Sorrell's S4 Buys Amazon Agency Orca Pacific

Sir Martin Sorrell's digital advertising and marketing services company S4 Capital has acquired Orca Pacific, a full-service marketing agency which manages consumer brands' relationships with online retail giant Amazon. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Seattle, Washington-based Orca Pacific was founded in 2007 by John Ghiorso (pictured) with the aim of improving the Amazon customer journey. His team of more than 40 former 'Amazonians' and retail industry execs uses machine learning software to develop and implement custom Amazon strategies for search engine, content and brand store optimization; managed Amazon advertising; and business planning and consulting.

Following the acquisition by S4, Orca Pacific will merge with San Francisco-based data and digital media consultancy MightyHive. According to the group, the deal builds on S4 Capital's existing Amazon relationship, providing teams with an end-to-end eCommerce offering, including retail management, advertising and content on Amazon's platform, which it says can 'bridge the gap between media, creative and measurement' for clients. This is the group's first acquisition since raising £116m in a recently equity placement to fund its M&A strategy.

Commenting on the news, Ghiorso said: 'The dramatic and sustained increase we have seen in eCommerce penetration means clients need experienced sector specialists to help integrate Amazon services into their sales and marketing plans. By teaming up with MightyHive and collaborating with MediaMonks, Orca Pacific's existing bench of advanced Amazon experts is now positioned to offer global capabilities, along with expanded data, creative and media solutions to clients'.

Web sites: www.s4capital.com , www.orcapac.com and www.mightyhive.com .