ITV

Category: Media Agencies

  • WPP to acquire minority stake in Germany’s Hirschen Group

    WPP to acquire minority stake in Germany’s Hirschen Group

    MUMBAI: WPP has agreed to acquire a significant minority stake in Germany’s independent agency Hirschen Group.

     

    Following the investment, Hirschen Group will partner with WPP’s wholly owned agency, J. Walter Thompson Company. The stake acquistion is subject to regulatory approval.

     

    Hirschen Group employs over 500 people in nine offices and provides integrated campaign services including advertising, public relations, public affairs, consulting and strategy. Bernd Heusinger and Marcel Loko founded the company in 1995. Martin Blach joined as CEO in 2005.

     

    The existing team will continue to manage Hirschen Group, which will maintain its independent positioning, whilst being part of the J. Walter Thompson and WPP networks.

     

    Hirschen Group’s revenues for the year ended 31 December, 2014 were approximately EUR 37.3 million, with gross assets at the same date of approximately EUR 17.0 million.

     

    This investment continues WPP’s strategy of developing its services in fast-growing and important markets. Germany is WPP’s fourth largest market after the US, UK and Greater China.

  • Dentsu to acquire UK e-commerce specialist agency eCommera

    Dentsu to acquire UK e-commerce specialist agency eCommera

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Aegis Network has reached an agreement with the principal shareholders of eCommera Global to acquire the company. The purpose of the acquisition is to strengthen the Dentsu Group’s capabilities in the brand commerce space where content and brand experiences are integrated with the consumer experience.

     

    eCommera started out in 2007 as a technical service provider of e-commerce solutions, and then functioned for a time as the technical services division of a company whose key product was order management software. In March 2015, the eCommera division became the independent entity eCommera Global Limited.

     

    eCommera has strengths in the brand commerce space, developing e-commerce solutions for major international retailers and consumer goods manufacturers as well as providing maintenance and consulting services. Headquartered in London, the agency’s team of specialists is active across the world, providing site management support for more than 150 e-commerce sites in 30 markets. The agency has established development centers in Bulgaria and India.

     

    According to Forrester Research Global business-to-consumer e-commerce sales reached $1.3 trillion in 2013, and are expected to grow to $2.5 trillion by 2018. As the e-commerce market expands, e-commerce sites are increasingly becoming the first point of contact between the consumer and the brand. In addition, along with the expansion of digital devices that support e-commerce as well as links between e-commerce and bricks-and-mortar stores, e-commerce itself is also diversifying. In today’s world where there is a variety of brand touch points, the challenge facing the marketing industry, including the e-commerce space, is how to maximize consumer engagement through a connected brand commerce experience.

     

    The acquisition of eCommera is intended to address this challenge. The deepening of the collaborative relationship between eCommera and full-service digital marketing agency Isobar, one of the Dentsu Group’s global network brands, will, through the integration of their respective consumer data analysis and brand-building capabilities based on creative design, user experience and e-commerce solutions technology, contribute to maximizing the value of client brands. Moreover, by utilizing the Isobar network, the Group plans to further expand its service area.

  • MediaCom named world’s top media agency by RECMA

    MediaCom named world’s top media agency by RECMA

    MUMBAI: RECMA, the independent research organization charged with the in-depth assessment of global media agency network performance has recognized MediaCom as the world’s top media agency.

     

    The results were published this week in RECMA’s authoritative Network Diagnostics report, with MediaCom ahead of Carat, OMD and Starcom across 19 key qualitative metrics designed to measure agency vitality and structural ability to address today’s complex communications challenges.

     

    MediaCom’s top position is underpinned by its recent new business success across a number of networked clients, with marquee client wins including Mars worldwide planning, The Coca-Cola Company assignment in Mexico and the AB Inbev account in the US. Momentum in the US, the largest market for all players in the industry, has resulted in MediaCom being named 2015 US Media Agency of the Year by both Advertising Age and Adweek.

     

    The full RECMA qualitative assessment is based on MediaCom’s performance across 40 markets in not only pitch competitiveness, but also client loyalty, top management, digital resources and awards, reflecting the agency’s proven performance in delivering superior results for global clients such as the Coca-Cola Company, Procter and Gamble and Sony.

