ITV

Category: Media and Advertising

  • WPP and Providence acquire Chime for ?374 million

    WPP and Providence acquire Chime for ?374 million

    MUMBAI: Martin Sorrell’s WPP and buyout firm Providence Equity Partners have agreed to acquire British communication and sports marketing group Chime Communications for ?374 million.

     

    As per the deal terms, Chime shareholders will receive 365pence in cash for each share they own. In addition, shareholders who are on the Chime shareholder register on 11 September, 2015 will be entitled to receive an interim dividend for the current year of 2.53 pence per share.

     

    WPP and Providence are acquiring Chime thorough Bidco, which is a newly-incorporated vehicle controlled by funds managed by Providence. WPPwill acquire an indirect minority interest in Bidco in exchange for transferring its existing 20.03 per cent stake in Chime to Bidco’s parent company – Bell Topco. The remaining ordinary shares in Topco will be held indirectly by funds managed by Providence.

     

    As WPP is a joint offeror, it will not be entitled to vote its Chime shares at the Court Meeting. However, WPP will be entitled to vote at the general meeting and Bidco has received an undertaking from WPP in the Bid Conduct Agreement to vote in favour of the resolution to be proposed at the general meeting in respect of, in aggregate, 20,158,421 Chime shares, representing approximately 20.03 per cent of the share capital of Chime in issue on 30 July, 2015.

     

    Commenting on the offer, Chime chairman Lord Davies of Abersoch said, “Chime has achieved great success to date in building a leading position in the global sports marketing and communications industry, which is reflected in the attractive premium being offered to shareholders. However, to fulfill Chime’s considerable growth potential, significant new capital is required. Providence and WPP offer Chime both the capital and the industry expertise to fast-track our ambitions to build a full scale, global sports marketing and communications business. Taking this into account, Chime’s independent Directors unanimously recommend that shareholders vote in favour of the resolutions at the General Meeting and in favour of the Scheme at the Court meeting.”

     

    Bidco director Andrew Tisdale added, “Chime’s history is one of innovation, creativity and consistent delivery of superior results for its clients. We believe Chime’s true assets are its people, and are excited to have the opportunity to partner with them as we embark on the next phase of the company’s growth.”

     

    Chime, which was founded in 1989 by Margaret Thatcher’s media adviser Lord Bell, will be delisted from the London Stock Exchange on completion of the deal.

  • TTND partners #fame for Lakmé digital marketing campaign

    TTND partners #fame for Lakmé digital marketing campaign

    MUMBAI: TO THE NEW Digital (TTND) has partnered with #fame to power its client’s social media campaign. The digital agency, as part of the partnership has helped craft interactive campaigns for the Karan Johar led Lakmé School of Style (LSOS).

     

    The campaign helped Lakmé School of Style increase customer engagement through various contests and interactive activities. The new campaigns on Twitter and Facebook trended and reached more than six million audiences, giving LSOS more than one lakh fan following on social media channels.

     

    TO THE NEW Digital CEO Deepak Mittal said, “We are thankful to #fame for trusting us with this crucial responsibility of executing such a large scale project. Lakmé is their premium client and we are glad to have partnered with #fame in executing a campaign that’s a ‘first-ever’ in its category itself. We have managed all social media marketing efforts to support Lakmé School of Style’s long-term strategy of strengthening its brand by enhancing customer interaction and experience.”

     

    The project was implemented through various social media campaigns and contests, including #MeraSummerSong, #LoveandLipstick and #The70sLook, which succeeded in engaging followers and created buzz around the brand across social media channels in India.

  • psLIVE allies tea brand Parivar with ‘Drishyam’ for effective marketing

    psLIVE allies tea brand Parivar with ‘Drishyam’ for effective marketing

    MUMBAI: psLIVE, the experiential marketing division from the Dentsu Aegis Network, has facilitated a marketing tie-up of the tea brand Parivar with Nishikant Kamat’s soon-to-release Drishyam.

     

    As part of the tie-up, Sapat International has created a co-branded television commercial (TVC) with Drishyam in an attempt to capitalise on this psLIVE-helmed partnership.

     

    Sapat International group managing director Nikhil Joshi said, “It was an extremely important opportunity that was brought to us at the right time. The way it was presented to us by psLIVE, we knew instantly that the integration cannot be missed. The TVC gave us a chance to amplify the association and market Parivar on a massive scale.”

     

    To leverage the integration amongst maximum audience, the brand too is promoting the movie through the co-branded TVC in addition to a print and outdoor campaign. Releasing on 31 July, Drishyam stars Ajay Devgn, Shriya Saran and Tabu in lead roles.

     

    Viacom18 Motion Pictures VP marketing Rudrarup Datta added, “Drishyam introduces a brand new genre in the Indian film industry as a ‘family thriller’… The film is based on the tangled lives of two families and reaches out to the same target audience that Parivar tea reaches out to. This was therefore a natural association and we are delighted with this alliance.”

     

    psLIVE vice president Sidharth Ghosh said, “Drishyam seemed to be a perfect fit for the tea brand Parivar as both seamlessly blend with each other. This association will increase the brand recall. At psLIVE, we are extremely delighted having initiated this integration.” 

  • WPP acquires majority stake Belgian digital healthcare agency

    WPP acquires majority stake Belgian digital healthcare agency

    MUMBAI: WPP’s Wunderman Health has acquired a majority stake in ABS MM NV (ABS Creative) in Belgium.

     

    Founded in 1999, based in Brussels and employing 24 people, ABS Creative is a digital marketing communications agency with solid expertise in medical content marketing. ABS Creative has developed strong relationships with healthcare companies such as Abbott, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, MSD, GSK, Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

     

    This acquisition further strengthens Wunderman Health’s healthcare capabilities in Brussels, a key location in European health affairs.

