Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) has sold R/GA, the creative innovation company, to Truelink Capital, a private equity firm with a track record of investing in tech-enabled services. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The move thus marks R/GA’s return to independence as a privately owned company after 23 years as part of IPG. R/GA’s global management team and Truelink Capital have formed an indie partnership. R/GA’s global CEO Robin Forbes and chair & global chief creative officer Tiffany Rolfe are two of the global leaders, together with others, who are investing in the company as part of the deal. R/GA’s next chapter will be fueled out of the gate by a $50M Innovation Fund, enabling the company to invest in new skillsets and talent, and acquire new capabilities, emerging tools and platforms. Additionally, R/GA has established a Strategic Advisory Council of senior marketing and technology executives to support emerging AI client transformation opportunities across multiple sectors.
As an independent company, R/GA is activating an AI-enabled model to better serve clients, unburdened by the restrictions and overheads of traditional corporate structures. New remuneration models based on outcomes, agile new team structures, and scaling up its flexible talent model “R/GA Associates,” are among the initial changes being implemented.
“Today is a landmark moment for R/GA, as we enter an exciting new chapter as a private company supported by our new partners at Truelink Capital. This announcement also signals a stark contrast to a wider trend towards consolidation in the agency business. Most agencies will struggle to make the pivot in this new age, especially at a time when they’re operating within complex agency structures, saddled with legacy business models,” said Forbes. “There’s never been a better time and there is no better company than R/GA to implement a new model for this new environment.”
Rolfe stated, “At R/GA change is a feature, not a bug, and we believe in the power of brands to transform–which is what we do for clients, and now we’re doing it for ourselves. The dominant industry narrative around AI has focused largely on efficiency gains in the traditional marketing approach, which is only part of the equation. We are leaning into the creative potential to help brands differentiate themselves and exceed rising customer expectations through new kinds of intelligent experiences that haven’t been possible before. To us, it’s an opportunity to accelerate our world-class creative work through technology and design.”
“We see the growth of AI enabled experiences playing an increasingly important role in unlocking value in marketing services,” said Luke Myers, co-founder & managing partner at Truelink Capital. “R/GA is both designed and perfectly positioned to help seize that new opportunity for clients. Which is why we’re so excited to back R/GA’s global leadership team through our strategic investment.”
Truelink has earmarked a minimum of $50M to R/GA’s Innovation Fund to enable the company to further build generative technology capabilities that will unlock new growth opportunities for brands. R/GA also plans to leverage this Fund to invest in new kinds of skillsets, talent, product development and future acquisitions. R/GA’s newly established Strategic Advisory Council brings together a select group of high-profile experienced external perspectives across specific sectors to help support transformation opportunities with the greatest returns for clients.
This sale marks another milestone in R/GA’s well known history of reinvention. Throughout its 48 years the company has continuously iterated and evolved its own business model alongside the biggest technology shifts, previously under founder Bob Greenberg, and now once again as it enters a new era. R/GA plans to make further people and capability announcements linked to its new Innovation Fund and Advisory Council in the coming months.
From IPG’s perspective, its CEO Philippe Krakowsky stated, “This strategic move allows Interpublic to further sharpen our focus on our core strategic offerings. We wish all the great people at R/GA the best of luck going forward.”
Houlihan Lokey, Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC acted as financial advisors and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP provided legal representation to IPG and R/GA.
