WPP's Shopping Spree Is The Biggest In Adland So Far In 2017

WPP was the most acquisitive holding company in Adland through the first nine months of the year, according to a new report from agency tracker COMvergence. 

The firm made 18 M&A deals (a mix of majority stakes and full acquisitions) during the period including the purchase of Design Bridge in August, which COMvergence described as one of the five largest acquisitions by staff count (400-plus). 

WPP added 2,345 staffers through its deal-making during the period. 

Dentsu was a close second, per the report, with 17 M&A deals, including the largest -- blue-infinity, a Swiss-based international digital agency (with a staff of 550) that is being integrated into the Isobar network. Combined, the 17 deals added 2,147 staffers to the holding company. 

More than 25% of the 73 transactions detailed in the report were made by major consultancies, including Accenture Digital’s deal to acquire a majority stake in SinnerSchrader, the full-service digital agency based in Germany with a staff of 450 and one of the five largest deals during the period. 

Rounding out the top-five deals were Dwi Spapta Group acquired by Dentsu and Concrete Solutions, which was purchased by Accenture. 

By country, the U.S. accounted for the most deals with 18, of which 13 were in the digital sector.

 

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