Media Square announce merger that will create one ‘super-agency’
Citigate Smarts has announced that it is to merge with IAS in Manchester, Catalyst in London and interactive agency River to create one ‘super agency’ entitled IAS Smarts plc. The move comes only a year after Media Square purchased the Citigate Group from Huntsworth and will see the agency, which has offices in Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast, Dublin, Glasgow and Edinburgh, link up with Macclesfield-based B2B agency IAS. However, the Catalyst agency name will rename unchanged.
The link up will result in the collective agencies offering a variety of core disciplines including advertising, public relations, brand strategy, DM, promotional marketing and brand experience, interactive and design.
The deal will see IAS founder Tim Hazelhurst take on the mantle of chairman, while Rob Morrice, who is currently chief executive of Citigate Smarts, will retain that position in the new firm. Hazelhurst said of the move: “Each IAS Smarts office is a substantial business in its own right and in its own market; consumer or B2B. But the idea is to promote the Centre of Excellence strategy: how the combined offer will bring something new for major clients who are increasingly looking for full solutions.”
Morrice added that the deal was something that has only been made possible by the acquisition of Media Square last year. He commented: “It really comes down to a simple fit. Media Square has been fantastic. There was a vision that when they first bought us that we could join up with other agencies in the group and this has worked out extremely well. Tim is the perfect guy to head up the business and means that it opens up new areas for us in the business too. It is a very exciting time for us.”
He added: “The cultural fit between the companies is brilliant. We all set the highest standards in our approach to the work, but we’re committed to making IAS Smarts the best agency to work for. We aim to be inspired winners, not shabby losers. I can’t wait to work here.”
Clients that will now be represented by the firm include AA, Coca Cola, The COI, Unilever and Yell.
IAS Smarts claim that the company will now have “annual revenues of £11million, equivalent to around £70million in traditional billings.” Each of the offices will also “retain its heritage offering”, but will also draw on the expertise of the network in order to offer the client the best possible solution.
Media Square has in the past three and a half years acquired nearly thirty businesses. The company has a turnover of over £200million and has offices in Europe, the Far East, Africa and America.