Dentsu Aegis Network launches global lifestyle marketing agency MKTG in Canada with acquisition of S&E Sponsorship Group

Acquisition further bolsters Dentsu Aegis’ offering in the market with first-class experiential, activation and sports management consulting services 

TORONTO – Dentsu Aegis Network today announced the acquisition of S&E Sponsorship Group Inc., the leading Canadian independent sponsorship consultancy focusing on the sports and entertainment industries.S&E Sponsorship Group will be fully integrated into MKTG, Dentsu Aegis Network’s global lifestyle marketing agency, firmly positioning the group as a leader in Canada in sports & entertainment sponsorship and activation.

As the sports and entertainment sponsorship market continues to grow and evolve in the coming years in Canada, this acquisition is of strategic relevance for Dentsu Aegis Network as it continues delivering superior value propositions to clients in the market.

“We are building an entirely new brand experience offering with the launch of MKTG, which reflects our commitment to always being at the forefront of new business opportunities for our clients,” said Annette Warring, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network Canada. “Sports and entertainment sponsorship and brand activation are one of the most authentic and influential experiences we can offer to our clients’ consumers. We will now do so with best-in-class solutions from the leading player in Canada, S&E. We look forward to working with the entire team who will perfectly complement our network of talented experts to drive forward pioneering work.”

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Toronto, S&E Sponsorship Group provides a comprehensive suite of insight-driven sponsorship solutions, from strategic consulting to activation. With a strong team of over 30 experts, the agency serves a variety of top brands, including Scotiabank, Canadian Tire, Sport Chek, Boston Pizza, and Molson Coors. The agency will be aligned into the MKTG network, further extending its global footprint and entering the Canadian market for the first time. Since joining Dentsu Aegis Network in August 2014, MKTG has grown from primarily a US-based agency with long-standing clients including Diageo, Google and Apple/Beats by Dre, to an international network brand now present in 20 countries with over 1,400 specialists.

Following this acquisition, Brian Cooper, President and CEO of S&E Sponsorship Group, will report to Annette Warring. He will continue to lead his successful team as CEO of MKTG Canada, together with business partners Matthew Logue, COO, and Cori Woolley, SVP. Brian Cooper is regarded as one of Canada’s leading sponsorship experts with more than 30 years of experience. Prior to S&E, he was the founder of Insight Sports Ltd, former VP of Operations and Business Development at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment - where he was part of a leadership team that launched the Toronto Raptors brand in Canada -and President of the Toronto Argonauts.

"We are thrilled to join the Dentsu Aegis Network family and launch MKTG in Canada,” said Brian Cooper. “We believe there are strong synergies between our vision and approaches, and also opportunities to grow further our offering in sponsorship and activation to lead and accelerate the evolution of these capabilities in the market.”

“Given the significant growth of the sports and entertainment sponsorship market in Canada, as well as the innovative marketing campaigns that brands are embracing locally, having a significant footprint in Canada was a priority for us, but only with the right partner,” said Charlie Horsey, CEO MKTG USA and Global Brand President. “Upon meeting with Brian, Matt, Cori and the team at S&E, we knew that we found the perfect partner both from a cultural and business perspective. We are thrilled to welcome the S&E team to MKTG and look forward to helping grow this important capability as well as give the S&E team the opportunity to leverage and collaborate with our global network of experts and resources.”

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

S&E Sponsorship Group was represented by investment bank Petsky Prunier Securities LLC.

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For further information contact:

Claudia Gervais
Director of Communications
T: 514.284.8465
E: claudia.gervais@dentsuaegis.com

Notes to Editors:

About Dentsu Aegis Network

Part of Dentsu Inc., Dentsu Aegis Network is made up of ten global network brands - Carat, Dentsu, Dentsu media, iProspect, Isobar, mcgarrybowen, Merkle, MKTG, Posterscope and Vizeum and supported by its specialist/multi-market brands. Dentsu Aegis Network is Innovating the Way Brands Are Built for its clients through its best-in-class expertise and capabilities in media, digital and creative communications services. Offering a distinctive and innovative range of products and services, Dentsu Aegis Network is headquartered in London and operates in 145 countries worldwide with around 35,000 dedicated specialists. www.dentsuaegisnetwork.com

About MKTG
MKTG, part of the Dentsu Aegis Network, is a global lifestyle marketing agency that specialises in delivering strategic, business-oriented marketing solutions for leading brands via sport and entertainment, live experiences, retail marketing, enterprise/B2B engagement and sponsorship marketing. We are committed to constantly evolving, refining and inventing innovative brand engagements through deeper understanding of how people think, work and live their lives. Headquartered in New York City, we have more than 1,400 employees and 7,000 Brand Ambassadors operating in 20 countries across the Americas, EMEA and APAC.