Publicis Groupe is strengthening its foothold in South America with the acquisition of Brazilian digital ad firm, Tribal. The agency will become part of Digitas, the digital marketing firm that Publicis bought for USD1.3bn in early 2007.
"Brazil is poised for significant growth as broadband penetration accelerates in the next two years," says Laura Lang, chairman and CEO of Digitas, "From a digital perspective, Brazil is vital for our clients and Tribal gives us a centre of excellence to leverage in an important growth market."
Brazil ad spend grew by 25.1% in 2007, up from 19.4% the year before, according to ZenithOptimedia. The research firm predicts spending on ads will grow at a 15.4% rate this year.
Founded in 1998, Tribal provides interactive marketing services to clients including Microsoft, Philips and Whirlpool. CEO Pierre Mantovani and chief creating officer Renato Fabri will continue to manage the firm, which will keep the Tribal brand. Following the acquisition, Publicis Groupe will have around 650 people in Brazil, where it operates through its Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, Fallon and Digitas brands.
StrategyEye's related companies: Digitas Inc., Leo Burnett Group, Tribal Internet Marketing, Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis Groupe S.A, Fallon
