Groupon acquires channel management provider CommerceInterface

December 21, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

Groupon has acquired CommerceInterface, a provider of web-based channel management technology that helps manufacturers, distributors and retailers succeed at managing their businesses and selling online. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Groupon has used CommerceInterface technology since April 2012 to streamline operations of the growing Groupon Goods platform and automate interactions with thousands of existing vendors. The acquisition enables Groupon to leverage infrastructure provided by CommerceInterface to support and optimise the Groupon Goods business around the world in 2013.

“CommerceInterface has proven to be an important piece of Groupon Goods infrastructure in the U.S., quickly and reliably streamlining the execution of orders and other vendor interactions,” said Faisal Masud, head of Groupon Goods. “We look forward to enhancing our abilities to better support merchants overseas beginning early next year.”

CommerceInterface will no longer service other retail channels and current customers will have the option to transition to other vendors over the next six months with migration support from the company.

USA, Chicago, IL

Related articles:

Posted in Content Media, e-Commerce, Internet Media, ~North America. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

Publicis Groupe acquires US digital agency Rokkan

December 20, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

PublicisPublicis Groupe has acquired Rokkan Media LLC, a full-service digital agency in New York that works with top global brands.

Founded in 2000, Rokkan – which borrows its name from the Japanese word for intuition or “sixth sense” – focuses its expertise on creating innovative campaigns with strong cross-platform appeal in e-commerce, loyalty programs, digital marketing, mobile and social media. Rokkan’s core services include Strategy & Planning, User Experience, Visual Design, Technology, 3D and Motion Graphics, Marketing, Game/App Development and Emerging Media.

Rokkan will operate as an autonomous unit within Publicis Groupe, and its co-founders – CEO John Noe , Chief Experience Officer Chung Ng , and Chief Creative Officer Charles Bae – will continue to lead the agency.

France, Paris & USA, New York

Related articles:

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

Publicis Groupe acquires mobile agency Monterosa

December 18, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

PublicisPublicis Groupe has acquired global mobile agency Monterosa. The agency will report into Bartle Bogle Hegarty.

The move follows Publicis Groupe’s expansion into the mobile advertising market with its acquisition of Phonevalley in 2007. Like Phonevalley, Monterosa is exclusively committed to mobile marketing and communications.

Founded in 2009 by four Swedes – Johan Hemminger , Johan Ståhle, Anton Holmquist and Carl Norberg – Monterosa has offices in New York, Singapore and is headquartered in Stockholm. The agency’s 30-strong team works with some of the world’s biggest brands, including Carlsberg, Google, Mercedes Benz , Samsung and Vodafone. Award-winning work has included Mini Cooper’s ‘Getaway’ campaign (2011) and a number of global apps such as Buick Encore’s ‘Hide and Seek’ in China,  Lufthansa’s ‘Anywake’ in Scandinavia, AT&T’s ‘Daybreak’ in the US and the Pan-Asian Axe ‘Dare’ app for Unilever.

Monterosa will keep its name and the agency will work with its own clients as well as other advertising agency partners throughout BBH and Publicis Groupe. Carl Norberg , a co-founder of Monterosa, will continue to manage the agency and will report to BBH Group’s CEO, Gwyn Jones .

“The ubiquity and intimacy of smartphones make mobile campaigns an entirely new way to communicate with consumers,” said Gwyn Jones , CEO of BBH Group. “Mobile ads can be uniquely useful and pertinent – but they can also be perceived by consumers as disruptive. It’s vital that we help our clients develop campaigns that are not just technically seamless, but also friendly and relevant. We’ve been working with Monterosa for 18 months now. They have a great team, and a culture and approach that fit well with ours. We’re very excited about the potential for this strategically important move.”

France, Paris & Sweden, Stockholm

Related articles:

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

Nielsen to acquire Arbitron

December 18, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

nielsenNielsen Holdings N.V., a provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy, is to acquire Arbitron Inc., an international media and marketing research firm.

Nielsen will acquire all of the outstanding common stock of Arbitron for $48 per share in cash, representing a premium of approximately 26 percent to Arbitron’s closing price on December 17, 2012. Nielsen has a financing commitment for the total transaction amount.

