Will collaborate in client development, technology, new products and the training of over 500 WPP professionals in Omniture technologies; WPP invests $25 million in Omniture
DAVOS, Switzerland – WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY), the world leader in communications services and Omniture, Inc. (NASDAQ: OMTR), the leading provider of online business optimization, announced a strategic partnership that will provide clients with more-effective insights globally across both digital and traditional media channels. As part of this partnership, WPP is making a long-term $25 million investment in Omniture common stock.
The two companies will collaborate on technology development, on sharing data and information and in consulting services. The collaboration will focus on providing chief marketing officers and other marketing executives at clients, with greater consumer insights, supported by new technology. This will allow marketers to increase their revenue and profit returns from online marketing and to manage and optimize their overall marketing expenditures.
WPP companies involved in this partnership include G2, OgilvyOne, RMG, Wunderman, Enfatico, specialist agencies Schematic, VML and ZAAZ, Group M, 24/7 Real Media, Kantar and Bridge Worldwide.
Key elements of the strategic partnership include:
* Joint approaches to mutual clients to develop enhanced analytical solutions
* Joint development of technologies and solutions, including the integration of Omniture and WPP technologies, data and products
* Sharing of marketing insights and consulting best practices
* Deployment of Omniture consultants inside WPP companies
* Training of more than 500 WPP employees on Omniture products and solutions, within the first year of the relationship
Specifically, WPP and Omniture have agreed over the next 12-18 months to integrate many of WPP’s marketing technologies, data, insights and information products into the Omniture Genesis platform. These integrations will include:
* Open AdStream (24/7 Real Media’s advertising management system)
* Decide DNA (24/7 Real Media and GroupM’s search engine marketing systems)
* 24/7 Real Media and GroupM’s custom media audience network
* TNS Compete™ (competitive web benchmarking data)
* TNS Stradegy™ (multimedia channel advertising occurrence and expenditure data)
“In the current economic environment and as clients continue to experiment with and develop their online budgets, the need for better analysis, measurability and focus on return on investment is more important than ever,” said Sir Martin Sorrell, Group Chief Executive, WPP. “This partnership will help our many mutual clients meet these objectives by equipping WPP agencies – across all geographies and disciplines – with the capabilities and tools needed to customize and deploy Omniture solutions in the most efficient and effective ways.”
“The partnership is a reflection of WPP and Omniture’s shared commitment to providing actionable, media-channel agnostic recommendations – informed by data and supported by technology – to the world’s largest brand owners,” said Mark Read, Director of Strategy, WPP, and CEO, WPP Digital. “It continues WPP’s and Omniture’s strategy of partnering with and integrating proprietary information and technologies with third-party platforms, for the maximum benefit of our clients.”
“We have consistently said that the limiting factor for marketing executives to fully realize the benefits of digital marketing and the corresponding measurability and accountability it brings, is the lack of available online marketing consulting and best practices,” said Josh James, CEO and co-founder, Omniture. “WPP’s aggressive investment in this critical area is a testament to their thought leadership.”
James continued, “The industry, and particularly WPP’s customers, will benefit tremendously from having 500 people from the world’s largest, most connected digital agencies thoroughly trained on the Omniture suite of products. This partnership will provide clients with the best of both worlds – technology and expertise – to optimize their marketing and drive ROI.”
About WPP
WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY) is the world leader in communications services, providing national, multinational and global clients with advertising; media investment management; information, insight & consultancy; public relations & public affairs; branding & identity; healthcare communications; direct, digital, promotion & relationship marketing. WPP’s worldwide companies include JWT, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, Y&R, Grey Group, United Group, GroupM, Mindshare, Mediaedge:cia, MediaCom, Millward Brown, Research International, Kantar (now including TNS), OgilvyOne Worldwide, Wunderman, OgilvyAction, Hill & Knowlton, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, Burson-Marsteller, Cohn & Wolfe, CommonHealth, Sudler & Hennessey, Ogilvy Healthworld, Grey Healthcare Group, Landor, Fitch, The Brand Union and G2 among others. WPP companies provide communications services to clients worldwide including more than 340 of the Fortune Global 500; over one-half of the NASDAQ 100 and over 30 of the Fortune e-50. Our companies work with over 400 clients in three or more disciplines; more than 280 clients in four disciplines and nearly 230 clients in six or more countries. Collectively, WPP employs 131,000 people (including associates) in over 2,000 offices in 106 countries. For more information, visit www.wpp.com.
About Omniture
Omniture, Inc. is a leading provider of online business optimization software, enabling customers to manage and enhance online, offline and multi-channel business initiatives. Omniture’s software, which it hosts and delivers to its customers as an on-demand subscription service and on-premise solution, enables customers to capture, store and analyze information generated by their Web sites and other sources and to gain critical business insights into the performance and efficiency of marketing and sales initiatives and other business processes. In addition, Omniture offers a range of professional services that complement its online services, including implementation, best practices, consulting, customer support and user training through Omniture University™. Omniture’s approximately 5,000 customers include eBay, AOL, Wal-Mart, Gannett, Microsoft, Neiman Marcus, Oracle, General Motors, Sony and HP. www.omniture.com
Copyright (c) 2008 Omniture, Inc. All rights reserved. Omniture and SiteCatalyst are registered trademarks of Omniture, Inc. in the United States, Japan, Canada, and the European Community. Omniture, Inc. owns other registered and unregistered trademarks throughout the world. Other names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
