MediaSense acquires R3 to expand in Asia and North America

New Delhi: Independent global media advisor MediaSense, has acquired R3, the creative and media advisory specialists, expanding its global footprint in North America and Asia. 

This is MediaSense’s second growth deal in six months, following its acquisition of ​​PwC’s marketing and media advisory team, ​​announced in May 2024, and expands its service to clients beyond media operations into marketing operations, including content and creative. 

In a statement, MediaSense wrote, “The deal further delivers on MediaSense’s growth strategy, developed and implemented since Apiary Capital acquired a significant stake in MediaSense in 2021.”  

It added that MediaSense will now advise clients across a suite of marketing operations-related services, supporting them to improve performance in an increasingly connected ecosystem where optimal marketing effectiveness necessitates more integrated management and governance of creative, content, media, data and technology.  

While the PwC acquisition added significant scale and financial compliance services to MediaSense, the R3 acquisition added marketing operations advisory capabilities and expansion into North America and Asia. 

MediaSense, which recently advised on Amazon and Unilever’s multi-billion global media reviews, will collectively support brands spending more than $60 billion post-acquisition. 

MediaSense’s employee numbers will increase by 30% to over 230, with R3’s co-founders, Greg Paull and Shufen Goh, joining the expanded business’s executive leadership team.  

Both MediaSense and R3 will, for now, continue to operate under their existing brands.  

Graham Brown, CEO at MediaSense, said, “Our growth ambitions are informed by listening to our clients’ current and future needs, and increasingly they require joined-up advice across disciplines and territories. With the acquisition of R3, we are expanding beyond media operations into marketing operations, adding content and creative capabilities and significantly growing our presence in North America and Asia. 

“In R3, we have found a partner who is completely aligned with the principles of engineering value for clients and supporting them in navigating change. We are delighted and proud to welcome R3 and its talented teams to MediaSense”. 

“This marks our second major acquisition in 2024, positioning us for continued growth as we support clients to optimize their organisations, agencies, and performance, delivering the best returns across their marketing and media investments, globally.” 

Greg Paull, Co-Founder and Principal at R3 said, "The coming together of MediaSense and R3 creates a truly independent global advisory business. As one team, we can support  brands with cross-discipline experience and intelligence as they transform their marketing organisations from the inside and through agency, data and tech partnerships. We are excited to be joining MediaSense on this innovative growth journey and offering our combined clients a more expansive and integrated service, globally.” 

Shufen Goh, Co-Founder and Principal at R3 said: “In MediaSense we have found the ideal partner with whom to grow, given our shared values and complementary service offerings, across both capabilities and geographies. We are completely aligned on clients’ requirements for best-in-class advice and more integrated thinking in relation to their marketing organisations, external partners and governance over their marketing investments.”