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Tag: Rosetta

  • Publicis strengthens digital with capabilities merger of LBi and Digitas

    MUMBAI: France-based media communications agency network Publicis Groupe will be merging the newly acquired digital agency LBi with its existing digital network Digitas. The merger is an effort towards forming a fully integrated global digital agency network, with digital marketing and technology capabilities at the core.

    The new network will be named DigitasLBi and be led by LBi chief executive Luke Taylor, who has been appointed DigitasLBi global CEO. He will report directly to Publicis Groupe Digital Technology Division CEO Bob Lord. Colin Kinsella will continue in his role as Digitas North America chief executive while Ewen Sturgeon remains LBi, Europe, Middle East and Asia chief executive.

    Along with sister Publicis Groupe digital brands Razorfish and Rosetta, DigitasLBi cements Publicis Groupe‘s ambitions in the area of digital for its clients and the future of the communications sector. Publicis Groupe‘s share of revenue derived from digital operations is now over 35 per cent, enhancing its ability to deliver innovative and best-in-class services to clients.

    DigitasLBi will be a complete digital agency network leveraging the longstanding dominance of Digitas in the USA – where it is the largest digital agency – with LBi‘s strong position in Europe and the leading position enjoyed by both agencies in Asia Pacific. DigitasLBi will comprise 5,700 best-in-class digital and technology experts in 25 countries around the world. DigitasLBi clients include American Express, Coca-Cola, Delta, eBay, L‘Oréal, Johnson & Johnson, Mondelez P&G, Nissan, Sprint and Starbucks.

    Digitas and LBi share strong grounding in digital, including data, direct, social, search and platform delivery. Pooling these skill sets, DigitasLBi‘s service offering will provide clients with unique depth and breadth of expertise across a wide range of digital disciplines, including strategy and analytics, performance marketing, service design, e-commerce, brand strategy, content development, mobile, market research, CRM, search and social media.

    The new digital network‘s “end-to-end” proprietary technology suite will include LBi‘s Audience Engagement Platform as well as Digitas‘ CRM365 Intelligence Platform and award-winning BrandLIVE. The combination of these technologies and surrounding services will allow DigitasLBi to form a uniquely perceptive view of the customer and distribute creative content efficiently across earned, owned and paid media channels, driving marketing effectiveness and delivering better value to brands.

    Publicis Groupe Chairman and CEO Maurice Lévy said, “Advertisers need a truly integrated and global digital network that can anticipate trends, forecast the ‘next‘, while constantly innovating in our ever-changing world. The combination of Digitas and LBi will create the world‘s leading concentration of digital skills and competencies in the world, capable of delivering solutions to all clients, everywhere. The formation of DigitasLBi is an essential landmark. It will certainly be the most competitive, attractive network in the market for both clients and talent.”

    A team of senior LBi, Digitas and Publicis Groupe executives will oversee the merger process under the leadership of Digitas and Razorfish International CEO Stephan Beringer, ensuring flawless delivery of the newly enhanced service offering to clients in every geography.

    Lord said, “One of the key strategic tenets of the combined DigitasLBi offering is the scalable, flexible technology and product suite that will help meet the full spectrum of marketer needs from audience engagement, to sense-and-respond content development and publishing, to real-time relationship marketing. This is an exciting union between two powerful brands, with complementary strengths in product and service that will redefine the role of an agency.”

    Taylor said, “DigitasLBi represents for the first time that insight, content and distribution has been brought together in one agency, providing clients with a truly integrated, best-in-class, global offering.”

    The creation of DigitasLBi will not affect MRY, which will remain a standalone entity under the leadership of founder and Chief Executive Matt Britton. With an enhanced headcount and service offering, MRY will continue to operate as an integrated agency with a social center of gravity.

  • Publicis beats Omnicom in race for LBi

    MUMBAI: Paris-based global media communications network, the Publicis Groupe and independent digital communications agency LBi International have reached an agreement where the former will acquire LBi for €416m (?333m).

    This is Publicis‘ fourth major acquisition in the digital playground this year following Digitas, Razorfish and Rosetta.

    It was reported earlier in June this year that another global giant Omnicom was the forerunner in the race to acquire the agency following WPP‘s acquisition of AKQA, but the French communications player has finally sealed the deal.

    With a global footprint, LBi is headquartered and listed in Amsterdam. LBi currently employs approximately 2,200 people in 16 countries (of which 630 are based in the UK) and has 32 offices around the world. The agency is active in digital marketing and has expanded its offering to a wide suite of digital media services, ranging from communication, e-commerce services to brand strategy, content, social media and mobile. Some of LBi‘s clients include Lloyds TSB, Volvo, Johnson & Johnson, Coca Cola, Carlsberg and Ikea.

    Led by CEO Luke Taylor, the agency has implemented successive strategic transformations with the acquisitions of Bigmouthmedia and Mr. Youth in 2010 and 2011 respectively and the creation of hubs in key markets to strengthen the company‘s worldwide presence. In 2011, LBi reported net revenue of €196.6 million, up 12 per cent from 2010. In the first half of 2012, LBi reported net revenue of €119.4 million, up 18.2 per cent from the equivalent period in 2011.

    The proposed acquisition of LBi will enable Publicis Groupe to increase its share of revenue derived from digital operations to over 35%, in line with its strategic goals, and to capitalise on the complementarity with its existing global digital businesses.

    Publicis Groupe chairman and CEO Maurice Lévy said, “The acquisition of LBi is another step forward in further strengthening our digital operations. Within the global advertising landscape, LBi is a well known partner for extraordinary digital customer experiences, based on a blend of creativity and expertise in technology, strategy and social media. The integration of LBi will further enhance our capabilities and, through a wider pool of resources and talent, help deliver innovative and best-in-class services to our clients, which is our relentless focus. Furthermore, this acquisition has a positive impact on our EPS in the first year post acquisition.”

    Taylor said, “We are convinced that this transaction not only provides highly attractive value to our shareholders, but equally to our clients, staff and partners. Publicis Groupe has consistently demonstrated a clear and emphatic belief in the importance of digital media and is recognised for grooming and managing its talent worldwide. Our entire strategy to date is built on a commitment to relentlessly drive and optimise value for our clients. There is now a unique opportunity to pace set the market and collaborate across new geographies and marketing services so that we can accelerate our strategic plans aimed at providing clients with a globally integrated offering.”