Bids and Deals: April 2012

Publicis Groupe has acquired the full-service Indian digital agency Indigo Consulting to operate within the Leo Burnett Group…WPP Digital has made a strategic investment of US$7 million for a minority stake in Dolphin Software, the US based business that runs the price comparison site mySupermarket…WPP’s consulting firm Penn Schoen Berland has acquired the film industry strategic consultancy First Movies International that has operations in London and Los Angeles…WPP’s market research business Kantar Retail has agreed to acquire a minority interest in Dubai-based GME FZ (formerly Glendinning Middle East), subject to regulatory approvals…Havas Media has acquired the US based experiential marketing agency Ignition to join its Havas Sports & Entertainment operations in the run up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the 2014 FIFA World Cup…WPP’s public relations network Burson-Marsteller has acquired the assets of the  advocacy agency Crowdverb based in Seattle for an undisclosed sum…WPP’s global interactive marketing agency Possible Worldwide has agreed to acquire the Hungarian full service digital agency Carnation Internet Tanácsadó Zrt that also has offices in Serbia, Austria and Romania…WPP has acquired all the assets of EffectiveUI, a US digital technology agency that designs and develops custom web, mobile, desktop and touch-enabled applications…WPP has acquired a 35% interest in retail marketing specialist Barrows that has offices in Brazil, South Africa and the UK, and will shortly be opening in Singapore…Havas has acquired a majority stake in Victors & Spoils, the Colorada based creative advertising agency founded in 2009 by two senior executives from Crispin Porter & Bogusky and a co-founder of the Massive gaming advertising network…

Tags: Barrows, Carnation Internet Tanácsadó Zrt, Dolphin Software, EffectiveUI, First Movies International, global groups, GME FZ, havas, Havas Media, Havas Sports & Entertainment, Ignition, Indigo Consulting, Kantar Retail, Leo Burnett Group, Penn Schoen Berland, Possible Worldwide, publicis groupe, Victors & Spoils, WPP, WPP Digital