Ogilvy Group buys GSI to improve search

Neo@Ogilvy, the digital and direct marketing sector of the Ogilvy Group, is moving farther into the search realm. The group has purchased Global Strategies International (GSI), a search marketing firm.

by Kristina Knight

Terms of the deal have not been released.

neo ogilvy logo Nasreen Madhany, Global CEO of Neo@Ogilvy said, search should be part of an overall marketing strategy. "When managed holistically, search marketing can deliver branding as well as business results. The integration of GSI into Neo@Ogilvy will allow us to deliver end-to-end digital marketing solutions to clients throughout Neo's global network."

Both organizations are multi-national conglomerates. GSI specializes in search engine optimization (SEO) and brand management, while Neo covers digital advertising, direct marketing, email and search marketing for an international marketplace. The GSI buy will help Neo@Ogilvy better connect consumers with brands around the world. Together they reach consumers and brands in 21 countries.

"We're coming into the world of linking strategies, and GSI not only has a very good organic search capability, but also an extraordinarily good strategic capability to help paid and organic work together," said Greg Smith, Neo's chief operating officer (via MediaPost).

Search marketing has undergone rapid change since businesses began using the Internet as an alternative advertising method several years ago. From organic listings to paid search campaigns, search has become a multi-million dollar advertising revenue source around the world. However, some ad firms are still lax in developing SEM techniques. The deal between Neo and GSI will place Neo farther ahead of the rest of the advertising pack.