Ascential has announced the sale of Digital Commerce and WGSN for a combined enterprise value of £1.4 bi

Ascential plc, today announces that it has entered into agreements, subject to shareholder approval, to sell its digital commerce business to Omnicom Group Inc., and its product design business (“WGSN”) to Wind UK Bidco 3 Limited, a newly-formed company established by funds advised by Apax Partners LLP for a combined enterprise value of £1.4 billion and cash proceeds of £1.2 billion.

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Advertising companies struggle to adapt to a new world

It has been a miserable year for the holding companies that own the world’s largest advertising groups, with shares in WPP, Publicis, Omnicom and Interpublic Group all down sharply over the past 12 months. Consumer groups are rethinking their marketing spending while unease about the effectiveness of digital advertising has damped investor spirits. With advertising’s Mad Men in danger of becoming sad men, what future is there for the holding companies? Their business model, which has traditionally brought together creative agencies, media buying and planning groups, is under attack on multiple fronts.

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Omnicom posts 3.8% organic growth in Q1

The strength of the U.S. dollar continued to suppress revenue growth at Omnicom Group in the first quarter: revenues worldwide were up just 0.9% to about $3.5 billion. The company said currency fluctuations in the first quarter cost it about $97 million in top line growth. Organic growth, which excludes the impact of currency fluctuations, acquisitions and asset sales, was better — up 3.8% globally and 4.5% in the North America market, which accounts for 61% of the company’s business

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Publicis lags behind its peers in organic growth for 2015

Publicis Groupe continues to lag behind its peers in organic growth for 2015. Today the company reported just 0.7% organic growth (which excludes the impact of currency fluctuations, acquisitions and asset sales) for the third quarter and 1% for the first nine months.By comparison, Omnicom posted growth of 6.1% for Q3 and 5.5% for the first nine months.

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TBWA plans up to six acquisitions in SA

Omnicom’s TBWA is looking at as many as six more acquisitions spread out over the next four quarters. This is according to Derek Bouwer, ‎CEO at TBWA\South Africa. The Omnicom-owned group, says Bouwer, is taking a different approach from rivals WPP and Publicis in its acquisition strategy. At the end of 2013, TBWA acquired 80% […]

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Mad men get worked up over ad trading desks

For the world’s largest marketing services companies such as WPP, Publicis and Omnicom, buying and selling online advertising space has become a lucrative business. But the agency groups face a growing problem: many advertisers are worried that they are being exploited by opaque business practices

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