• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, June 12, 2015

WPP affiliate Smollan Group, a retail marketing specialist with operations that are primarily outside North America has formed a partnership with Advantage Sales & Marketing, also a retail specialist with a focus on North America. 

WPP, which owns one-third of Smollan (acquired in 2009), said the alliance, which combines some 100,000 employees globally forms one of the largest retail solutions companies worldwide. 

Under the terms of the partnership, Advantage will make an investment in Smollan, and the two companies will cooperate to provide global services with Advantage taking primary responsibility for execution within North America, and Smollan taking primary responsibility for execution within Africa, the Middle East, South America, Australia, and East and South Asia. 

The two companies will offer a unified solution across Europe through a newly formed joint venture called Advantage Smollan. 

The companies have a long-standing association. “It was clear early on that we shared not only global aspirations, but a passion for continually enhancing our services” said Smollan CEO David Smollan, who will join the Advantage leadership team as a partner advisor. “For example, the marketing division Advantage launched to help clients connect with shoppers and drive sales has become the number one experiential and promotional marketing agency in the U.S. Similarly, Smollan leads the industry with advanced technology and mobility platforms that provide clients with actionable insights to the trade.”  

Added Advantage CEO Tanya Domier: “We have developed immense respect for the Smollan organization as we have interacted with them over the past few years to drive and challenge each other on best practices and technology enablers. We are now excited to call them partners and deploy these practices and analytical and reporting platforms across our complementary markets to offer clients seamless visibility and score-carding, as well as a consultative, single point of contact with a global view of the business -- essentially an efficient, one-stop shop for clients and customers worldwide.”