Accenture has agreed to acquire Shanghai-based HO Communication, a full-service digital marketing agency in China with a strong portfolio of local and multinational clients. The acquisition will expand the ability of Accenture Interactive to bring its unique blend of digital design, marketing, content and commerce services to clients in Greater China seamlessly and at scale.
With offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Nanjing, HO Communication is one of the leading independent, digital integrated marketing agencies in China focused on omni-channel brand experiences and customer engagement. It offers a connected set of marketing services ranging from content creation and creative design to branding and media services that create engaging brand experiences for clients.
“We are committed to China and our clients to continuously uplift our capabilities, especially in an area as critical as digital to help our clients transform and grow,” said Wei Zhu, chairman of Accenture Greater China. “China is the world’s largest digital consumer market. HO Communication will strengthen our ability to meet the growing digital demands of our clients, be their partner of choice in digital transformation, and help them achieve better business performance.”
HO Communication will be the latest addition to the Accenture Interactive portfolio in Greater China, which includes Fjord, a global leader in design and innovation consultancy; PacificLink, an independent set of digital agencies in Hong Kong; Altima, a digital commerce agency; and Mackevision, a leading producer of CGI and immersive content. Together, they help clients envision, create and operationalize the best customer experiences possible. Accenture Interactive’s vision is to make best-in-class digital capabilities seamlessly available to clients to co-create and design innovative solutions in Accenture’s Interactive Studios.
“HO Communication’s leading omni-channel customer engagement capabilities will add to Accenture Interactive’s existing offerings in Greater China. Combined with Accenture’s scale across all our capabilities Greater China, it will provide a compelling client proposition for maximum impact to business performance,” said Jason Chau, managing director, Accenture Interactive Greater China. “The combination will put a more complete set of capabilities at the fingertips of our clients, enabling them to harness the creativity of a digital marketing agency and the insights of a business consultancy, and giving them access to a technology powerhouse to create the best experiences on the planet.”
Lamy Zhang, CEO of HO Communication, said: “The state of the traditional marketing and advertising industry is changing. Clients want campaigns, but they also want advice on strategy and assistance on delivery. We see this as the future for the industry, and want to be part of creating and shaping that future, which is why I’m excited about pairing up with Accenture.”
Founded in 2014, HO Communication employs more than 200 people across China with digital creative, design, marketing, media, and brand content capabilities. HO Communication is an award-winning agency for more than 100 Chinese and multinational clients across China.
The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Sourced from New Stage