     

    “We’ve worked incredibly hard over the last few years to consistently build the global scale and expertise it takes to commit 100 per cent to all our clients while still winning new business. With more brands looking to marketing to drive business growth, our Content + Connections positioning and systems thinking approach enables us to provide a unique level of guidance and maximize client shareholder return,” said MediaCom worldwide chairman and CEO Stephen Allan.

  • FoxyMoron bags digital mandate for Jim Beam India

    FoxyMoron bags digital mandate for Jim Beam India

    MUMBAI: Following a multi agency pitch, FoxyMoron has won the digital mandate of Beam Suntory’s top bourbon whiskey brand Jim Beam.

     

    The mandate includes digital duties, while also building and strengthening Jim Beam’s digital presence through strategic insights and unique solutions that engage its young urban consumers. 

     

    Jim Beam India marketing controller Ankur Bhatia said, “Although the Bourbon Whiskey market is still nascent, Jim Beam is witnessing exciting growth in India, given early adoption by new younger consumers. India being one of the biggest markets globally in terms of social media usage and growing digital/mobile penetration, we are excited to partner with Foxymoron who bring in brilliant expertise and consumer insights in this space.” 

     

    FoxyMoron co-founder and director, new business & Innovation Pratik Gupta added, “Whiskey is breaking the ‘old man’s drink’ cliché in India and Jim Beam is trying to use that insight and target the urban youth of the country. We presented a fresh perspective that revolves around creating awareness about Bourbon whiskey and promoting the versatility and mixability of the brand. It’s a great brand to work with and will continuously challenge us to innovate and execute unique digital strategies.”

  • Q1 2015: India continues strong growth for WPP; China weakens

    Q1 2015: India continues strong growth for WPP; China weakens

    MUMBAI: In the first quarter of 2015, India continued the strong growth seen for WPP in the Asia Pacific market, with China being a little weaker.

     

    In the first four months, WPP’s revenue was up eight per cent to ?3.8 billion in sterling. However, in dollar, revenue was down 1.9 per cent at $5.698 billion and up 21.4 per cent at €5.129 billion in euros.

     

    On the other hand, its advertising and media investment management revenue increased 13 per cent in constant currencies, and 9.9 per cent on a like-for-like basis, which excludes the impact of acquisitions and foreign currency fluctuations.

     

    Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa & the Middle East and Central and Eastern Europe, softened slightly in April, but still at high levels of absolute growth, with year-to-date constant currency revenue up 10 per cent and like-for-like up 5.6 per cent. Net sales were up 8.3 per cent in constant currency and 3.1 per cent like-for-like in the first four months, compared with 9.1 per cent and 4.0 per cent respectively in the first quarter.

     

    “The faster growth markets of the BRICs and Next 11, located in Asia, Latin America, Africa & the Middle East and Central & Eastern Europe continue to grow faster than the slower markets of North America and Western Europe, although the growth gap has narrowed as Brazil, Russia and China have slowed and the United States and United Kingdom have quickened,” said WPP chairman Philip Lader at the company’s 43rd annual general meeting held in London.

     

    Agency reviews due to digital media shift cost $20 billion

     

    Furthermore, in light of the shift to digital media, many brands have been looking at reviewing their advertising agency accounts and marketing spends. These reviews represent about $20 billion in billings.

     
    “There has been some commentary recently on the significant number of media investment management reviews, particularly, in the United States, which we believe has been driven primarily by clients’ desire to optimise their media spending, in an increasingly digital media environment. These reviews total approximately $20 billion in billings,” said Lader.

     

    However, Lader added that WPP is particularly well positioned to compete in these pitches as it is an incumbent in less than a quarter of these reviews.

     

    According to Lader, 2015 should follow a pattern similar to 2014 but sans maxi or mini-quadrennial events like the Olympics, FIFA World Cup or United States Presidential Election (as there will be in 2016) to boost marketing investments.

     

    For the remainder of 2015, WPP’s focus will remain on growing revenue and net sales faster than the industry average, driven by its position in the new markets, in new media, in data investment management, including data analytics and the application of new technology, creativity, effectiveness and horizontality.

