MediaSense acquires R3 North America and Asia operations

Independent global media advisor MediaSense, has acquired R3, the creative and media advisory for an undisclosed amount, to build on its global footprint in North America and Asia. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE understands that the sale does not include R3’s China entity and in a statement, the company said “R3 will be a MediaSense affiliate and will provide the company with capabilities in China”.

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.

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The acquisition expands its service to clients beyond media operations into marketing operations, including content and creative, said the company.

It added that while the PwC acquisition added significant scale and financial compliance services to MediaSense, “the R3 acquisition adds marketing operations advisory capabilities and significant expansion into North America and Asia”. R3, which is no stranger to working with the Singapore government on many of their pitches, also boasts clients such as ING, GSK, Heineken, Lego, Pernod Ricard, L'Oreal, Novartis, and many others. 

The deal further delivers on MediaSense’s growth strategy, developed and implemented since Apiary Capital acquired a significant stake in MediaSense in 2021. Both MediaSense and R3 will for now, continue to operate under their existing brands.

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.

MediaSense, which recently advised on Amazon and Unilever’s multi-billion global media reviews, will now also advise clients across an expanded suite of marketing operations-related services, supporting them improve performance in an increasingly connected ecosystem where optimal marketing effectiveness necessitates more integrated management and governance of creative, content, media, data and technology.

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

Graham Brown (pictured left), 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.

Brown added both Paull and Goh have also always been transparent about their ambitions for R3 and their need for investment to take the company to the next level. As such the deal will enable R3 the opportunity to be a global marketing consulting powerhouse.

“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,” he shared.

Greg Paull (pictured right), 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 have the ability to support brands with cross-discipline experience and intelligence as they transform their marketing organizations 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,” he added.

Shufen Goh (pictured centre), co-founder and principal at R3, told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, “R3 is like my fourth child that I’ve been raising for the past 22 years. I feel immense pride that someone, beyond Paull and myself, believes in our potential to spread our wings and soar higher and further into a brighter future.”

“In MediaSense we have found the ideal partner with whom to grow, given our shared values and complimentary 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,” she said.

Paull and Goh added that while R3’s story might have begun with two people, all of its success is the result of work from a global team of high performers.

“Our clients are extremely positive about the news. They know that our work is delivered by experienced and expert R3 consultants, and our expanded capability with MediaSense only means we will be able to support them in more expansive ways,” the two added.

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