SGAG parent company Hepmil sold to French Publicis Groupe for undisclosed sum
Established in 2015, Hepmil has a network of over 3,000 creators
[SINGAPORE] Advertising and public relations giant Publicis Groupe announced on Wednesday (Oct 29) that it is acquiring Singapore-based Hepmil Media Group, the parent company of home-grown meme-page SGAG.
The valuation of the deal was undisclosed.
Publicis’ latest acquisition marks one of the most significant startup exits in recent years.
Besides SGAG, Hepmil also started other regional spin-offs such as MGAG and PGAG, which target audiences in Malaysia and the Philippines, respectively.
Established in 2015, the company has a network of more than 3,000 creators, which serves over 450 brands and has a cumulative reach exceeding one billion in six South-east Asian markets.
Founded by junior college friends Karl Mak and Adrian Ang, the company currently employs more than 300 people.
BT in your inbox
Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.
Hepmil will continue to operate as a brand, and work in close collaboration with Publicis teams across South-east Asia.
Jeffrey Seah, vice-chairman of Hepmil, believes the company will add “disproportionate advantageous firepower” to Publicis’ influencer marketing client duties, leading them into the era beyond Google and Facebook advertisements.
The deal will combine Hepmil’s expertise with Publicis’ data capabilities, specifically Epsilon’s identity graph of over 800 million consumer profiles in South-east Asia. Euronext-listed Publicis bought Epsilon for US$4.4 billion in 2019 and is one of the world’s leading communications group.
The acquisition of Hepmil is aimed at cementing the group’s leadership in identity-driven influencer marketing in a key region for clients that is increasingly taking a social-first approach, the group noted.
Arthur Sadoun, chairman and chief executive officer of Publicis Groupe, said: “We’re doubling down on data-driven creator marketing in what is a highly strategic region for Publicis and our clients.”
The company noted that influencer marketing is set to grow between 12 and 15 per cent in South-east Asia over the next five years, with influencer marketing spend likely to exceed US$1.4 billion by 2030.
Publicis previously acquired renowned UK advertising giant Saatchi & Saatchi and also the Leo Burnett agency, which was merged with Publicis Worldwide to create the “Leo” network.
In 2024, Publicis bought influencer marketing company and platform Influential. The Wall Street Journal reported an acquisition fee of about US$500 million.
It also bought Brazil-based BR Media Group, an influencer platform that focuses on the Latin American market, in February this year, reportedly for less than US$100 million.
Captiv8, another influencer marketing platform with 15 million creators, was also acquired by Publicis this year for a reported fee of US$150 million.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
