Dentsu Aegis's probable loss of Sony business was offset by a couple of significant gains. JM Smucker awarded Carat the consolidated North American media for its newly acquired Big Heart Pet Brands division

accepted an offer to be acquired by Dentsu Aegis Network. The agency will retain its name and separate branding, and will continue to be run by its existing management team. "What attracted us to Dentsu

In other deals, Dentsu Aegis Network also strengthened its presence in the Philippines, replacing DDB as the global partner for local creative agency DM9 JaymeSyfu, now Dentsu JaymeSyfu. It also acquired

group's Starcom MediaVest network and into Omnicom and Dentsu Aegis. That constitutes a major blow to the French group, psychologically if not necessarily financially. Publicis CFO Jean-Michel Etienne

In the news this past week: Agencies Dentsu released a strong (but confusing) set of financial results for the first half of its current fiscal year. The numbers were again complicated by the group'

Dentsu controls the remaining 13% of equity, a legacy from the old Dentsu Y&R joint venture in Asia. Anyone hoping that MDC Partners might finally turn a decent profit this year may be disappointed.

In the news this past week: Agencies Dentsu Aegis Network announced plans to establish US lifestyle marketing agency MKTG, acquired last year, as a full global network. A number of group-owned sports

Dentsu issued a slightly confusing set of results for what it called 1Q 2015, which combined figures for the April-June quarter for its main Japanese operations with Jan-March figures for the Dentsu Aegis

Lloyd Leisure in the UK to Blue 449 and Eurostar to a Dentsu Aegis team led by 360i and iProspect. Click here for a summary of other account changes this quarter or here for the full searchable database

Watch out Dentsu, there's another Japanese marketing group on the international acquisition trail. After testing the water with a few minor purchases on the US West Coast, Hakuhodo DY Holdings, the #2