M&A firm advises digital agency in its sale to a leading global digital marketing company
NEW YORK – M&A advisory firm AdMedia Partners, Inc. is pleased to announce that it acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Biggs|Gilmore, a digital agency, in its acquisition by VML, a leading global digital marketing company.
“We have a tremendous respect for VML’s work, its people, integrity and culture. That’s what sets VML apart and attracted us to become part of VML”
Biggs|Gilmore will become a full VML operation at the beginning of 2014. This will mark VML’s first acquisition in North America since acquiring Studiocom in 2005. Biggs|Gilmore currently has offices in Chicago and Kalamazoo, Mich.
“This is a unique acquisition that joins two long-tenured companies that are both experiencing major momentum as brands. We’ve been working together for several years on shared clients Kellogg and Kimberly-Clark. It’s been a natural connection since the beginning. It became clear to both VML and Biggs|Gilmore that we could provide an even deeper offering by joining forces,” said Jon Cook, CEO and president at VML. “We share a vision for what the agency of the future will be and, notably, a depth in expertise within the consumer packaged goods space. We are excited about what we will accomplish together as VML.”
Biggs|Gilmore is currently led by Jane Tamraz, CEO, and Mike Gerfen, president, who both will assume roles on the executive leadership team as executive directors of VML in Chicago and Kalamazoo, respectively.
“We have a tremendous respect for VML’s work, its people, integrity and culture. That’s what sets VML apart and attracted us to become part of VML,” Tamraz said. “It’s a unique opportunity to become part of such a compatible and truly distinct global agency network.”
With 140 employees across its two locations, the agency’s key clients include Kellogg, Kimberly-Clark, Foster Farms and Stryker. Biggs Gilmore’s unaudited revenue for the previous 12 months ending September 2013 was $21 million.
Earlier this year, Biggs|Gilmore was named the Internet Advertising Competition’s Top Agency for 2013.
This will be VML’s fourth transaction this year. In October, VML acquired IM2.0, a leading digital advertising and media agency in China. In June, VML announced that it acquired a majority stake in NATIVE, the digital marketing agency in South Africa. In November, VML announced that it acquired a majority stake in Plasenta Conversation Agency, a social media agency based in Istanbul, Turkey. The agency, which is recognized as one of Forrester’s digital leaders, also entered the Japanese market with the launch of VML Tokyo in March.
About VML
VML is a global digital marketing agency and since its founding in 1992, the company has been dedicated to delivering creative solutions at the intersection of marketing and technology.
VML engineers best-in-class digital experiences for some of the most respected and recognized brands in the world, including MillerCoors brands Coors and Coors Light, Charter Communications, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, English Premier League, Gatorade, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Kellogg, Microsoft, PepsiCo, SAP, Southwest Airlines, U.S. Bank, Wendy’s and Xerox.
Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., VML has principal offices in 23 locations across six continents. VML has been a member of the WPP Group of global communication agencies since 2001. VML, alongside Y&R Advertising, is a part of the Y&R family within WPP. Learn more at vml.com.
About Biggs|Gilmore
Biggs|Gilmore is a digital creative agency with offices in Chicago and in Kalamazoo, Mich. It was named Top Agency in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013 in the Internet Advertising Competition; Top Agency in the 2011 and 2012 WebAwards; and an AdAge Agency of the Year in 2010. Biggs|Gilmore delivers measurable and award-winning results for Fortune 500 clients, including Kellogg and Kimberly-Clark.
About AdMedia Partners
Founded in 1990, AdMedia is a leading M&A advisory firm serving the marketing services, advertising, marketing technology, media and information sectors. AdMedia has completed over 180 transactions for clients valued in excess of $8 billion since 1999. For more information, visit www.admediapartners.com.
