IMS Internet Media Services (IMS), a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television Networks, has acquired Httpool, an ad network with operations in Central and Eastern Europe, Asia and India. Httpool, founded in 2010, began operations in India in 2011, Httpool has offices in Mumbai and Delhi, and claims to work with over 300 brands, “executing over 2500 campaigns annually”. In 2012, it rolled out a VoIP platform for dating sites called Callwith.me.
IMS is a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television Networks and one of the largest digital ad sales and media buying companies in Latin America, with offices in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Panama, Peru, Ecuador and Uruguay. Sony Pictures Television Networks had bought a majority stake in IMS in 2015, for around $100 million.
Essentially, this deal allows IMS to expand to Europe and Asia, as well as India. In a statement, NP Singh, CEO of Sony Pictures India said that it can “augment its service offerings ” to its advertisers, and grow their digital business. According to a press note, the deal, once it gets regulatory approval, will create “one of the largest digital marketing and ad sales companies in the industry, with a combined operation supporting more than 6000 agencies and brands worldwide, and exclusively representing Twitter, LinkedIn, Spotify and more than 5000 global and local publishers across 30 countries in Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Asia Pacific regions.”
Recent acquisitions in advertising in India
- ValueFirst bought digital marketing firm Octane last month. Octane provides email marketing services, as well as SMS & web marketing solutions to enterprises. On the other hand, Value First specializes in online advertising, enterprise communications, online publishing, social media marketing, and analytics. The company also runs its own advertising network called VCLIX, which provides advertisers real-time data about trends, comparisons, alerts and more on a single dashboard.
- Dentsu bought 89% in SVG Media in April, for an undisclosed amount. The deal was believed to be between $110-115 million. SVG was among the largest ad network businesses in India, with around 280 employees across four Indian cities (Gurgaon, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore), with over 700 monthly active advertiser campaigns
