WPP acquires Latin American comms agency

Following the deal’s completion, JeffreyGroup will join WPP’s communications branch Hill+Knowlton Strategies and will double its presence across Latin America.

JeffreyGroup, which is headquartered in Miami, US, has 330 staff across offices in Mexico City, Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Buenos Aires and has run for more than 30 years.

The acquisition follows similar deals by WPP in recent months, including for Newcraft, Corebiz, Bower House Digital and Village Marketing.

Mark Read, chief executive at WPP, said: “Our clients want agile partners who can help them navigate today’s complex world and create the right spaces to tell their stories.

“Latin America continues to be an important growth market for our clients, and JeffreyGroup will strengthen our established presence in the region and bring deep-rooted experience of delivering tailored communications strategies that resonate with audiences.”

AnnaMaria DeSalva, global chairman and chief executive at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, said: “I’ve admired JeffreyGroup since my early days as one of its clients, and I’m delighted to welcome it and its employees into the Hill+Knowlton and WPP families.

“Latin America is one of the most dynamic communication markets today, offering a growing scope of talent and innovation. Our combination with JeffreyGroup creates step change opportunities and I’m excited about what we’ll be able to achieve together.”

Jeffrey Sharlach, founder and chairman at JeffreyGroup, said: “The success of JeffreyGroup over the past 30 years in Latin America has been due in large part to our ability to evolve and adapt in a dynamic region of the world with diverse conditions, customs, and cultures.

“Joining forces with WPP and Hill+Knowlton is an exciting step forward in this evolution and opens up a world of resources for our clients and opportunities for our hundreds of employees.”