Avanade acquires digital agency Loud&Clear
The digital lovechild of Accenture and Microsoft, Avanade, has purchased Melbourne-based Loud&Clear. The move comes amid an era of consulting firms encroaching further into the creative agency space to bolster innovation and digital capabilities. With Loud&Clear joining the Avanade ranks, the acquirer plans to create its first digital innovation studio in the Asia Pacific.
Formed in 2009, Loud&Clear is an enterprise-focused technology agency and was Australia’s largest independent agency. The firm uses everything from innovation to automation and custom software development to create genuine and influential user digital experiences. Loud&Clear has partnered with heavyweights Google and Acquia and has Sitecore credentials – a huge drawcard for Avanade, as the firm’s work has previously taken home the Sitecore 'Site of the Year' award.
“Our unique way of working - with cross-functional squads delivering Experience Design, Strategy and Development at high velocity - will underpin continued growth with the scale and reach of Avanade,” said Loud&Clear’s Chief Operations Officer Luke Evans.
The acquired agency has grown at roughly 300% over the past couple of years. As a part of Avanade’s digital innovation studio, they will have the scale and the capabilities to deliver a broader range of digital thinking.
“We are very proud of the company that we’ve built with Loud&Clear,” said Ben Beath, Managing Director and co-founder. “This is absolutely the right time for us to join Avanade to achieve even greater success working on a regional and international scale. It’s an exciting time for both companies.”
Avanade has shown its cards in the acquisition, hinting towards its strategy and entry into the digital agency realm. The move is in line with majority owner Accenture’s own growth strategy – the digital consulting firm has purchased nearly $100 million worth of agencies in the past year – and is in trend with the greater industry as a whole.
Having launched Accenture Interactive’s programmatic digital ad-buying service in Australia earlier this year, the gap between traditional agencies and consultancies is closing. In 2018 alone, Accenture has acquired multiple creative, marketing and advertising agencies, including MXM in North America, Karmarama in the UK, and The Monkeys and Maud in Australia.
“Loud&Clear’s digital expertise combined with the agility of their agency approach will enable us to bring the ‘art of the possible’ to our clients as they look to transform in the digital world,” said Anna Di Silverio, Avanade Growth Markets Area President. “We share a similar culture of innovation as well as the experience and expertise required to deliver the best customer and employee experiences, digital marketing, ecommerce and digital advisory solutions for our clients.”
