Japanese advertising major, Dentsu, has agreed to acquire London headquartered, media buying house, Aegis Group, for approximately GBP 3.16 billion ($4.89 billion approx), as part of a cash deal, making it a wholly owned subsidiary.

What The Combined Entity Does

The combination of Dentsu and Aegis will include at least 71 out of the top 100 marketers as clients on a combined basis, according to the company. Through this acquisition, Dentsu also gets Aegis’ digital marketing business Isobar, and agency iProspect, an online solutions business with a focus on search engine marketing. Dentsu has its presence in Japan and across Asia, while Aegis is in Europe and the US, and is increasing its footprint across emerging markets in Asia barring Japan. Thus, the combined entity have presence across Japan, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas.

The Deal

Dentsu has purchased approximately 15 per cent, and has entered into a agreement to purchase up to a further 5 per cent of the ordinary share capital of Aegis from the Bolloré Group, the largest shareholder in the company. It has bought a 15 percent stake and will acquire a further 5 percent from companies controlled by Vincent Bollore, Aegis’s largest shareholder.

The deal follows WPP’s acquisition of a majority stake in digital agency, AKQA, and Publicis acquiring an additional 51 per cent stake in advertising agency, BBH.

Dentsu & Aegis in India

D2 Communications, a subsidiary of NTT DOCOMO in a JV with Dentsu, has invested around Rs 50 crore in Indian mobile messaging and advertising company Affle, following a strategic agreement between the two to provide mobile advertising solutions to companies across Asia. Under the agreement, the two would explore future partnerships through which Affle could launch its products in Japan and also replicate D2 Communication’s mobile advertising model in other Asian markets like India, Indonesia and China amongst others.

Aegis Media had set up its integrated Media Office in Mumbai, last year, housing Aegis Media, Carat Media, Posterscope, Vizeum, Isobar, iProspect, Brandscope, Carat Fresh Integrated & Hyperspace. So Dentsu will also have presence through Aegis.