March 05, 2019
Accenture Interactive to Strengthen Creative Capabilities by Acquiring Hjaltelin Stahl
Acquisition of Leading Danish Creative Agency Will Help Accenture Interactive Create a Full-Service Experience Agency in Nordics Region
COPENHAGEN, March 5, 2019 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has entered into an agreement to acquire Hjaltelin Stahl, a leading Danish creative agency, known for its ability to create unique and consistent cross-media experiences for its clients. The award-winning Copenhagen-based agency will become part of Accenture Interactive and boost its capabilities as an Experience Agency in the Nordic countries and beyond.
Hjaltelin Stahl, founded in 2003, is one of Denmark’s largest independent agencies by revenue and was voted the best agency in Denmark in 2019 for the fourth consecutive year by 750+ marketing leaders in the annual MyImage survey. Hjaltelin Stahl creates cross-channel branding campaigns and digital experiences for brands such as Arla, COOP, IKEA, Suzuki and Telia. The agency employs approximately 150 creatives, visual designers, producers, technologists and communication consultants specializing in advertising, branding, film production, social and marketing automation.
“Experience is the battleground,” says Anatoly Roytman, head of Accenture Interactive Europe, Africa and Latin America. “To win in today’s market, brands must offer experiences that create value across every interaction throughout the customer journey. The addition of Hjaltelin Stahl proves that the Nordics is a strategic growth region for Accenture Interactive, both in terms of fostering creative talent and expanding digital capabilities as the leading Experience Agency.”
Accenture Interactive recently announced the addition of talent from Swedish creative agency, The World Loves, and the acquisition of Kaplan. Accenture Interactive ranks as the world’s largest digital agency, according to Ad Age.
“Hjaltelin Stahl has always created communication and customer experiences under the tagline ‘Logic & Magic in Any Media.’ Accenture Interactive has the same beliefs but at global scale,” said Nicolai Stahl, creative director and partner, Hjaltelin Stahl.
Steffen Hjaltelin, chairman and partner of Hjaltelin Stahl, commented: “We have known for some time, that if we were to join anyone it would be Accenture Interactive. We each represent complementary skills and cultures that, together, will help us create even greater customer experiences.”
“With the addition of Hjaltelin Stahl to Accenture Interactive we will significantly strengthen our ability to design, build and run the greatest customer experiences for our clients in Denmark and beyond,” says Christian Dam, managing director of Accenture Interactive for Denmark. “Hjaltelin Stahl’s team and their proven capabilities will perfectly complement and enhance our presence in Denmark and other Nordic countries.”
In becoming part of Accenture Interactive, Hjaltelin Stahl will gain access to a scalable set of capabilities across design and innovation, content, marketing, and commerce experience platforms, and the ability to take advantage of Accenture Interactive’s deep industry experience and global scale.
Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions — underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network — Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With 469,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.
Accenture Interactive helps the world’s leading brands transform their customer experiences across the entire customer journey. Through our connected offerings in design, marketing, content and commerce, we create new ways to win in today’s experience-led economy. Accenture Interactive is ranked the world’s largest digital agency in the latest Ad Age Agency Report, for the third year in a row, and was named a 2019 Most Innovative Company in Advertising by Fast Company. To learn more, follow us @accentureSong and visit www.accentureinteractive.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “likely,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “positioned,” “outlook” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These include, without limitation, risks that: Accenture and Hjaltelin Stahl will not be able to close the transaction in the time period anticipated, or at all, which is dependent on the parties’ ability to satisfy certain closing conditions; the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for Accenture; Accenture’s results of operations could be adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company’s clients’ businesses and levels of business activity; Accenture’s business depends on generating and maintaining ongoing, profitable client demand for the company’s services and solutions including through the adaptation and expansion of its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings, and a significant reduction in such demand or an inability to respond to the changing technological environment could materially affect the company’s results of operations; if Accenture is unable to keep its supply of skills and resources in balance with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company’s business, the utilization rate of the company’s professionals and the company’s results of operations may be materially adversely affected; Accenture could face legal, reputational and financial risks if the company fails to protect client and/or company data from security breaches or cyberattacks; the markets in which Accenture operates are highly competitive, and Accenture might not be able to compete effectively; changes in Accenture’s level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in tax laws or in their interpretation or enforcement, could have a material adverse effect on the company’s effective tax rate, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition; Accenture’s profitability could materially suffer if the company is unable to obtain favorable pricing for its services and solutions, if the company is unable to remain competitive, if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful or if it experiences delivery inefficiencies; Accenture’s results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; as a result of Accenture’s geographically diverse operations and its growth strategy to continue geographic expansion, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; Accenture’s business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; Accenture’s work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; if Accenture is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; if Accenture does not successfully manage and develop its relationships with key alliance partners or fails to anticipate and establish new alliances in new technologies, the company’s results of operations could be adversely affected; Accenture’s ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; Accenture might not be successful at acquiring, investing in or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; if Accenture is unable to protect its intellectual property rights or if Accenture’s services or solutions infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company loses its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others, its business could be adversely affected; changes to accounting standards or in the estimates and assumptions Accenture makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; many of Accenture’s contracts include payments that link some of its fees to the attainment of performance or business targets and/or require the company to meet specific service levels, which could increase the variability of the company’s revenues and impact its margins; Accenture’s results of operations and share price could be adversely affected if it is unable to maintain effective internal controls; Accenture might be unable to access additional capital on favorable terms or at all and if the company raises equity capital, it may dilute its shareholders’ ownership interest in the company; Accenture may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the “Risk Factors” heading in Accenture plc’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture’s expectations.
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Contact:
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Accenture
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