Business on the Move: Unilever, Starbucks, Asics, and more

Unilever has appointed AnalogFolk as its digital agency of record for its UK food portfolio. The portfolio includes a range of well-known brands, such as Marmite, Knorr and Colman's. The independent shop is due to deliver campaigns for individual brands and at category level.

Asics has selected Inamoto & Co as its innovation partner. The sports lifestyle brand has tasked the Rei Inamoto-helmed agency with creating breakthrough work in the business's transition to fitness-as-a-service.

Bike-sharing platform Ofo has chosen Catch Up New York as its agency of record. The agency will be responsible for global branding responsibilities and for introducing the bike-share concept to US audiences on behalf of the largest bike-share platform in the world.

Campus Living Villages has appointed McCann Connected to lead its digital creative. The agency has been charged with driving global growth for the student accommodation provider.

Timberland has appointed AdParlor Asia Pacific as its regional social media agency for Singapore and Malaysia. AdParlor’s Malaysia team will develop and execute the social strategy, creative content and community management, for both markets.

Geometry Global Malaysia has added Below-The-Line (BTL) services for Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (Digi) to its roster of services for the telco that currently includes digital and PR.

The BTL scope of work for Digi encompasses total retail communication - prepaid, postpaid, broadband and corporate, inclusive of any B2B communications work.

Specialty tea brand Celestial Seasonings has announced Laundry Service as its digital agency of record. Laundry Service will handle all aspects of creative, community management, social strategy and media buying for the brand.

Acquisitions

Limelight PR has been acquired by communications agency Acceleris. The takeover will enable Acceleris to scale, taking advantage of offices in London and Dubai. Louise Vaughan, managing director of Acceleris, will head up the new agency.

Label PR has been saved from the liquidation of its owner, Attercopia Group, by longtime members of staff. Founder Lee Bloor will return to the helm with Jessica Thornton and Almina Wilson, previously PR account director and PR and creative director respectively, stepping in as company directors.

WPP's data investment management arm Kantar Consulting has acquired Mash Strategy, a brand strategy and growth consultancy based in London. The move will bring Mash's 25 employees under Kantar's wing, with the aim of improving its integrated consultancy expertise.

Reviews

Starbucks have launched a review of their customer relationship management (CRM) in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

The global coffee brand has already briefed several agencies with a view to appointing a new CRM provider. Although Starbucks appointed Iris as its creative agency across EMEA last year, there is currently no incumbent CRM provider. The review is being run through Creativebrief.

Launches

Kantar has joined forces with Second City Works. The joint venture, marketed as Brandstage, will work with marketing organisations to drive product innovation and explore new marketing ideas.

Marketing shop Salt.agency has launched an office in Boston, Massachusetts and has announced a working collaboration with the Hollywood Agency. The announcement marks the end of a two-year search for a US outpost for the Yorkshire-based agency.