S4 Capital steps up a gear with automotive acquisition January 20, 2021 S4 Capital has snapped up a production studio specialising in the automotive industry as its aggressive expansion plans show no signs of slowing down. Sir Martin Sorrell’s advertising firm today said Germany-based Staud Studios would merge with its Media Monks content division. The move cements S4’s presence in Germany, which is Europe’s second largest advertising [...]
Ousted Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam to launch ‘blank cheque’ venture January 11, 2021 Former Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam is said to be launching a so-called blank cheque firm, a year after he was ousted following a lurid spy scandal. Thiam is raising $250m (£185m) for a special purpose acquisition vehicle that will invest in financial services businesses across the globe. JP Morgan Chase is helping to [...]
S4 Capital chases post-Brexit expansion with two more acquisitions January 4, 2021 S4 Capital today said it was ramping up its expansion plans after Brexit as the advertising firm unveiled a further two acquisitions. Sir Martin Sorrell’s marketing group has snapped up creative agency Decoded Advertising and data-driven performance marketing firm Metric Theory. It marks the latest in a flurry of acquisitions for S4, which has grown [...]
Exclusive: Tories must be more business friendly, says ad guru Martin Sorrell November 9, 2020 The Tories must be more business friendly after failing to secure the support of the corporate world during the coronavirus crisis, ad veteran Sir Martin Sorrell has said. Speaking to City A.M., Sorrell said the government “went down the wrong direction” in its response to the pandemic earlier this year and had angered businesses with [...]
S4 Capital revenue rises after bumper BMW account win November 9, 2020 S4 Capital has posted a double-digit rise in revenue and profit for the third quarter after it secured a lucrative new account from BMW and Mini. Sir Martin Sorrell’s advertising firm booked revenue of £86.4m in the three months to the end of September, up 13 per cent on the same period last year. Gross [...]
Sadiq Khan requests more than £29bn from Treasury’s spending review October 1, 2020 Sadiq Khan is requesting more than £29bn from central government during its spending review, including £5.65bn for Transport for London (TfL) over the next 18 months. Khan submitted his requests to Rishi Sunak’s spending review yesterday, which included requests for an extra £20.5bn to build affordable homes, £1bn for new electric buses, a £1.5bn national [...]
S4 Capital plots further expansion despite Covid-19 profit hit September 9, 2020 Advertising firm S4 Capital today said it was plotting further aggressive expansion despite taking a hit to its first-half profit due to the coronavirus outbreak. The figures S4 Capital’s revenue increased 6.9 per cent on a like-for-like basis to £141.3m in the six months to the end of June. Adjusted pre-tax profit was £13.9m, down [...]
Martin Sorrell’s S4 Capital bolts on data analytics business Brightblue Consulting August 27, 2020 Sir Martin Sorrell’s S4 Capital today said it was acquiring data analytics company Brightblue Consulting. S4 Capital said Brightblue will merge with Mightyhive, S4’s data and digital media practice. The company said the merger would build upon Mightyhive’s recently launched data practice, and add “deep probabilistic attribution expertise” to its team. Brightblue was founded in [...]
There will be a V-shaped recovery in some sectors, says Sir Martin Sorrell July 3, 2020 Advertising mogul Sir Martin Sorrell has said that the coronavirus crisis has disrupted the status quo, and companies’ recovery will be dependent on sector. Speaking to City A.M.’s City View podcast, Martin Sorrell, who has previously spoken of a V-shaped recovery, said the pandemic has pushed services further online, at a consumer level and beyond. [...]
Property firm Capco in talks to buy major stake in rival Shaftesbury May 29, 2020 Property development firm Capital & Counties (Capco) today confirmed it is in discussions to snap up a 23.6 per cent stake in rival Shaftesbury. The two firms own swathes of neighbouring property in the West End and the talks have sparked further speculation of a merger. The discussions, first reported by React News, are centred [...]