• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, November 29, 2016

In a bid to boost its brand strategy and mobile experience capabilities, Accenture has acquired UK creative agency Karmarama. Terms were not disclosed. 

The purchase is the latest move by Accenture into the marketing services realm — it has a major presence in the digital sector with Accenture Interactive. And just two weeks ago it bought a stake in the data and personalization firm RichRelevance. 

In April Accenture acquired a majority stake in IMJ Corporation (IMJ), a full-service digital agency in Japan. Earlier it acquired AD.Dialeto, an independent Brazilian digital agency; Pacific Link, which includes a set of independent digital agencies serving Hong Kong and Greater China; Chaotic Moon, an Austin, Texas-based creative technology studio, and Brightstep a Swedish provider of digital content and commerce solutions. 

But Karmarama is the first full-service creative advertising agency (with expertise in both traditional and digital channels) Accenture has acquired. 

Accenture’s competitors are buying up ad shops as well. Earlier this year ICF International bought Olson and Deloitte purchased San Francisco-based Heat. IBM and McKinsey have also bought up agencies.   

London-based Karmarama was one of the UK’s largest independent shops known for its skill in delivering integrated ad campaigns including data-driven content and mobile platforms to build immersive consumer experiences. Clients include BBC, Confused.com, Honda, Just Eat and Unilever. 

Karmarama’s Jon Wilkins (Executive Chairman), Ben Bilboul (Chief Executive Officer), Sid McGrath (Chief Strategy Officer) and Nik Studzinski (Chief Creative Officer) will continue in their current roles and take on additional Accenture Interactive leadership positions. They’ll support creative and strategy efforts for clients across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. 

“Acquiring a creative agency in London, where some of the world’s most iconic creative work is produced, will help us reshape how brands imagine, create, and deliver customer experiences,” stated Brian Whipple, head of Accenture Interactive. “Karmarama will become part of the world’s largest digital agency, expanding our global capabilities across experience, marketing, content and commerce with excellence in creative and mobile. This will contribute to further differentiate Accenture Interactive as a new breed of agency – experience architects – which helps brands connect disconnected experiences and shares accountability with clients for their business outcomes.”