Publicis Groupe is to merge Digitas and LBi to form a fully integrated, global digital agency network with digital marketing and technology capabilities at its core. The pooling of Digitas and LBi competencies brings together the former’s expertise in digitally-led, integrated brand ideas with roots in CRM and connected commerce with LBi’s strengths in in-service innovation and multi-channel delivery.
The new network will be known as DigitasLBi and will be led by LBi chief executive Luke Taylor, who has been appointed DigitasLBi’s global CEO.
“DigitasLBi represents the first time that insight, content and distribution has been brought together in one agency, providing clients with a truly integrated, best-in-class, global offering,” said Taylor. “I’m thrilled to have been appointed to oversee the genesis and strategic evolution of DigitasLBi and harness the unique opportunity to leverage an unparalleled breadth of geographies, services and proprietary technologies to pace set the markets.”
“Advertisers need a truly integrated and global digital network,” said Maurice Lévy, chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe. “The combination of Digitas and LBi will create the world’s leading concentration of digital skills and competencies in the world, capable of delivering solutions to all clients, everywhere. I’m very happy that Luke will be managing this new global network. I’m sure that he will bring innovative vision and market-defining services to our clients, and this is and will always be our relentless focus.”
The merger leverages the longstanding dominance of Digitas in the US – where it is the largest digital agency – together with LBi’s strong position in Europe and the leading position enjoyed by both agencies in Asia Pacific.
DigitasLBi will comprise 5,700 best-in-class digital and technology experts in 25 countries around the world. Stephan Beringer, CEO, Digitas and, sister digital agency, Razorfish International will oversee the merger process.
“One of the key strategic tenets of the combined DigitasLBi offering is the scalable, flexible technology and product suite that will help meet the full spectrum of marketer needs from audience engagement, to sense-and-respond content development and publishing, to real-time relationship marketing,” said Bob Lord, CEO of Publicis Groupe’s Digital Technology Division.”
The new digital network’s ‘end-to-end’ proprietary technology suite will include LBi’s Audience Engagement Platform, as well as Digitas’ CRM365 Intelligence Platform and award-winning BrandLIVE.