Publicis Groupe Acquires Media Shop AML

Publicis Groupe has acquired media agency Applied Media Logic, which the holding company said was a top-10 media shop in South Africa. Terms were not disclosed.

AML will be folded into Publicis Groupe’s global media agency network ZenithOptimedia. The shop is being rebranded ZenithOptimedia South Africa. AML’s current managing director Kim Weissensee will lead the rebranded shop as CEO.

Based in Johannesburg and launched in 2002, AML’s client roster includes L’Oreal, Reckitt Benckiser, FedHealth and House of Mandela.  

“South Africa is a very important market for the ZenithOptimedia network,” said the agency’s global CEO Steve King. He described AML as the country’s leading independent agency.

ZO’s December 2013 ad spend forecast identified South Africa as one of a handful of “youthful markets” that will drive the next wave of spending growth. On average, the group of markets (also including Mexico, Indonesia, Philippines, South Korea and Turkey) has a median age of 27.

ZO predicts that ad expenditures for the countries will grow at an average annual rate of nearly 15% between 2013 and 2016. In the same period, their combined share of ad spending will grow 7% to 16%.

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Applied Media Logic is the second South African agency Publicis Groupe has purchased in as many months. In December, it bought search-marketing shop Synergize, which is being folded into Saatchi & Saatchi South Africa. Its offerings include search engine optimization, social media, online marketing, analytics, Web design and other services. 

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