Blast Radius aims to extend its reach after acquisition by UK’s WPP
Another specialist in online marketing has been swallowed up by a traditional advertising and marketing firm looking to beef up its Internet expertise. In this case, it was WPP, a UK-based firm with £5.9 billion (US$12 billion) in revenue in 2006, buying Vancouver-based Blast Radius, which provides online marketing and web site development services. The purchase price was not disclosed.
Blast Radius will operate as part of WPP’s Wunderman network of marketing companies, opening up broader opportunities to serve multinational companies, says Blast Radius president and CEO Gurval Caer. “Now we can say we have a partner in Asia, Latin America, parts of Europe where we’re not today,” Caer says. “That puts us in the proper league and helps us be the global partner that these global brands expect more and more.” Blast Radius, which was incorporated in 1997, today does 85% of its business in North America and 15% in Europe.
Besides providing interactive marketing services, Blast Radius has helped develop web sites for about 20 retailers, including Indigo Books & Music Inc., No. 140 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, and J&R Electronics Inc., No. 97. Caer says the company tries to identify “an unmet need” and help retailer clients use their sites to provide value to customers beyond just good products at the right price.
For example, bookseller Indigo recognized it could not compete head on with the Internet’s top book-selling site, Amazon.com, Caer says. Blast Radius helped it redesign its chapters.indigo.ca site to encourage customers to join books groups and participate in events at Indigo bookstores, taking advantage of the stores that Amazon lacks. “The mission is to try to bring in the offline experience, so when you connect with people who have shared interests online you can participate in events in the stores and meet new people and learn about new books and authors,” Caer says.
Blast Radius had revenue of $43 million in 2006, and has 400 employees and offices in Vancouver, San Francisco, New York, Toronto, Amsterdam and London. The Blast Radius team will remain intact and the company will retain the Blast Radius name that emerged out of the heated discussions that took place as the company was being formed.
Back...
