Omnicom Group has agreed to acquire a pair of German agencies – one covering digitally-native advertising, and the other public relations and communications. Berlin-based advertising agency Antoni launched in 2015 with its founding client, Mercedes-Benz, and has since expanded its services to brands including Vodafone, bett1.de, Kärcher, and Katjesnow. Antoni, which now employs more than 170 people, will continue to be led by Founders André Kemper and Tonio Kröger. Cologne-based Oliver Schrott Kommunikation (OSK), which will also continue to operate as a standalone brand, boasts over 225 staff across Germany, China, and the US, serving brands including Mercedes-Benz, Harman, Siemens, and ZF. OSK, founded in 1993, will continue to be led by President and CEO Oliver Schrott.
Web browser Opera has launched a self-serve advertising platform for the creation, management, and reporting of digital advertising campaigns. The Opera Ad Manager, powered by DanAds, provides a portal for individual businesses and service providers to advertise to their ideal audiences around the world via Opera’s inventory of trusted browsers and news apps.
Ad tech firm Tappx has completed the purchase of PlayOn Content, a video generation and monetisation platform. The acquisition will be used to create a platform for publishers to generate, display, and contextually monetise video content. PlayOn helps media publishers to maintain their video inventory using its proprietary video players. The platform currently operates with publishers including HuffPost, Prisa Radio, Grupo Kiss FM, Televisa, Grupo Expansión, and Multimedios GLP. It will continue to operate under its existing brand.
Unified customer experience platform Emplifi, formed as part of a merger between Socialbakers and Astute Solutions, has announced the acquisition of UK-based video powered retail platform Go Instore. Go Instore enables live commerce by connecting online customers with in-store product experts via HD live video. Emplifi hopes to use the acquisition to strengthen its position in customer experience by providing brands with an end-to-end platform for social marketing, social commerce, and omnichannel service and care.
Tenjin, a mobile marketing measurement platform for indie and mid-sized mobile game publishers, has linked up with player analysis platform GameAnalytics to launch a no-code tool which empowers mobile developers to navigate the privacy-centric marketing landscape. Growth FullStack enables mobile publishers to collect data, store it in the way they want, and optimise their campaign activity using off-the-shelf or custom analyses. The tool has been operating in early access and trialled by publishers, such as Lucky Kat Studios.
BancoEstado has selected SaaS cloud banking platform Mambu to improve customer access to digital services. Mambu will digitise BancoEstado’s transactional services via a complete transformation in the hope of positioning the Chilean bank as a ‘cutting-edge financial pioneer’.
LogicSpot, a London-based ecommerce agency, has completed a deal to acquire design and brand agency Diligent Commerce. The transaction creates a combined £5 million worth business, with a staff base of more than 40 people. LogicSpot’s clients include The Conran Shop, Boodles, Tom Dixon, with Diligent adding the likes of Johnstons of Elgin, iCandy, LSA International, and others.
