Publicis Groupe grows digitally with CCG acquisition

National - Publicis Groupe has acquired Communication Central Group (CCG), an independent interactive marketing agency in China, which will be rebranded as Digitas Greater China and will continue to be headed by CCG's CEO Neil Runcieman, who will become president and MD for the restructured agency.

This acquisition, including Digitas earlier this year, marks Publicis Groupe's broad strategic expansion into the digital area.

"Digitas' expansion into China through the creation of Digitas Greater China follows our recent launches of Digitas France and Digitas UK. Neil and his teams at CCG will give our clients reach into the fast-growing Chinese market, while allowing Digitas to further develop its global presence," Maurice Lévy, chairman and CEO for Publicis Groupe said.

"This step is a dramatic footprint for Digitas in Asia; particularly as marketers increasingly demand digital-readiness in BRIC countries. Digitas Greater China will deliver high-quality, technologically fluid work, in keeping with CCG's creative acumen and strong technological heritage," David Kenny, Chairman and CEO for Digitas said.

"We reached a critical size and our new positioning will give us the global reach for serving our clients both in Greater China and internationally. As Digitas Greater China, we are well-positioned for future growth, and this development will allow us to compete on a global scale," Neil Runcieman, CEO for CCG said.

Digitas Greater China will continue to service all of CCG's existing clients such as Philips, Unilever, Bank of China (Hong Kong), Intel, Hang Seng Bank and Nippon Paint as well as Digitas clients with footprints in China.

The agency provides a range of interactive marketing solutions from creative design to complex technology integration with over 200 employees and offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shenzhen and headquarters in Shanghai.