e.wire - the monthly news bulletin from WPP

	No. 109 - March 2008 www.wpp.com

Welcome to e.wire, WPP's public monthly round-up of news and initiatives from across our worldwide network. WPP people can also access the full version on the Group intranet. If you can't see this news bulletin properly, you can also view it here

News highlights

WPP 2007 Preliminary Results
• Billings up over 5% to £31.7 billion
• Revenue up almost 5% to £6.186 billion
• Constant currency revenue up over 8%
• Like-for-like revenue up 5%

WPP Digital acquires stake in NuConomy, an innovative web analytics company
WPP Digital, the digital investment arm of WPP, has acquired a stake in NuConomy, an innovative next-generation web-analytics company. Founded in 2006 in Israel, NuConomy enables businesses to go beyond the information typically provided by web-analytics tools to provide unparalleled visability into online user behaviour. NuConomy is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California with R&D offices in Israel. This investment builds on recent investments in Invidi, IMMI, VideoEgg, Visible Technologies and Spot Runner.

WPP takes majority stake in Middle East venture, Team Group
WPP has acquired a majority stake in Team Y&R Holdings, the holding company for a group of companies, known as Team Group, in which WPP has held a minority stake since 1999 and which operates in the Middle East and North Africa. Team Group has significant operations in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Kuwait, Morocco, Jordan, Qatar and Oman and employs over 1,200 people. Major clients include Emaar, Etisalat, Ford, Microsoft, Sony Ericsson and Visa.

GroupM acquires viral/social media company, LaComunidad in The Netherlands
GroupM has acquired LaComunidad, a leading Dutch interactive agency. LaComunidad specialises in viral and social media campaigns, and has developed the viral tracking technology ViralTracker. LaComunidad was established in 2003 to manage the development and distribution of interactive communications through community activation, word-of-mouth and viral marketing. LaComunidad clients include Univé, Colgate Palmolive, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Heineken and Wilkinson.

New business

OgilvyOne wins Sears Holdings Corporation

MediaCom wins Axel Springer in Germany and NSW Government in Australia

JWT Beijing wins Red Bull

The Brand Union appointed Vattenfall's global lead agency

New offers

Hill & Knowlton Asia Pacific launches Change & Internal Communications offering
Hill & Knowlton has launched a Change & Internal Communications offering in Asia Pacific to meet growing demand from clients in the region. Contact Glenn Schloss, +852 2894 6328.

Kinetic moves into mobile marketing
Kinetic Worldwide, WPP's out-of-home media agency, has expanded its business into mobile marketing services with the launch of Kinetic Mobile in the UK and US markets. Kinetic Mobile will offer advertisers and media agencies the full range of mobile marketing services as well as planning and buying across all major mobile media properties. Kinetic Mobile will operate from London and New York. Contact Alex Hankinson +44 207 612 1160.

Grey Madrid launches digital division
Grey Madrid launches a digital division strengthening its 360° communications capabilities. Contact Fredy Urena, furena@grey.com

People

Ann Nurock appointed President & CEO, Grey Canada

Y&R Toronto hires David Houghton as Creative Director

Marc Fleishhacker joins Ogilvy New York as MD Marketing Technology Consulting Practice

Tom Wan named Vice President of OgilvyOne China

Awards

Ogilvy, JWT and MindShare win at the inaugural World Effie Festival in Singapore

Landor named Design Agency of the Year by Marketing magazine in the UK

DigiMarketing: The Essential Guide to New Media and Digital Marketing

by Kent Wertime
& Ian Fenwick
Developments in media and digital technology have spawned a new era in marketing. Today, companies of all sizes need to consider new, digital ways to reach and interact with consumers. As a result, user-generated content, social networking and other forms of digital marketing such as search, blogging, and behavioral targeting are must-know topics.

DigiMarketing: The Essential Guide to New Media & Digital Marketing provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the major digital channels being used. This includes explanations of the key trends in mobile marketing, blogging, games, digital media, digital point-of-sale, Web 2.0, and consumer created content.

Bands and Brands

by brandamp
Bands and Brands is a major new investigation into the world of music and marketing. If you're interested in the business of bringing brands and artists together to create something mutually beneficial, it may be exactly what you've been waiting for.

The book itself is the culmination of many months of enquiry, involving academics, industry experts and hundreds of consumers.

We've uncovered some fascinating insights into what makes music such a potent weapon for brands, and we've also looked at how brands can make excellent partners for artists. It's a snapshot of the marketplace, as well as a window into its potential future.

Bands and Brands is also, in many ways, a rallying call to both the music and marketing industries. Whichever side of the fence you're on, you should find it illuminating.