Accenture Interactive has had a great time for the past few years as it has cherry-picked creative agencies and lured a few big international marketers with its pitch as the “global experience agency.”
But it hasn’t quite happened yet even though it’s picked up clients like Maserati and hotel group Radisson and bought well thought-of agencies like Karmarama in the UK, the Monkeys in Australia, Rothko in Ireland and a bigger bunch in Germany.
At some stage Accenture’s management had to stick or twist. Are they going to go big or chip around at the edges?
Now it seems that they’re one of a new raft of bidders for America’s MDC Partners, owners of really good agency brands like Anomaly. 72andSunny and Forsman & Bodenfors. MDC is a bag full of goodies, if it weren’t for the billion dollar plus debt founder Miles Nadal racked up building his empire.
It’s an obvious move for Accenture, who can well afford it as they’re valued at $100bn (WPP is currently $11bn.) But then they become ad another holding company.
Advertising is about trying to persuade clients to back growth, management consultancy is about saving costs.
Tricky one for Accenture.
