Oct. 05, 2007 Oct. 04, 2007 Oct. 03, 2007 Oct. 03, 2007 Sept. 28, 2007 Sept. 25, 2007 Sept. 24, 2007 Sept. 21, 2007 Sept. 20, 2007 Sept. 18, 2007 Sept. 18, 2007 Sept. 17, 2007 Sept. 13, 2007 Sept. 13, 2007 Sept. 12, 2007 Sept. 10, 2007 Sept. 10, 2007 Sept. 06, 2007 Sept. 05, 2007 Aug. 29, 2007 Aug. 22, 2007 Aug. 22, 2007 Aug. 21, 2007 MSN France launches the new Microsoft ad-network: Drive PM. Included in the aqauntive package deal (with Atlas and Avenue A Razorfish), DrivePM exists in the USA, the UK and Australia and will be also launched soon in Spain, Italy and Germany. Carat Australia interactive director Shane CROMBIE is joining Universal McCann China, which also named Sunil JARYAL as head of insights and research. Tom POYNTER (VP Publicis Modem London) and Sebastian DREYFUS (head of interactive at Publicis Dialog) are teaming up as joint managing directors of Publicis Modem London. Continuing its expansion plan for a global search engine marketing solution iprospect made its first move into the Asia- Pacific region and opened a new office in Australia. Zed Digital will roll out a dedicated search unit. Zed Search will be launched initially in key markets China, India, Singapore and Australia, will consist of more than 20 specialised SEM professionals, and back-end support staff. Google acquires certain assets and technology of Zingku, a mobile social networking company. DDB France launches Tribal DDB. Jerôme DUCHAMPS leaves Rapp Collins co-pres to head a team of 20 specialists. WPP Group has purchased a 20% stake in OOT, a small Italian digital and interactive agency. Dentsu India and internet advertising service provider, Connecturf are setting up Clickstreamers in India (JV interactive agency). i-level Media Group Appoints Kevin SOONG as Vice-President, Sales and Marketing. He will personally lead the company's business development initiatives in China with major accounts and media-buying agencies Andy BERNDT (Ogilvy New York Co-President) goes to Google and will head a new global unit offering creative consultation (collaborating with marketers, agencies and entertainment companies). AOL launches integrated ad network. Platform A will incorporate AOL-owned companies Adtech, Advertising.com, Lighteningcast, Tacoda and Third Screen media. Havas and the Chalhoub Group announce a venture and expansion in the Middle-East. Over the coming months, Media Contacts and EURO RSCG 4D will be launched in the region. Media Contacts director Shalabh PANDEY has left to a newly created regional role within ZenithOptimedia. He will report to Zenith Singapore chief executive Harpreet SINGH and Zed Digital international CEO Frederic JOSEPH. PGM acquired Wcube (French independent digital agency). Wcube will become Publicis Modem France. Wcube's present co-presidents Xavier GURY and Thierry VANDEWALLE, will report to Philippe LENTSCHENER, Publicis France CEO. Mitchell Communication Group has bought the digital creative agency Visual Jazz based in Melbourne, Australia. WPP has purchased the Los Angeles independent interactive agencies Schematic. Publicis Groupe has acquired European mobile marketing company Phonevalley, which will become its mobile marketing arm of Publicis Groupe Media. Yahoo! agreed to acquire closely held online-advertising company BlueLithium. Lagardere Active broadcast unit agreed to acquire French online marketing group Nextedia (300 staff). Colleen DECOURCY has resigned as CEO at WPP Group's JWT to assume the new global position of chief digital officer at Omnicom's TBWA. AKQA has acquired of a US-based search engine marketing company SearchRev. Google acquires stake in China based social networking site Tianya.cn
