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Publicis launches Digitas in India, merges it with Solutions

The merged entity will be called Solutions Digitas and will have offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata

Digitas, a digital marketing company acquired by Publicis Groupe in January 2007 for $1.3 billion, has finally announced its entry in the Indian market by merging itself with Solutions, an India and Singapore based integrated marketing services company owned by Publicis Groupe.

According to Alan Rutherford, chief executive officer, Digitas Global, “Solutions and Digitas will be merged into one entity, which will be branded Solutions Digitas. Srikant Sastri and Kanika Mathur, who are the founders of Solutions, will lead the Indian operations of Digitas.” He adds that “Digitas will also launch its digital production company called Prodigious in India”.

Publicis launches Digitas in India, merges it with Solutions
Alan Rutherford
Solutions Digitas will be headquartered in Delhi and it will have offices in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad.

Srikant Sastri, managing director, Solutions, says, “We provide marketing services across four areas: direct, digital, shopper marketing and events. Although digital is a service by itself, at the same time, it is also a foundation for our other functional areas. We use a lot of web as well as mobile technology for all of them. What we are doing now is strengthening our base in all these areas by ensuring that digital capabilities are used far more effectively.”

Under the new arrangement, Digitas will help Solutions on various fronts ranging from business development to training Solutions employees in Boston on campaign and project management. It will also provide technical expertise to Solutions to manage clients.

Solutions will keep on serving its existing clients, while Digitas will help in bringing in more clients; this may lead to a global alignment of Digitas’ worldwide clients.

Currently, Solutions handles clients such as Microsoft, HP, Pepsi, ESPN, Gillette, Castrol and Aviva. Digitas has clients such as American Express, General Motors and IBM.

Post its acquisition by Publicis Groupe, Digitas is expanding its presence across the world. In 2007, it entered China by acquiring Communication Central Group, which is the largest independent interactive marketing agency in that country. In June 2007, it bought Business Interactif, an interactive agency based in France.

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