWA Group of companies in India. The digital agency, Magnon Solutions, will join TBWA’s global Digital Arts Network (DAN) and the digital outsourcing company, Magnon International, will become part of E-Graphics and an accelerator for DAN’s production offering.

“We are delighted to join forces with Magnon Group,” said Keith Smith , President – International at TBWA Worldwide. “We’ve been extremely impressed with both their digital capabilities and the strength of their management team. Globally, TBWA is building a strong, integrated digital network and we’re confident that Magnon Group will deliver the expertise and talent we need to deliver innovative work and added value for our clients in India.”

Bajpai, who will continue in his role as Founder and CEO of Magnon, said, “Being a part of TBWA is an ambition fulfilled. TBWA’s global reach and excellence will provide Magnon with the right platform towards becoming a market-leading digital agency in India and the region. And TBWA’s empowering culture allows us to retain our adaptability and entrepreneurial fabric.”

TBWA is part of Omnicom Group Inc.

USA, New York, NY & India, Mumbai

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WPP acquires remaining shares of three Colombian agencies

January 11, 2013 — Fusion DigiNet

wppWPP‘s wholly owned companies Grey, G2 Worldwide and MediaCom have acquired the outstanding shares in three leading agencies in Bogota, Colombia.

Grey, the global advertising agency network, has acquired the remaining shares in REP/Grey, one of Colombia’s best-regarded advertising agencies. G2 Worldwide, the digital and relationship marketing company, has acquired the remaining shares in REP/G2. MediaCom, the media investment management company that is part of GroupM, has acquired the remaining shares in Massive, a media agency in Colombia.

Other WPP companies active in Colombia (including affiliates) are JWT, Ogilvy, Young & Rubicam, Wunderman, OgilvyOne, Burson-Marsteller, Live, Energy, TNS, Kantar Worldpanel, Millward Brown and IBOPE. Collectively (including associates), the Group will have revenues of approximately US $110 million and will employ nearly 1,700 people in Colombia.

UK, London & Colombia, Bogota

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Aegis Media acquires Lucidity Digital in Ireland

January 9, 2013 — Fusion DigiNet

AegisAegis Group plc, the media and digital communications group, has acquired Lucidity Digital, a web design and development agency in Ireland.

Founded in 2003, Lucidity is one of the fastest growing agencies in the Irish market, providing a wide range of creative and production lucidity2solutions for both web and mobile. The acquisition of Lucidity will allow Aegis Media clients access to a full suite of digital creative and production services and will further strengthen the Aegis Media Digital position in the Irish market. Lucidity will become part of Aegis’s digital creative origination network, Isobar, and will be re-branded Lucidity Isobar in Ireland.

Liam McDonnell, CEO of Aegis Media Ireland, said: “We are delighted to be acquiring Lucidity, which will enhance the prospects of our business in the Irish market, allowing us to offer greater integration across digital media and creative. We welcome the Lucidity team into the fold and look forward to working with our new colleagues to leverage the exciting opportunities this acquisition will bring to our business in Ireland.”

UK, London & Ireland, Dublin

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Mood Media Announces Acquisition of Technomedia Solutions

January 5, 2013 — askhabra

moodmedia-purpleMood Media Corporation has acquired the assets of Technomedia Solutions and its sister company GoConvergence for approximately $23 million in cash. In addition to the $23 million purchase price is a contingent consideration payable in 2014 dependant on the profitable growth of operations.

Technomedia Solutions and GoConvergence create and deliver media and technology for a range of projects including displays, kiosks and interactive content for multiple industries such as retail, hospitality, theme parks, performing arts, museums, special venue, education among others. The firm, formed in 2001, operates a turn-key model and has clients including Abercrombie & Fitch, Hard Rock Café International, Cirque du Soleil, Wanda Group as well as other global entertainment and education clients.  In 2012, Technomedia is expected to generate annual revenues of US$43 million and EBITDA of US$5.7 million.

“The transaction will be immediately accretive to Mood Media’s shareholders while accelerating the growth profile and competitive positioning of the combined businesses. We are excited about the opportunity ahead and look forward to utilising our combined strengths to build on what Technomedia has established in concert with Mood’s initiatives to help our customers achieve their goals,” stated Lorne Abony , Chairman and CEO of Mood Media.

CA, Concord, ON & USA, Orlando, FL

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BuzzFeed closes $19.3M series D funding

January 4, 2013 — Fusion DigiNet

buzzfeedWeb social publisher BuzzFeed, has completed a Series D financing of $19.3 million led by NEA. Previous investors RRE, Hearst, SoftBank, and Lerer Ventures participated. Michael and Kass Lazerow, serial entrepreneurs and co-founders of Buddy Media, joined the round as new investors.

