Casers Group and Mawal Group have announced a definitive merger agreement under which Casers Group acquires Mawal, the leading marketing communications network in French West and Central Africa. Enyi Odigbo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Casers Group, explained that “the acquisition of Mawal demonstrates our commitment to prudently deploy resources that will deliver unassailable value to existing and prospective local and multinational clients”.
Casers Group is now an unmatched solution for any multinational brand looking for world class service delivery throughout West and Central Africa to either launch or extend within the region. “This strategic combination eliminates the need for businesses who require a regional marketing communications solution to seek partners on a country by country basis, which often results in disparate service levels, in terms of quality and resource deployment” said Odigbo.
This merger has developed out of the successful DDB led partnership of Casers Group, Mawal Group and Innova DDB in partnering MTN, the largest mobile telecoms operator in the Middle East and Africa. DDB currently manages MTN in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Cameroun, Cote d’Ivoire, Republic of Benin, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau and Congo Brazzaville.
Joel Nettey, MD of INNOVA DDB and President of the Advertising Association of Ghana said; “The opportunity to partner on MTN for the past 4 years throughout the region provided the learning curve needed to drastically reduce the teething problems associated with deals of this nature”.
Reacting to this development, Bayo Adekanbi, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria said that; “This is a commendable feat in Casers’ quest to deliver solutions to the increasing market opportunities, in West and Central Africa. Casers’ experience with MTN will be an added advantage and significant leverage in leap-frogging the challenges of the region, with speed, precision and effectiveness”
With the acquisition completed and integration process well underway, the Founder and Executive Chairperson of Mawal Group, Mrs. Mareme Malong will retire but will continue to serve as adviser to the board. She said that she and her team members “are excited at this development because it is the coming together of like-minded Africans to form a more formidable entity that will outperform our individual operations. I cannot wish for a better retirement confident that I have left Mawal in the hands of partners I have come to trust”.
Casers Group through this acquisition now offers services in advertising – DDB and BBDO; media – Capital Media, NEXUS and Space: digital communications – Mobius; production – WOW; experiential marketing – ACTIV8; and design and brand consultancy – MAGENTA.
L-R: Managing Director/CEO, Capital Media, Tony Udenze; Chairperson, Mawal Group, Mrs. Mareme Malong; Chairman, Casers Group, Enyi Odigbo and Chief Executive Officer, Innova DDB Ghana, Joel Nettey, at a press conference to announce the acquisition of Mawal Group West Africa and Innova DDB Group by Casers Group in Lagos