Consulting and professional services giant Accenture has acquired creator and influencer agency Whalar, seeking to boost the scale of its marketing arm, Accenture Song.
The deal will see Whalar co-CEOs Emma Harman and Jo Cronk join Accenture Song and continue to lead Whalar in their current roles. Whalar’s now-former parent company, Whalar Group, will enter a three-year strategic partnership with Accenture Song under which it will provide access to its wider array of clients.
The two companies did not disclose financial terms, but Whalar Group described it to AdWeek as the “largest creator economy transaction.” Publicis Groupe’s 2024 acquisition of Influential was pegged at around $500 million.
“Accenture Song exists to help the world’s most ambitious companies grow — and today, growth is inseparable from relevance,” Accenture Song CEO Ndidi Oteh said in a statement. “Social is where brands are discovered, where modern commerce is happening and where consumer habits tell us what products and services are going to win next. Whalar brings a creator capability that strengthens how we drive meaningful impact and growth for clients.”
Harman and Cronk in a statement called the acquisition a “special moment for our remarkable team and us.” The agency’s more than 170 employees will also join Accenture Song.
“We are immensely proud of what we have built over the past decade in partnership with our clients, partners, and the creator community,” the two said. “Joining Accenture Song allows us to build on our unrivaled foundation and accelerate our ambition for the next chapter in the creator revolution.”
Whalar Group was founded in 2016, and its creator agency has managed $600 million in creator campaigns. Some of its clients include the NFL, Uber and IKEA.
“We’re incredibly proud of what the team has built over the past decade,” Neil Waller and James Street, the co-founders and co-CEOs of Whalar Group, said in a statement. “Accenture Song operates at a level of scale and ambition that is truly unique, and we believe there is no better partner to take Whalar agency to its next phase of growth.”
Accenture Song has pursued several deals in the creator economy space, acquiring the social and influencer agency Superdigital last year and customer-engagement agency Unlimited in 2024.
Pictured top (l. to r.): Whalar’s Emma Harman, Accenture Song CEO Ndidi Oteh, Whalar’s Jo Cronk
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