Aug. 21, 2007 Aug. 16, 2007 Aug. 15, 2007 Aug. 13, 2007 Aug. 07, 2007 Aug. 02, 2007 July 31, 2007 July 30, 2007 July 28, 2007 July 27, 2007 July 27, 2007 July 26, 2007 July 25, 2007 July 24, 2007 July 24, 2007 July 22, 2007 July 20, 2007 July 19, 2007 July 19, 2007 Australian interactive advertising agency holding group Q Ltd has acquired digital agencies Clear Blue Day and Market United. GroupM has launched GroupM Search in Australia. The new division, which will handle natural, or unpaid, search engine optimisation and paid search engine marketing for the four WPP media agencies, is led by Susan ZABETI and will have eight staff members. Publicis Groupe's futures practice Denuo has added former Yahoo exec Todd KRIEGER as senior vice president. He reports to Denuo CEO and chief innovation officer Rishad TOBACCOWALA Microsoft has completed its acquisition of aquantive and created a new advertiser and publisher solutions unit, which will contain aquantive, DrivePM and Avenue A/Razorfish. Quebecor Media said it won't proceed with its June 1 bid to buy out the minority shareholders of Nurun Inc. Aegis Group announces that it has signed agreements to acquire the consolidated Ion Global network from CDC Corporation. Publicis Groupe has acquired China-based independent interactive marketing network Communication Central Group (CCG), which will be rebranded Digitas Greater China. icrossing has acquired Web development agency Proxicom, following last week s announcement that Goldman Sachs and Oak Investment Partners led a $62 million investment in icrossing. OgilvyOne, New York, has hired Anthony ROMANO as a senior partner and client service director. The Search Works, UK's search engine optimisation company has been acquired by TradeDoubler. Aegis Group's Carat merges Carat USA with digital unit Carat Fusion. Sarah FAY will run the merged entity as CEO. She retains the chief executive title and oversight of Isobar. Microsoft agreed to acquire AdECN, an ad exchange company (real-time auction marketplace for buying and selling display advertising). Avenue A Razorfish has announced that Clark KOKICH has been promoted to CEO. G2 Appoints Nirvik SINGH as new CEO and Regional Director, Asia Pacific. Mr. Singh will report to Joe CELIA, G2 Worldwide's Chairman & CEO. Omnilab Media, an independent media company in Australia and New Zealand, acquired display ad network Websend. AOL acquired the online behavioural targeting advertising network Tacoda for $275 million. OMD has named Scott HAGEDORN U.S. director of OMD Digital (replaces Sean FINNEGAN, now CEO of OMG Digital). He will report to Page THOMPSON, CEO of OMD North America. The Australian digital marketing conglomerate BlueFreeway acquired 51% of Spectrum Communications Group. Ricardo POMERANZ has been named Global Chief Digital Officer, a new position within Rapp Collins Worldwide, reporting directly to Gary VON KENNEL, Global CEO. Omnicom Media Group is rolling its digital expertise into one unit, OMG Digital. Sean FINNEGAN has been appointed CEO of the new group, reporting to Daryl SIMM, chairman and CEO of Omnicom Media Group. ValueClick pays up to $352m to buy MeziMedia, a closely held company that operates comparison shopping Web sites. Interpublic Group has formed Ansible, a dedicated mobile marketing agency, in a joint venture with Velti, a leading mobile technology provider.
