Wunderman Buys Digital Agency ZAAZ

WPP-owned Wunderman has acquired interactive agency ZAAZ, which specializes in creative and Web analytics consulting, for an undisclosed sum.

Founded eight years ago, ZAAZ offers services including Web strategy, design, analysis, search engine marketing and optimization. Clients have included Alcoa, Converse, Expedia, Microsoft and Qwest. The company reported revenues of $9.2 million last year.

Wunderman will seek to integrate the firm’s digital expertise with its regional offices around the world.

“It’s a really interesting match when you look at our ability to do behavior [analysis] compared with their position as a relationship marketing powerhouse,” Shane Atchison, CEO of ZAAZ, told ClickZ News.

Atchison said ZAZZ hired an investment banker after receiving an offer for the business last fall, and ultimately settled on Wunderman for synergistic reasons. “This was by far the most compelling option, mainly because of the strategic benefits of connecting the two companies,” he said.

In a statement, Wunderman Chairman and CEO Daniel Morel said the acquisition was driven by his company’s need to make data more valuable and action-oriented.

“Success in the digital world requires marketers to capture the right data from the Web. That, however, is the relatively easy part,” he said. “The greater challenge is in understanding exactly how to transform the wealth of data into meaningful insights and create actionable marketing plans — that’s where ZAAZ stands out from other interactive agencies and provides tremendous value to its clients.”

Wunderman’s other digital holdings include VML, data services firm KnowledgeBase Marketing and online CRM specialist Bridge Worldwide, acquired late last year.

Two ZAAZ executives, Shane Atchison and Jason Burby, write columns for ClickZ.