Ogilvy & Mather announces further investment in mobile marketing through South Africa acquisition

NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- On Day 3 of the 2013 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Ogilvy & Mather announced that it has taken a significant step forward in developing its South African mobile marketing capability by acquiring a majority share in the leading South Africa mobile marketing company, Strike Media Proprietary Limited.

Strike Media (Strike) is a full service mobile marketing company with technology capabilities that enable it to stretch from customized mobile campaigns and added value mobile services to mobile payment and mobile business and integration solutions. Strike is currently engaged in providing mobile consulting to some of the country's best-known brands and organizations.

"The timing of this acquisition is even more pertinent given the fact that we are announcing the partnership while actively participating in the 2013 Mobile World Congress," stated Miles Young, Worldwide Chairman and CEO Ogilvy & Mather. "Unlimited connectivity is the next state of progression and regions like Africa and Asia are core drivers in this evolution. Consumers are naturally adopting the phone as their primary means for communication. Welcoming Strike Media to the Ogilvy & Mather family is further proof of our commitment to growth in the evolving mobile marketing space."

As the world's largest digital agency with 8,000 digital specialists worldwide, Ogilvy & Mather has made a number of strategic digital acquisitions over the past year. Innovative digital companies such as Effective UI and The Royal Order in the US; DT Digital in Australia and both Foster and Possible in Brazil make Ogilvy & Mather well poised to continue to dominate in this crucial medium.

Strike CEO, Russel Stromin, who is one of South Africa's leading IT pioneers, describes O&M as an ideal partner. "Mobile needs to be integrated into the full marketing mix at many points along the customer journey and Ogilvy & Mather South Africa has a class leading approach to integrated marketing and understands the potential for mobile to truly transform marketing. Mobile has the power to revolutionize clients' business and brands as it is playing a significant role in enhancing customer experience," says Stromin.

Strike will continue to operate as a separate company but will form part of the global Mobile@Ogilvy practice.  Martin Lange, Executive Marketing Director of Digital Strategy and global head of Mobile@Ogilvy, describes the Strike acquisition as a momentous shift for Ogilvy's mobile ambitions in Africa. "Mobile is the medium that will galvanize African marketing. It is wonderful to be in partnership with Strike at this exciting time," says Lange.

Ogilvy & Mather 
Ogilvy & Mather is one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world. In 2012, O&M was named Cannes Lions Network of the Year and Most Effective Agency Network by the Effies Global Effectiveness Index. The company is comprised of industry leading units in all of the following disciplines: advertising; public relations and public affairs; branding and identity; shopper and retail marketing; healthcare communications; direct, digital, promotion and relationship marketing; consulting, research and analytics capabilities; branded content and entertainment; and specialist communications. O&M services Fortune Global 500 companies as well as local businesses through its network of more than 450 offices in 120 countries. It is a WPP company (NASDAQ: WPPGY). For more information, visit www.ogilvy.com, or follow us on Twitter at @OgilvyWW and on Facebook.com/Ogilvy.

SOURCE Ogilvy & Mather