In Acquisition, Online CRM Agency Bridge Worldwide Advised by AdMedia Partners
WPP Group’s Wunderman announces acquisition of Bridge Worldwide, an award-winning interactive relationship marketing agency, serving clients such as Procter and Gamble.
New York, NY (PRWEB) December 28, 2005
WPP Group’s Wunderman, a leading global relationship marketing agency, today announced the acquisition of Bridge Worldwide, a Cincinnati-based interactive relationship marketing agency specializing in Fortune 100 consumer packaged goods and healthcare. AdMedia Partners (http://www. AdMediaPartners. com (http://www. AdMediaPartners. com)), a New York investment bank specializing in mergers and acquisitions advisory services to the advertising and marketing, media, and related online and information services businesses, represented Bridge Worldwide in the acquisition.
“Bridge pioneered the use of the internet to establish active ongoing relationships between major consumer brands and their customers,” said Seth Alpert, one of the investment bankers who led Bridge’s deal team. “The acquisition reflects Wunderman’s understanding of the importance of this new way to serve CPG clients.”
The official release is as follows:
New York, Dec. 28, 2005 – Wunderman, a leading global relationship marketing agency and part of WPP Group, acquired Bridge Worldwide, a Cincinnati-based relationship marketing agency specializing in Fortune 100 consumer packaged goods and healthcare.
Leveraging the Internet as the hub of many of its programs, Bridge Worldwide’s results-driven creative has built consumer relationships for some of the world’s best known brands, including the CPG leader Procter & Gamble. Bridge Worldwide will have access to the diverse resources of Wunderman’s global network; however, it will operate as an independent unit of Wunderman. Terms of the financial agreement were not disclosed.
“Bridge Worldwide’s depth of online and healthcare experience complements Wunderman’s, and we both share the same philosophies about the power of customer relationships and online dialog,” said Wunderman chairman and CEO Daniel Morel.
Bridge Worldwide, headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, employs more than 120 people and was named as one of the fastest growing companies in the city.
Jay Woffington, president and CEO of Bridge Worldwide said “We are very excited to join WPP and be affiliated with a world-class organization such as Wunderman. This move allows us to tap into the expertise and the global scale of the network while maintaining our entrepreneurial culture and our flexible creative and strategic approach for our clients.”
About Bridge Worldwide
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Bridge Worldwide (www. bridgeworldwide. com) is an award-winning relationship marketing firm, serving clients such as Procter & Gamble. Bridge is a top-40 interactive agency and a top 100 marketing services company in the US. With the internet as the hub, Bridge creates marketing programs that engage customers in the brand, sustain the dialogue over time, and drive loyalty and advocacy – all with a focus on measurable return on investment.
About Wunderman
Wunderman is one of the largest, most experienced customer-focused marketing communications companies in the world, with 76 offices in 36 countries. Our focus is simple: acquire, keep and offer value to consumers in the most creative ways possible. Last year, Wunderman was recognized for creative excellence with 180 awards and citations. Since 2002, Wunderman has won 19 Lions at the prestigious Cannes Lions Advertising Festival, including the coveted Direct Grand Prix two years in a row. Wunderman is part of Young & Rubicam Brands and a member of the WPP Group.
About AdMedia Partners
AdMedia Partners (http://www. AdMediaPartners. com (http://www. AdMediaPartners. com)) is a leading boutique investment bank that provides middle market mergers and acquisitions advisory services to advertising and marketing services, media and publishing, and related internet businesses. Founded in 1990 and located in New York City, the firm has completed over 100 transactions since 1999.
Selected transactions completed by AdMedia Partners in the last six months include:
Representing Creative Domain in its merger with Trailer Park to form one of the largest providers of diverse entertainment marketing services in Hollywood. The transaction was backed by a financial commitment from Lake Capital.
Representing Dittus Communications, a Washington, DC based public affairs firm with legislative and regulatory expertise, in its acquisition by Financial Dynamics.
Representing Federalist Group, a Washington, DC based government relations firm, in its acquisition by Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, a unit of WPP Group.
Representing Grupo Editorial Expansión, Mexico’s second largest magazine publisher, in its acquisition by Time Inc., a subsidiary of Time Warner.
Representing Gruner+Jahr USA in its sale of Inc. magazine and Fast Company magazines to Mansueto Ventures LLC.
Representing Dynamic Logic, the leading independent marketing research company, in its acquisition by Millward Brown, a unit of WPP Group.
Representing Taylor Rafferty, an independent global investor relations and financial communications advisor, in its sale to Xinhua Finance, China’s premier financial services and media company.
Representing Interweave Press in its acquisition by Aspire Media, a newly formed magazine entity backed by private equity firms Frontenac Company and Catalyst Investors LP.
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