It's not only Down Under that multinational consulting firm Accenture is beefing up its stable with creative and digital outfits, as the firm has just acquired creative tech studio Chaotic Moon.
In order to continue to grow its digital design and innovation capabilities, it has bought the Austin-based studio known for its bold, innovative design and technology. It will join Accenture Interactive – the company's digital marketing outfit.
Chaotic Moon is the latest move Accenture has made to rapidly scale Accenture Interactive’s end-to-end digital experience, marketing, content and commerce services for brands globally. They will join forces with Fjord, the design and innovation arm of Accenture Interactive.
Chaotic Moon creates and develops user-centered experiences for brands, which Accenture Digital says will strengthen its suite of marketing and digital services provided by Accenture Interactive. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
While it may not have a direct impact here in Australia, it signals the behemoth's intentions when it comes to taking a bigger slice of the creative and digital pie. Accenture Interactive ANZ, which is part of Accenture Digital and typically focuses on the C-suite, reinforced its intentions locally by buying service design agency Fjord in July last year.
Not long after it then acquired Melbourne-based digital agency Reactive.
At the time, Michael Buckley, managing director of Accenture Interactive ANZ, said the Reactive acquisition was the final part in Accenture’s ability to provide clients with the full end-to-end capabilities.
“We are responding to a demand from the market for a design and customer lead approach delivered at scale,” Buckley said.
AdNews has previously reported on consultants moving in on agency business, and viceversa, but consultancies have shrugged off agency suggestions that they in tern are after some of their strategy work.
Accenture Interactive said the new US acquisition now provides it with expanded rapid prototyping and creative technology capabilities, as well as a regional foothold in the “talent-rich Texas market”.
Senior managing director at Accenture Interactive, Brian Whipple, said together both parties will work to fulfil its ambition at Accenture Interactive to be a market leader in “experience design, marketing, content and commerce for the world’s biggest brands”.
“We’re delighted to bring all of the talented and creative people of Chaotic Moon to Accenture Interactive to help us keep pace with the growing demand for our digital design and innovation services,” he said.
Earlier this month, Accenture acquired PacificLink Group, an independent set of full service digital agencies in Hong Kong. Prior to that, it acquired Brightstep, a Swedish provider of digital content and commerce solutions. In May, it opened the Accenture Interactive Innovation Center in Sophia Antipolis, France, which provides brands an environment to experience the impact of social media and artificial intelligence on customer service, marketing campaigns and the entire customer experience.
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