amma.family takes 51% of Dutch word-of-mouth agency Buzzaar

Here is an unusual buyer. amma.family, a mobile service that started as a pregnancy tracker, has bought a 51% stake in Buzzaar, a Dutch word-of-mouth marketing agency.

MarcommNews reports the deal is worth several million dollars, paid as a mix of cash and a share swap. Final agreements were signed in June, and the two have been selling jointly since March. Buzzaar carries on as a standalone agency.

The two businesses

amma.family has grown into a family-focused marketing partner for brands, with more than 2 million monthly active users and over 200 contracts with brands and agencies. It also sends out free sample kits for pregnancy and early childhood products.

Buzzaar has more than 16 years of experience and has run campaigns in more than ten countries. It works with a network of around 800,000 everyday consumers who try products and share honest opinions, without being paid or scripted. For the past eight years it has focused on helping FMCG brands sell more through e-commerce and marketplaces.

Why it fits

The pitch to brands is one plan that combines amma.family's ad formats with Buzzaar's sampling and word-of-mouth, reaching families online and offline. Early projects include work in Guatemala, Mexico and Brazil, among them a Baby Dove campaign in Mexico. Founder and CEO Evgeny Zhikharev called it "a new milestone for amma.family". Buzzaar founder Vladimir Borisov continues to lead the agency.

For agency founders, it is another sign that buyers now include platforms and media owners that want a services arm, not just other agencies.

Sources: MarcommNews