adm Group acquires DASS to bolster digital and shopper engagement solutions

GLOBAL, June 28th, 2023: adm Group, a global marketing execution partner, has strengthened its capabilities across both shopper marketing and digital solutions through the acquisition of DASS and its proprietary martech platform, FLOW. DASS is a rapidly growing digital and shopper marketing boutique agency focused on delivering both strategy and execution to improve the performance of marketing activation. 

Headquartered in Singapore and with a global footprint, DASS works with enterprise clients to enable shopper excellence across a multitude of online and offline services. The company also boasts dedicated teams of creatives, strategists and developers located worldwide. DASS was established in 2018 by Wayne Cowden, a retail and shopper marketing thought leader with over 20 years’ experience, having worked with Barrows and WPP across a number of regions. 

DASS offers a combination of consulting, design and technology solutions, providing clients with comprehensive insights and strategies to convert shoppers into buyers across both physical and digital channels. The acquisition includes DASS' proprietary martech platform, FLOW, which, by removing the need for coders or developers, is disrupting the way brands, agencies and designers generate interactive shopper/consumer microsites. This solution allows brands to digitize retail engagements and Point-of-Sale Material (POSM), while also capturing rich first-party data. With extensive experience across retail and FMCG, DASS has established itself as a trusted leader supporting global brands. 

This acquisition enables adm and DASS to provide a solution that supports brand execution whilst ensuring that strategy is based on performance data and insights. DASS will continue to be led by Wayne Cowden, who will also be part of the adm Group senior leadership team in APAC. 

Following 12 months of investment and transformation for adm Group, this acquisition provides the opportunity to deliver on the new positioning of the business that will be launched in July. It builds on three prior acquisitions since 2020, significant investments in technology and sustainability and follows the recent strategic investment from Equistone Partners Europe, a leading European private equity investor. 

Ed Colflesh, global CEO of adm Group, commented: “DASS is a hugely exciting acquisition for adm and the brands we support. As a team, we made a conscious decision to transform the industry we are in, and this acquisition paves the way for us to do just that. The capabilities of DASS are hugely complementary to our strategy and will provide our clients with a seamless end-to-end solution. As we have seen over the past few years, digital and the digitalisation of Point-of-Sale Material (POSM) will continue to be a massive part of brands’ strategy, and we now have the tools to capitalise on the opportunity. DASS has a brilliant team and technology, and we cannot wait to transform marketing execution together.” 

Wayne Cowden, founder and CEO of DASS, stated on the partnership of the two companies, “We are really excited to join adm Group; our businesses are complementary, and our combined offerings and talent provides clients with a unique end-to-end service that delivers performance marketing and executional excellence. With adm's scale, expertise and capabilities, we can now offer our clients insights, strategy and creative solutions that not only influence shopper conversion but also provide them with capabilities to procure and execute, an end-to-end management eco-system that many clients are seeking.” 

Dan Pike, chief strategy officer of adm Group, added: "Over the past 24 months we have been challenged by clients to build solutions that support the digitalization of Point-of-Sale Material (POSM) and to provide tools that will engage consumers at the point of purchase to obtain first-party data. Investing in DASS has given us the solution and tools to meet this challenge and in turn will help fuel brand growth for our clients.”