Dentsu Aegis Network’s biggest deal in recent years was buying US-based data wizard Merkle and now it’s expanding further into Europe with an agreement to buy Oxyma Group, a performance marketing agency in the Netherlands and Dubai.
Oxyma employs about 300 people bringing Merkle’s European headcount to over 1,000. Oxyma clients include Air France KLM, Audi, Liberty Global, Unilever and Vodafone.
Merkle CEO David Williams says: “The acquisition of Oxyma will provide global scale and a new footprint for Merkle in the Netherlands and Dubai, which is critically important in executing on our mission of extending Merkle’s people-based marketing capabilities across EMEA. With a seasoned management team, world-class client base, and complementary vision, Oxyma will be a tremendous addition to Merkle and Dentsu Aegis Network.”
Oxyma Group CEO Jos van Loo says:”Merkle is a perfect fit for us. They understand the importance of what Oxyma does – helping large enterprises with digital transformations and unlocking customer value. Merkle is also part of Dentsu Aegis Network and we are very excited about the new capabilities our combined organisations are going to be able to offer our clients. This acquisition is a fast forward for both companies to become a leading player in EMEA for data-driven, tech-enabled, people-based marketing.”