“U.S. consumers spend almost 2 hours a day with radio. It is and will continue to be a vibrant and important advertising medium,” said Nielsen Chief Executive Officer David Calhoun. “Arbitron will help Nielsen better solve for unmeasured areas of media consumption, including streaming audio and out-of-home. The high level of engagement with radio and TV among rapidly growing multicultural audiences makes this central to Nielsen’s priorities.”

Arbitron generated total revenues of $445 million and adjusted EBITDA of $131 million for the 12 months ended September 30, 2012. Cost synergies are reported to be at least $20 million and will be largely driven by the integration of technology platforms and data acquisition efforts.

USA, New York, NY

Related articles:

Posted in B2B Services, Consultancy, Content Media, Internet Media, Market Data & Information, Marketing/Advertising, Publishers, ~North America. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

Publicis Groupe acquires UK digital agency Outside Line

December 13, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

PublicisPublicis Groupe has acquired British digital agency Outside Line, a specialist in social and experiential media. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 2000 and based in London, Outside Line has become one of the top 5 independent social agencies in the UK according to New Media Age (Top 100 agencies report). The skill-set of the agency’s 68-strong team ranges from digital design and development to content creation, customer relations management and experience-driven social media marketing. Outside Line’s client list includes Andy Murray , Arla Foods (Cravendale and Lurpak), British Gas, Queen and Virgin Galactic, and its award-winning campaigns include “Music Inspired” for Beck’s, “Newsroom Blog” for British Gas, “Milk Matters” for Cravendale, and “Food Beats” for Lurpak.

Outside Line will be integrated into the Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide network, working alongside the Saatchi & Saatchi London office and further improving the agency’s ability to deliver highly creative and effective multi-channel digital output at a faster, more efficient and cost-effective rate. Ant Cauchi and Lloyd Salmons , in addition to their current roles as Outside Line’s co-founders, will take senior roles as digital directors at Saatchi & Saatchi London , and will be responsible for integrating existing business and growing digital revenue. They will work closely with Saatchi & Saatchi’s creative partners Kate Stanners and Paul Silburn , director of strategy Richard Huntington , as well as the director of integration Matt Groves , while reporting to Saatchi & Saatchi London’s CEO Magnus Djaba .

“Outside Line is a perfect cultural fit for Saatchi & Saatchi,” said Magnus Djaba, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi London . “Both our agencies share an exciting vision. We’re driven to create interactive social currency that is world-class, both online and offline – work that people share online, tweet about, and talk about in pubs, playgrounds and by the coffee machine. We’re thrilled to be able to seize this opportunity to strengthen our digital core and further boost our service to clients in this crucial sector.”

France, Paris & UK, London

Related articles:

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

MediaMath acquires mobile and video ad delivery platform Tap.Me

December 10, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

mediamathMediaMath, a digital media-buying platform, has acquired mobile and video in-game ad platform Tap.Me.  The terms of the deal were not disclosed.  Tap.Me had raised in excess of $4M from investors including: Hyde Park Venture Partners, I2A Fund, Hyde Park Angels and Great Oaks Venture Capital.

“As marketers are increasingly turning their focus to mobile and video, Tap.Me has built technology that makes it easy for marketers to deliver their message in these environments,” said Joe Zawadzki, MediaMath CEO. “By adding their technology and brilliant engineering team, we’re building a better platform that gives advertisers the ability to buy across all digital marketing channels from one single platform.”

Tap.Me CEO Matt Spiegel joins MediaMath’s executive team as SVP and GM of Open, MediaMath’s business and technology environment for digital interoperability, and will oversee MediaMath’s operations in the Mid-West region.  The entire Tap.Me team will join MediaMath.

New York, NY & Chicago, IL

 

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

Publicis Groupe acquires AR New York

December 10, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

PublicisPublicis Groupe has acquired AR New York, a full-service advertising agency dedicated to the luxury goods, fashion and beauty industries. AR New York will become part of Publicis Worldwide, the Groupe’s historic advertising network. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

AR New York has helped to build a number of iconic global brands, including Asprey, Banana Republic, Brioni, Brooks Brothers, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, DFS, Dolce & Gabbana, Jimmy Choo, Moët & Chandon, Neiman Marcus, Salvatore Ferragamo, Smartwater, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, Valentino, Versace, Vogue Magazine and Waldorf Astoria. The agency was founded in 1996 by Raul Martinez and Alex Gonzalez. Current CEO Dianne desRoches joined as a third partner in 2000. Their team comprises some 50 communications professionals based in Manhattan.

