Accenture buys Karmarama
Accenture has acquired one of the UK’s largest independent creative agencies Karmarama, which owns Kaper, for an undisclosed sum.
Notable Karmarama clients include the BBC, Confused.com, Honda, Just Eat and Unilever
Based in London, Karmarama was founded in 2000 and received backing from Phoenix Equity Partners in 2011. With a 250-strong team made up of creatives, digital strategists and data practitioners, as well as the Kaper team, notable clients include the BBC, Confused.com, Honda, Just Eat and Unilever.
In 2010 the agency hired former Shine Communications director, Chris McCafferty to launch its PR arm, Kaper. This year, client wins for Kaper have included IKEA, Cancer Research UK and New Scientist.
Karmarama is the latest in a series of acquisitions Accenture has made. In April this year, Accenture acquired a majority stake in IMJ Corporation (IMJ), a full-service digital agency in Japan. Prior to that, Accenture bought AD.Dialeto, an independent Brazilian digital agency; Pacific Link, a set of independent digital agencies serving Hong Kong and Greater China; Chaotic Moon, an Austin, Texas-based creative technology studio; and Brightstep, a Swedish provider of digital content and commerce solutions.
Accenture said the acquisition of Karmarama would strengthen the capability of Accenture Interactive, part of Accenture Digital, to create and deliver integrated customer experiences to brands. It also will contribute to “the growth of Accenture Interactive’s UK team of marketing professionals and creatives.”
Ben Bilboul, CEO at Karmarama, said: “As part of Accenture Interactive, we will dramatically enhance our ability to offer best-in-class creativity and digital delivery. We look forward to extending our creative ideas across the entire customer experience, offering clients consistent and connected creativity.”
Brian Whipple, head of Accenture Interactive, said: “Acquiring a creative agency in London, where some of the world’s most iconic creative work is produced, will help us reshape how brands imagine, create, and deliver customer experiences.
“Karmarama will become part of the world’s largest digital agency, expanding our global capabilities across experience, marketing, content and commerce with excellence in creative and mobile. This will contribute to further differentiate Accenture Interactive as a new breed of agency – experience architects – which helps brands connect disconnected experiences and shares accountability with clients for their business outcomes.”