[DigitalToday reporter Chi-gyu Hwang] Marketing communications company HyperM said on Wednesday it has merged with data and performance marketing specialist Roots & Wings and will move to target the data- and AI-based digital marketing market.

Roots & Wings was founded in 2023 by CEO Jae-young Jang (장재영), a former head of the big data research unit at Shinhan Card. It provides services including targeted marketing based on consumer data from card companies and telecom firms, performance advertising operations, AI marketing automation, and AEO and GEO (AI search optimisation) consulting and execution.

Roots & Wings develops and operates in-house an AI-based video content production solution and a marketing data analysis solution. After the merger, Jang will oversee the merged company’s digital marketing division and AI Marketing Research Institute.

HyperM said the merger adds Roots & Wings’ AI video production and data analysis solutions. It said this creates a setup in which one team executes everything from strategy building to content production, ad operations and performance analysis using AI and data. It plans to first roll out integrated services focusing on industries where data use is important, including healthcare, finance, retail and beauty.

HyperM CEO Min-a Jung (정민아) said, "With this merger, HyperM has become a company that takes responsibility at once from the stage where a brand is discovered and gains trust to the stage where it is actually chosen."