Dentsu Inc. Strengthens Data Marketing Services in Europe Through Corporate Acquisition

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

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October 23, 2018

― Agreement Reached to Acquire 100% of Shares in Namics AG, a Major Digital Agency Operating in Switzerland and Germany ―

Dentsu Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Toshihiro Yamamoto; Capital: ¥74,609.81 million) has reached an agreement with the shareholders of Namics AG (Headquarters: St. Gallen, Switzerland; CEO: Bernd Schopp; hereinafter "Namics"), a major integrated digital agency operating in Switzerland and Germany, to acquire 100% of its shares through its overseas headquarters, Dentsu Aegis Network (*). The completion of this acquisition is subject to approval by German regulatory authorities.

Founded in Switzerland in 1995, Namics has grown as a full-service digital agency with strengths in customer experience management. It currently employs 550 people and has expanded its operations extensively in Germany. It provides integrated data marketing services spanning strategic consulting, concept development, and creative work in the digital domain, through to the technical implementation of customer experience-based marketing platforms. Namics has built strong relationships with many leading platform providers and is highly regarded for its services that enhance customer experience by analyzing and integrating individual customer data.

The purpose of this acquisition is to expand the business scale and strengthen service capabilities in the European DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) for "Merkle" (headquartered in Maryland, USA), a data marketing company within our group's global network and brand* that specializes in technology-driven data analytics.

Going forward, we will rename Namics to "Namics - A Merkle Company" and collaborate with our group companies operating in Europe to provide more competitive data marketing services in each market.

The impact of this matter on the consolidated results for the fiscal year ending December 2018 will be minimal.

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*Dentsu Inc. Aegis Network (Headquarters: London, UK), which oversees Dentsu Inc.'s 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.

 

【Namics Corporation Overview】
Company Name: Namics AG
Headquarters: St. Gallen, Switzerland (with sales offices in Zurich, Switzerland; Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Munich, Germany; and a service development hub in Belgrade, Serbia)
Established: 1995
Shareholder Structure: 100% owned by Dentsu Inc. Aegis Network following share acquisition
Revenue: CHF 65.54 million (approx. ¥7.42 billion) (Fiscal year ended December 2017)
Representative: Bernd Schopp (CEO)
Number of Employees: 550
Business Description: Provides integrated data marketing services based on customer experience data

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Dentsu Inc. News Release
http://www.dentsu.co.jp/news/release/2018/1023-009628.html