ZenithOptimedia, part of Publicis Groupe, has announced today the acquisition of FirstClick Consulting, Australia’s leading independent performance marketing agency.
FirstClick will become part of Performics Worldwide, ZenithOptimedia’s global performance marketing network. The agency will rebrand to Performics Australia and will retain its current management team, led by CEO Grace Chu, who will join the Performics Global Executive Leadership Team.
Investing in performance marketing solutions through the development of the Performics network is a key growth strategy for the ZenithOptimedia Group. Performance media includes measurable, ‘biddable’ channels such as paid search, programmatic display and paid social. Performance media has seen considerable global growth in recent years, with expected growth of 19.1 per cent globally for 2015 (eMarketer).
Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Sydney, FirstClick provides clients across Australia with a full range of digital performance marketing services including search engine marketing, search engine optimisation, programmatic buying, social marketing, marketing analytics and conversion rate optimisation. Over the past 10 years, FirstClick has established itself as a market leader and has built up an impressive list of blue chip clients.
Grace Chu, CEO of FirstClick, said: “We are very excited about becoming part of Performics Worldwide and the ZenithOptimedia Group. Our clients and our people will benefit from the global perspectives, best practices and capabilities that come with being part of this award winning international network. It’s a testament to the FirstClick team to be recognised as leaders within an international context.”
Michael Kahn, CEO of Performics Worldwide, said: “We have been very impressed with the quality of FirstClick’s offering and the results it is delivering to its clients are truly exceptional by global standards. The combination of Performics, a global leader in performance marketing with FirstClick, a market leader in Australia will provide clients with a combination of global best practice and strong local knowledge. We are confident that together we will be very well positioned to service the growing digital opportunity in Australia.”
Ian Perrin, CEO of ZenithOptimedia Australia, said: “We have been unequivocal in our pursuit of delivering the very best performance offering in Australia, and bringing FirstClick into the group represents a massive step in this direction. Grace and her team are world class and arguably the most talented digital performance thinkers in the country. The team will make an enormous contribution to our organisation and we look forward to welcoming them into the family.”
