We examine H1 2019 M&A activity in the Marketing Services sector, a recap of recent JEGI CLARITY transaction activity in the Marketing Services sector as well as recent news and events form across the firm.
The buyer mix is increasingly diversified
Accenture were the most active acquirer in H1, announcing 7 transactions in H1 2019 compared to 4 in H1 2018, which included the acquisition of Hjaltelin Stahl, Denmark’s leading independent agency, a deal on which JEGI | CLARITY advised.
Of the Global Networks, Dentsu was the most active in H1 with 5 transactions announced.
These included the acquisition of Filter, a US based ‘in-housing’ user experience agency. Financial buyers were more active in H1 2019 compared to H1 2018, as they continue to see the opportunity to build and scale platforms.
We expect…
The marketing services sector to remain resilient in the face of a broader M&A market slowdown, pointing to the ongoing strategic need for international buyers to build capability sets in digital, data and content. Likewise we’d expect PE activity to continue in this sector as they ride the wave of digital transformation and look to build acquisition platforms.