Dentsu secures Australian foothold through Steak acquisition

Dentsu, which signalled its intention to launch in Australia in February, has secured a foothold in the country with the acquisition of digital marketing agency Steak Group, which has an office in Melbourne.

The deal, which was driven by Dentsu Europe, gives the Japanese advertising network a digital presence and access to Steak’s Australian clients, which include Big W and Best Western.

Steak’s offering includes digital design, search, social media marketing and affiliate marketing. The agency has offices in London, New York and Melbourne with 94 staff – 10 in the Melbourne office. Steak will operate under the supervision of Dentsu Network West, reporting in to its London office.

Oliver Rapson, MD of Steak Melbourne, told Mumbrella: “We’re really excited about the deal, which presents both companies with good opportunities. For us, it means we can go to the next level as an agency.”