What Digitas Liquorice does

Digitas Liquorice is a South African marketing agency operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Publicis Groupe. Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Cape Town with 51-100 employees, the firm serves enterprise clients across FMCG, tourism, entertainment, and government — with publicly featured work for Unilever ('Hygiene Heroes', 'Cook Like A Mother'), South African Tourism ('Perfect Match'), and YouTube ('Made In Mzansi'). The agency is led by Managing Director Paula Hulley, with operations managed by Megan Eslar.

The agency's core offering is built around a 'Networked Experiences' framework that bundles Creative Experiences, Integrated Media, Total Commerce, CRM and Loyalty, and Marketing Transformation into a single integrated practice rather than siloed service lines. Its technology stack is typical of a Publicis-aligned creative and media agency: marketing-technology platforms, data analytics, and integrated campaign tooling, augmented by a 'Digitas AI' chatbot on its website that assists prospective clients in exploring services. There is no proprietary platform, SDK, or API documented.

Digitas Liquorice generates revenue through professional services — project-based fees, retainers, and media-planning arrangements typical of full-service advertising agencies — with pricing customized per client and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales led by the Managing Director and Operations Manager, supported by brand presence on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, plus a pressroom and email newsletter. The firm operates within Publicis Groupe Africa's broader network, providing cross-border scale without independent funding rounds or external investors.

Name

Digitas Liquorice

Legal name

Digitas Liquorice

Website

https://liquorice.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Digitas Liquorice is a Cape Town-based, Publicis Groupe-owned marketing agency serving South African enterprise clients with integrated creative, media, commerce, CRM, and marketing transformation services under a 'Networked Experiences' framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Creative and Media Services: Digitas generates revenue through agency fees for creative campaigns, media planning and buying, brand expression and experience design, CRM and loyalty programs, and marketing transformation consulting. Revenue is likely structured as project-based fees, retainers, and potentially media commission arrangements typical of advertising agencies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Digitas Liquorice is a connected experience agency that sells integrated marketing services to enterprise brands. Its core service lines include Creative Experiences (campaign development and brand storytelling), Integrated Media (planning and buying across channels), Total Commerce (online/offline commerce marketing), CRM and Loyalty (customer relationship and loyalty programs), and Marketing Transformation (strategic consulting for digital-first marketing operations). The agency delivers these through a 'Networked Experiences' framework that blends creativity, intelligence, technology, and media.

Product overview

Digitas Liquorice (Digitas) is a digital marketing agency offering a unified suite of connected marketing services under the Networked Experiences approach. The core offerings include Creative Experiences, Integrated Media, Total Commerce, CRM and Loyalty, and Marketing Transformation, supported by an AI-powered Chat with Digitas AI assistant. The agency focuses on blending creativity, intelligence, technology, and media to create seamless brand connections across channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Creative Experiences

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Publicis GroupecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublicis Groupe is the parent company of Digitas Liquorice. As part of the global Publicis Groupe network, Digitas has access to extensive resources, technology platforms, data capabilities, and cross-agency collaboration opportunities. The relationship provides global scale with local market expertise.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ogilvy: Global integrated marketing and communications network (WPP) offering creative, media, CRM, and digital transformation. Directly comparable to Digitas' networked experience model and competes for the same Unilever-tier enterprise clients in South Africa and across Africa.
• BBDO Worldwide: Global creative and integrated communications network (Omnicom). Competes with Digitas for the same multinational creative and brand-experience briefs, particularly Unilever and other large FMCG accounts in the region.
• DDB Worldwide: Global creative network (Omnicom) with integrated advertising, CRM, and digital capabilities. Overlaps directly with Digitas' Creative Experiences and CRM/Loyalty service lines and pursues the same South African enterprise client base.
• TBWA\Worldwide: Global creative and brand-disruption network (Omnicom). Comparable to Digitas in offering integrated creative, media, and commerce services and competing for multinational clients across African markets.
• VMLY&R: Global brand, customer experience, and digital agency (WPP). Closely comparable to Digitas' Networked Experiences model through connected creative, commerce, CRM, and transformation capabilities targeting large enterprise clients.
• Saatchi & Saatchi: Global creative network that is itself part of Publicis Groupe. Closest internal comparator to Digitas, offering integrated creative and brand experience services and competing internally for group-level client assignments.
• Leo Burnett: Global creative network and fellow Publicis Groupe agency. Direct comparator to Digitas on creative, media, and brand-experience services, and a potential internal competitor for the same multinational briefs routed through Publicis.
• Publicis Worldwide: Global flagship creative and integrated network of Publicis Groupe, the parent of Digitas. Operates an overlapping service portfolio and serves as the most direct internal group-level comparator and potential collaborator.

Regional players

• Joe Public: Largest independent advertising agency group in South Africa. Comparable to Digitas as a domestic full-service creative and integrated marketing competitor focused on the South African enterprise and government market.
• FCB Africa: African arm of global creative network FCB (Interpublic Group). Competes with Digitas across integrated creative, media, and brand experience work for South African and pan-African enterprise clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/digitas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/digitasliquorice
• Instagraminstagram.com/digitas_sa
• TikToktiktok.com/@digitas.na
• Xx.com/liquoriceonline

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Digitas Liquorice