AD Agencies
Dentsu Aegis Network to acquire majority stakes in Merkle
MUMBAI: Continuing its buying spree, Dentsu Inc.’s Dentsu Aegis Network is eyeing to acquire a majority stake in Baltimore based data marketing firm Merkle that specializes in ‘customer relationship marketing.’
It includes crafting loyalty programs for marketers and managing their vast customer databases that hold reams of consumer information. It also offers a host of other digital marketing and technology services including search advertising and data-driven ad buying and analytics.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed but The Wallstreet Journal’s insights the c’ash deal has an enterprise value of roughly USD 1.5 billion when including Merkle’s debt.’
“Their ability to develop people-based-marketing highlights where this business is going,” Dentsu Aegis Network CEO Jerry Buhlmann told WSJ. . “Convergence is driving our business towards a much greater level of addressability.”
As part of the agreement, Dentsu buy out private equity firm technology Crossover Venture’s stakes in he company along with other shares held by other shareholders. Merkle’s management and employees expect to retain a “significant” minority stake in the firm.
“Closely-held Merkle had $436 million in revenue in 2015 and works on behalf of companies such as MetLife Inc., Geico Corp., and Dell Inc. In recent years, it has invested in ad and marketing technologies to help power its clients’ campaigns. Its systems are closely integrated with Facebook, for example, so Merkle could help target ads for a retailer using the data the retailer collects from its customers such as email addresses,” stated the The Wall Street Journal report.
(Source: The Wall Street Journal)
AD Agencies
WPP appoints Hephzibah Pathak CEO of WPP Creative India
Ogilvy India chair takes charge of unified creative model in key market
NEW DELHI: WPP has appointed Hephzibah Pathak as chief executive officer of WPP Creative India, putting a local leader at the helm of its newly created creative operating model in one of its most important growth markets.
The move brings clarity to how WPP’s global restructuring will play out in India, weeks after the group unveiled WPP Creative as part of its Elevate28 strategy. The unit sits alongside WPP Media, WPP Production and WPP Enterprise Solutions, and is designed to simplify what the company previously described as an overly complex structure.
Pathak, who continues as executive chairperson of Ogilvy India, will represent all agencies under the WPP Creative umbrella in India. Her role centres on driving integration across brands, expanding capabilities and ensuring clients can tap into the network’s full talent pool without friction.
WPP said Pathak will work closely with agency brand CEOs to “enhance integration, expand capabilities, and ensure seamless client access”, while maintaining the distinct identities of its agencies.
The portfolio under WPP Creative includes leading networks such as VML, Landor, AKQA and Grey, along with Burson and its affiliated firms. Leaders across these agencies will now report into Pathak, even as each brand continues to operate independently within a unified system.
The appointment also formalises a dual-track strategy in India, preserving agency identities while accelerating collaboration. Pathak is expected to work closely with media leadership to align creative and media capabilities, reflecting growing client demand for integrated, multi-market solutions.
WPP Creative global CEO Jon Cook has described the unit as “not an agency” but an operating system that helps creative, design and PR brands work together more effectively. The group has been clear that it is not merging or phasing out legacy agency brands, instead aiming to reduce complexity on the client side.
Pathak brings nearly three decades of experience within the network, having joined in 1997 and held roles ranging from Mumbai office head to chief client officer. She made history in 2024 as the first woman to lead Ogilvy India in its 95-year presence in the country.
Her expanded mandate positions India at the centre of WPP’s Asia-Pacific strategy, with a focus on strengthening brand presence, deepening client relationships and unlocking growth in a fast-evolving market.
The appointment signals WPP’s intent to move beyond the traditional holding company model towards a more integrated, AI-enabled structure. With Pathak now steering WPP Creative India, the group appears set to test whether simpler structures can indeed deliver sharper creative outcomes.