     

    Providing a cautious economic outlook for 2015, Lader said, “All in all, 2015 looks to be another demanding year. Even in the best of times, successful companies are careful in their allocation of promotional funds. But when times get tougher, carefulness tends to be replaced by caution. A certain nervousness infects the entire enterprise. Costs are trimmed… and trimmed again. Investment is postponed. Much of this, of course, is prudent and necessary; but there’s a lurking danger. What were first adopted as temporary tactics almost imperceptibly become a permanent strategy. And when that happens, companies may fail to take early advantage of any up-turn. The long-term becomes no more than an indefinite extension of the short-term.”

  • Havas launches meta quality barometer to tackle ad fraud

    Havas launches meta quality barometer to tackle ad fraud

    MUMBAI: As per eMarketer ad fraud is a top concern for both media buyers (33 per cent) and suppliers (44 per cent), and both groups also show great concern for ad viewability.

     

    Adledge estimates that only 42 per cent of all impressions served were considered ‘visible’ according to the definition of the Interactive Advertising Bureau and eight per cent were displayed in a potentially damaging context for the advertiser.

     

    White Ops recently reported that non-human traffic (aka bots) alone will cost digital advertisers worldwide over $6.3 billion this year. 

     

    To improve media inventory and campaign quality, Havas Media Group has launched a unique Meta Quality Barometer, based on a comprehensive, inclusive approach to data.  The Meta Quality Barometer from Artemis Alliance delivers continuously updated data across global, pluri-media campaigns, to share with all stakeholders (technology partners, media publishers and clients) to optimise investments.

     

    Havas Media Group global managing director Dominique Delport said, “Confidence in data quality is a critical issue for our industry. The scale of fraudulent inventory generated by sophisticated ‘bots’ is extremely concerning and neither media vendors nor agencies are safe. We need to bring trust and clarity back for our clients. For these reasons Havas has invested in our best-in-class Artemis Alliance data platform for over a decade. Now it manages 100 per cent of our online campaigns, harvesting over 300 billion secure and disaggregated data points each year and was recently awarded ISO27001 certification by Bureau Veritas. Its focus – to create an actionable measurement for viewability, brand protection, media inventory and campaign quality.” 

     

    He added, “As a result, we are delighted to launch the first Meta Quality Barometer for our industry. Helping us to connect the dots of the most advanced tech providers, delivering a unique and systematic “meta” barometer on data integrity, security and brand safety. This will facilitate and boost our communications with media owners to increase the quality of inventory for our clients. I am extremely proud of the teams in Artemis Alliance who have formalised a systematic approach to challenging industry practices so that we can help to provide better business solutions for our clients and media partners.” 

     

    Leveraging its extensive experience in handling event level data, Artemis Alliance collects detailed and raw data from all of its technology partners (Adledge, Catchpoint, ClarityAd, Hub’Scan, WhiteOps, Integral Ad Science and Peer39/Sizmek). That data, at its most granular level, is used to analyse and score the quality of the media inventory by industry, by market and by media owner.

                

    Havas Media Group EVP Media Futures & Innovation Rob Griffin summarised, “This is a win-win deal. We can now pull in data from across all screens, technology companies and media partners to provide the first external, objective review of outcomes across the five critical areas of Compliance, Experience, Impact, Context and Traffic.  While we can’t guarantee 100 per cent viewability or zero fraud, we can make a commitment to our clients and our publishers to improve the quality of inventory available and make the information clear and easy to activate. The ultimate win, therefore, will be for clients, who will benefit from smarter solutions and cleaner data to drive investments and business decisions.”

     

    With the help of extensively researched data, the Meta Quality Barometer covers five main areas:

     

    1. Compliance: Matching impressions against purchased media

     

    Artemis Alliance rates media owners’ compliance with campaign directives: promise (purchased versus delivered media) and technical qualifications (specifications and requirements).  Artemis Alliance constantly audits both tagging systems (with partner Hub’Scan) and creative work provided for each campaign (with partner ClarityAd).

     

    2. Experience: User experience 

     

    Artemis Alliance takes into account user experience and user interaction with campaign messages, in particular how long it takes for pages and ads to load for users (with partner Catchpoint), as well as where the ads are located on the page.

     

    3. Impact: Viewability and performance auditing

     

    Artemis Alliance can correlate performance (in particular in terms of audience) and viewability of media campaigns, to gauge their impact, through automatic and personalized tracking for each advertiser and for each action. 

