Digitas
Digitas is an integrated advertising agency and a member of the Publicis Groupe. The company currently has over 3,000 employees [1] in 28 offices in 18 countries. Digitas also owns The Third Act: (a brand content platform) and Prodigious Worldwide (global digital productions company). Other sister agencies include: Starcom MediaVest, ZenithOptimedia, Dynante[2] and Razorfish, all of which are members of Publicis Groupe's VivaKi.[3] The company is based in Boston.
History
Digitas was originally founded in 1980 by Michael Bronner as Eastern Exclusives. With the addition of Mike Slosberg as CCO, the company was renamed Bronner Slosberg Associates in 1990. In 1992, with Steve Humphrey as President, it was renamed Bronner Slosberg Humphrey Inc. (BSH), a company that grew to become one of the leading direct marketing agencies in the United States.[4] In 1995, BSH launched a subsidiary, the Strategic Interactive Group, to expand into digital marketing. In 1999, these two agencies were recombined to form Bronner.com, and shortly thereafter renamed to Digitas. “Direct marketing had accountability, but not mass reach,” said Laura Lang, in an interview with Promo Magazine. “The emerging digital space was not disciplined the way DM was, but my God, it had reach. Each one needed the other.”[5]
In January 2007, Publicis Groupe purchased Digitas and child company Dynante for $1.3 billion.[6] The acquisition took Digitas from being a predominantly U.S. company to a global firm, expanding into areas such as China,[7] France,[8] India,[9] Singapore,[10] Brazil,[11] Sweden,[12] and Australia.[13]
Global management team
- Luke Taylor, Global CEO, DigitasLBi
- Tony Weisman, CEO, Digitas North America
- Stephan Beringer, CEO, Digitas International
Digitas events
In 2008, Digitas and its brand content entity, The Third Act:, launched its first annual Digitas NewFront, at the New York Internet Week, with a significant turn-out.
In 2008, Digitas also launched its first annual edition of The Film Preditors: A Dating Game at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. [14]
References
- ^ Digitas.com
- ^ Dynante Corporate Website
- ^ Detroit Free Press, Top Workplaces 2009
- ^ DM News, Agency Business Report - Digitas
- ^ Promo Magazine, Agency of the Year/Digitas USA
- ^ Advertising Age, Digital A-List 2008
- ^ MediaPost, Digitas Keeps Growing As Publicis Pulls In A China Shop
- ^ The Guardian, Publicis Buys Business Interactif
- ^ ClickZ, Digitas Expands into India, Singapore
- ^ MediaPost, Agency of the Year 2008 (Gold): Digitas
- ^ Brand Republic, Publicis expands Digitas with acquisition of Brazilian digital agency
- ^ MediaPost, Skol! Digitas Continues Expansionary Roll, Enters Sweden
- ^ Brand Republic, VivaKi launches Digitas Australia
- ^ Cannes Lions Festival Programme, Digitas: The Film Preditors II: A Dating Game