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Publicis Groupe Acquires Longtuo, Aiming for a Dominant Role in China's Booming e-Commerce Market
PARIS, May 14, 2012/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
"China has the potential to become the world's largest e-Commerce market very swiftly,
outstripping even the United States.
This acquisition means we're now perfectly positioned to offer our clients
first-in-class local expertise.
The Groupe is accelerating our drive to meet our ambitious targets for growth in
China," declared Jean-Yves Naouri, Publicis Groupe COO and Chairman of Publicis Groupe
China.
Publicis Groupe [EURONEXT Paris: FR0000130577] today announced it has acquired
Beijing-based Longtuo, a digital marketing company with strong eCommerce expertise in
creative, customer acquisition, marketing solutions and measurement tools. Longtuo will be
part of the Groupe-owned Razorfish network and will be named Razorfish Longtuo China.
Founded in 2000, Longtuo employs 200 people throughout its Beijing headquarters and
Shanghai and Guangzhou offices. The addition of Longtuo will more than double the size of
Razorfish in China, which currently employs 130 people and provides e-Commerce services to
clients such as Converse, Hertz, and GM Onstar.
Longtuo serves a prestigious roster of Chinese marketers including 360buy, Kohler,
Masamaso, Taobao (the country's two largest B2C e-Commerce portals) and Yves Rocher.
Longtuo also contracts work for Renault, providing website development and content
management, as well as traffic measurement and analysis.
The acquisition of Longtuo will give Publicis Groupe more commanding clout in China's
booming e-Commerce market, which Forrester projects to be a $94.6 billion business in
2012. eMarketer estimates the market to grow at more than 92% annually for the next three
years and forecasts China will become the world's largest e-Commerce marketplace by 2015.
Longtuo's CEO and founding partner, SU Yi, will become Managing Director of Razorfish
Longtuo China, and will report to Vincent Digonnet, President of Razorfish Asia Pacific
and Executive Chairman of Razorfish Greater China.
"The Longtuo acquisition establishes Razorfish as a Chinese leader in digital
marketing services," said Bob Lord, CEO of Razorfish and member of the VivaKi Board of
Directors. "By integrating Longtuo with Razorfish, we are expanding the e-Commerce
services we deliver to our multinational clients, while providing all local and global
marketers a comprehensive offer and proprietary tools that extend across the entire
e-Commerce consumer journey."
Jean-Yves Naouri, Publicis Groupe COO and Chairman of Publicis Groupe China added:
"The forecasts for e-Commerce growth in China are spectacular. With new advances in
payment technology, broadband access and safe delivery systems making e-Commerce an
attractive alternative to retail shops, China has the potential to become the world's
premier e-Commerce market very swiftly, outstripping even the United States. This
acquisition means we're now perfectly positioned to offer our international clients
first-in-class local expertise. In addition, with 70% of e-Commerce spending in China
currently going to Chinese businesses, Longtuo opens our doors to a number of key clients.
The Groupe is accelerating our drive to meet our ambitious targets for growth in China."
"The alignment of Longtuo and Razorfish in China combines two growing concerns to
create a market leading e-Commerce partner for a rapidly expanding roster of clients,"
said SU Yi, founder and managing partner of Longtuo. "We are thrilled to leverage the
scale and clout of Publicis Groupe to build a stronger proposition for our clients."
The acquisition of Longtuo is another step towards Publicis Groupe's objective to
double its size in the fast-growing Chinese market between 2010 and 2013. This goal is
part of an overall strategy of strongly boosting revenue derived from emerging economies
and from the digital sector. In the past four months Publicis Groupe has acquired four
agencies based in China: UBS (February 2012), King Harvests (March 2012), Luminous (March
2012) and now Longtuo. Since 2010, the Groupe has acquired W&K (April 2010) G4 (July 2010)
Eastwei Relations (November 2010), Interactive Communications Ltd (February 2011), Dreams
(May 2011), Genedigi (June 2011), Wangfan (November 2011), and Gomye (November 2011).
About Publicis Groupe
Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, part of the CAC 40 index] is the third
largest communications group in the world, offering the full range of services and skills:
digital and traditional advertising, public affairs and events, media buying and
specialized communication. Its major networks are Leo Burnett, MSLGROUP, PHCG (Publicis
Healthcare Communications Group), Publicis Worldwide, Rosetta and Saatchi & Saatchi.
