Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired Digital Evolution Group (DEG), a provider of data-driven marketing, commerce and collaboration solutions in the U.S. market. DEG will join global agency Isobar, creating a shop called “DEG, Linked by Isobar.” Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
This strategic acquisition supports Dentsu Aegis Network’s continued growth strategy for the U.S. and Isobar’s commitment to delivering experience-led transformation. By joining the Dentsu Aegis Network, DEG will enhance Isobar’s ability to deliver end-to-end commerce solutions.
Led by Neal Sharma, Dale Hazlett, Jasvindarjit Singh, Jeff Eden and Sky Morey, DEG was founded in 1999 and is one of the fastest growing digital commerce agencies in the U.S. The firm offers a comprehensive suite of marketing and technology services that enable brands to implement and integrate e-commerce platforms with digital marketing strategy and campaigns. Headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, DEG has additional offices in Denver, Pittsburgh and Des Moines as well as a satellite office in Manila, Philippines. Its clients include Purina, AMC Theatres, Fender Guitars, Hallmark and LVMH.
Isobar is a global agency with U.S. offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Denver, Needham (Mass.), and Westport (Conn.). Billed as a shop that delivers digital transformation powered by creativity, Isobar solves complex business challenges through digital marketing, ecosystems and products, driving digital strength and brand loyalty. Isobar’s clients include Coca-Cola, adidas, Enterprise, Procter & Gamble and Philips.
Sharma serves as CEO of DEG Linked by Isobar and will report directly to Deb Boyda, CEO of Isobar US. The DEG management team will remain unchanged.
“This union,” said Boyda, “will help us better serve our client’s needs for top-shelf commerce experiences with our Salesforce and Adobe partnerships. Together with our partners, we will be a force to be reckoned with.”
Sharma stated, “Dentsu Aegis Network and Isobar’s vision for how our industry is evolving is spot-on, and combining global scale, people-based insights, and proven innovation with our existing capabilities and talents will provide an unparalleled caliber of service across the customer journey.”
Isobar global CEO Jean Lin said, “DEG shares Isobar’s focus on the fusion of creativity, strategy and technology to transform experiences and achieve real business results for our clients. The synergies between DEG’s and Isobar capabilities, and DEG’s depth of expertise in the Salesforce platform, will ensure market-leading commerce solutions for our clients in the United States and beyond.”
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More