In 2015, Ran Neu-Ner and Gil Oved sold The Creative Counsel, the activations agency they built from a bare office with garden furniture, to Publicis Groupe in what was then the largest acquisition in South African advertising history. Here is what they said made the business sellable in the first place.
Start with why anyone would buy your business
Neu-Ner’s advice was to work backwards from the acquisition question before you ever plan to sell: if someone bought this business, why would they? For Creative Counsel, the answer was a strategic national and continental footprint, a large client base and systems that could scale beyond South Africa’s borders. Once that answer was clear, the business was built to fit it.
The hardest question buyers ask
Due diligence almost always circles back to one question: does the business survive without its founders? Buyers are acquiring a system, not two people. Creative Counsel’s answer was a strong management layer beneath the founders and client relationships that did not depend on Neu-Ner or Oved personally, proof the business was bigger than its two names.
What actually gets rewarded
Acquisition deals in this range are rarely paid out on day one. Most of the value in a deal like this is earned on performance after the sale, which means the real incentive to keep building doesn’t disappear once the deal closes, it changes shape.
Frequently asked questions
What made The Creative Counsel an attractive acquisition?
A strong management team independent of the founders, systems that could scale across Africa, and a client base with relationships that outlasted any one individual.
Is The Creative Counsel still operating?
Yes, it continues to operate under Publicis Africa Group.
Are Ran Neu-Ner and Gil Oved still involved?
Neu-Ner departed the business in the years following the acquisition, amid a publicly reported 2019 legal dispute with Oved over business dealings. Oved has remained associated with the Publicis Africa Group leadership.
How are agency acquisitions typically structured?
Buyers usually pay part of the price upfront and the remainder based on the business’s performance after the sale, with founders staying on for a transition period.
What should a founder do years before considering a sale?
Build a management team and client relationships that do not depend on the founder personally, since that is the first thing a serious buyer will test.
Further reading: How GroTech built its investment track record · Knife Capital’s venture capital approach
Originally published in June 2016. Updated September 2026.
