IMAC funds QobliQ acquisitions
Article Date: May 27 2008Marketing services group QobliQ, which was founded last year, has acquired two French marketing companies, Nouveau Jour and SponsorClick France. The acquisitions were funded through an investment of £2.3 million by QobliQ’s existing backer, AIM-listed Ingenious Media Active Capital (IMAC).
IMAC established QobliQ in December last year with an investment of £7.5 million, which enabled it to acquire UK-based sports sponsorship consultancy brandRapport.
Paris-based SponsorClick France, which is part-owned by QobliQ’s chief executive officer Xavier Quattrocchi-Oubradous and chief strategy officer Roland Giscard d’Estaing, will be rebranded as brandRapport France. The acquisition will extend the business beyond its current operations in the UK and Hong Kong, and adds companies such as Cointreau and Nivea to its client list.
Founded in 2003, Nouveau Jour is regarded by QobliQ as a pioneer of experiential marketing. Its clients include Calvin Klein and Diesel, and it also owns a PR company called Red Button.
The two acquisitions were paid for with a mixture of cash and shares.
Patrick Bradley, director of Ingenious Ventures, which manages IMAC’s investments, says: ‘SponsorClick France is key to brandRapport’s international expansion plan and positioning as a global sponsorship marketing agency able to design and implement sponsorship strategies for multinationals.
‘Nouveau Jour is one of Europe’s most innovative experiential agencies, positioning QobliQ in one of the fastest growing marketing services sectors.’
