One Advertising acquires Brandworks

Following last summer’s merger of 58Ninety and Due North to create One Advertising, the Toronto agency has merged with Brandworks, a 19-year-old independent Toronto shop.

The acquisition will make One one of the largest independent shops in the country, according a release, and bolster the agency’s ability to compete against multinationals.

“It made sense to join another strong, independent Canadian shop,” said Lorne Kirshenbaum, principal director for Brandworks, in the release. “Together we could offer our clients greater depth across all disciplines.”

There were no client conflicts as a result of the merger. Brandworks’ client list includes Nikon and Queen’s School of Business, while One works with Workopolis, the LCBO and H&R Block. Both agencies worked with OLG prior to the merger.

Read more: http://strategyonline.ca/2013/04/11/one-advertising-acquires-brandworks/#ixzz2VSjwf2mN

http://strategyonline.ca/2013/04/11/one-advertising-acquires-brandworks/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=one-advertising-acquires-brandworks

Sapient Acquires (m)PHASIZE

January 10, 2013

Sapient (NASDAQ: SAPE), today announced the acquisition of (m)PHASIZE, a leader in the fast-emerging field of cross-channel marketing analytics. (m)PHASIZE helps senior executives to better plan their marketing investments against the backdrop of dramatic changes to media and marketing allocation driven by the rise of digital channels and an increasingly connected consumer. 

The move establishes Sapient as a go-to partner for its clients needing strategic advice to better navigate the range of channels and choices that now confront marketing executives. (m)PHASIZE brings a strategic, data-driven approach to Sapient’s offerings, with immediate applicability to SapientNitro clients.

http://www.sapient.com/en-us/news/press-releases/a2070.html

Accenture to acquire Acquity Group

Global consultancy Accenture has agreed to buy digital agency Acquity Group for approximately $316 million, or $13 per share.

Acquity Group provides strategy, digital marketing and technical services. If the deal is approved by Acquity shareholders, the agency will become part of Accenture Interactive, which offers marketing, technology and analytics solutions. Acquity Group's more than 600 employees are expected to join Accenture Interactive.

Acquity Group, which posted 2012 revenue of $141 million, began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in April 2012. Accenture's revenue for the 12 months ended Aug. 31, 2012, was $27.9 billion.




http://www.btobonline.com/article/20130520/MANAGEMENT07/305209998/accenture-to-acquire-acquity-group?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=editorial&utm_campaign=daily#email_daily

Aegis Media buys performance marketing company nvi

Digital communications company Aegis Media has acquired nvi, a Canadian company specializing in search and digital performance marketing strategies. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

nvi will be blended into Aegis' digital performance agency iProspect. The deal is the latest acquisition to expand iProspect: In October, Aegis acquired Hablar, a Tokyo-based performance and search agency, and in August bought Communicate 2, a digital and search marketing agency based in India.

Aegis itself was acquired last July by agency holding company Dentsu Inc.




http://www.btobonline.com/article/20130503/MANAGEMENT07/305039996/aegis-media-buys-performance-marketing-company-nvi?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=editorial&utm_campaign=daily#email_daily

Nielsen Expositions sold to Onex for $950 million

Onex Corp. is buying Nielsen Expositions, an affiliate of Nielsen Holdings, for $950 million in cash. Toronto-based Onex is a private equity firm with approximately $15 billion of assets under management.

The deal is expected to close in the current quarter.

Kosty Gilis, an Onex managing director, said in a statement that the firm will partner with Nielsen Expositions' management team to expand existing trade shows and strengthen its position through select acquisitions.

“Nielsen is committed to investing in and developing capabilities across our Watch and Buy segments,” said Brian West, CFO of Nielsen, in a release. “Divesting the Expositions business allows us to focus on these core areas that provide our clients with a comprehensive understanding of consumers while providing more flexibility to return capital to our shareholders over time.”

http://www.btobonline.com/article/20130506/MEDIABUSINESS03/130509993/nielsen-expositions-sold-to-onex-for-950-million?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=editorial&utm_campaign=daily#email_daily

Accenture acquires Fjord

http://adage.com/article/agency-news/agencies-accenture-s-invading-turf-big-time/241338/

Accenture is trying harder than ever to give agencies a run for their money, as evidenced by the consultant's latest buy, London-based design firm Fjord.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The move is part of Accenture's effort to bolster its design chops as it takes on more digital work for big marketers, such as luxury automaker BMW.