July 11, 2007 July 09, 2007 July 04, 2007 July 03, 2007 June 29, 2007 June 28, 2007 June 28, 2007 June 27, 2007 June 25, 2007 June 25, 2007 June 21, 2007 June 20, 2007 June 18, 2007 June 18, 2007 June 14, 2007 June 14, 2007 June 12, 2007 Aegis Media has hired News International s David BULMAN to take on the newly-created digital role of chief information officer. Chantal RESTIVO-ALESSI joins Aegis Group as head of strategy and corporate development. R/GA has appointed Craig PATTON as London managing director, European business development. Cossette Communication Group acquired 65.4% of Dare Digital, an interactive marketing agency based in London (UK). G2 Worldwide has purchased interactive agency Refinery (site design, search marketing and analytics). MindShare Interaction has recruited Norm JOHNSTON, Digitas London president, to be its joint chief executive for EMEA. Tequila\Hong Kong has named Club Med Asia-Pacific s former e-business and CRM manager Nathalie GAVEAU interactive business director. Buongiorno has agreed to acquire a majority stake in itouch Ventures Limited, a South African mobile marketing agency. Posterscope USA has launched a digital media specialist unit: Hyperspace, which focuses on digital out-of-home media. DNA is to rebrand as Avenue A Razorfish as part of a move to align the worldwide capabilities of the organization. Diffiniti Japan duo Keith PINNEY and Andrew WILCOX have been appointed managing director and creative services director respectively of GroupM Interaction Japan s Specialist Unit. GroupM has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Interactive Television, an Indian out-of-home marketing agency. aquantive Appoints Two New Vice Presidents: Tom WOODS VP of business planning and analysis; and Tom PHILLIPS VP of communications. Aegis acquired the assets and contracts of the ad-serving business of Bluestreak. Isobar is to create Aegis Media s new digital data platform. Reprise Media, a search engine marketing agency, announced it has been tapped to manage Microsoft Corp. s search marketing campaigns across several business units. WPP bought a 100% stake in independent Asian digital agency Blue Interactive (+ search engine subsidiary Demand). Aegis Media expands US event marketing offer with acquisition of Vivid Marketing Linda HOLLIDAY, co-founder and long-time president of the former Medical Broadcasting Company (now Digitas Health), has left the agency. WPP Grey Group acquired 51% of Star Echo, a marketing services agency in China. Greg VERDINO, VP, director of emerging channels at Digitas, has left the agency to take a new position at crayon, a startup digital/new media marketing firm. Fred RUBIN, director of both ideutsch and directdeutsch in New York, is heading to JWT to assume the new position of managing director of integrated business solutions. The UK mobile marketing company Marvellous Mobile has been acquired by Aegis. Digitas agreed to acquire French Web agency Business Interactif for approximately $182 million. This will lead to the creation of Digitas France. Initiative has appointed MEC UK s head of digital Pete MITCHELL to the newly created role of regional interactive strategy director.
June 11, 2007 June 07, 2007 June 07, 2007 June 05, 2007 June 04, 2007 June 02, 2007 May 21, 2007 May 19, 2007 May 15, 2007 May 10, 2007 May 04, 2007 May 04, 2007 May 03, 2007 May 01, 2007 Ogilvy has agreed to buy a 70 % stake in Lee & Jang, a digital marketing agency in South Korea. It will become part of OgilvyOne Korea. Alan RUTHERFORD, Unilever vice-president of global media is leaving to join Publicis Groupe-owned Digitas Global as chief executive. He will oversee the digital network's international expansion. BlueFreeway is continuing its acquisitions, spending $6.1m on buying: Viva9 and BlueArc Group. Q Ltd (Interactive advertising group) has forked out more than $1.3m to buy online marketing agency Freestyle Media. BatesAsia 141 (WPP below-the-line agency) recruited John LAMBIE to grow the agency's digital and new media business. Google acquired Feedburner, in order to distribute both media and advertising to blogs and social network site users. WPP acquired the entire issued share capital of the South African independent full-service digital agency: Aqua Online. Microsoft bought US digital marketing and technology services company aquantive in a deal worth $6 billion. Aegis Group signed an agreement to acquire Trigger Communications Consulting in South Africa. Trigger will become part of Isobar. LBI International AB, acquired Creative Digital Group (Atlanta, GA, USA). DoubleClick changed its logo and rebranded to position itself as the nerve center of digital marketing. Young & Rubicam is creating an in-house interactive unit (still unnamed) with about 250 agency employees currently working in interactive. Optimedia USA has named Andrea KERR REDNISS as senior vice president, managing director. She will oversee the digital responsibilities for Newcast, the agency's digital and national broadcast integration unit. Wunderman, has acquired 100% of the issued share capital of These Days NV, ("These Days") an interactive marketing agency in Belgium. iprospect / Isobar (SEM) has opened offices in Norway and Denmark. iprospect Sweden recruited Patrik GAMRYD as new CEO. Publicis Groupe has launched a new global digital arm under the banner Publicis Modem, which merges Modem Media and Publicis Dialog agencies. Digitas launched Prodigious: a production company to handle the creation of banner ads, e-mails and parts of Web sites for Publicis Groupe shops and other agencies. April 30, 2007 Yahoo! paid $680m for the rest of the internet advertising company Right Media, in which it bought a 20% stake in 2006. April 30, 2007 April 24, 2007 April 23, 2007 April 23, 2007 Agency.com announced that Chan SUH (Chairman), will reassume the role of CEO and that David EASTMAN, agency.com's current CEO, will take on the new role of President-International. Australian digital and interactive marketing services company BlueFreeway has entered into an agreement to acquire all of the assets of US analytics company, SageMetrics. BlueFreeway also announced plans to acquire three local digital design agencies: Digicon (Brisbane), JSA Digital (Melbourne) and Business Corporation (Perth). Universal McCann hired former Organic executive Quentin GEORGE as its new director of digital strategy. In his new role, GEORGE will help set the digital agenda for the IPG media shop, together with the digital leads in all geographic regions reporting to him. Search engine marketing firm iprospect announced that as part of its global brand expansion, its Isobar sister search agency formerly known as NTB has re-branded as iprospect Spain.
