“A WPP Buster!” Is Sorrell About To Reveal S4’s Biggest Move Yet?
When asked recently how he’d been spending his time in lockdown, Sir Martin Sorrell answered that he was spending his days tending his “lemons and oranges” at his swanky home in London’s grandest suburb, Belgravia.
However, if media reports out of the UK over the weekend are any indicator, Sorrell’s horticultural claims are a mere smokescreen to news of a “big” acquisition set to be announced any minute.
Gossip on media sites suggest Sir Martin is plotting his biggest move since launching S4 Capital in 2018 after he left WPP in acrimonious circumstances.
Although actual details are vague, reports say it will dwarf S4’s $400 million acquisition of MediaMonks.
Sorrell has made no secret of his disdain for WPP since his departure and has used his significant media presence to besmirch the holding company and its senior management at every given opportunity. Sorrell remains a significant WPP shareholder and has repeatedly called for it to be broken up, adding the GroupM business is about the only part of WPP worth worrying about.
In recent months, S4 has set about raising £116 million in equity fundraising which will give Sorrell significant firepower to carry out bigger bids. So far S4 has launched more than 10 takeovers of digital ad agencies to build a group worth nearly £2billion.
Sorrell has never shied away from his ambition that S4 would one day be bigger than WPP, so UK analysts expect his next move to be a biggie. And with COVID biting bottom lines, now’s the time to muster yourself up a discount on some distressed stock.
The 75-year-old has repeatedly said S4 is a digital-only operation and that he’s only interested in agencies that use “first party data”. Taking that as a rule, that arguably rules out S4 acquiring a large creative agency, with a media business the most likely option.
In June, Sorrell told B&T’s Cannes Uncanned series: “When I left WPP (in 2018) there were only three areas of the business that were growing and one was digital advertising content, the other real-party data and the third was programmatic, data and analytics. And that’s what S4 has done, focus on those areas and the rest is history.
“Digital is where you need to be. Agencies that understand digital realise where the growth is. In 2019, the media business was worth about globally about $US600 billion and $US245 of that was in digital. Traditional media will be down about 20 per cent.
“We have four principals [at S4]. One, be purely digital. Secondly, focus on data that drives advertising and programmatic. The third is to be faster, better, cheaper. Lastly, we have a unitary structure; we’re not doing fragmented earn-outs that splinter the company. We’re looking for people who buy into our mission which is a new age, new era advertising, marketing and services company,” he said.
Latest News
We Need To Talk About B2B Events
This columnist asks is it the end for B2B events? And if so, where will B&T journalists take afternoon naps now?
Women In Media’s Nat Harvey: “Humans Need Other Humans To Thrive And Co-Create Happiness”
Seven's sales director Nat Harvey muses on the year that was AND doesn't use the words "bognogs" or "willy dribbler".
Women In Media’s Juliette Stead: “Playing It Safe Isn’t An Option For Me”
Juliette Stead declares, "Playing it safe isn’t an option for me." Top news if Juliette's your tennis doubles partner.
LiveRamp And The Trade Desk Combine For Cookieless Solution
LiveRamp and The Trade Desk prepare for a cookieless world. And in further bad news, Delta Goodrem is touring.
Nine & The Lab Reveal One In Three Of Nine’s Talk-Radio Listeners Attribute It To Increasing Their Happiness
Study finds radio can increase your happiness. That's probably not the case if your horse gets beat on 2KY, however.
Bastion Collective Launches Bastion Asia
Bastion Collective has launched Bastion Asia which, when said quickly, kinda sounds like "busting, are ya?"
Something Originals Unveils Trailer For New Feature Documentary About Scotch Whisky Icon Johnnie Walker
When B&T's editor chooses to forget "that bitch that ruined my life" he uses & recommends the Johnnie Walker range.
“Very Nice!” Kazakhstan Adopts Borat Phrase For Tourism Campaign
Whether you like it or not, Borat has put Kazakhstan on the map. Much like what Lara Bingle did for Australia, really.
WPP’s Acquisition Shopping List Revealed
This article contains a hint of speculation, a spot of fabrication, but hopefully not a dollop of defamation.
Kmart Forced To Introduce Online Bookings As Melbourne Shoppers Flock To Stores
It wasn't loved ones or close friends Melburnians missed most during lockdown, but cheap plastic tat & bean bag inserts.
Vegemite Launches New ‘Vegemite Squeezy’ Via Thinkerbell
Nothing in marketing says "we've slightly run out of ideas" quite like making a squeezable version, does it.
