WPP: breaking up world’s top advertising group could net £22bn

Sir Martin Sorrell’s resignation has raised the question of whether his successor will be able to stop a breakup of the world’s largest advertising group. Some analysts believe that there is more value in breaking up the sprawling empire – WPP employs more than 200,000 staff in 400 separate ad businesses in more than 3,000 offices in 112 countries – particularly as its stock market value has plummeted more than a third in the past year

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Next 15 acquires Brandwidth Group for up to £10.3m

Digital communications group Next 15 said it had acquired innovation agency  Brandwidth. Group for up to £10.3m. The consideration involved an initial payment of £6.2m, including £4.9m in cash and the rest in shares. Further payments in 2018 and 2020 were conditional on performance. The maximum total consideration of £10.3m represented a 5.5 times multiple of Brandwidth’s adjusted earnings before interest and tax in the year ended 30 June, Next 15 said.

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WPP set to battle Bain over its bid for ADK ad agency

WPP is preparing to lock horns with Bain Capital in Tokyo, after the Boston-based private equity firm launched a $1.3bn tender offer for Japan’s third-biggest advertising agency — a long-term business partner of the UK-listed giant. Just hours after Bain’s offer was made public, people close to WPP said on Monday night that it did not intend to sell its 24.7 per cent stake in Asatsu-DK (ADK) at the ¥3,660 price offered by Bain, as the tender “severely undervalues” the Japanese firm.

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Next 15 acquires Elvis Communications

Press release: Next 15, the digital communications group, is pleased to announce the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Elvis Communications Limited (“Elvis”), a UK based integrated digital agency with a focus on consumer brands

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Next 15 acquires Velocity Partners

Press Release: Next 15, the digital communications group, is pleased to announce the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Velocity Partners Limited (“Velocity”), a B2B digital agency with a focus on technology clients. Velocity was founded by Doug Kessler and Stan Woods in 2000, who will remain in the business following its acquisition. Clients include multi-national technology groups, such as Sprint, Xerox and Informatica. Velocity is based in the UK, however, 70% of its revenues came from US-based clients in financial year ended 30 April 2017

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WPP agrees to acquire creative agency group, thjnk AG, in Germany

Press Release: WPP announces that it has agreed to acquire thjnk AG (“thjnk”), a leading independent creative agency group in Germany. Founded in 2012 in Hamburg, with offices in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Munich, Zurich and New York, thjnk is a multi-award winning agency group specialising in advertising, design and corporate publishing. Recently it was named Agency of the Year 2017 by German trade publication Werben & Verkaufen. The agency employs 400 people

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Huntsworth acquires experential agency, TCEG for £24.7m

Press Release: Huntsworth plc, the healthcare communications and public relations group (“Huntsworth” or “the Group”), today announces the acquisition of the entire share capital of The Creative Engagement Group (“TCEG”) from funds managed by LDC (Managers) Limited (“LDC”) and certain members of TCEG’s management for total consideration of £24.7m

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Dentsu Aegis Buys media.at in Austria

In Austria, marcoms giant Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired full-service media agency media.at, which provides consulting, research and data analysis relating to comms strategy, ad planning and buying, and ad verification. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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Dentsu hops to it with acquisition of US digital marketer Leapfrog

Japanese advertising giant Dentsu has agreed to buy US digital marketer Leapfrog. The Tokyo-based company said it would acquire a 100 per cent stake in Leapfrog, whose proprietary LFX Conversion Platform aims to optimise the consumer experience via channels ranging from social media to physical stores. Leapfrog, which is headquartered in Illinois, generated revenue of $32m in the 12 months ended December 2016 and employs 150 people, most of who are software engineers and data scientists

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