On March 30, Dentsu Inc.'s overseas headquarters, Dentsu Aegis Network, announced it had reached an agreement with shareholders to acquire 100% of the shares in Darwin Marketing Limited, a digital agency based in Shanghai, China.
Founded in 2006 during the dawn of China's digital advertising industry, Darwin is one of China's first digital agencies. Its strengths lie in digital advertising services within the performance domain, such as SEM (Search Engine Marketing), and in word-of-mouth marketing (WOM) leveraging social media. Its advanced services are highly regarded not only by domestic companies but also by many multinational corporations.
Following the acquisition, Dentsu Inc. will integrate Darwin into its China operations under iProspect, one of the group's nine global network brands* and a digital performance agency. This will transform iProspect China into a powerful digital agency with 150 SEM specialists, enabling it to create synergies while collaborating with other group companies operating in China.
*Dentsu Inc. Aegis Network (London), the overseas headquarters overseeing Dentsu Inc.'s international operations, conducts business globally centered around nine global network brands. These nine brands are Carat, Dentsu (Dentsu Branded Agencies), Dentsu media, iProspect, Isobar, mcgarrybowen, MKTG, Posterscope, and Vizeum.
[Darwin Marketing Limited Overview]
Company Name: Darwin Marketing Limited
Headquarters: Shanghai, China
Established: June 2006
Shareholder Structure: After acquisition, Dentsu Inc. Aegis Network 100%
Revenue: 18.15 million RMB (approx. 320 million yen) (Fiscal Year Ended December 2014)
Representative: T.R. Harrington (CEO)
Kenneth Cheung (Vice President Operations)
Number of Employees: 80
Business Description: Provides digital advertising services focused on the performance domain
Dentsu Inc. News Releasehttp://www.dentsu.co.jp/news/release/2016/0330-008722.html
