WPP Increases Stake in Mindshare South Africa

Marcoms giant WPP is to increase its stake in media network Mindshare South Africa to 70%. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The additional share will be transferred from affiliate company Ogilvy South Africa.

Founded in 2001, Mindshare offers media buying, planning and investment management services in addition to research and modelling. Its Insights team tracks the relationships between consumers, brands and media, as well as ad response in different environments.

The team's proprietary research tool 3D combines insights into brand equity, media consumption and an in-depth knowledge of consumer trends, while drawing on BrandZ, WPP's international brand study covering consumer relationships with over 25,000 brands.

In addition, Mindshare taps into GroupM and Millward Brown's consumer purchasing study Connections, and has developed MindSet, a research method that tracks and captures people's behaviour in real time using PDAs.

In 2009, Mindshare's audited consolidated revenues were 53.23 million Rand. The company has offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town and employs 96 people.

On completion of the acquisition, WPP will integrate Mindshare into its GroupM network of companies in South Africa. In a statement, the group said that the transaction continues its strategy of investing in fast growing markets and sectors, and its commitment to developing its businesses throughout the African markets.

Collectively, WPP employs more than 20,000 people on the continent, where it generates revenues of around $500m.

Today's announcement follows last year's news of Millward Brown's joint venture with African marketing services company, Scangroup in sub-Saharan Africa, and the expansion of the TNS Africa network through the acquisition of a majority stake in RMS in West and Central Africa.

Web sites: www.wpp.com , www.mindshareworld.com and www.ogilvy.co.za .

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