Olof Schybergson, Mark Curtis and Mike Beeston founded Fjord in 2001 in London and have expanded its headcount to about 200 employees. The firm has offices in the U.S. and Europe. Clients include the BBC, Citibank, Harvard Medical School, Nokia, PayPal, Qualcomm and Telefónica.

SPAR Group Acquires New York-Based Merchandising & Audit Business From Market Force Information

http://investors.sparinc.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=749464

SPAR Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SGRP) (the "Company" or "SPAR Group"), a leading supplier of retail merchandising and other marketing services throughout the United States and internationally, today announced that it is expanding its domestic business with the acquisition of general merchandising and certain in-store audit services from Market Force Information, a leading customer intelligence solution provider. Adding these two New York-based merchandising businesses will allow the Company to expand its existing client base while providing an introduction into a new line of in-store audit services. The acquired businesses are expected to generate incremental annualized revenue in the range of $7 to $8 million.

McMurry And TMG Merge, Create Largest Independent Content Marketing Provider

McMurry and TMG Custom Media, two industry-leading content marketing pioneers, have merged to create the nation's largest independent full-service content marketing agency. The transaction creates a company with annual revenues of close to $100 million, 270 employees, hundreds of clients, and offices in New York City, Washington, Phoenix and Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The Wicks Group of Companies, a 23-year-old New York private equity firm, worked with the agencies to engineer the transaction and has taken a majority ownership stake in the new company, which will be called McMurry/TMG, LLC. No further financial details of the deal were disclosed.

Matt Petersen, formerly TMG Custom Media's president, has been named the combined company's CEO, and Fred Petrovsky, who had been McMurry's president, is its COO. Keith Sedlak, who was senior vice president, client partnerships, at TMG, has been named chief revenue officer. Chris McMurry, former CEO of McMurry, and Jane Ottenberg and Richard Creighton, founders of TMG, retain a minority interest in the combined company and will continue to be involved.

"The joining of these two financially strong, growing and award-winning companies instantly positions McMurry/TMG as a content marketing industry heavyweight," said Mr. Petersen. "Content is the new marketing currency and its importance continues to grow. Marketers are harnessing content's ability to reach and engage key constituencies in a measurable way across a spectrum of online and offline platforms — from magazines and other content platforms to every type of digital, video, mobile, search and social media experience. The combined capabilities of these two long-time leaders in the field will be a compelling proposition to existing and potential clients."

The new company will provide a comprehensive range of content marketing services, including content strategy, content creation in all popular forms, content distribution and campaign analytics, to an array of businesses, associations and institutions. The companies' current clients include hundreds of businesses and nonprofits in fields like healthcare and education, financial services, travel and hospitality, e-commerce and luxury goods. The roster includes a large number of Fortune 500 companies and well-known consumer brands.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/mcmurry-tmg-merge-create-largest-150100632.html

Cundari acquires Quizative Digital

Cundari has announced its acquisition of Quizative, effective immediately. The Quizative staff will be amalgamated into Cundari’s Toronto office, along with its client base.

Adrian Capobianco, managing director of digital, and Allison Laux, VP digital, strategic business director will remain with the company.

The deal has been in the works for the past few months, says Aldo Cundari, chairman and CEO of Cundari, and is part of the agency’s rapid expansion plans, which includes an on-going hiring blitz. Quizative, a digital boutique, will be absorbed into the Cundari brand to bolster the agency’s digital offerings. “They do great work. They were looking to expand themselves and grow, so it was a great fit,” says Cundari.

Cundari’s string of award wins this year, including two Cannes Lions in mobile and top prize at the recent CMA awards, appealed greatly to Quizative’s existing clients, which include Jamieson Vitamins, Panasonic and Canadian Management Centre.


Read more: http://strategyonline.ca/2013/01/08/cundari-acquires-quizative-digital/#ixzz2KKAvHriC

Triad Retail Media sold to Rockbridge Growth Equity

Founded in 2004, Tampa-based Triad Retail Media (www.triadretail.com) is the market leader in creating, managing, and operating digital retail media programs for highly-trafficked retail websites. Triad’s retail partners include Walmart, Sam’s Club, eBay, Toys“R”Us, CVS, and many other leading retailers. 

Triad has twice been named one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. by Inc. Magazine. Triad employs more than 300 team members in more than six offices in the United States, including Tampa, Florida (headquarters); Orlando; Rogers, Arkansas; Chicago; New York; and San Jose.

