JWT eyes online, allied marketing service buys

WPP group company JWT is scouting for acquisitions in online and allied marketing services in the country.

"Digital and mobile communication are priority areas for the agency in 2007. The agency is definitely exploring acquisitions in these spaces," said Bob Jeffrey, chairman and CEO (worldwide), JWT.

Jeffrey said post-acquisition the acquired entity would be merged with JWT and not function as a separate outfit.

This is in line with the agency's global practice, where its digital creative head also contributes to non-digital creative solutions, he added. On another front, this also satisfies rising employee expectations of not being restricted to their domain expertise.

Colvyn J Harris, CEO, JWT India said the agency was in the process of identifying acquisition targets. He declined to give further details.

To tackle the issue of talent management and retention, JWT has also set up a high performers group from where 40 high performers (three from India) were chosen for a mentoring exercise and offered challenging assignments. Both the high performers and their mentors need not be from the same country.

Jeffrey said JWT worldwide had been showing results in its renewed focus as a creative agency in the last one year "� 35 lions at the acclaimed Cannes ad festival this year compared to 17 two years back.