November 12, 2018
Accenture Interactive Acquires Swedish Customer Relationship Management Firm Kaplan
Kaplan strengthens Accenture Interactive’s customer experience offerings and data-driven marketing capabilities in the Nordics
STOCKHOLM; November 12, 2018 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has acquired Stockholm-based Kaplan, a provider of data-driven customer relationship management services, that transforms customer experiences through strategic, analytical, technology, and creative solutions. The acquisition strengthens Accenture Interactive’s ability to provide customers with end-to-end experience transformation services in the Nordics.
The Nordics is a strategic growth region for Accenture Interactive, both in terms of fostering creative talent and expanding digital capabilities. The business recently announced the appointment of Adam Kerj as chief creative officer of the Nordics and the addition of talent from Swedish creative agency, The World Loves, whose business and assets it recently acquired.
Founded in 1987 by Marianne Kaplan, 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. It has an extensive track record of delivering measurable results to clients across the region, including Circle K Europe, Com Hem, SJ, Svenska Spel, and TV2 Denmark. Kaplan has offices in Stockholm and Copenhagen, and a subsidiary in Oslo. Kaplan has won numerous awards through the years, including prizes for its creative, analytical and technological abilities. Most recently, Kaplan received the 2018 award as the Adobe Marketing Cloud Partner of the year in the Nordics.
“Kaplan delivers well-regarded personalized customer experiences through a holistic approach to marketing,” said Mattias Boman, head of Accenture Interactive — Nordics. “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.”
We are excited to welcome the Kaplan leadership team
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.
“In the past few years, new technology has revolutionized marketing by making mass personalization possible,“ said Linda Hellström co- managing partner of Kaplan.
“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,” added Johan Nordenström, co-managing partner of Kaplan.
“Accenture Interactive is a new breed of agency, focused on creating and building experiences that bring together a powerful combination of strategic consulting, creative, and technology skills,” added Anatoly Roytman, head of Accenture Interactive — Europe, Africa, Middle East and Latin America.
“Accenture Interactive provides CMOs and today’s digital leaders with the tools needed to connect brand promise with brand experience. Kaplan’s ability to enable personalized customer experiences reinforces Accenture’s overall objective: to help our clients achieve better business performance through customer-driven transformation.”
Accenture Interactive has previously acquired design and innovation agency Fjord and e-commerce consultancy Brightstep. The acquisition of Kaplan brings critical mass to accelerate the marketing technology capabilities in the Nordics.
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 approximately 459,000 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. To learn more, follow us @accentureSong and visitwww.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: 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.
# # #
Contacts:
Anna Markelius
Marketing and Communications Lead
Accenture AB
+46 73 051 3452
anna.markelius@accenture.com
Alexandra Annable
Global Media Relations Manager
Accenture Interactive
+44 7918780916
alexandra.annable@accenture.com
Copyright © 2018 Accenture. All rights reserved. Accenture, its logo, and High Performance Delivered are trademarks of Accenture.