WPP and Ogilvy & Mather have officially announced that it has taken a stake in its digital partner in Ireland, eightytwenty Customer Experience Limited, one of the market leaders in the Irish digital communications industry.
The company, which is based in Dublin and Bucharest, employs over 30 people and has developed a bespoke model that combines creative, data, performance media and technology to design and deliver campaign narratives across the entire customer journey.
With the acquisition, WPP and Ogilvy strengthens its existing partnership with eightytwenty that begun in 2015 and brings new capabilities in creative, digital performance and technology to its local and international clients.
David Connor, Founder & CEO of eightytwenty, commented that “working with the WPP and Ogilvy Group companies, we have already had some very successful new business wins such as The AA and Siro.”
The partnership will bring a number of other added dimensions, Connor added “we’re very excited about continuing to offer the agility of a small innovative business whilst leveraging the deep wealth of knowledge, training, data and access that a company such as WPP can provide our people and clients.”
JP Donnelly, Head of Country, WPP Ireland, and CEO for Ogilvy Group added “this partnership has helped us develop some excellent capabilities in Creative, Data, Performance Media and Technology, and has given us an ability to lead the WPP Digital Transformation Agenda. With the growth of tech companies, we see Dublin as being a unique global centre which can be a genuine force for such significant assignments.”
WPP’s digital revenues are over US$7 billion in 2015, representing 37% of total Group revenues of US$19 billion. WPP has set a target of 40-45% of revenue to be derived from digital in the next five years. In Ireland, WPP companies (including associates) generate revenues of nearly US$75 million and employ over 500 people
