DKSH now market leader for field marketing in Vietnam

Zurich, Switzerland, March 24, 2017 - DKSH, the leading Market Expansion Services provider with a focus on Asia, today announced the acquisition of IMA, an established provider of brand activation, field marketing and customer consulting in Vietnam. Through this acquisition, DKSH is now able to expand its portfolio of Market Expansion Services to additionally offer in-store and outdoor promotions and event management, thereby becoming the largest field marketing provider in Vietnam.

DKSH is active in the field marketing business through its joint venture DKSH Smollan Field Marketing (DSFM). In addition to merchandising, field marketing also includes product demonstrations and consulting, promotions and event management. These value-adding services have increasingly become important over the years as they increase the demand for products directly at the point of sale, thus enabling attractive growth opportunities for consumer goods manufacturers in a competitive environment.

IMA was founded in 2006 and specializes in brand activation solutions, in-store and outdoor promotions as well as product consulting and event management. The company generates net sales of around four million Swiss francs at sound profitability. IMA's client list includes international clients as well as larger Vietnamese consumer goods companies. The company has a nationwide coverage and is headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City with an additional branch office in Hanoi. IMA will be integrated into DSFM and will subsequently strengthen the existing field marketing activities of DKSH in Asia.

Ha Trung Thoa, founder and CEO of IMA, commented: "Combining the international expertise of DKSH with the local brand activation experience from IMA, we can add more value to our clients and further help them turning shoppers into buyers. With the integration into DSFM, we are starting another exciting chapter in our ten-year, successful company history. Our employees are looking forward to becoming part of DSFM."

Sean Leas, Managing Director, DKSH Smollan Field Marketing, added: "Since 2013 we have successfully offered field marketing services in Vietnam. With the acquisition of IMA we have found the last puzzle piece to complete our service portfolio and can now offer our clients a true one-stop-shop solution for any field marketing activity. Through our offering, we influence the demand directly at the point of purchase and ensure that shoppers are not only attracted to the products of our clients, but ultimately also buy them."