Accenture has acquired Spanish brand communications agency Shackleton -- the latest step in Accenture Interactive's bid to disrupt and redefined the advertising agency industry. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.Shackleton, founded in 2004 and based in Madrid, Spain, has roughly 160 employees.Accenture's Anatoly RoytmanIn a prepared statement explaining the deal, Anatoly Roytman, head of Accenture Interactive – Europe, Africa, Latin America (EALA)m, said:
“The addition of Shackleton proves our commitment to fostering creative talent and expanding our capabilities globally so that we can help our clients build highly creative and effective brand experiences."
Shackleton CEO Pablo Alzugaray added:
“We’re proud to join Accenture Interactive and help to further enhance its Experience Agency model. This opportunity will provide our team and clients with global reach and the ability to better scale our customer experiences, which is essential to breaking through in today’s increasingly competitive environment.”
Accenture, meanwhile, expects to spend about $1.5 billion on acquisitions in 2019 -- focusing heavily on digital, cloud and cybersecurity opportunities. Recent digital- and agency-focused acquisitions include:
Droga5, a New York-based creative agency and advertising firm.
Storm Digital, a digital marketing agency in the Netherlands
The acquisition strategy appears to be treating Accenture well. The company delivered stronger-than-expected financial results for its Q2 of fiscal 2019. Among the highlights: Revenue grew 5 percent to $10.5 billion, and net income was $1.14 billion, up from $919.5 million, according to the March 2019 announcement.
Joe Panettieri is co-founder & editorial director of MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E, the two leading news & analysis sites for managed service providers in the cybersecurity market.
The deal marks Katalyst’s first acquisition since partnering with e4n and adds managed services, cloud and security capabilities in the Research Triangle.
