Redhouse Advertising acquires TBWA global affiliation in Kenya

Redhouse Advertising, one of Kenya’s fastest-growing marketing communication agencies, founded early this year under the Redhouse Group of Companies, has acquired the TBWA Worldwide license in Kenya.
 
TBWA Worldwide is an international advertising agency group headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York, with its Africa operations based out of Johannesburg South Africa. The Agency is part of the Omnicom Group, one of the world's largest brand communications holding companies.

With 27 agencies and operations in 24 countries in Africa, TBWA currently employs over 1500 people around the continent.

The decision to forge the TBWA affiliation with Kenya’s Redhouse Advertising was announced today by Derek Bouwer, Group CEO of TBWA South Africa. In a joint statement issued by both TBWA and Redhouse Group, Bouwer said that after several years of active operation in Kenya, and TBWA’s pursuit for a partnership informed by both strategic and commercial interests; it had found in Redhouse Advertising an agency that identifies with their long term view of the market, to grow the category as well as harness the vast integrated marketing communications opportunities present in Kenya.

Bouwer cited Kenya’s importance to TBWA’s Pan-African ambition as being underpinned by the country’s unrivaled economic growth, a fast expanding consumer market and hub advantage providing easy access into the Eastern Africa regional economic block.

Commenting on the new partnership with TBWA, Koome Mwambia, CEO of Redhouse Group welcomed the affiliation noting that it will help Redhouse Advertising to tap into a rich wealth of knowledge resource base as well as TBWA’s global best practice, client base and a Pan-African and global footprint.

 “The affiliation with TBWA extends to Redhouse Advertising access to global knowledge, tools, network and footprint that is critical in scaling up our operations across multiple markets in Africa”, said Mwambia.

Redhouse Group which is the brainchild of local investors with their sights on the local integrated marketing communication (IMC) category was incorporated last year to specifically develop and rollout an IMC footprint and capability within Kenya and the larger Eastern Africa region including Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and South Sudan.

Last year Redhouse Group completed a majority joint venture deal with local integrated marketing communications firm Media Edge Group which includes Media Edge Interactive and Media Edge Public Relations.

When Redhouse Group announced the formation of Redhouse Public Relations in August 2012 followed with the launch of Redhouse Advertising in March this year, the company stated that it had been in discussions with global networks and would gradually be making an announcement on its intent to enhance the Groups’ footprint as well as tap onto a rich multinational agency culture and best practice.

Redhouse Advertising is headed by the founding Managing Director George Ojing, a seasoned advertising professional with over 10 years of marketing communications experience. Redhouse Group currently employs 70 people in Kenya.