Our CEO, Ollie, is currently out in Tokyo, visiting the marvellous Dentsu HQ. Yesterday he spoke at the seminar on the importance of Social Media within a marketing strategy, with fellow agencies of the network – 360i, IgnitionOne, mcgarrybowen, AdJug and firstborn.

Acquisition Bolsters Dentsu Network’s Offerings & Roster of Award-Winning Digital Marketing Firms

LONDON, June 2, 2011- Dentsu, the world’s #1 consolidated agency network and the world’s 5th largest marketing communications holding company*, announced today that it has acquired 100% of the share capital of Steak Group. Steak will operate under the supervision of Dentsu Network West, reporting to its London office.

Steak is a digital media company, with offices in London, New York and Melbourne. Its reputation for consumer engagement and delivering measurable results is reflected in its diverse client roster, which includes such innovative brands as Virgin Holidays, AXA, Swiftcover, Debenhams and Comparethemarket.com.

Steak currently has 94 employees and is led by Oliver Bishop, Co-founder and CEO, and Duncan Parry, Co-founder and Head of Paid Search. Seb Bishop is non-executive Chairman.

Steak was Interactive Media Awards Agency of the Year after only three years trading in 2008, and has since maintained top fifteen status in Marketing and New Media Age league tables for digital search agencies in the UK.

Jim Kelly, CEO of Dentsu Europe said, “I have followed Steak’s progress since it started in 2005, and admire enormously what Ollie and his partners have achieved. Digital media is a cornerstone of Dentsu Network West’s growth strategy. This acquisition is a great step in offering class leading digital solutions to our clients in Europe”.

Ollie Bishop said, “I’m excited about being part of Dentsu. They take digital seriously and want to be a leader in online marketing- and that’s exactly our ethos at Steak. It’s a perfect fit – we’ll continue to grow as Steak and as a major part of Dentsu in Europe. Everyone past and present at Steak Group’s companies in London, New York and Melbourne should be proud of what we’ve achieved in a short space of time – and look forward to an exciting future”.

The partnership enables Steak to both work with Dentsu’s European offices, and to offer to its clients Dentsu’s media expertise throughout Asia. Steak is currently exploring opportunities for its clients in South East Asia.

The acquisition also doubles Dentsu’s size in the UK (alongside Dentsu London and Dentsu Sports), and follows on Dentsu’s acquisition in January of the Düsseldorf based digital creative agency, Social Thinkers, further substantiating Dentsu’s commitment to digital growth and success in Europe. Jim Kelly will join the Steak board of directors along with Tim Andree, CEO of Dentsu Network West, and Executive Officer, Dentsu Inc. Seb Bishop will remain as non-executive Chairman.

Steak’s operations will continue to be run from its headquarters in Shorts Gardens, Covent Garden, London.

As part of the transaction, Beringea the private equity investor, which invested in Steak in 2007 will fully exit the business and Trevor Hope, Beringea’s Chief Investment officer will step down from Steak’s Board.

Dentsu was advised by Clarity Capital Partners and Steak by Green Square Partners.

About Dentsu Network West

Dentsu Network West is a dynamic, collaborative collective of Dentsu-owned companies in North America, Latin America, Europe and Australia, comprising 35 offices in 11 countries. Its operating companies include Dentsu-branded agencies as well as the industry’s most lauded names, such as ATTIK, 360i (on Advertising Age’s 2010 A-List), mcgarrybowen (Ad Age’s 2010 A-List, as well as their 2009 Agency of the Year), and Firstborn (on Advertising Age’s 2009 A-List). Dentsu Network West’s mission is to connect all of the future-obsessed, client-centric, entrepreneurial talent of the Network in service of its clients’ businesses. Dentsu Network West is headquartered in New York, with regional hubs in London and São Paulo.

About Steak Group

Steak Group comprises digital marketing services companies Steak UK, Steak US, Steak Australia and Minute Steak. Steak specialises in paid and natural search marketing (SEM and SEO), social media marketing, affiliate management, display advertising and digital design. Steak’s clients include Virgin Holidays, Debenhams, Swiftcover and Dixons Retail in the UK; Trump Hotels, Maxim and UStoreit in the US; and Betfair, Best Western and Thrifty in Australia. Minute Steak provides cost-effective search and social media services to smaller budget advertisers including fashion brands, online retailers and business service providers. Steak is a previous winner of the coveted Media Agency of the Year award at the Interactive Marketing and Advertising Awards, and has offices in London, New York and Melbourne.

Halloween proved to be a suitably chilling affair over here at Steak HQ featuring a pumpkin carving competition, competitive mummy-making, apple bobbing, a costume competition and some seriously scary dancing. As you can see below everyone made a massive effort, so good in fact the votes for best costume were tied, resulting in a thrilling dance off to decide the eventual winner. Even Penny the Cow joined in the fun…

Look out for Steak CEO, Oliver Bishop as Count Duckula!

Steak Social Committee

Ex- Head of Account Management UK and Ireland at Yahoo moves to Australia to head up Steak

LONDON 21 October 2010 – Steak, the digital marketing services agency, announces the appointment of Nick Gill as Managing Director of Steak Australia. Based in Melbourne, Gill will head up the full service digital agency team offering SEM, SEO and integrated digital media for their client base including Red Group Retail (Borders, Angus & Robertson, Whitcoulls), Big W, Best Western, Betfair and Thrifty. Nick will replace Martin Carlill who has worked for Steak Group (UK and Australia) for just over five years.

