The text of the Dentsu Inc. news release distributed on December 6 is as follows.
December 6, 2017
Dentsu Inc. Reaches Agreement to Acquire 100% of Shares in U.S. Digital Marketing Company Swirl
Dentsu Aegis Network, the overseas headquarters of Dentsu Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Toshihiro Yamamoto; Capital: ¥74,609.81 million), has reached an agreement with the shareholders of U.S. digital marketing company Swirl, Inc. (Headquarters: San Francisco; Co-CEOs: John Berg / Tom Sebastian; hereinafter "Swirl") to acquire 100% of its shares.
Founded in 1997, Swirl has grown across the entire digital marketing spectrum, centered on social media. It now employs 175 people and has developed into a digital marketing company specializing in strategy development, creative services, media planning and execution, content production, and website development. With strengths in branded content and eCRM, Swirl has been ranked as San Francisco's largest independent agency by the San Francisco Business Times and has received top ratings from the San Francisco Weekly.
The purpose of this acquisition is to establish a base on the U.S. West Coast for "mcgarrybowen" (headquartered in New York, USA), one of our group's global network brands(※) with creative strengths, to enhance synergies in the digital domain and improve service quality for client companies. Following the acquisition, the company will rename Swirl to "Swirl mcgarrybowen." By strengthening collaboration with other group companies operating in the U.S., it aims to provide highly competitive solutions and accelerate its growth strategy.
The impact of this transaction on Dentsu's consolidated results for the fiscal year ending December 2017 is expected to be minimal.
*Dentsu Inc. Aegis Network (London), which oversees Dentsu Inc. overseas operations, conducts business globally centered on 10 global network brands. These 10 brands are: Carat, Dentsu (Dentsu Brand Agencies), dentsu X, iProspect, Isobar, mcgarrybowen, Merkle, MKTG, Posterscope, and Vizeum.
【Swirl, Inc. Overview】
Company Name: Swirl, Inc.
Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
Established: September 1997
Shareholder Structure: 100% owned by Dentsu Inc. Aegis Network after share acquisition
Revenue: $37.8 million (approx. ¥4.3 billion) (Fiscal Year Ended December 2016)
Representatives: John Berg (Co-CEO), Tom Sebastian (Co-CEO)
Number of Employees: 175
Business Description: Provides comprehensive services across the digital marketing domain
End
Dentsu Inc. News Release
http://www.dentsu.co.jp/news/release/2017/1206-009406.html