Triad was previously owned by CEO/founder Greg Murtagh, president/COO Roger Berdusco, and an affiliate of H.I.G Growth Partners. Following the transaction, Murtagh and Berdusco will remain in their current positions as chief executive officer and chief operating officer of Triad, and will also continue to be equity partners with Rockbridge.  

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/detroit-based-rockbridge-growth-equity-adds-triad-retail-media-to-growing-tech-portfolio-186307981.html

Menasha Acquires Rand Diversified

Menasha Packaging Company, Neenah, WI, has acquired Rand Diversified for an undisclosed amount. Both companies are privately held.

Menasha will use Rand to increase “geographic coverage with the addition of East Coast fulfillment and contract packaging,” Menasha president Mike Waite said in a statement.

The move brings the number of Menasha’s fulfillment operations to 16. The acquisition includes Rand’s Edwardsville, IL, and Tobyhanna, PA, locations; all of Rand's facilities will remain open. Rand is headquartered in Edison, NJ, where it also has a design office and fulfillment center.

“The Rand acquisition,” said Jim Kotek, chief executive officer of Menasha Corp., “broadens our market penetration and increases our offerings in the areas of contract packaging and fulfillment for over-the-counter pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods companies.” Menasha Corp. is the parent of Menasha Packaging; its other businesses are ORBIS Corp. and LeveragePoint Media.

 

http://www.p2pi.org/article/118007

Match Marketing Group acquires Marketing Drive

Match, which is backed by a private equity firm, Beringer Capital, also based in Toronto, is acquiring Marketing Drive, a shopper marketing agency in Norwalk, Conn., with the Weld Media division of Marketing Drive, which has a digital focus.

Match is making the acquisition from the River North Group in Chicago; financial terms are not being disclosed.

The acquisition of Marketing Drive and Weld is the fifth deal in the last 12 months for Match; others included agencies like the Action Marketing Group and Ignite Activation. Like those, Marketing Drive and Weld will be absorbed into Match, which seeks to offer marketers a so-called end-to-end solution – that is, a complete, integrated suite of services in a one-stop-shopping way.

The formation of Match and the deals it is making “came out of talking to our friends, senior clients, C.E.O.s and C.M.O.s,” said Perry Miele, chairman of Match and Beringer, who beefed about how, “when it came to shopper marketing and consumer engagement, they had to deal with five or six agencies that handle analytics, strategy, experiential marketing, events and merchandising.”
According to Michael Harris, president at Marketing Drive, being part of “an end-to-end solution was very attractive to us.”

Mr. Harris will become president of what will be known, for the time being, as Match Marketing Drive. Brett Farren, president and chief executive at Match, said the name would probably later become Match Drive, echoing how the Action Marketing Group became Match Action.

Mr. Harris and Mr. Farren said that all the 160 employees of Marketing Drive and Weld would join Match. Marketing Drive and Weld also have offices in Boston, Chicago and Bentonville, Ark.

Clients of Marketing Drive include Absolut vodka, Dunkin’ Donuts, Exxon Mobil, Philips and Welch’s. Clients of Weld include CVS, Dannon and Mars. Mars is also a client of Match, along with, among others, Adidas, Ford Motor, Progressive, Samsung and Yum Brands.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/09/new-year-begins-with-flurry-of-ad-industry-deals/

Publicis Buys AR New York

Publicis has acquired a 100 percent stake in luxury advertising agency AR New York, the holding company announced today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

AR New York, founded in 1996, employs 50 staffers, and does most of its work for fashion and beauty brands. It is the lead agency for Banana Republic, and also counts Revlon, Brioni, and Jimmy Choo among its largest clients, according to AR CEO Dianne desRoches. Fifty percent of its work is print, 30 percent is in TV, and 20 percent is digital, she estimated. Founding partner Alex Gonzalez is also a consulting creative director for Marie Claire, and was previously creative director for W Magazine.

 

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/publicis-buys-ar-new-york-145691

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/05/business/media/publicis-buys-ad-unit-with-luxury-focus.html

RYAN SEACREST has bought a controlling stake in the Civic Entertainment Group

The acquisition, to be announced on Wednesday, reflects Mr. Seacrest’s plan to build a diversified media company on the back of his many day jobs, which include hosting Fox’s “American Idol” and radio shows for Clear Channel. In a telephone interview, he said of the acquisition, “Part of my overall goal in the business is to connect content, brands and consumers. I think that this is a great opportunity to do that.”

