Dentsu Aegis ‘Rebundles’ World, Combines 360i With Vizeum

by @mp_joemandese, September 15, 2016

Dentsu Aegis Network, which has been on a strategic acquisitions tear — acquiring performance and data mining shop Merkle and formerly independent agency trading desk Accordant in recent weeks — continues to restructure its offering, this week unveiling the integration of digital flagship 360i with general media services boutique Vizeum to create a far more integrated agency network.

Vizeum, which was originally created by pre-Dentsu Aegis as “conflict agency” to compete for business not serviced by flagship Carat, established strong footholds around the world, but never really gained traction in the U.S. marketplace. 360i, a pure-play digital agency with strong roots in search, social and performance, was acquired by Dentsu, and has gradually been broadening out its offering to include more “traditional” media and campaign work.

As part of the integration, Vizeum U.S. CEO Steven Feuling is leaving the agency, and is being replaced by Executive Vice President-Digital and Innovation Patrick Affleck, who becomes the new president reporting to 360i Founder and Executive Chairman Bryan Wiener.

In an interview with MediaDailyNews, Wiener explained that Vizeum would continue to service existing clients and be marketed as its own distinct brand, but that by combining its 150-person organization of media strategists and generalists with 360i’s 800-person team of digital experts, strategists and creatives, will create a strong combined and far more integrated offering.

In a world of “bespoke” agency brands, often created to unbundle dedicated service offerings for humongous global clients, Wiener said the newly integrated 360i/Vizeum would focus more on smaller to mid-size brands that are looking for “one, proven integrated offering in a rebundled world where digital, and media and creative are all integrated together.”

 

MediaPost.com: Search Marketing Daily

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