Dentsu Aegis Network has added another tech solution to its books, acquiring full-service programmatic advertising and tech company Accordant Media to support its media buying operations in the US.
Made for an undisclosed sum, the buyout comes as eMarketer tips spend on programmatic in the States to rise 24.7% in the coming year, hitting a potential $27.5 billion in 2017.
The arrival of Accordant, which holds three offices across the US and one in London, was touted as as a “differentiated offering” for Dentsu’s client base, providing cross-channel analytics tools and its own data management platform.
Tech upgrade
The purchase has been earmarked to strengthen Dentsu’s programmatic-buying company, the 640-man strong Amnet, which in turn forms part of the acquiring firm’s media investment arm, Amplifi.
In the wake of the acquisition, Accordant’s leadership team – including co-founders Arthur Muldoon (CEO) and Matthew Greitzer (COO) – will lead the combined business operations in the US. The group will also keep ahold of its existing clients, as well as retaining current branding.
Rob Horler, CEO of Denstu Aegis Network US, said: “Data underpins everything we do for our clients, and the ability to manage and deploy data in real time in service of client media planning and investment is critical to the success in the digital economy.
“The acquisition of Accordant will further strengthen our abilities in this area, and positions us well to meet the needs of our increasingly digitally led clients.”
Last month Dentsu Aegis Network acquired the US performance marketing agency Merkle in a deal rumoured to exceed $1 billion.