VivaKi, the Groupe's media and digital accelerator, includes Digitas, Razorfish, Starcom
MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia. Present in 104 countries, the Groupe employs 54,000
professionals.
http://www.publicisgroupe.com | Twitter:@PublicisGroupe | Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/publicisgroupe
About VivaKi
VivaKi is part of Publicis Groupe (Euronext Paris Exchange: FR0000130577; and part of
the CAC 40 index) the world's third largest communications group. VivaKi aggregates the
marketplace influence of four autonomous brands, including two global media agency
networks: ZenithOptimedia and Starcom MediaVest Group; and two leading digital marketing
agencies: Digitas and Razorfish. On behalf of its agency brands and their clients, VivaKi
faces the market to help identify and build technology, message distribution, audience
aggregation and content solutions for the future. Sitting inside of VivaKi is the VivaKi
Nerve Center, which serves as a think tank, R&D center and testing ground to activate new
pathways for clients to connect with consumers in an increasingly digital world. VivaKi
also includes a Talent & Transformation Practice, which leverages the scale of the VivaKi
brands to develop and deliver tools and approaches designed to attract, develop, train,
motivate and reward the world's best people.
http://www.vivaki.com
About Longtuo
Longtuo is a China based Digital and eCommerce service Agency which positions itself
at the confluence of creative, eCommerce and digital marketing with a complete range of
digital services. The company has 200 employees in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Their
underlying philosophy is based on a belief that in an age of eCommerce, versus developing
content around a marketer's products and services, marketers must take an ecosystem
approach, with the capability to instrument and measure the entire customer journey
through the sales funnel, from ad exposure through to conversion to repeat purchase.
http://www.longtuo.com
Contacts
Publicis Groupe
Peggy Nahmany Corporate Communication +33-(0)1-44-43-72-83
Martine Hue Investor Relations +33-(0)1-44-43-65-00
VivaKi
Cheri Carpenter Communication Director +1-312-220-6218
Marilyn Zhu Marketing +86-10-850-755-85
Communications Director
(China)
Longtuo
Flora Lou Deputy General Manager +86-010-64518580
Source: Publicis Groupe
Publicis Groupe Acquires Longtuo, Aiming for a Dominant Role in China's Booming e-Commerce Market
PARIS, May 14, 2012/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
"China has the potential to become the world's largest e-Commerce market very swiftly,
outstripping even the United States.
This acquisition means we're now perfectly positioned to offer our clients
first-in-class local expertise.
The Groupe is accelerating our drive to meet our ambitious targets for growth in
China," declared Jean-Yves Naouri, Publicis Groupe COO and Chairman of Publicis Groupe
China.
Publicis Groupe [EURONEXT Paris: FR0000130577] today announced it has acquired
Beijing-based Longtuo, a digital marketing company with strong eCommerce expertise in
creative, customer acquisition, marketing solutions and measurement tools. Longtuo will be
part of the Groupe-owned Razorfish network and will be named Razorfish Longtuo China.
Founded in 2000, Longtuo employs 200 people throughout its Beijing headquarters and
Shanghai and Guangzhou offices. The addition of Longtuo will more than double the size of
Razorfish in China, which currently employs 130 people and provides e-Commerce services to
clients such as Converse, Hertz, and GM Onstar.
Longtuo serves a prestigious roster of Chinese marketers including 360buy, Kohler,
Masamaso, Taobao (the country's two largest B2C e-Commerce portals) and Yves Rocher.
Longtuo also contracts work for Renault, providing website development and content
management, as well as traffic measurement and analysis.
The acquisition of Longtuo will give Publicis Groupe more commanding clout in China's
booming e-Commerce market, which Forrester projects to be a $94.6 billion business in
2012. eMarketer estimates the market to grow at more than 92% annually for the next three
years and forecasts China will become the world's largest e-Commerce marketplace by 2015.
Longtuo's CEO and founding partner, SU Yi, will become Managing Director of Razorfish
Longtuo China, and will report to Vincent Digonnet, President of Razorfish Asia Pacific
and Executive Chairman of Razorfish Greater China.
"The Longtuo acquisition establishes Razorfish as a Chinese leader in digital
marketing services," said Bob Lord, CEO of Razorfish and member of the VivaKi Board of
Directors. "By integrating Longtuo with Razorfish, we are expanding the e-Commerce
services we deliver to our multinational clients, while providing all local and global
marketers a comprehensive offer and proprietary tools that extend across the entire
e-Commerce consumer journey."
