BrazilAccenture Interactive acquires digital marketing agency in China
Accenture Interactive has picked up Chinese full-service digital marketing agency HO Communication – just as the digital behemoth gets set to formally enter the ad-buying market.
Billed as one of the leading independent, digital integrated marketing agencies in China focused on omni-channel brand experiences and customer engagement, HO Communication will now come under the direction of what has in less than ten years since its launch become the outright largest digital marketing network in the world – having acquired at least 20 digital and design agencies in that time. Last year, Accenture Interactive booked revenues of $6.5 billion on the back of 35% growth.
And the digital juggernaut hasn’t slowed since, with Accenture in the last six months or so bringing in French full service digital commerce firm Altima, creative agency Rothco of Ireland, New York-based integrated marketing agency Meredith Xcelerated Marketing, and the immersive content producer Mackevision, most well-known for its special effects work on the hit HBO series Game of Thrones. Last month, Accenture formally announced its entry into the realm of programmatic media buying, an industry, quite simply, on track to conquer the world.
On the consumption side of the ledger, is China, pointed out as ‘the world’s largest digital consumer market,’ by Wei Zhu, chairman of Accenture Greater China, speaking on the firm’s latest acquisition. “We are committed to China and our clients to continuously uplift our capabilities, especially in an area as critical as digital to help our clients transform and grow.”
In terms of expanded local capabilities, the acquisition of HO Communications bring a full suite of digital marketing offerings from content creation and creative design to branding and media services, along with 200 employees across offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Nanjing and over a hundred Chinese and multinational clients. Wei Zhu continued; “HO Communication will strengthen our ability to meet the growing digital demands of our clients, be their partner of choice in digital transformation, and help them achieve better business performance.”
Commenting further, Jason Chau, Accenture Interactive managing director for Greater China added that the proficiency of HO Communication “combined with Accenture’s scale across all our capabilities in Greater China” would provide a compelling proposition for local clients. “The combination will put a more complete set of capabilities at the fingertips of our clients, enabling them to harness the creativity of a digital marketing agency and the insights of a business consultancy, and giving them access to a technology powerhouse to create the best experiences on the planet.”
Lamy Zhang, the CEO of HO Communication, took up the thread; “The state of the traditional marketing and advertising industry is changing. Clients want campaigns, but they also want advice on strategy and assistance on delivery. We see this as the future for the industry, and want to be part of creating and shaping that future, which is why I’m excited about pairing up with Accenture,” Zhang said.
