The world’s largest advertising agency has been announcing almost an acquisition a day in the digital and emerging markets fields.
In the latest, WPP is buying a majority of 41?29! Media Internet, a 48-person Istanbul-based digital communications agency whose clients include Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT), Nokia (NYSE: NOK) and Unliever.
Turkey’s internet population has grown fast and has become one of the European area’s most engaged.
Already this month…
- WPP’s Kantar acquired a majority of Oasis Insight
- Kantar acquired Chinese social research group CIC
- Ogilvy & Mather acquired a majority of Australia’s DTDigital
- Burson-Marsteller acquired a majority of Finland’s Pohjoisranta
- Hill & Knowlton Strategies merged with The PBN Company
Since last fall, WPP subsidiaries have also acquired or invested in Global Market insight, Russia’s Promo Digital, Arcay Communications, Sri Lanka’s LMRB, China’s A4A, Chinese ad measurer Leading Smart, China’s InGameAd, mobile researcher Lumi, Glover Park Group, Impactasia, video ad tech’s Panache, Mind Resource, XPR, Qais Consulting and Nanjing Yindu.
29 percent of WPP Q3 revenue came from digital and interactive. The company wants to hit 35-40 percent in three to four years.
WPP CEO Martin Sorrell has targeted digital and emerging markets – and, ideally, the nexus of each – as WPP’s prime growth drivers.
At this rate of gobbling up, WPP will be well stacked to exploit both.