Jean-Yves Naouri, Publicis Groupe COO and Chairman of Publicis Groupe China added:
"The forecasts for e-Commerce growth in China are spectacular. With new advances in
payment technology, broadband access and safe delivery systems making e-Commerce an
attractive alternative to retail shops, China has the potential to become the world's
premier e-Commerce market very swiftly, outstripping even the United States. This
acquisition means we're now perfectly positioned to offer our international clients
first-in-class local expertise. In addition, with 70% of e-Commerce spending in China
currently going to Chinese businesses, Longtuo opens our doors to a number of key clients.
The Groupe is accelerating our drive to meet our ambitious targets for growth in China."
"The alignment of Longtuo and Razorfish in China combines two growing concerns to
create a market leading e-Commerce partner for a rapidly expanding roster of clients,"
said SU Yi, founder and managing partner of Longtuo. "We are thrilled to leverage the
scale and clout of Publicis Groupe to build a stronger proposition for our clients."
The acquisition of Longtuo is another step towards Publicis Groupe's objective to
double its size in the fast-growing Chinese market between 2010 and 2013. This goal is
part of an overall strategy of strongly boosting revenue derived from emerging economies
and from the digital sector. In the past four months Publicis Groupe has acquired four
agencies based in China: UBS (February 2012), King Harvests (March 2012), Luminous (March
2012) and now Longtuo. Since 2010, the Groupe has acquired W&K (April 2010) G4 (July 2010)
Eastwei Relations (November 2010), Interactive Communications Ltd (February 2011), Dreams
(May 2011), Genedigi (June 2011), Wangfan (November 2011), and Gomye (November 2011).
About Publicis Groupe
Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, part of the CAC 40 index] is the third
largest communications group in the world, offering the full range of services and skills:
digital and traditional advertising, public affairs and events, media buying and
specialized communication. Its major networks are Leo Burnett, MSLGROUP, PHCG (Publicis
Healthcare Communications Group), Publicis Worldwide, Rosetta and Saatchi & Saatchi.
VivaKi, the Groupe's media and digital accelerator, includes Digitas, Razorfish, Starcom
MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia. Present in 104 countries, the Groupe employs 54,000
professionals.
http://www.publicisgroupe.com | Twitter:@PublicisGroupe | Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/publicisgroupe
About VivaKi
VivaKi is part of Publicis Groupe (Euronext Paris Exchange: FR0000130577; and part of
the CAC 40 index) the world's third largest communications group. VivaKi aggregates the
marketplace influence of four autonomous brands, including two global media agency
networks: ZenithOptimedia and Starcom MediaVest Group; and two leading digital marketing
agencies: Digitas and Razorfish. On behalf of its agency brands and their clients, VivaKi
faces the market to help identify and build technology, message distribution, audience
aggregation and content solutions for the future. Sitting inside of VivaKi is the VivaKi
Nerve Center, which serves as a think tank, R&D center and testing ground to activate new
pathways for clients to connect with consumers in an increasingly digital world. VivaKi
also includes a Talent & Transformation Practice, which leverages the scale of the VivaKi
brands to develop and deliver tools and approaches designed to attract, develop, train,
motivate and reward the world's best people.
http://www.vivaki.com
About Longtuo
Longtuo is a China based Digital and eCommerce service Agency which positions itself
at the confluence of creative, eCommerce and digital marketing with a complete range of
digital services. The company has 200 employees in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Their
underlying philosophy is based on a belief that in an age of eCommerce, versus developing
content around a marketer's products and services, marketers must take an ecosystem
approach, with the capability to instrument and measure the entire customer journey
through the sales funnel, from ad exposure through to conversion to repeat purchase.
http://www.longtuo.com
Contacts
Publicis Groupe
Peggy Nahmany Corporate Communication +33-(0)1-44-43-72-83
Martine Hue Investor Relations +33-(0)1-44-43-65-00
VivaKi
Cheri Carpenter Communication Director +1-312-220-6218
Marilyn Zhu Marketing +86-10-850-755-85
Communications Director
(China)
Longtuo
Flora Lou Deputy General Manager +86-010-64518580
Source: Publicis Groupe