WPP's Wunderman Buys Chinese Digital Ad Network Agenda

As speculation continues on whether WPP Group will buy another U.S. digital shop, the company’s Wunderman marketing services unit has acquired China-based online ad network Agenda. The company claims that the acquisition of Agenda, which has offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Taiwan, and Kuala Lumpur, constitutes a 40 percent growth of its Asian footprint. Financial terms were not disclosed.

In keeping with Wunderman’s hands-off approach, Agenda will retain its name and management team. For the past year, Wunderman has transformed itself from something of a general branding and media agency into an interactive marketing specialist. And from a larger perspective, the purchase reflects WPP CEO Martin Sorrell’s stated intention to concentrate his acquisitions on Asia and other emerging markets. In announcing its new joint venture with China’s Focus Media (NSDQ: FMCN) this week, Japan’s Dentsu specifically cited WPP’s Asian moves as the reason for increasing its Chinese digital presence. Release

Adweek: A Wunderman rep said that in Agenda’s last fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2007, the agency produced $9.2 million in unaudited revenue.

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