PARIS: French marketing services conglomerate Publicis Groupe is continuing its new media expansion with the acquisition of digital marketing agency, Business Interactif.
The €137 million ($182m, £92m) deal is a drop in the ocean compared with the €1.3bn Publicis paid late last year for US specialist Digitas [WARC News: 21-Dec-07], into which Business Interactif will be integrated.
The latter has offices in Paris, New York, Tokyo and Shanghai. It provides technology and media placement for digital campaigns, as well as specialist email and search services, to clients such as L'Oréal, Nestlé and Lancome.
The acquisition will allow Digitas to improve its services in Europe and Asia.
Comments chairman David Kenny: "The big winners on the internet are going to be the companies which offer technology services as well as creative services.
"We will be looking at strengthening our technical background. The creative business I think we can grow organically."
Data sourced from Financial Times online; additional content by WARC staff
