Global advertising conglomerate Dentsu Group Inc has announced that its international business ‘Dentsu Aegis Network’ will now function under its own independent brand as ‘Dentsu International Limited’. This strategic move and nomenclature ushers in a new chapter for the business, with Tim Andree as Executive Chairman and Wendy Clark as Global CEO.
Dentsu operates in more than 145 markets globally. Its brands include Merkle, iProspect, and Posterscope. The newly named ‘Dentsu International Limited’ will be a subsidiary of Japanese parent Dentsu and will oversee its international business operations.
The genesis of this move goes back to July 2019, when Dentsu Aegis Network planned to drop the “Aegis” name from its brand name and work distinctly as ‘Dentsu International limited’. In an interview in July 2019, Andree, then Chief Executive and Executive Chairman, had said, “The integration and acquisition of ‘Dentsu Network and Aegis Media’ is over.”
The network adopted ‘Aegis’ in 2012, following Dentsu’s £3.2 billion acquisition of Britain’s Aegis Group. But as the Japanese parent company wants its domestic and international divisions to act more like “One Dentsu” globally, the Aegis branding is being hived off even as several DAN staffers are likely to be made redundant.
Speaking about Dentsu’s legacy and leverage in the branding world, Clark, Global CEO, Dentsu International, said, “This represents an important milestone in the evolution of our international business as we build on Dentsu’s rich legacy of innovation and industry leadership along with the dynamic growth story of Dentsu Aegis Network.”
Referring to the business structure, she added, “Our business provides our clients and our people with the best of both worlds, helping them to achieve meaningful progress against a backdrop of unprecedented change and disruption.”
Official registration as ‘Dentsu International Limited’ with UK Companies House is expected to effective from early October 2020.
