The latest in a series of recent acquisitions made by WPP; it was announced yesterday that Gloo Digital Design, one of the largest digital agencies in South Africa, as been acquired by the advertising giants through Ogilvy & Mather South Africa. The move arrives the day after WPP's main rival, the Publicis Groupe, acquired the US digital firm Sapient, and marks yet another example of the industry's major players moving further away from traditional advertising into the digital realm. Founded in 2005 with offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg, Gloo has been named Digital Agency of the Year by the Financial Mail's AdFocus Awards each year for the past seven years. Gloo specialises in creative campaign solutions for all sectors across the digital media space.
Gloo has been named Digital Agency of the Year by the Financial Mail's AdFocus Awards each year for the past seven years
Gloo Johannesburg will be absorbed into Ogilvy & Mather's Johannesburg office, forming part of an internal technology and innovation hub for the companies within the group. Gloo Cape Town, however, will continue as a separate entity, serving as a digital specialist, with the added resources afforded by their new partnership and the group's international innovations lab, which will accelerate its focus on cutting-edge technology. Pete Case, founder and CEO of Gloo, will take up a central role as co-chief creative officer at Ogilvy & Mather SA, with other senior Gloo employees taking up positions across the agency and its digital/CRM business, OgilvyOne Worldwide SA.
The “Ogloovy” Manifesto
Case said that the offer was impossible to refuse, because “A partnership between the leading communication agency group and the leading digital agency” was such an attractive proposition. He also feels the move “Represents the step-change required to build brands in a truly integrated way,” and best places the agency to “Produce media agnostic solutions for clients and their consumers, as well as pure play digital solutions where required.” He adds that “There is huge evidence to show that Gloo and Ogilvy are both ambitious, creative companies,” and feels that shared ambition and culture is what makes the partnership such an excellent fit.
Left: Pete Case Middle: Nunu Njeke Right: Abey Mokgwatsane
O&M SA CEO, Abey Mokgwatsane, says that joining forces with Gloo underlines their ambition “To take a leadership role into the new era of communication.”
Ogilvy & Mather SA chairman, Nunu Ntshingila-Njeke, said his company understands that “The marketing communication landscape is shifting towards an integrated future, where digital is no longer a separate silo,” and that for O&M SA, that level of integration is changing the way they serve their clients “In a world where platforms and channels have converged.” He adds that “Consumers across the (African) continent are increasingly nimble in how they move between platforms,” and as such, it is critical that the solutions they offer are scaled to capitalise on this effectively. He also says this acquisition will allow them to introduce their latest “House of Dynamic Content offering effectively into the South African market.” O&M SA CEO, Abey Mokgwatsane, added that joining forces with Gloo underlines their ambition “To take a leadership role into the new era of communication.”
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and musician from Kidderminster in the UK.
