Accenture Buys Swedish Marketing Firm

Solutions giant Accenture has acquired a data-driven marketing company in Stockholm, one of several recent European acquisitions for the company, and a boost to its Nordic presence.

Kaplan is a customer relationship management service that transforms customer experiences through strategic, analytical, technology, and creative solutions, Accenture said in a statement. The acquisition strengthens Accenture Interactive’s ability to provide customers with end-to-end experience transformation services in the Nordics.

“Kaplan delivers well-regarded personalized customer experiences through a holistic approach to marketing,” Mattias Boman, head of Accenture Interactive – Nordics, said in a statement. “It has the ability to turn a deep level of customer insights and data into relevant and targeted experiences that deliver value to clients. Combining this with the commerce and creative services of Accenture Interactive will help us continue to build the experience agency of the future.”

[RELATED: Accenture Continues Acquisition Binge With Intrigo Systems Purchase]

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Nordics, Accenture said, is a strategic growth region for Accenture Interactive, where it hopes to foster creative talent and expand its digital capabilities, the company said. On Oct. 1, Accenutre bought Swedish creative agency, The World Loves, whose business has wide-ranging expertise within communications for clients, which include Swedish bank SEB, payment solution company Swish, gaming company Svenska Spel and Weight Watchers.

Accenture is not the only tech company eyeing expansions the Nordic region.

In September, Infosys unveiled a plan to acquire a Salesforce Platinum partner Fluido in Espoo, Finland that will give the company a dominating presence in that region.

Founded in 1987, Kaplan specializes in the creation and operation of marketing technology platforms and touchpoints, from marketing automation processes and customer relationship communications, to advanced analytics and strategic frameworks, Accenutre said. It has an extensive track record of delivering measurable results to clients that include Circle K Europe, Com Hem, SJ, Svenska Spel, and TV2 Denmark.

Kaplan received the 2018 award as the Adobe Marketing Cloud Partner of the year in the Nordics.

“Kaplan has experienced strong growth over the last few years, and we are proud to take this next step in our journey together with Accenture Interactive,” Johan Nordenström, co-managing partner of Kaplan, said in a statement.

In becoming part of Accenture Interactive, Kaplan gains access to a scalable set of capabilities across design and innovation, content, marketing and commerce, and the ability to take advantage of Accenture Interactive’s deep industry experience and global scale, the company said in a statement.

Accenture Interactive has previously acquired design and innovation agency Fjord and e-commerce consultancy Brightstep. The acquisition of Kaplan accelerates its marketing technology capabilities in the Nordics.

The company has been quickly deepening its European talent pool through acquisition.

In November, Accenture announced it planned to buy Kolle Rebbe, a Hamburg-based design agency that will become part of Accenture Interactive and strengthen its ability to create and deliver integrated brand experiences for customers in Germany and across other geographies. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval but is expected to be completed soon.

Kolle Rebbe is Accenture’s third recent acquisition in Germany. In January 2018, Accenture Interactive acquired Mackevision, a leading producer of computer-generated imagery and immersive content. In June 2018, Accenture acquired strategic design consultancy designaffairs to join its Industry X.0 team.

In 2017, Accenture Interactive acquired a majority stake in digital agency SinnerSchrader.