The acquisition will add significant scale and capability in integrated digital media, combining Ambient Digital Vietnam’s programmatic ad-tech platforms, digital creative production and social management with iProspect’s global performance and search capabilities.
Post-acquisition, Ambient Digital Vietnam will be rebranded as iProspect Vietnam.
“Dentsu Aegis Network’s acquisition of Ambient Vietnam is the lynchpin in driving towards our strategy to be the leading marketing services group built for the digital economy in the region,” said Sanjay Bhasin, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network Indochina.
“Vietnam is a star amongst the Southeast Asian economies, and as a digital advertising market offers high growth potential,” said Joanna Catalano, CEO of iProspect APAC.
Catalano added that iProspect has a strong presence throughout Southeast Asia, and the addition of Ambient Digital completes the puzzle by launching a strong operation in Vietnam to set us up well to pursue multi-market business in the region.
Joining the leadership team from Ambient Digital are founder and chairman Thu Nguyen as CEO of iProspect Vietnam, and co-founder and CEO Andrew Stephens as chief growth officer of iProspect Vietnam. They will report to CEO Bhasin.
The launch of iProspect Vietnam is significant as it marks the first entry of a global performance agency in this market. The integration of iProspect’s tools and technology with Ambient’s local knowledge and digital expertise represents a unique and robust offering for Dentsu Aegis’ clients, Ambient Digital’s clients and the upcoming clients of the new entity.
“The evolution of Ambient into iProspect is an exciting opportunity which allows us to bring the most advanced digital solutions to the Vietnam market,” said the leadership team of iProspect Vietnam.
Ambient Digital Vietnam is a full service digital agency established in 2010 in Ho Chi Minh City. With 95 employees in Vietnam, it is the largest independent digital media agency and the largest single touch point of local premium inventory with exclusive rich media formats.
Its planning and buying teams have established a reputation for delivering excellence across performance KPIs – ranging from audience engagement through to sales – across targeted biddable, programmatic and social.
Since it was founded, Ambient Digital has expanded across Southeast Asia and, most recently, into Hong Kong. The non-Vietnam businesses are not part of the acquisition and will continue to run independently.
Dentsu Aegis Network, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Japanese advertising and public relations firm Dentsu, is made up of ten global network brands, including Carat, Dentsu, Dentsu X, iProspect, Isobar, mcgarrybowen, Merkle, MKTG, Posterscope and Vizeum, and supported by its specialist/multi-market brands.
In March, Dentsu Aegis Network also acquired Redder Advertising Co. Ltd., a leading digital and creative agency in Vietnam, launching its third Dentsu Brand Agency in the country, working alongside Dentsu Vietnam and Dentsu One.
