Dentsu Aegis Network, Media Fuse Nigeria partner
A leading marketing outfit, Dentsu Aegis Network, quoted on the London and Tokyo Stock Exchanges, is set to boost the media sector through major investments in Media Fuse Nigeria Limited, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.
When everyone thought the era of affiliation in the marketing communication industry was fast becoming a fading fad, a major investment announced in Nigeria last week has proved this wrong.
Dentsu Aegis Network, a global marketing conglomerate quoted on both London and Tokyo Stock Exchange and a media agency, Media Fuse Nigeria, established by Mr. Emeka Okeke, have entered into a deal to deepen its global expansion drive.
The partnership is an eye on emerging market-leader in the African market, especially Nigeria where the population of consumers is irresistible, plus an economic growth predicted about seven percent yearly and the digital and media landscape increasing by an estimated 15 per cent in 2014 alone.
With acquisition sprees across Africa by Dentsu, Media Fuse will now operate as Media Fuse Dentsu Aegis Network, joining the strong network of Dentsu Aegis Network brands such as Carat, iProspect, Isobar, Posterscope and Vizeum in sub-saharan Africa.
According to Okeke, the joint venture conforms to the new reform by Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) on foreign investment in Nigeria, saying Media Fuse has a majority stake in the business ownership configuration.
He said Media Fuse was incorporated in 2013 and launched its services in the market in January the following year.
“The agency is registered as an indigenous national media agency having obtained a national operating licence from APCON. The agency broke its first campaign in February 2014 with the launch of the Swedish online classified ads service-tradestable.com having won the business in a keenly contested media pitch. As the agency continues its drive to deliver compelling services in the marketing communications industry, its operations received a boost with the keen interest shown in the business by global player Dentsu Aegis Network resulting in acquisition of equity interest in the business in July 2014 and subsequent change of name of the company to Media Fuse Dentsu Network Limited,” he said.
He said further that the merger marks the dawn of new era in marketing communications in Nigeria with a young indigenous media agency getting the attention of a global network in foreign direct investment with full access to tools, capacity building, specialist agencies offerings in digital marketing, digital performance, Out-Of-Home (OOH) specialist offerings in strategy and planning as well as convergence planning through the flagship power brands of Carat, Vizeum, Isobar, I-Prospect and Postercope.
Media Fuse Dentsu Aegis Network will be led by Okeke, who has worked in some West African countries, such as Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, Cote d’ Ivoire, Sierra-Leone, Gambia and Liberia.
Emeka and his team of 25 are bringing to the table a market known for reputation, a passion for the industry and a vision to grow clients’ brands and through the deal with Dentsu Aegis Network.
Established associations between Media Fuse and the Carat-Adams affiliates in Ghana and Senegal, as well as relationships with key Dentsu Aegis Network global clients, highlights the immediate strengths and opportunities of the new partnership.
Though the global network will contend with its global competitors, such as WPP, Publicis, Omnicom Group’s OMD whose affiliates in Nigeria advert agencies are leaders in various market categories, such as advertising, public relations, experiential marketing, outdoor and media independent businesses but the Chief Executive Officer Dentsu Aegis Network Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Dawn Rowlands, said the network was ready to compete for business considering that it’s a global market leader in digital marketing.
“Our plan is to invest in a way that we invest. There is a push from our clients to invest in emerging market, especially Nigeria. We see that digital marketing will be 80 to 90 per cent of our business in the new market. We see opportunities in Nigeria to challenge for business. We want to collaborate with the media and our partners that we have chosen the right agency. We are here to challenge for business. In digital leadership rating in the world, we are the leader with 43.8 per cent rating, followed by Publicis with 38 per cent, WPP 35 Percent and Havas 26 per cent,” he said.
Meanwhile, before the merger was consummated, Media Fuse parades blue-chip media accounts such as Procter & Gamble West Africa (English and Francophone), MasterCard, Adidas, Philips, Old Mutual and tradestable.com.
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