“We have the senior management, board, and investors we need to build the next great media company: socially native, tech enabled, with massive scale. We are all focused on that big goal and raised this capital to move even faster,” said Jonah Peretti, BuzzFeed Founder and CEO.

In December, the company passed 40 million unique monthly visitors (Google Analytics), with growth driven by social (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest) and mobile (over one third of all BuzzFeed traffic). The company also grew revenue more than threefold in 2012, exclusively from content-driven, social advertising, and grew staff to 180 employees.

The company will use the capital to further mobile development, expand geographically, grow its editorial team, invest in video, and work on new initiatives that will be announced later in the year.

USA, New York

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WPP’s GroupM acquires majority stake in PLAY Communication

January 3, 2013 — Fusion DigiNet

group m_0WPP‘s wholly owned operating company, GroupM, WPP’s global media investment management arm, has acquired a majority stake in PLAY Communication Pty Ltd, a leading experiential marketing agency based in Sydney, Australia.

Founded in 2002, PLAY offers activation, sponsorship, digital and branding services. The company employs around 23 people and clients include Optus, Volkswagen, Qantas, Coty, Tourism Queensland, Charles Darwin University, ASOS and others.

PLAY’s unaudited revenues for the financial year ended 30 June 2012 were approximately A$4.1 million, with gross assets at the same date of approximately A$2.8 million.

UK, London & Sydney, Australia

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WPP acquires stake in Globant

January 3, 2013 — Fusion DigiNet

wpp-globantWPP is to acquire a 20% stake in Globant S.A. Globant provides both technical expertise and design and creative capabilities in the development of software products that can be applied to digital marketing campaigns on a global scale.

Headquartered in Buenos Aires, Globant is a rapidly growing business employing 2,700 engineers, marketing specialists and designers in 21 offices across 14 cities in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, the United States and the United Kingdom. The company’s approach is unique in that it provides clients with both the infrastructure and technical support that drive digital marketing campaigns, combined with the creative and design skills usually found alone in digital agencies.

Globant’s net revenues for the year ended 31 December 2011 were US$90 million and net revenues for the six months to 30 June 2012 were US$56.9 million with total assets of US$69 million as of 30 June 2012. WPP will invest approximately $70 million in acquiring the Globant stake.

“Increasingly, clients want better coordination between their IT departments and their marketing departments, between their Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and their Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs),” said WPP Chief Executive Sir Martin Sorrell. “There are many consulting companies or digital agencies that are expert in one function or the other. Few, if any, do both and even fewer can integrate deep technical and creative capabilities on a global scale as Globant does. Partnering with Globant will allow our companies to increasingly provide our clients with insights and skills that will make their digital marketing efforts even more effective and simpler to manage at both the front and back ends.”

Globant has deep experience in working in state of the art digital marketing spaces including, but not limited to, mobile, gamification, social networks, cloud computing, big data and e-commerce. Globant’s clients include American Express, JP Morgan Chase & Co., LinkedIn, Electronic Arts, Google, Coca-Cola, National Geographic, Zynga and Sabre Holdings, as well as a number of WPP companies, such as JWT, Young & Rubicam, Grey, GroupM and Kantar.

UK, London & Argentina, Buenos Aires

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Expedia to acquire majority of trivago

December 21, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

expediaExpedia is to acquire a 61.6% equity position in trivago, a metasearch company headquartered in Germany, for  €477 million including €434 million in cash as well as €43 million in Expedia  stock.

“The trivago team built one of the largest, fastest growing and most well known travel sites in Europe conducting more than 100 million hotel searches annually through a culture focused on developing great products, building a strong brand and promoting partners’ businesses. These attributes closely align with our Expedia, Inc. strategy and values and we are thrilled to have them join our portfolio,” said Dara Khosrowshahi , Expedia, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer.

Founded seven years ago, trivago quickly grew into a consumer champion for hotel accommodation featuring comprehensive search results from over 600,000 hotels across over 140 booking sites in over 30 countries in 23 languages. Through its primarily cost-per-click revenue model, trivago profitably doubled revenue each year since 2008 and currently expects to deliver approximately €100 million in net revenue for 2012.

The deal is anticipated to close during the first half of 2013. Post close, the trivago co-founders and management team will continue to operate independently based out of trivago’s headquarters in Dusseldorf, Germany.

USA, Bellevue, WA & Germany, Dusseldorf

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