Publicis Continues Digital Shopping Spree with Acquisition of Hawkeye
The shop, which specializes in digital marketing and CRM, will become aligned with creative agency network Publicis North America and renamed Publicis Hawkeye. It employs 160 staffers and operates offices in Dallas, Charlotte, Buffalo, Minneapolis, Denver and Vail.
Steve Dapper, founder and chairman of Hawkeye, was previously CEO of both WPP's Wunderman and Omnicom's Rapp Collins. He will continue his current chairman role while Sally Kennedy, CEO of Publicis Dallas, becomes CEO of Publicis Hawkeye.
"We are excited to be adding Hawkeye to our agency network in the U.S., strengthening our specialized creative services driven by data in the American market," said Arthur Sadoun, CEO of Publicis Worldwide, in a statement. "Publicis Hawkeye will be a great fit for the needs of our clients, and a very strong asset for Publicis North America and Publicis Worldwide on a global level."
While Publicis has been buying up large and small digital agencies for years, the holding company took a quick detour last month with its most recent acquisition: Qorvis, a D.C.-based public affairs shop.
Late last year, Publicis bought a majority stake in London-based Walker Media, which is 75%-owned by M&C Saatchi and was valued at $75 million. Over the past few years, it has snagged Amsterdam-based Lbi for $540 million and Hamilton, N.J.-based Rosetta for $575 million.
Publicis' latest acquisition precedes its merger with Omnicom, slated for later this year.