     

    4. Context: Media content and brand safety

     

    Brand safety services are codes inserted in campaign tags, which allow Artemis Alliance to protect a brand’s image, quantify the number of blocked impressions (undesirable context), and identify the context where these impressions were delivered (with partners Adledge, Peer39). 

     

    5. Traffic: Securing campaign distribution

     

    To combat the rise of illegitimate Internet traffic worldwide, Artemis Alliance provides teams with both manual and technological solutions. Media teams identify and blacklist all suspect URLs based on abnormal click-rates, coded URLs and pages without ads. Artemis Alliance also works with several anti-fraud technology solutions to better protect our campaign results (with partners Adledge, Peer39, Integral Ad Science, White Ops, etc).

  • JWT acquires minority stake in Turkey’s Wanda Digital

    JWT acquires minority stake in Turkey’s Wanda Digital

    MUMBAI: J. Walter Thompson Company has acquired a minority stake in Turkish digital agency Wanda Digital.

     

    Founded in 2006 and employing 80 people in Istanbul, Wanda’s clients include Turkcell, L’Oreal, Nestle and Unilever.

     

    Wanda offers a range of services including campaigns, social media, platform development and games and apps.

     

    The agency’s unaudited net sales for the year ended 31 December, 2014 were approximately $ 3.4 million, with gross assets at the same date of approximately $ 2.3 million.

     

    Following the transaction, Wanda and J. Walter Thompson’s local office, Manajans J Walter Thompson Turkey, will operate independently, but jointly invest in new technology and innovative projects.

     

    Since 2010, Manajans J. Walter Thompson Turkey has tripled its revenues and won over 40 awards including the “Global Smarties” in 2014.

     

    Turkey is one of the Next 11 growth economies where WPP companies (including associates) generate revenues of over $1 billion and employ over 10,000 people. In Turkey itself, WPP companies (including associates) generate revenues of around $120 million and employ approximately 1,300 people.

  • Dentsu expands India executive council post Ohri’s relocation

    Dentsu expands India executive council post Ohri’s relocation

    MUMBAI: With an aim to drive the group’s business in India, Dentsu Aegis Network has expanded its executive council in the country. The move comes post the recent relocation of Rohit Ohri to Singapore.

     

    The council consists of leaders of all the Network companies and heads of key functions. This will give the network in India an opportunity to offer specialist services to their clients under one umbrella.

     

    Chaired by Dentsu Aegis Network chairman and CEO South Asia Ashish Bhasin, the executive council includes Anand Bhadkamkar (Group Finance), Dimple Maheshwary (HR), Divya Karani (Dentsu Media), Simi Sabhaney (Dentsu Communications), Makato Nakao (Japanese International Clients), Kartik Iyer (Carat), Haresh Nayak (Posterscope), Sidharth Rao (Dentsu Webchutney), Narayan Devanathan (Dentsu Creative Impact), Shamsuddin Jasani (Isobar), Vivek Bhargava (iProspect), Nabendu Bhattacharyya (Milestone Brandcom), Rajiv Dingra (WAT Consult), Umesh Shrikhande (Taproot Dentsu), S. Yesudas (Vizeum) and R. Ravishankar (psLIVE). C.P Arora will be a special invitee.

     

    “I am proud to say that we are the only media and advertising group in India to provide world-class specialist services with such depth under one umbrella,” said Bhasin. 

     

    “We want to offer our clients all the benefits of specialization without the hassles of silos and our unique One P&L structure enables us to do so. Consequently, the Executive Council has the important role of capitalizing on this advantage. Since we have been the fastest growing agency group for two years in a row, we are now amongst the top 3 groups in India. By Dec 2017 we aim to be the top 2, which will be a mandate for this Council,” he added.

     

    The members of the executive council will be encouraged to think beyond their immediate roles for the efficiency of the group’s 1700 personnel across seven cities and 15 companies. 

     

    With specialist companies like Posterscope and Milestone (OOH), Taproot Dentsu (creative), Carat (media) and with nearly 700 personnel across the digital space in SEO, SEM, and social media, the expanded Executive Council will now aim to build on this momentum.

  • Dentsu Aegis Network acquires majority share in Flexmedia

    Dentsu Aegis Network acquires majority share in Flexmedia

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired Thailand based digital advertising agency Flexmedia.