Tuesday TV Wrap: The Block Is Back On Top As SAS Takes A Hit
Typically, B&T staff don't put a heap of effort into the photos that accompany the articles. A fact exaserbated here.
The Recipe For Return On Investment (ROI)
The recipe for ROI is revealed here! And thankfully it doesn't include caciocavallo podolico or white alba truffles.
YoPRO Reminds The Athletes Amongst Us That ‘Every Millimetre Matters’ In New Campaign Via Emotive
Yoghurt ad's aimed at "pro-am athletes & fitness enthusiasts" or people who have to bore you with everything they eat.
62-Year-Old Model Is The Face Of Biologi’s Pro-Ageing Campaign Celebrating Natural Beauty
New anti-ageing campaign features 62-year-old model who reportedly worked at the Ponds Institute in 1976.
Viztrade Launches Facebook Style Self-Serve Solution
Independent programmatic platform Viztrade has launched a self-serve solution for publishers to generate digital advertising revenue directly from their own websites. Viztrade Connect is to be launched through the Viztrade platform and enables advertisers to purchase advertising from publisher websites with no friction and full visibility into the cost of the media. The solution is […]
Google Launches YouTube Select In Australia
On the upside, reading B&T's tech news isn't as nerdy as reading it on tech sites. On the downside, it's not as good.
Melbourne Indie Agency Hardhat Hires Eight New Senior Team Members
Hardhat announces eight new hires and, as luck would have it, all have different milk preferences from soy to full-fat.
The Great Barrier Reef Foundation Appoints Leo Burnett Australia As Creative Agency
The Barrier Reef is the nation's jewel. Alongside the Christmas Island detention centre and Shane Warne's hairpiece.
Target Shows Us There’s A Better Way To Christmas In New Campaign Via AJF
Fire the gun, it's the first of the Christmas ads! With B&T most looking forward to the Ultra Tune and Metamucil work.
BIG Outdoor Launches Programmatic With Vistar Media
BIG Outdoor has announced the launch of programmatic capabilities powered by Vistar Media. BIG Outdoor is leveraging Vistar’s supply-side platform (SSP) to make their inventory available for purchase programmatically via open exchange or private marketplace deals. “Our mission is to stay at the forefront of improving the value proposition of digital billboard advertising,” said Richard […]
Why Purpose is Needed Now More Than Ever
Has a bad back all but ruled you out of catching falling colleagues for motivation? Try this hernia-free read instead.
Five Aces To Overcoming The Pandemic For CMOs
This is the only thing any CMO should be reading today. Well, this and maybe Riston's latest rants or Marketing Week.
NSW Government Launches Maths Trains Brains Campaign Via Bastion Banjo
The NSW Government and the Department of Education have today launched a major campaign titled ‘Maths Trains Brains’ which is aimed at changing the perception of maths and encouraging more engagement towards the subject for students from pre-kindy to Year 10. The campaign was developed by creative and digital agency Bastion Banjo with production by […]
Grill’d Sticks It To Fast Food Giants In New “Trump’d” Campaign
The B&T office are huge fans of Grill'd & we're not just saying that because it sells booze. Even if that is the reason.
Debunking The Myths: The Environmental Cred Of Print Media
In this guest post, Dr Phillip Lawrence of Edith Cowan University debunks the myths of the environmental impact of printing… The environmental credentials of printing have been in the spotlight for a while with brands and marketers as well as large corporates regularly proposing they would reduce or eliminate paper and printing from their business as […]
“Tiny Tech, Mighty Spec” Says Panasonic’s Newest Campaign Via Awaken
We're being fans of photography here at B&T, showing a particular fondness for the "artful nude" category.
Mindshare Snares Kayo’s & Binge’s Media
The WPP-owned agency Mindshare has revealed it has won the media business for both Kayo and Binge. Both Kayo and Binge form part of Foxtel’s Steamotion’s streaming services and have seen significant boosts to the subscription numbers in recent times, primarily during lockdown. Commenting on the win, Mindshare CEO Katie Rigg-Smith said the win would […]
Aussie Tech Firm Launches App To Help Media Owners Find Local Advertisers In Any Location
Realworld, an Australian location-based technology company, today launched adfindr.co, a leads platform for media owners. Adfindr finds the contact details of hundreds of local businesses around any location. Adfindr offers all media owners a database of local advertising leads. Simply type in a location and extract advertising leads in that area. David Sanderson, Director at […]
Study: Aussies Eye Bricks & Mortar Return This Christmas
Quote Shakespeare when looking for a car spot at Christmas? Ready your "convert to anger; blunt not the hearts" here.
