Dentsu Aegis acquires Happy Creative Services

Dentsu Aegis Network has announced the acquisition of creative marketing agency Happy Creative Services (also known as Happy) which will join the Global McGarryBowen network of agencies and be rebranded as Happy mcgarrybowen. The deal size is estimated to be up to Rs. 300 Crore.

The acquisition marks the first McGarryBowen agency in India as it expands its footprint in Asia with other offices in Singapore, Hong Kong and China. Happy will continue to be headquartered in Bengaluru. The agency is known for servicing new age businesses and existing clients will get the benefits of the tools and learning’s that a global agency network will bring.

Established in 2007, Happy Creative Services is an independent creative outfit with a staff of 100 across three disciplines – brand design, integrated brand Communication and Digital. Recently, Happy bagged the “Agency of the Year” title at the 2016 edition of Maddys organized by the Advertising Club Madras.

Happy work on the “Ola Boat” which was an emergency boat service set up by Ola Cabs to help stranded people in the city of Chennai during the November 2015 Floods, also won numerous national and international awards.

Dentsu Aegis acquires Perfect Relations

Dentsu Aegis Network has bought Local public Relations (PR) firm Perfect Relations Group, which will retain its branding. The acquisition further strengthens Dentsu overall communications offering in Indian Market. India’s Public Relations market size is estimated at Rs 1200 crore growing at a rate of 15%.

Perfect Relations Group’s presence spans across 19 offices and 50 cities in India with over 500 associates, offering services including corporate reputation management, brand and marketing communications, media management, and crisis management. The group comprises Perfect Relations, Accord Public Relations, Image Public Relations, Imprimis Life PR, India Media Monitor and Buzz. Its clients include the Coca-Cola Co, Nokia, Bharti Airtel Ltd and Hondo Motor Co, among others.

Welcoming the development, PR Industry leaders believe that the acquisition highlights the healthy growth in the industry and continued focus of International conglomerates in the Indian Market. Part of Japan’s Dentsu Inc., Dentsu Aegis Network is made up of nine global network brands – Carat, Dentsu, Dentsu Media, iProspect, Isobar, mcgarrybowen, MKTG, Posterscope and Vizeum and supported by its multi-market brands.

The network is headquartered in London and operates in 145 countries worldwide with around 32,000 employees. In India, Dentsu Aegis Network is supported through its global network brands namely Carat, iProspect, Isobar, Posterscope, Vizeum, MKTG and Amnet along with the Dentsu branded agencies – Dentsu Impact, Dentsu One, Dentsu India, Dentsu Media, Taproot Dentsu and Dentsu Webchutney. Also, newly added to the group are the recently acquired local brands Milestone Brandcom, WATConsult and Fountainhead

Dentsu Aegis acquires WATConsult

Dentsu Inc. is an International advertising and public relations company whose headquarters are located in the Dentsu Building in the Shiodome district of Minato, Tokyo. The Company origins as a media representative producing the first newspaper advertisements and the first television commercials in Japan. The company now offers a range of services, from traditional and creative marketing to specialty disciplines such as sports marketing, digital contents, PR, and a growing range of communication services.

Dentsu reached an agreement with the principal shareholder of Mumbai based WATConsult, a digital agency, to acquire a 90% stake in the company, which will ultimately be increased in steps to 100%. WATConsult will become part of Isobar, one of the Dentsu Group’s global network brands, and will be referred to as WATConsult linked by Isobar.

WATConsult, founded in 2007 as a Social Media agency, has developed into a digital agency offering services such as digital creative, digital media planning and buying, development of campaigns that utilize social and digital media, production of digital media applications and digital video, and online reputation management. Its clients include Godrej, Tata, Bajaj, Mahindra, SAP, and Nikon. WATConsult employs more than 160 people across the Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Kolkata and has annual revenue of nearly Rs. 30 Crore.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Dentsu Inc, the Dentsu India Group comprises three standalone full service-advertising agencies – Dentsu Communications, Dentsu Marcom, and Dentsu Creative Impact as well as Dentsu Media and Dentsu Digital. Tokyo based Dentsu Inc has a presence in 24 countries across five continents. In 2012, it acquired 51 percent stake in Mumbai based advertising agency Taproot India Communication Pvt Ltd for an undisclosed sum.