Dentsu Inc. agrees to acquire 100% of shares in Norwegian media agency Red AS

The text of the Dentsu Inc. news release distributed on April 23 is as follows.

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April 23, 2018

Dentsu Inc. Reaches Agreement to Acquire 100% of Shares in Norwegian Media Agency Red

Dentsu Inc. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Toshihiro Yamamoto; Capital: ¥74,609.81 million) has reached an agreement with the shareholders of Norwegian media agency Red Communication AS (Head Office: Oslo; Founder and Chairman: Nils Roang; hereinafter "Red") to acquire 100% of its shares through its overseas headquarters, Dentsu Aegis Network. The acquisition is subject to approval by the Norwegian Competition Authority.

Red provides comprehensive digital services, including media buying, within the Norwegian market. Focusing on services such as performance marketing, digital content, data analytics, and brand activation, the company has achieved significant growth by providing solutions to client companies through digital utilization. In Norway, it has received numerous awards, including Media Agency of the Year (awarded by the business newspaper Dagens Næringsliv in 2016 and 2017).

Following a 2017 organizational restructuring, it has become Norway's largest independent digital agency group, now employing over 90 people. The companies under the group are as follows:

・Red Media Consulting AS (Norway's largest independent media agency)
・Retail in Media AS (a media agency specializing in retail and CRM)
・Red Performance AS (Performance marketing)
・Plapre AS (Content marketing, creative)
・Heia de som Vinner AS (sponsorship, brand activation)

The purpose of this acquisition is to expand the business scale of "dentsu X" (Headquarters: Tokyo), a media agency and one of the Group's global network brands (*), in the European market, strengthen its service capabilities, and establish a base in Norway.

Going forward, we will accelerate our growth strategy in the European market by rebranding RED as "RED dentsu X" and providing highly competitive media services.

The impact of this transaction on the Group's consolidated results for the fiscal year ending December 2018 is immaterial.

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*Dentsu Inc. Aegis Network (London), which oversees Dentsu Inc. overseas operations, conducts business in over 140 countries and regions worldwide, centered around 10 global network brands. The 10 brands are Carat, Dentsu (Dentsu Brand Agencies), dentsu X, iProspect, Isobar, mcgarrybowen, Merkle, MKTG, Posterscope, and Vizeum.

 

【Red Communication AS Overview】
Company Name: Red Communication AS (Red)
Headquarters: Oslo, Norway
Established: March 2017 (as a holding company following organizational restructuring; predecessor established in 2004)
Shareholder Structure: 100% owned by Dentsu Inc. Aegis Network following share acquisition
Revenue: NOK 123.9 million (approx. ¥1.7 billion) (fiscal year ending December 2017)
Representative: Nils Roang (Founder and Chairman)
Number of Employees: 93
Business Activities: Provides comprehensive digital services including media buying

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Dentsu Inc. News Release
http://www.dentsu.co.jp/news/release/2018/0423-009525.html