We Hear: Publicis Buys Rosetta?

By Kiran Aditham 

We’ve received a few tips over the past hour or so that Publicis has acquired Rosetta, which, if it’s the Rosetta we’re thinking of, is the Princeton, NJ-based operation that’s billed itself as “the largest independent interactive agency in the U.S.” for quite some time now. We’ve reached out to folks on both sides but have yet to hear back. Still, multiple tips from different sources in such a short window of time has us intrigued. Hopefully we’ll hear a yea or nay by day’s end but if true, at least Publicis is taking a breather from conquering Brazil for a minute.

But considering the holding company’s taste for digital agency investment as of late, such an acquisition doesn’t seem too far-fetched (maybe they’re after Rosetta’s healthcare practice?).

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Update: Well, our spies were right as usual. Publicis has acquired Rosetta (AdAge says for $575 million), which will operate as a standalone unit within Publicis Groupe and continue to be led by its founder and CEO Chris Kuenne. Says PG chairman/CEO Maurice Levy in a statement, “The acquisition of Rosetta is a key next step in our strategy to become the ‘human, all digital agency group.’ With Rosetta, we aim to enrich our digital knowledge, our capabilities in technology, marketing consulting, and digital strategy, and the creativity we offer to clients and advertisers.”

 

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