AR New York will retain its name within the Publicis Worldwide global network, and will continue to service its core luxury and fashion markets. Founding partner Raul Martinez (Chief Creative Officer) and Dianne desRoches (CEO) will remain at the head of the agency, and will report to Jean-Yves Naouri, Chief Operating Officer of Publicis Groupe and Executive Chairman of Publicis Worldwide.

“The luxury market is an advertising segment ripe with investment opportunity,” said Jean-Yves Naouri. “It is forecast to grow by up to 7% in 2012, defying global turmoil and breaking into new markets. We are especially pleased to welcome the AR New York teams to Publicis Worldwide. They are passionate about the powerful influence of contemporary arts, design and culture on consumers’ engagement with brands, and this vitality and focus is the drive behind the award-winning work they create for their clients.”

France, Paris & USA, New York, NY

Related articles:

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

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.

France , Paris & India, Delhi & India, Mumbai

Related articles:

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

AOL’s Advertising.com Group Acquires Buysight, Inc.

December 10, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

AOL’s Advertising.com Group has acquired Buysight, Inc., a provider of retargeting and intent-based targeted advertising. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Advertising.com Group clients include

Based in Sunnyvale, California and founded in 2008, Buysight offers ad targeting and retargeting services to the likes of ADTECH, The AOL On Network, goviral and Pictela. The company was funded by ONSET Ventures and Rembrandt Venture Partners.

“Our acquisition of Buysight is the perfect complement to our powerful suite of offerings for advertisers, agencies and publishers seeking to maximize their brands online,” said Ned Brody, CEO, Advertising.com Group. “We strongly believe that both brand and performance display, as well as mobile and video campaigns benefit from dynamic, targeted creatives and messaging. The acquisition of Buysight brings proven Dynamic Creative Optimization and machine learning capabilities which will further enhance AdLearn, our market-leading optimization engine, and its ability to provide brands and performance marketers a comprehensive and integrated optimization solution across channels.”

USA, New York, NY & Sunnyvale, CA

Related articles:

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

NewBay Media acquires Intent Media Limited

December 7, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

New Bay IntentNewBay Media has acquired Intent Media. Intent, based in the U.K., produces business publications, websites and events within the entertainment, technology and leisure markets. Its brands include Pro Sound News Europe, TVB Europe, Installation, MCV, and ToyNews among many others.

NewBay, was formed in 2006 by the sale of United Business Media’s CMP Entertainment Media division. It is backed by The Wicks Group of Companies, www.wicksgroup.com a New York-based private equity

“Strategically, our plan has always included international expansion, and I am pleased that we were able to do this with a company that so perfectly complements our own portfolio and mission,” states Steve Palm, President and CEO, NewBay. “The addition of Intent immediately enhances our ability to serve the Broadcast, Pro Audio and AV markets. Further, Intent’s terrific team and operating platform open up new opportunities for global expansion of our powerful U.S. brands, as well as development of Intent’s market-leading Gaming, Music and Computer/Mobile Retailing brands into the U.S.”

Intent will operate in parallel to NewBay’s existing business. Stuart Dinsey, Intent’s Founder and Managing Director, will continue his role under the new ownership and will help manage NewBay’s European efforts, operating from Intent’s offices in Hertfordshire and London.

This is the sixth major acquisition of brands by NewBay in as many years, adding assets from United Business Media’s CMP Entertainment Media division in September 2006, from IMAS in July 2007, from Reed Business Information-US in December 2009, from Penton in February 2011, and from Future PLC in January 2012.

USA, New York, NY & UK, Hertford, Hertfordshire

Related articles:

 

Posted in Content Media, Games, Internet Media, Marketing/Advertising, Publishers, ~Europe, ~North America. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »
« Older posts
Newer posts »