Murdoch-backed Brave Bison in £50m bid for M&C Saatchi division

Core Insights - Brave Bison, a London-listed marketing group backed by Rupert Murdoch and Lord Ashcroft, has made a £50 million offer to acquire M&C Performance, a division of M&C Saatchi [1][2] - M&C Performance specializes in media planning and buying across digital channels, which is a significant growth area in the marketing industry [1] - The acquisition would involve issuing new stock and utilizing Brave Bison's debt facilities [3] Company Developments - M&C Performance's clients include major companies like Amazon and Meta [2] - Brave Bison has been active in acquisitions, having purchased five other businesses this year, including MiniMBA and Engage [2][3] - Brave Bison's market capitalization is approximately £82 million, while M&C Saatchi's market capitalization is around £160 million, reflecting a decline of 22% in M&C Saatchi's stock over the year [3][5] Strategic Context - The acquisition aligns with Brave Bison's strategic realignment and improvement in performance since the Green brothers took over in 2020 [4] - News Corporation's investment in Brave Bison earlier this year indicates a strengthening of its influencer marketing capabilities [4] - The market capitalization of M&C Saatchi has significantly decreased from over £300 million three years ago, highlighting the challenges faced by the company [4]