JWT Acquires Shopper Marketing Agency Lunchbox

WPP-owned marcoms group JWT has acquired US-based shopper marketing agency Lunchbox. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 1991, Lunchbox employs 70 strategists, researchers, designers and technologists at its offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Bentonville, AR and Chicago. Its unaudited revenues for the year ended 31 December 2010 were $21m, with gross assets at the same date of $10m.

Lunchbox works with retailers to create communications that influence consumers to make purchasing decisions from point-of-sale material. Its solutions can be seen online, on mobile devices and through in-store video displays, as well as in-store via retail TV networks and point-of-purchase displays.

The firm's retail strategists and insights and analytics team use shopper segmentation, information and purchase behaviour data to create programs intended to increase sales.

Its founder, former competitive skateboarder Adam Roe, and his team will now report to JWT North America CEO and Worldwide Digital Director David Eastman (pictured), while retaining the Lunchbox brand.

Roe said in a statement: 'We are now all closely measured by sales, which makes the role of shopper solutions ever more critical, yet the sale starts long before the customer ever gets to the shelf and often long before it gets to us. By joining forces, JWT and Lunchbox offer brands, retailers and shoppers an unstoppable solution from start to finish.'

WPP says that this investment supports its strategy of strengthening its capabilities in the shopper marketing sector.

Web sites: www.jwt.com and www.lbox.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.