WPP's ad buying company, Group M, is planning to acquire Essence Digital. The deal would give WPP a presence in the digital advertising market that it has lacked since its acquisition of Saatchi & Saatchi. Julie Langley, partner at Results International, the leading M&A advisers to the sector, said the acquisition illustrates the extent of WPP’s digital and programmatic consolidations. Essence acquired Reach, whose clients include Google, Visa and Electronic Arts, in 2013. Since Essence is Google’s main global digital agency, Julie Langley, Partner at Results International said, “WPP must see sufficient strategic imperative to warrant a strategic price – likely down to a combination of the Google relationship and keeping that business out of the hands of competitors.”
WPP's ad buying company, Group M, is planning to acquire Essence Digital. The deal would give WPP a presence in the digital advertising market that it has lacked since its acquisition of Saatchi & Saatchi. Essence acquired Reach, whose clients include Google, Visa and Electronic Arts, in 2013. Since Essence is Google’s main global digital agency, Julie Langley, Partner at Results International said, “WPP must see sufficient strategic imperative to warrant a strategic price – likely down to a combination of the Google relationship and keeping that business out of the hands of competitors.”