Dentsu Aegis Moves Underline Commitment to Data

Dentsu Aegis Network has spent an undisclosed sum to acquire French agency Wasabi Analytics, which measures online ad performance and will be added to the iProspect division. The latter also has a new President, while Dentsu Aegis has a new global data R&D center in Singapore.


Established in 2009, Paris-based Wasabi has nine staff and revenue of just under EUR 1 million, offering a range of site analytics services including conversion optimization and analytics dashboards; and is a Google Analytics Premium Authorized Reseller. Founder and CEO Sébastien Manaches will now become Director of iProspect France, reporting to Benjamin Tancred, Director General of Consulting and Data Intelligence; while the team moves in with iProspect in its offices in Courbevoie.

Pierre Calmard, CEO iProspect France says the buy is 'an important step in the development of the iProspect network', bringing in expertise in performance measurement for advertising campaigns. Manaches comments: 'We are delighted to join iProspect with whom we share a common philosophy of marketing data to help develop a unique offering for brands'.


Separately, Dentsu Aegis Network has announced the setting up of a research and development center focusing on the innovative use of data, based in Singapore and with backing from the island state's Economic Development Board. Audrey Kuah, formerly Chief Client Officer for the group in Southeast Asia, will head up the unit, whose 25 staff will include senior-level data scientists and technology talent for the entire network.


The Network has also named Ruth Stubbs as Global President of iProspect, succeeding Ben Wood, who left the agency last month. Stubbs was previously CEO of the division's Digital Performance division, which includes iProspect, John Brown and mobile agency Fetch in Asia Pacific.


The division's home page is at www.iprospect.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.