     

    Joining one of Dentsu Aegis’ eight global network brands – global performance marketing agency iProspect – the agency will be known as Flexmedia iProspect. The acquisition will significantly scale iProspect’s digital credentials to become the largest performance marketing agency in Thailand and strengthen the already significant Dentsu Aegis Network business locally.

     

    Founded in 2005, the digital agency led by Nathamon Kongthananon as CEO, Komjak Kamthornpasinee as chief marketing officer and Pichit Chearjaraswongs as chief technology officer, has grown to a team of 33 marketing professionals currently servicing international and local brands such as Sumsung, Sansiri, and Siam Commercial Bank.

     

    Nathamon will continue as CEO of Flexmedia iProspect, reporting to Dentsu Aegis Network Thailand CEO Amornsak Sakpuaram.

     

    Dentsu Aegis Network Southeast Asia CEO Dick van Motman said, “Over the last five years, admittedly starting from a very low base, the estimated number of Internet users in Thailand has increased sixfold. The country continues to rank among the top 30 economies worldwide and second among emerging economies of East Asia on the ease of doing business. The combination of iProspect and Flexmedia in Thailand will allow us to bring best-in-class performance marketing, data and analytics to our clients, thus adding to a strong, dynamic network in a robust market like Thailand.”

     

    iProspect Asia Pacific CEO Ruth Stubbs added, “With the improved scale and diversity of product and skillset, a combined Flexmedia/iProspect offering will allow iProspect to not only better manage global and local clients, but also to provide true leadership in performance marketing.Flexmedia offers us a seasoned team that can represent the iProspect brand to create relevance in the emerging Thai digital landscape.”

     

    “We are thrilled to join the iProspect and Dentsu Aegis Network family. This new partnership will strengthen and grow the company and I look forward to harnessing the global skills and resources to deliver great work for our clients,” said Kongthananon.

  • Publicis Groupe acquires Match Media in Australia

    Publicis Groupe acquires Match Media in Australia

    MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe has acquired Australia’s independent media agency Match Media.

     

    Match Media will be part of ZenithOptimedia Group’s newly launched global media network, Blue 449. As part of the Blue 449 network, Match Media will benefit from the extensive range of “open source” services offered within Publicis Groupe in order to better equip its clients with the latest technologies, accompanying them through their fast-paced business transformation fuelled by digital, technology, innovation, and consumer empowerment today.

     

    Match Media was founded in 2003 by John Preston. The agency, headquartered in Sydney, has more than 75 employees and specialises in media strategy and buying, digital planning and buying, search, social and analytics. Over the last twelve years, Match Media has focused on helping clients grow by creating work that works.

     

    Match Media will retain its management team under the leadership of John Preston as CEO and James Simmons as COO. They will in turn report directly to ZenithOptimedia Asia Pacific global managing partner and APAC chairman Gerry Boyle. Match Media in Australia will be the vanguard to expansion of the Blue 449 network across Asia-Pacific.

     

    The network launched in February with the rebranding of Walker Media in London to Blue 449. There are now four Blue 449 hubs – Australia, France, Italy and UK – and a further 13 are planned for launch by the end of the year.

     

    Boyle said, “Blue 449 is a new global network comprised of like-minded entrepreneurs who are embracing technology and data as a means to delivering growth for clients. As a progressive digitally focused agency, Match Media is the perfect fit and we are pleased to announce their addition to the Blue 449 network.”

     

    Preston added, “Match has enjoyed a wonderful run in its twelve year history as an independent. Now, the rapidly changing world of data and technology has motivated us to explore potential partners that will allow us to provide our clients access to the latest technology and a suite of world class platforms and tools. The challenge was finding a partner who could supercharge our existing offering but also had a kindred spirit. Publicis Groupe and its network ZenithOptimedia really impressed us with their digitally progressive vision and their focus on harnessing the independent entrepreneurial spirit that is in our DNA. I am really looking forward to the next evolution of Match as part of the Blue 449 network.”

     

    Simmons said, “This is the natural next big step in the story of Match. We have been on a continual journey of improvement and have built what we believe to be an excellent foundation. The time is right to leverage the assets that Blue 449 can bring to our clients, people and business to grow and create another chapter of pushing the boundaries in the media agency landscape.”