Publicis Buys eCommerce Firm Crown Partners

http://blogs.wsj.com/cmo/2014/07/01/publicis-buys-ecommerce-firm-crown-partners/

Crown has more than 150 employees and counts Land’s End, Keurig-Green Mountain and GlaxoSmithKline as clients. The company has posted a 40% annualized revenue growth rate since it was founded in 2001, though Crown Chief Executive Richard Hearn said the firm is growing faster than that right now. Mr. Hearn said technology has played a bigger part in front office operations to boost revenues in the last three to five years.

Mobile advertising leads growth;

Total US Ad Spending to See Largest Increase Since 2004

Mobile advertising leads growth; will surpass radio, magazines and newspapers this year

http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Total-US-Ad-Spending-See-Largest-Increase-Since-2004/1010982

Amobee Buys Adconion For $235M And Kontera For $150M In Consolidation Play

http://techcrunch.com/2014/06/10/amobee-buys-adconion-for-235m-and-kontera-for-150m-in-consolidation-play/

Another day, and another two big acquisitions in the digital advertising industry. Amobee, a mobile ad company acquired by Singapore’s main carrier SingTel two years ago for $321 million, is buying up not one but two other companies to build out its position in the wider digital ads space: It’s gobbling up Adconion and Kontera, for $235 million and $150 million, respectively.

“The digital advertising business is about scale and capitalizing on the market opportunities with technology as a core differentiator,” said Mark Strecker, CEO of Amobee. “With these two acquisitions announced today, we have extended our product offerings, increased our sales footprint and reinforced Amobee’s leadership position in the fast growing digital advertising market.”

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