It was conducted through Mr. Seacrest’s new personal investment arm, the Seacrest Global Group, not through an investment fund set up this year by the majority investors in Clear Channel, THL and Bain Capital. That fund, with up to $300 million in commitments, is seeking bigger investments than the one Mr. Seacrest made in Civic.
      

Mr. Seacrest called the deal the first “of what I hope to be many,” citing an interest in creating a very diversified portfolio.

 

Civic, which has 45 employees, has been behind prominent campaigns for clients like CNN, NBC, HBO, A&E, and the National Football League. It specializes in so-called experiential marketing, which is based on people going to places or events.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/05/business/media/seacrest-buys-marketing-agency-to-expand-reach.html?_r=0

Publicis acquires mobile agency Monterosa

Publicis Groupe announced the acquisition of global mobile agency Monterosa. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Stockholm-based Monterosa, which has offices in New York and Singapore, has 30 employees. Clients include Google, Mercedes Benz, Samsung, Vodafone and AT&T.
The mobile agency will be added to the network's Bartle Bogle Hegarty ad agency. Monterosa will keep its name and will continue to work with its own clients as well as agency partners throughout BBH and Publicis Groupe.

http://www.btobonline.com/article/20121219/AGENCIES01/312199998/publicis-acquires-mobile-agency-monterosa?utm_source=dailynewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=editorial&utm_campaign=dailyclickthroughs

Oracle to acquire Eloqua

Oracle Corp. today agreed to buy Eloqua Inc., a provider of cloud-based marketing automation and revenue performance management software, for $23.50 per share, or approximately $871 million. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2013.

Eloqua shares closed Wednesday at $17.92 on the Nasdaq.

The companies said the acquisition will allow marketers to provide a highly personalized and unified experience across channels, create brand loyalty and drive more qualified leads.

“Modern marketing practices are driving revenue growth and is a critical area of investment for companies today,” said Thomas Kurian, exec VP-Oracle development, in a press release. “Eloqua's leading marketing automation cloud will become the centerpiece of the Oracle Marketing Cloud and is an important addition to the Oracle Customer Experience offering, which includes the Oracle Sales Cloud, Oracle Commerce Cloud, Oracle Service Cloud, Oracle Content Cloud and Oracle Social Cloud.”

Eloqua clients include ADP Inc., Aon, Dow Jones & Co., Fidelity Investments, National Instruments and Polycom Inc. The company was founded in 1999 and went public in August.

http://www.btobonline.com/article/20121220/STRATEGY10/312209999/oracle-to-acquire-eloqua?utm_source=dailynewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=editorial&utm_campaign=dailyclickthroughs

Kantar Media acquires AdGooroo

Kantar Media, a unit of WPP's consultancy group Kantar, announced it has acquired AdGooroo, a provider of global digital media intelligence. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The acquisition will enhance Kantar's digital media measurement and analysis capabilities, particularly its insight into display, video, ad networks and paid-search advertising trends, the company said.
AdGooroo has 4,000 marketer and agency clients worldwide. The company provides data on competitors' keywords, ad creative, backlink data, campaign statistics and budgets.
“We are committed to measuring all media, and digital media is obviously an important component to that,” said Terry Kent, CEO of Kantar Media North America, in a statement. “Paid search, in particular, is a complex, fragmented medium with many different inputs,” he said, calling AdGooroo's methodology “the best in the market for measuring paid search.”

http://www.btobonline.com/article/20121221/STRATEGY10/312219998/kantar-media-acquires-adgooroo?utm_source=dailynewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=editorial&utm_campaign=dailyclickthroughs

Mitchell Communications, enters PR business

Dentsu Network, a division of Tokyo-based agency Dentsu Inc., has acquired public relations company Mitchell Communications Group. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Mitchell Communications, based in Fayetteville, Ark., has more than 100 employees in 14 states, and serves such clients as DoubleTree by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Procter & Gamble Co. Dentsu Network said it plans to use the acquisition to begin building a global PR business.
Mitchell President-CEO Elise Mitchell will remain in that position and become CEO of Dentsu's global PR network. Mitchell Communications will continue to operate under that name and remain headquartered in Fayetteville, but will open a New York office, Dentsu said in a statement.

http://www.btobonline.com/article/20130104/STRATEGY10/301049997/dentsu-buys-mitchell-communications-enters-pr-business?utm_source=dailynewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=editorial&utm_campaign=dailyclickthroughs

Svoboda Capital Partners Announces Investment in Strategic Marketing, Inc

A fund affiliated with Svoboda Capital Partners LLC (“SC”) has made an equity investment in Strategic Marketing, Inc. (“Strategic” or the “Company”). SC partnered with Strategic’s Founder & CEO, Todd Strause, who will continue to own a significant interest in the Company. BMO Harris Bank, N.A. provided senior debt and Merion Investment Partners provided subordinated debt to complete the transaction.

