Digitas

This company knows the important bits (and bytes) about interactive marketing. Digitas provides digital communications and direct marketing services through several operating agencies: Digitas Health, Prodigious, Solutions | Digitas, and Publicis Modem (formerly Modem Media). Operating from about 30 offices spanning 16 countries, the agency offers website design, e-mail management, and demand generation services which enable clients to build marketing campaigns across a plethora of media channels. It has worked with such big clients as American Express, Kraft, General Motors, and MillerCoors. Digitas is a part of VivaKi, an advertising and marketing communications division of Publicis.

Looking to unify its digital ad agencies with its media buying operations, Publicis in 2009 launched VivaKi, an operating unit that encompasses Digitas and Razorfish, along with sibling media services units Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia.

Publicis acquired Razorfish in late 2009 from Microsoft for $530 million in shares and cash. Beating out rivals WPP, Dentsu, and Omnicom, the acquisition solidified Publicis' position atop the lucrative digital advertising market. To eliminate redundancies, Publicis has integrated the international management and support teams belonging to Digitas and Razorfish.

Adding to Digitas' operations even further, in early 2011 Publicis acquired Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw, a UK-based direct marketing and digital agency. The acquisition was rebranded Kitcatt Nohr Digitas, which moved under the VivaKi umbrella of agencies.

Digitas was acquired in 2007 by Publicis for $1.3 billion. As a result, Digitas gained new business by being able to offer its services to clients of other Publicis units. Like its parent, Digitas' global ambitions involve expanding into China, India, and Latin America. In 2008 Publicis rebranded Solutions Integrated Marketing, its India and Singapore-based marketing unit, into Solutions | Digitas, expanding Digitas' presence in Southeast Asia. In 2009, Digitas Health launched an office in London, which  marked the beginning of the company's international expansion efforts. Digitas Health plans for the office to be a springboard for future growth in Europe.

Digitas was initially established in 1980 as Bronner Slosberg Humphrey, a traditional direct marketing agency. Combining the words "digital" and "gravitas", it changed its name to Digitas in 1999.