Nick joins from Yahoo! UK & Ireland, where he was Head of Account Management, responsible for a team of over 60, providing integrated display, search, mobile and video marketing solutions to Yahoo!’s largest advertisers, generating revenue in excess of £50 million a year.  Previously, Nick was appointed by Yahoo! Search Marketing in 2006 to lead the sales and account management team for the launch of Yahoo!’s global search advertising platform.

Born in Melbourne, Nick moved to the UK in 2001 and began his online career at QXL.com, after which, he joined Kelkoo, Europe’s leading online price comparison site, in 2003.  Kelkoo was acquired by Yahoo! For €540 million, by which time Nick had been promoted to head of Sales leading a team responsible for the management of some of the UK’s largest businesses including retailing  juggernauts Curry’s, Comet and John Lewis.

Oliver Bishop, co-founder and CEO of Steak comments, “I would like to thank Martin wholeheartedly for his dedication in running the Steak office, building our proposition in Melbourne, and his work with us in the UK.  We sincerely wish him all the best in his next venture.  We would also like to welcome Nick to Steak, he has the wealth of knowledge and experience in the digital sector which will take Steak Australia to the next stage.  We are excited that he’s joined us.”

Nick Gill, Managing Director of Steak Australia adds, “I have been fortunate to work in the UK at time when the industry was experiencing extraordinary growth and creativity, I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to return to Australia, and I’m delighted I can do this through the Steak brand; and I look forward to developing the business further.”

Recent account wins for Steak in London includes comparethemarket.com and DSGi the specialist retailing group for Currys, Dixons.co.uk and PC World.

comparethemarket.com, the insurance price comparison website, has appointed Steak to handle its natural search account with immediate effect, following a three-way pitch.  The incumbent agency was Tamar.

Mark Attwell, Associate Director, eCommerce of comparethemarket.com says, “We work with specialists in different areas of our business, and were attracted to Steak’s transparent approach and proven track record in delivering results quickly.”

Ollie Bishop, CEO and co-founder of Steak adds, “We’re excited to be working with comparethemarket.com, an iconic brand with great recognition through their comparethemeerkat.com marketing campaign.  With high awareness in this marketplace already, we will be taking their brand further by optimising their site to work better within the SEO arena, ensuring a steady flow of new visitors to their website.”

comparethemarket.com was launched in 2006 as a motor insurance comparison site, offering customers a wide range of competitively priced insurance quotes instantly online, from over 400 insurance prices. It is now the most recognised insurance price comparison website in the UK.
As well as insurance, comparethemarket.com also offers comparisons on credit cards, loans, current accounts and savings accounts.

UK web campaign in partnership with Steak highlights 10-minute boarding experience with NetJets Europe

June 18, London, UK – Europe’s leading business aviation company, NetJets Europe, today launches a new digital marketing campaign in partnership with Steak. The campaign, ‘The 10-minute Take-off’ highlights the hassle-free nature of flying with NetJets Europe, getting time-poor businesspeople from their car into the air within 10 minutes of arriving at an airport.

The campaign will see a series of display advertisements drive visitors to a dedicated microsite, including site ‘take-overs’ with the FT.com and the Wall Street Journal.

Following a year of travel disruption and commercial airline woes, NetJets Europe has enjoyed increasing interest in its services from first and business class fliers looking to maximize their productivity and escape travel headaches.

“Our research has found that our clients and prospects want nothing more than an easy and completely hassle-free experience of aviation, something that only NetJets has the scale to deliver consistently,” comments Claire Cronin, Director of Marketing at NetJets Europe. “Although we’re the world leader in private aviation, we’re still something of a ‘well-kept secret,’ and with this campaign we’re hoping to educate a wider audience about the benefits of using NetJets.”

When users click on a display ad, they will be taken to a search-optimized microsite at http://www.netjetsuk.com. The centrepiece of the site is the “10-minute take-off” – a dramatisation of the easy, hassle-free boarding experience that passengers will enjoy with NetJets. This message is contrasted with the experience of flying commercially: transfers, hassles, queues, crowds and delays.

Steak was appointed following a competitive pitch to design and produce the micro-site and online advertising assets, support the media planning and buying strategy, and handle search engine optimisation for this latest campaign.

Oliver Bishop, CEO of Steak, says, “NetJets Europe is an exciting brand, with a well defined, demanding target audience. The ‘10-minute’ campaign seeks to reach this audience in an innovative and relevant way, and deliver compelling messages about why both individuals and corporations should consider NetJets.”

This campaign was created for the UK market as a pilot. If successful, NetJets Europe will look to develop new campaigns and online materials in its other target territories in Q3 and Q4.

Interesting news today of consolidation – digital agency LBi (Lost Boys International) has merged with Obtineo, parent to search marketing specialist Bigmouthmedia (read the story on Econsultancy here).

Bigmouthmedia CEO Mark Bole said: “For the past 18 months both bigmouthmedia and LBi have seen a real shift in client sentiment in regards to agencies: clients are increasingly looking for best in class agencies with the capability to cover all aspects of the digital universe – integrating search and digital media with creative and technology supported by strong transparent measurement – and the combined expertise of both companies will put us in a strong position to meet this demand.”

I couldn’t agree more with Mark. We’ve seen exactly the same shift, although for longer than the last 18 months. Steak launched as a search agency in 2005 but within 6 months we made the decision to become a full service digital agency with integration and results at our core. This has benefited our clients enormously and Steak has become the first port of call with most of our partners. Nice to see further confirmation that we had the right idea! However the real question is what’s next for agencies to offer, or should I say what’s on clients’ agendas right now.

Ollie Bishop, Co-founder and CEO