Mergers & Acquisitions
WHY RIADVISORY?
IK Consult is the Regional Partner in MENA for RIAdvisory. We are leading international advisor in M&A and fundraising, focused on Asia Pacific & MENA, to the global marketing communications, branding and technology sectors.
Asia is the region fuelling global growth and the pendulum has swung East in this new millennium. Clients benefit from over 25 years of providing advice for growth in a region that cannot be averaged.
The sectors we focus on are at the centre of the transformation to people’s lives across the region. Our expertise and knowledge of these evolving marketplaces and deep perspectives we bring to clients is reflective of the time in market, natural curiosity and passion for people(s) and culture.
We balance these market insights with partner-level client engagement in a collaborative way with clients that facilitates priority setting, creative and tailored deal-structuring, and sustainable growth.
We have been privileged to partner with some of the most innovative and entrepreneurial businesses whose growth is helping to transform how people live.
Our flexibility is borne out of experience and a proven process. We have been active on a number of buy and sell mandates in the region and most recently we prepared a comprehensive management consultancy study on the digital space in MENA. Our mandates in MENA cover consultancy work and both traditional and digital media, and have completed a number of deals in the digital space among which are Flip Media and AME Info (owned by the Top Right Group):
RIAdvisory are proud to have advised Flip Media on the acquisition by Publicis Groupe/Leo Burnett, announced on 1st February 2012. More details in the Media section. Imad Kublawi commented on the deal:
The partnership also sets a challenge to the communication industry as a whole that the time has come for everyone in the region to up their game or risk being left behind. Increasingly consumers in MENA are spending more and more time online. Digital budgets will grow in line with these trends and new players such as Leo Burnett/Flip will provide brands in the region with the support they need. The Leo Burnett (Publicis)/Flip deal is probably the most significant agency deal in the Middle East in recent years. This deal is so important because the region now has an agency offering where digital will be truly embedded within the working practices and culture of the business as a whole.
5th June 2013
RIAdvisory advises on sale of MENA based AME Info and SME Info websites to Mediaquest
RIAdvisory has acted as corporate advisor to Dubai-based online business websites, AME Info FZ LLC and SME Info (owned by Top Right Group Ltd) on their sale to Dubai-based online and offline media owner, Mediaquest.
The AME Info and SME Info websites are among the best-known and trusted portals for business news and content about the MENA region and provides 2.4 million unique users with comprehensive daily business information through their online presence.
In 2010 AME Info was awarded Superbrand status for a fourth time.
Imad Kublawi, Regional Partner – MENA at RIAdvisory, who advised on the sale of AME Info and SME Info websites comments: “We were pleased to work as corporate advisors on this transaction. The AME Info and SME Info websites have enormous pedigree and are synonymous with quality content. The Middle East is one of the fastest growing digital markets in the world and the AME Info and SME Info websites are among the most exciting in the region.
“One of the reasons we have seen only a handful of transactions in the broader marketing agency sector in MENA over the last few years (five in 2012!) is that while many start well, they can too easily take their eye off the ball and neglect to build value and equity over time as well as to plan a coherent exit strategy that scales the brand’s growth”.
Matthew Wright, Finance and Operations Director, MEA, Top Right Group, said: “AME Info and SME Info websites have built a strong following among the millions of people relying on the information they provide every day. Unlike MEED, the AME and SME websites operate to an advertising-led model and we believe that Mediaquest,a leading media group which has an existing portfolio of advertising led portals, will be a better long term partner for the websites than we can be. We wish the AME Info and SME websites continued success in their new home.”
Market Sectors
Our focus on Asia Pacific and MENA has never been timelier. Social Mobility is fuelling disruptive innovation and entrepreneurship at an unprecedented rate transforming markets, consumer expectations and behaviour.
We specialize in Marketing, Communications, and Technology. Our knowledge and expertise cover an ever-increasing set of complementary specialisms reflective of brand owners needs for O2O coherence. Areas include Advertising, PR, experiential, marketing technology, search, Big Data, analytics, digital, content, social, e-commerce, social crm and healthcare.
In our markets, it is important to be on top of the fact that the sectors are transforming at different rates, and with different priorities, since some digital ecosystems and platforms are rooted in different countries. Going forward there will be greater cross-border activity and opportunity as Asian businesses expand overseas.
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