     

    ABS Creative, led by CEO Michael Verschueren will operate as an integrated centre of excellence within Wunderman Health.

     

    ABS Creative’s consolidated revenues for the year ended 31 December, 2014 were approximately €2.8 million, with gross assets of approximately €2.6 million as at the same date.

     

    This acquisition continues WPP’s strategy of investing in fast growing and important markets and sectors and strengthening its digital capabilities. WPP’s digital revenues were $6.9 billion in 2014, representing 36 per cent of the Group’s total revenues of $19 billion. WPP has set a target of 40-45 per cent of revenue to be derived from digital in the next five years. In Belgium, WPP companies (including associates) generate revenues of around $130 million.

  • WPP’s Kantar Media invests in data analytics firm BIScience

    WPP’s Kantar Media invests in data analytics firm BIScience

    MUMBAI: WPP’s wholly owned operating company Kantar Media has invested in BIScience (2009) Ltd, a data analytics firm that specializes in platforms for cross-channel and multi-country digital media monitoring, planning and optimization.

    BIScience’s global coverage spans over 60 geographies, with competitive cross-channel intelligence and analytics for display, mobile, video, and programmatic media covering more than 500,000 publishers worldwide.

     

    Clients include Conduit, Digilant, Funbox, Matomy and the Media Initiatives Group. Founded in 2009, BIScience employs over 35 people and is based in Tel Aviv with an office in New York.

    Kantar Media’s investment in BIScience will enable the daily tracking of 22 million publisher pages and monthly tracking of 14.5 million campaigns in over 35,000 ad platforms. Together, Kantar Media and BIScience will collaborate on cross-media and digital solutions that will help global and national advertisers, agencies and media owners make informed decisions on media investments and strategic communications.

  • JWT appoints Gaurav Lalwani as APAC business director for J&J

    JWT appoints Gaurav Lalwani as APAC business director for J&J

    MUMBAI: J. Walter Thompson has appointed Gaurav Lalwani to the role of Asia Pacific business director on the agency’s Johnson & Johnson portfolio, which includes Listerine and other J&J over-the-counter brands.

     

    Lalwani’s appointment reflects the agency’s expanded remit on J&J’s Listerine business across the Asia Pacific region.

     

    Based in Singapore, Lalwani will head up a new team servicing Listerine across APAC, and will also work with J. Walter Thompson’s global Listerine team in New York.

     

    Lalwani, who has over 15 years of integrated brand experience across FMCG, prestige skin care, automotive, and the financial services sectors, joins J. Walter Thompson from Leo Burnett Singapore, where he was senior regional director for integrated content on the agency’s SK-II and P&G fabric care brands across Asia.

     

    He was responsible for launching SK-II’s #ChangeDestiny platform across Asia, and led the collaboration with Huffington Post and Fitch to take #ChangeDestiny across digital and in-store platforms. Lalwani also led the creation of the first ever voice-based mobile platform for Tide in India, this drove the brand’s purchase intent, and consumption.

     

    “Lalwani is joining the agency after a period of significant growth and his appointment is a reflection of our drive to further strengthen the senior team at JWT. I am thrilled he is joining us as brings a proven track record of leading global businesses and his integrated approach will be of great value to his client portfolio,” said J. Walter Thompson Singapore CEO Peter Womersley.

     

    “JWT Singapore has managed to create perfect balance between hunger and wisdom. I am thrilled to be joining the agency at this exciting time,” added Lalwani.

  • Rohit Ohri to join FCB Ulka as group chairman & CEO

    Rohit Ohri to join FCB Ulka as group chairman & CEO

    MUMBAI: Former Dentsu Asia Pacific CEO Rohit Ohri, who recently stepped down from his post, is all set to join FCB Ulka India as group chairman and CEO, effective January 2016.

     

    Ohri will be the successor to current CEO and group chairman Nagesh Alai who, after 25 years with FCB, is moving into a global role.

     

    Alai will assume the role of global vice-chairman at FCB, working on special initiatives for FCB worldwide CEO Carter Murray. With FCB’s newly restructured global company, Ohri will serve as a member of the global operating committee and report directly to Murray in New York. He will be one of the CEOs helping to guide the global company.

     

    “I want to thank Nagesh for dedicating his career to our FCB operations in India and for helping FCB Ulka become one of the strongest agencies in the country. I look forward to working with him on special global initiatives,” said Murray.

     

    “When Nagesh and the Board introduced me to Rohit as someone they felt fitted the culture of the company, I was struck by his passion for what we do, his focus on great work and strong client relationships, and his natural gravitas. If you add his track record in the industry, Rohit is someone whom I think will lead FCB Ulka forward with vision and energy, and keep the flame strong,” he added.

     

    “FCB has gone back to its roots and is reigniting its brand essence under Carter’s leadership. The opportunity to partner with him, in what could be the most defining time in the history of FCB convinced me to quit my regional assignment and come back to India,” said Ohri.

     

    “FCB Ulka has a rich legacy of creating solid brand-building work. It’s a company that values partnerships, people and culture. The opportunity to build on this legacy and to take a great agency to greater heights is truly exciting. I’m delighted to be at the right place at the right time and with the right people,” he added.

                                                                      

    Ohri will be supported by FCB Ulka’s management board, which includes Lodestar Media executive director and Mediabrands CEO Shashi Sinha, Interface Communications and Asterii Analytics executive director Niteen Bhagwat, FCB Ulka Mumbai and Bengaluru, FCBi and Cogito executive director MG Parameswaran and FCB Ulka Delhi executive director Arvind Wable.