UPDATED 12:45 EDT / FEBRUARY 02 2016

NEWS

IBM bets big on marketing biz with second creative agency acquisition in a week

Already the world’s largest provider of marketing services, IBM Corp.’s Interactive Experience business is about to grow bigger still. The vendor today announced that more than 300 additional workers will join its ranks in the coming months as part of the acquisition of Germany’s Aperto AG, the second independent creative agency that it’s picked up since the start of the year.

The deal comes less than a week after Big Blue signed an agreement to buy Resource/Ammirati Inc. for an undisclosed sum. The Ohio-based outfit boasts big names such as Procter & Gamble Co. and White Castle System Inc. among its clientele, three quarters of whom are also customers of IBM. The same can be said for many of the brands that employ the services of Aperto. The Volkswagen Group uses the technology giant’s supply chain automation software, while Airbus SAS depends on its real-time analytics tools to collect flight data from planes.

Those relationships should enable IBM to make the transition relatively smooth for customers, an important factor in the success of a strategic purchase. But it’s only of the many considerations behind the company’s choice of acquisition targets. With Aperto in particular, the overlap among their clientele takes a backseat to its location. The deal will give Big Blue a much needed presence in Europe, where there are numerous large enterprises potentially interested in its services. The company should will also be able to better serve multinational enterpises stateside that are looking to launch broad international marketing campaigns across several different regions.

That includes not only the U.S. and Europe but also Asia Pacific, the fastest-growing market of the three. Aperto has maintained an office in Beijing since 2007 that specifically focuses on helping internal brands expand into China, which could prove as a potentially major asset for IBM. Given the sheer size of the opportunity, it’s not out of the question that the vendor might try to bolster the German outfit’s local staff with another agency acquisition.

For the time, being, however, IBM’s legal department already has its work cut out for it. Although the company didn’t say how much it’s paying for Resource/Ammirati and Aperto, the combined value of the purchases is likely in the nine-figures if the financial performance of similarly-sized rivals is anything to go by. Both deals are expected to close in the coming months pending the usual regulatory approvals.

Image via Geralt

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