11 September 2008

Aegis Group plc

Isobar acquires US search engine marketing firm Range Online Media

Aegis Group plc ("Aegis"), the marketing communications group, today announces the acquisition of US search engine marketing ("SEM") agency, Range Online Media.  Range Online Media has gross assets of $12.0m. 

Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Range Online Media is one of the leading paid search marketing and search engine optimisation firms in the US.  Founded in 2001, it initially specialised in services to the retail and travel sectors. More recently it has expanded into the technology, luxury brands, financial services, utilities, and entertainment industries. Range Online Media's clients include Toshiba, Burberry, Aveda, Accor Hotels, Neiman Marcus and Macys.com. Following the acquisition, Range Online Media will re-brand as iProspect and form the fourth US office in the iProspect global search network.

The sixth acquisition Isobar has made in search marketing this year alone, Range Online Media increases iProspect's reach to 21 offices in 17 markets worldwide. The acquisition of Range Online Media adds considerably to iProspect's client roster in the retail sector, a key market for search marketing services. Range Online Media's clients and staff will benefit from joining iProspect's global network. 

Alongside its core SEM expertise, Range Online Media has developed proprietary technology to address, measure and monetise the rapidly growing online media, social and emerging media spaces.  These capabilities include unique site optimisation, online public relations optimisation, reputation management, advanced linking strategy and development as well as blog, podcast and video optimisation.

Commenting on the acquisition, Robert Lerwill, ceo of Aegis, said:

"Demand for specialist search expertise is growing at around 25% a year. As a result, no business can ignore the importance of search to a marketing campaign: optimising both paid and organic techniques is key. Range Online Media gives us a significant boost in the retail sector in the US and a fourth office in the region. It also brings enviable tools and technology designed to measure the growing social media space, which we can leverage across the entire iProspect global network."

For further information contact:

Charlotte Elston / Hannah Bailey

Aegis Group plc

+44 (0) 20 7070 7708 / 7725

Charles Palmer

Financial Dynamics

+44 (0) 20 7831 3113

More on iProspect

iProspect was founded in the US in 1996 as a search business with a unique bidding technology for search engine marketing keywords. Acquired by Aegis Media's Isobar in 2004, iProspect is now probably the most sophisticated search specialist in the world - ranked number one by Forrester among others.

In 2007 Isobar began to create a global iProspect network, rolling out into the Nordics, Holland, Hungary, France, Spain and Belgium in Europe and Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore in Asia.  The iProspect network has 21 dedicated offices in 17 countries around the world.

More on Isobar

Launched as a digital division of Aegis Media in May 2003, Isobar is the world's largest digital marketing network and is uniquely structured for an interconnected digital world. Isobar provides the vision, infrastructure, tools and processes that link a network of some of the very best digital agencies in the world - all fully owned and driven by a clear vision of the future business world. Isobar celebrates diversity, creating competitive advantage through creativity, collaborative innovation and agility. Through its global network of 104 offices in 38 markets, Isobar services include strategy and consulting, online advertising and media, web site build, paid and organic search, social and viral marketing, mobile and CRM. Isobar has 3,500 people, online billings of nearly $2 billion and has won more creative awards in the last 2 years than any other digital network. Nigel Morris is the CEO of Isobar. 

For more information, please visit http://www.isobar.net.

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