Accenture further expands e-commerce and Salesforce capabilities

23 May 2017 Consultancy.uk

Accenture has acquired salesforce customer journey experts Media Hive for an undisclosed fee. The professional services firm made the capture in a bid to boost Accenture Interactive's position in the complete customer journey space, at a time when e-commerce activity is booming globally.

In a bid to support clients who are seeking rapid expansion into e-commerce space, consultancy firms have, in recent years bought up a range of cross-purpose design and consultancy firms. Accenture was recently found to have the largest such e-commerce presence, through its Accenture Interactive business line. The firm has, in recent years, been on an inorganic acquisition spree, picking up a range of design and consultancy firms in the space, most recently design studio SinnerSchrader. The firm has also been active in the Salesforce space, with the acquisition of, among others, Nashco Consulting and Solid Servision.

The firm’s latest such acquisition is Media Hive, a US-based digital commerce and retail experience consulting firm. Co-founded by Thomas McGee and Greg O’Keefe in 2003, the firm is focused on blending technology and design into the wider customer journey, with expertise in, among others, information architecture and content strategy, the agency has supported a range of iconic brands, including Shiseido Group, Theory, Hanna Anderrson, Lucky Brand, Citizen Watch Company.

Accenture acquires Media Hive

Media Hive

The acquisition further strengthens Accenture Interactive’s position in the Salesforce Commerce Cloud, allowing the firm to deliver ‘best-in-class’ commerce experiences for its global client base. “With the acquisition of Media Hive, we are significantly strengthening our commerce capabilities, particularly in Salesforce Commerce Cloud,” said Glen Hartman, head of Accenture Interactive, North America.

He goes on to add, “The acquisition of Demandware by Salesforce has created a new opportunity for Accenture to deliver seamless e-commerce solutions to clients built on Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Together, we will bring together Accenture Interactive’s omni-channel marketing expertise and scale with Media Hive’s robust technical and retail expertise to drive the ultimate commerce experience for our clients.”

Commenting on the acquisition, Vince Santo, chief operating officer and president of Media Hive, said, “Becoming a part of Accenture Interactive will provide the ability to bring our all-star technical talent and strong retail client relationships together with Accenture’s scale and leading industry expertise. Our team is thrilled to join Accenture as it provides a unique opportunity for the team to grow and continue to drive value for our clients.”

“It is amazing to see the energy in our ecosystem surrounding Salesforce Commerce Cloud,” said Jeffrey Barnett, CEO, Salesforce Commerce Cloud. “We are thrilled to see one of our most strategic partners double down to support the transformation of retailer customers."

In the age of the internet, e-commerce has become increasingly popular as a method through which to acquire goods and services. The rapid proliferation of the channel, and its wider business network is, in addition, enabling new ways of influencing current, and potential customers. The technology also comes with risks however, with customers also more likely to check multiple suppliers for deals and others’ opinions for product reviews. The phenomenon is particularly developing in major Asian markets, such as China.

Another area Accenture Interactive is pushing deeper in is the advertising space – earlier this month the consultancy made two high-profile acquisitions in the space, picking up Australian creative design agencies The Monkeys and Maud.

More on: Accenture
United Kingdom
Company profile
Accenture is not a United Kingdom partner of Consultancy.org
Partnership information »
Partnership information

Consultancy.org works with three partnership levels: Local, Regional and Global.

Accenture is a Local partner of Consultancy.org in Middle East, Africa, South Africa, Netherlands and Canada.

Upgrade or more information? Get in touch with our team for details.