Founded in 1995 and located in Louisville, Kentucky, Strategic is a technology-driven, direct marketing lead generation firm that provides multi-channel marketing campaigns for automotive dealerships in the United States. Strategic’s innovative products and customer centric approach have resulted in significant growth over the past 17 years.

“Strategic is the market leader in a niche category and SC is excited to partner with Todd and his talented management team to leverage our collective direct marketing experience to expand the Company’s service offering and geographic footprint,” said Rick Harpster, Principal at Svoboda Capital Partners. Todd Strause stated, “We chose SC based on their experience in the space and enthusiasm for our business and we are excited to work together to achieve our growth objectives and take our company to the next level.”

http://www.svoco.com/pages/news/post_2012_Dec18.php

Publicis Buys Rokkan

Publicis Groupe has acquired a 100 percent stake in Rokkan, the holding company and agency announced today. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The purchase adds another digital shop—and its 70 staffers—to Publicis's roster, which already includes larger digital agencies like Digitas, Razorfish and Rosetta.

 

Rokkan, based in New York, was launched in 2000, and works for clients including JetBlue, Sharp and game publisher Bethesda Softworks. CEO John Noe, chief experience officer Chung Ng and chief creative officer Charles Bae—all co-founders—will continue to lead the shop.

 

The holding company has been on something of a shopping spree this month. Earlier in December it announced its acquisition of fashion and luxury agency AR New York, now part of a new global luxury offering, and U.K. social and experiential agency Outside Line, which will be integrated into Saatchi & Saatchi. Rokkan will remain autonomous, the holding company said.

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/publicis-buys-rokkan-146152

Epsilon Aquires Hyper Marketing

http://adage.com/article/agency-news/epsilon-aquires-hyper-marketing-fuel-data-machine/238262/

Epsilon, itself owned by Alliance Data Systems, agreed to a $460 million acquisition of Hyper Marketing (HMI) last week in a deal that brings brand agency Ryan Partnership, social agency SolutionSet and retail agency Catapult under the data firm's wing.*

The idea here is to marry Epsilon's consumer data insights and data management and analysis capabilities with HMI's marketing services.

Hill+Knowlton acquires Ottawa consultancy firm

Hill+Knowlton Strategies Canada has acquired full service consultancy Ascentum to form a new public engagement group that will service new and existing clients.

“Adding Ascentum to the H+K family creates new opportunities for growth in the emerging, but important, sector of public engagement,” said Mike Coates, president and CEO of H+K Canada, in a release.

“Ascentum’s expertise and tools, coupled with our proven track record in stakeholder relations and our digital capabilities and national and international network, is completely unique in the Canadian marketplace.”

Joe Peter and Rob Mariani founded Ascentum in 2003 and will remain with the newly formed group, which will live within Hill+Knowlton’s Ottawa office. Mariani will lead the new group and Peter will become deputy social media and digital communications practice leader.

http://www.marketingmag.ca/news/pr-news/hillknowlton-purchases-ottawa-consultancy-firm-59634

Nielsen to Buy Arbitron for $1.26 Billion

Nielsen Holdings said on Tuesday that it had agreed to acquire Arbitron, the radio ratings company, for $1.26 billion.

The offer of $48 a share in cash for each outstanding share of Arbitron represents a premium of 26 percent to Arbitron’s closing price on Monday.

The deal will unite two of the best-known measurement companies in the television and radio industries. More than 50 years after their creation, the Nielsen ratings still help determine the fate of many American TV shows. And Arbitron has been one of the top radio ratings watchers for decades.

The two companies have combined revenue of $6 billion and an annual profit of about $346 million.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/nielsen-to-buy-arbitron-for-1-26-billion/?nl=business&emc=edit_dlbkam_20121218