The Long Read: Sir Martin Sorrell on advertising, coronavirus and the new media landscape May 7, 2020 Sir Martin Sorrell has bestrode the ad world for decades – and in the midst of a global pandemic that has hit the industry hard, he’s understandably got some thinking to do. Christopher Jackson spoke to the ad mogul, and his interview for finitoworld – the organisation’s online magazine – is republished here. Prior to [...]
UK firms face ‘Darwinian culling’, warns ad mogul Martin Sorrell May 7, 2020 Scores of British companies face being wiped out in a “Darwinian culling” caused by the coronavirus crisis, advertising veteran Sir Martin Sorrell has warned. In a bleak prediction of the UK’s economic outlook, Sorrell said the country was “dramatically underprepared” for the pandemic and only the strongest firms would survive. “You feel it in the [...]
S4 Capital shares rise as advertising firm shrugs off Covid-19 hit May 7, 2020 Shares in S4 Capital rose as much as six per cent in early trading as the advertising firm boosted first-quarter revenue despite the impact of the coronavirus crisis. S4 Capital’s like-for-life revenue increased 17 per cent in the first three months of the year to £71m, while gross profit was up 22 per cent on [...]
Coronavirus will ‘accelerate the digital revolution’, says ad mogul Martin Sorrell March 19, 2020 The outbreak of coronavirus will “accelerate the digital revolution” as businesses and consumers become increasingly reliant on technology, ad boss Sir Martin Sorrell has said. Sorrell, who runs ad fim S4 Capital, today said the “bottom line” of the crisis was that digital transformation would move at a much greater pace. “Businesses that were probably [...]
Sorrell’s S4 Capital appoints two new directors as it turns focus to Asia December 10, 2019 Sir Martin Sorrell’s digital ad firm S4 Capital has appointed two new directors to its board as it turns its focus to Asia. S4 today announced that Naoko Okumoto and Margaret Ma Connolly will join as non-executive directors with immediate effect. Read more: Martin Sorrell’s S4 Capital boosts revenue and profit The appointments mean that [...]
Sir Martin Sorrell: Post-Brexit economy should be ‘Singapore on steroids’ November 12, 2019 Advertising veteran Sir Martin Sorrell has called on the government to pursue a “Singapore on steroids” strategy for the UK economy after Brexit. The former WPP boss, who now runs digital ad firm S4 Capital, said the UK should seek to establish a free-market, pro-business economy similar to that of the Asian financial hub. Read [...]
Fimalac builds £500m digital ad firm with Jellyfish deal November 5, 2019 Fimalac, the group owned by French billionaire Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière, has bought a majority stake in London-based digital marketing agency Jellyfish as it seeks to compete in an increasingly online advertising landscape. Fimalac data-driven marketing specialist Tradelab will be merged with Jellyfish, the companies said, to create a combined entity with a market capitalisation [...]
Sorrell’s S4 Capital beefs up analytics division with double acquisition October 28, 2019 Sir Martin Sorrell’s S4 Capital today said it has beefed up its data analytics capabilities, unveiling the acquisition of two data companies. The digital marketing firm said it has bought London data firm Conversion Works and South Korean consultancy Datalicious Korea for an undisclosed sum. Read more: Sorrell’s S4 Capital buys Silicon Valley agency Firewood [...]
Sorrell’s S4 Capital buys Silicon Valley agency Firewood for $150m as digital drive deepens October 8, 2019 Sir Martin Sorrell’s S4 Capital has bought digital marketing agency Firewood for $150m (£122.5m) as the ad veteran gears up for a further wave of acquisitions amid an aggressive growth strategy. Firewood, which is Silicon Valley’s largest independent agency, will merge with S4’s digital content division Mediamonks. Read more: S4 Capital sees earnings slip amid [...]
Martin Sorrell’s S4 Capital buys influencer agency IMA August 12, 2019 Sir Martin Sorrell’s advertising company S4 Capital has bought IMA, Europe’s largest influencer marketing company, for €10m (£9.3m) and will merge it with its existing content arm, Mediamonks. Amsterdam-based IMA, which was founded in 2010, selects influencers to create tailored online marketing campaigns for brands including Microsoft, Heineken, and Samsonite. Sorrell founded S4 Capital last [...]