April 20, 2007 April 18, 2007 April 17, 2007 April 16, 2007 April 13, 2007 April 13, 2007 April 05, 2007 April 03, 2007 April 03, 2007 April 01, 2007 ZenithOptimedia announced the launch of its digital unit, Zed Digital, in India. Vineet MATHUR, is the senior vicepresident of Zed Digital. Isobar will rollout search engine marketing platform iprospect, in order to create a better cohesion for its digital offer across the Asia-Pacific region. Carat Fusion has named Randy SCHWARTZ as its new director of search engine marketing. SCHWARTZ was working at Reprise Media. R/GA added a media buying function and hired Joy LIN, formerly of Agency.com, to fill the newly created role of media director. LIN will report to Ken O'DONNELL, group media director and head of the media buying team. R/GA expects to grow its media team, now just four people, over time. Google reached an agreement with private equity firm Hellman & Friedman, JMI Equity and management to buy DoubleClick for $3.1 billion in cash, the largest acquisition yet made by the Internet giant. VML announced that Craig BRAASCH was the company's new Chief Operating Officer. Group M, the umbrella unit that oversees WPP media networks MindShare, Mediaedge:cia, MediaCom and Maxus, said it will create a search-engine-marketing specialty by elevating Outrider into Group M from its position in Mediaedge:cia. Interpublic announced that it has agreed to acquire Reprise Media, the largest independent SEM firm (USA). icrossing announced the opening of an office in London. The office will be the center of European operations for the company and will be led by Larry K.H. JENKINS, managing director, Europe. LBI International AB acquired a 51% ownership share in Vizualize Technologies, an Indian technology development and support company. LBi has worked with Vizualize for over three years. Doubleclick announced that it is setting up a Nasdaq-like exchange for the buying and selling of digital advertisements. The advertising exchange will bring Web publishers and advertising buyers together on a Web site where they can participate in auctions for ad space. imc2 created a Search Marketing Trademark Protection solution to address companies' increasing need to protect their trademarked names in online paid search listings. imc2's Search Marketing Trademark Protection protects marketers' trademarked names from being improperly used within the ad text of a paid search engine result on Google and Yahoo!. Digitas said it will absorb Medical Broadcasting Corp. (acquired in January 2006), forming a new division: Digitas Health. David KRAMER, CEO of MBC, will lead Digitas Health and report to Laura LANG, president of Digitas. Agency.com announced the appointment of Jonathon ASHTON to SEO Director in Chicago office and the promotion of Scott REYNOLDS to SEO Director in San Francisco office. Lastly Mat ZUCKER is moving to Agency.com as ECD. MediaCom is creating a new business unit, called Word of Mouth, to provide clients with opportunities to get their brands talked about. MediaCom will partner with BzzAgent, a company based in Boston, US, which will house the online platform where consumers will register to become conversation leaders. Focus Media, China's largest out-of-home multi-platform life-style media company, announced that it has completed its acquisition of Allyes Information Technology Company, the largest internet advertising service company in China.