Publicis Groupe has signed an agreement to acquire HEPMIL Media Group, a social media and influencer agency operating in Southeast Asia.
HEPMIL works with more than 450 brands and 3,000 creators across six regional markets, reaching over 1 billion people. Founded in 2015 in Singapore, the company traces its roots to SGAG, MGAG, and PGAG, which have a combined following of more than 70 million users.
“Through the combination of HEPMIL’s reach, content expertise and social platforms with the power of Publicis’ identity graph and our unique media ecosystem, we’re building Southeast Asia’s first end-to-end influencer solution,” said Arthur Sadoun, chair and CEO of Publicis Groupe.
Sadoun said the deal will help clients connect social strategy, influencer management, and content creation to achieve measurable business outcomes.
HEPMIL has expanded through its Creators Network, focusing on creator-led storytelling and locally relevant content. The company said it has grown steadily since its launch.
Influencer marketing in Southeast Asia is expected to grow by 12% to 15% over the next five years, with spending projected to surpass $1.4 billion by 2030.
Publicis said the combination of HEPMIL and its data capabilities, including Lotame and Epsilon’s ID graph of more than 800 million consumer profiles in the region, will strengthen its position in influencer marketing as brands take a more social-first approach.
“This opportunity to work with the entire team in Publicis Groupe Southeast Asia and globally is going to unlock so much more value for our business, client partners, creator network and our employees,” said Karl Mak, CEO and co-founder of HEPMIL Media Group.
Mak said the company began as a university project and has since grown to a team of more than 300 people. “And today marks the beginning of the next chapter of our acceleration,” he said.
HEPMIL will continue to operate under its brand and work closely with Publicis Groupe teams across Southeast Asia. The deal is subject to customary closing conditions.