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