Dentsu Aegis strengthens Merkle's B2B portfolio with DWA acquisition
Dentsu Aegis Network has added to its roster of business-to-business (B2B) agencies with the acquisition of media and marketing agency DWA.
Dentsu Aegis strengthens B2B portfolio with acquisition of DWA
The San Francisco-based shop will sit within Merkle, Dentsu's performance marketing agency, and will henceforth be named 'DWA, a Merkle company'. DWA's 150-plus employees will join Merkle’s High Tech and B2B practice.
The group acquired a majority stake in Merkle in August 2016 in a deal that valued the company at $1.5bn.
The deal is the latest addition to the group’s B2B portfolio following the acquisition of Gyro last year and Band in 2015. Following both acquisitions, the group has claimed to be the largest agency dedicated exclusively to B2B marketing.
DWA's expertise lies in programmatic, search, social and demand generation. Its enterprise clients include Sprint, NetApp, Cisco, DXC, Salesforce, Oracle and Informatica.
David Wood, founder of DWA, said: "I’m thrilled to see Merkle recognise DWA’s strengths and dedication to B2B technology, and excited to see what our next chapter will bring as we join forces with the global leader in one-to-one marketing."
David Williams, president and chief executive of Merkle, added: "There’s a growing group of enterprise level, B2B and technology businesses, all moving at breakneck pace to adopt the best advertising solutions and platforms. DWA’s client list reflects a clear early-mover advantage.
“The shift toward people-based marketing, led by Merkle, is as relevant in B2B as it is elsewhere. This acquisition will strengthen our ability to deliver those capabilities for B2B clients, at scale."