Global professional services firm Accenture has reached an agreement to buy the prominent creator and social agency Whalar from Whalar Group. The acquired business is set to merge into Accenture Song. The move is designed to integrate scaled influencer engagement into the existing customer growth division of the company. It comes at a time when corporate spending in the US creator sector is projected to hit $43.9 billion in 2026.
The agency has managed over $600 million in marketing campaigns. Its historical portfolio includes tens of thousands of corporate collaborations across more than 40 countries and 15 different languages. The company has won multiple industry accolades. These include titles such as Campaign UK’s Agency of the Year and Adweek’s Creator Agency of the Year. Following the transaction, Whalar co-CEOs Emma Harman and Jo Cronk will remain in their leadership positions. They will transfer to Accenture Song alongside 170 staff members based across the UK, US, Ireland, Germany and Spain.
The parent company, Whalar Group, will maintain its separate operations under co-founders Neil Waller and James Street. Its remaining business units, including Sixteenth, Foam, Moby Ventures, The Lighthouse and The Business of Creativity, will not be affected by the sale. However, the group will enter into a three-year strategic partnership with Accenture Song to collaborate on digital innovation projects. The buyout follows similar recent purchases by Accenture Song to increase its social media capabilities, including Superdigital in 2025 and Unlimited in 2024. Financial details of the deal remain confidential.
Ndidi Oteh, CEO of Accenture Song, said: “Accenture Song exists to help the world’s most ambitious companies grow—and today, growth is inseparable from relevance. Social is where brands are discovered, where modern commerce is happening and where consumer habits tell us what products and services are going to win next. Whalar brings a creator capability that strengthens how we drive meaningful impact and growth for clients.”
Dimitri Maex, global marketing practice lead at Accenture Song, stated: “The creator economy demands a new kind of expertise, one that blends authentic creator relationships, deep platform knowledge, and the technology to activate both at enterprise scale. Bringing Whalar into Accenture Song lets us pair creator authenticity with the intelligence and scale to deliver work that’s not just produced but felt. Because as the agentic economy grows, what wins won’t be the most content—it will be what is most original and the most human.”
Neil Waller and James Street, co-founders & co-CEOs of Whalar Group, remarked: “We’re incredibly proud of what the team has built over the past decade. Accenture Song operates at a level of scale and ambition that is truly unique, and we believe there is no better partner to take Whalar agency to its next phase of growth.”
Emma Harman and Jo Cronk, Whalar co-CEOs, added: “This is a special moment for our remarkable team and us. We are immensely proud of what we have built over the past decade in partnership with our clients, partners, and the creator community. Joining Accenture Song allows us to build on our unrivaled foundation and accelerate our ambition for the next chapter in the creator revolution.”
