DDB Worldwide Communications Group Forms Tribal DDB; New Company Merges Digital Businesses Globally

Business Wire, August 29, 2000

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 29, 2000

DDB Worldwide is combining its digital units to form a new professional services firm under the name of Tribal DDB Worldwide.

Tribal DDB will leverage DDB's half-century heritage of creativity and human insights to plan, develop and market businesses in the digital marketplace. Tribal DDB is dedicated to bringing humanity to the Digital Age, and centers all of its services on customer knowledge that spans both online and offline behavior.

Tribal DDB is the result of DDB's investment strategy in regionally focused, fast growing digital professional service firms. These include DDB Digital in the Americas and Asia Pacific, BMP InterAction in the UK, e-scape/Generator in Denmark, DDB Interactive in France, DDB Interactive in Spain and Heye New Media in Germany.

Simultaneous with the rollout in continental Europe, Tribal DDB has also created a joint venture with Rapp Collins, a world leader in direct marketing, which will augment digital CRM capabilities for both networks.

Tribal DDB offers a full range of business consulting, marketing and e-commerce services to provide end-to-end solutions to its current roster of blue-chip clients, including PepsiCo, ExxonMobil, Anheuser-Busch, Kelkoo, Vodafone , Reuters, Volkswagen, Credit Suisse and others. To further strengthen its network, Tribal DDB plans to open additional offices and finalize acquisitions in a number of strategic markets.

Combining DDB's global digital resources is the next natural step in a progression that began two years ago with the launch of DDB Digital in North America. The new network is driven by strong local market expertise that applies DDB's renowned creativity and enables it to provide digital solutions wherever and however they are applicable to clients' needs. Tribal DDB is designed to become the preeminent builder of brands in the worldwide digital marketplace.

"With Tribal DDB, we are consolidating management, a business model and a worldwide structure," said Ken Kaess, President, DDB Worldwide. "More significantly, Tribal DDB will draw upon and expand a culture, philosophy and a global brand born from DDB's unique heritage that focuses on meaningful human insights and the power of creative ideas across all media to deliver better results. Understanding human nature is key within the digital environment where everything a brand or business does interacts with customers."

The company will be run on a worldwide basis through an Office of the Chairman structure comprised of Matt Freeman, CEO of North America, Johnny Henriksen, CEO of Europe, and John Zeigler, Director of Digital Strategy, DDB Worldwide. The OOC will be supplemented by the talented and proven management team of Steven Marrs, President and COO of North America, John Young, Chief Creative Officer of North America and Jason Goodman, President and COO of Europe.

Tribal DDB

Tribal DDB Worldwide (www.tribalddb.com) was founded on a vision of bringing humanity to the Digital Age with brand and business ideas that stimulate, respect and serve consumers. Born from DDB Worldwide, the most creative advertising agency in the world, Tribal DDB embraces its parent's values of innovation and respect for the individual across all of its consulting, marketing and e-commerce services.

Headquartered in New York, Tribal DDB Worldwide includes 21 full service offices spanning 15 countries throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. The firm has a worldwide staff of 500.