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Future of TV Agency Models Mergers and Acquisitions

A closer look at Miroma, the marketing agency bidding for Channel 4 with Idris Elba

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By Hannah Bowler, Senior Reporter

June 29, 2022 | 3 min read

End-to-end marketing agency Miroma is in talks with Luther actor Idris Elba to back its potential £1.2bn bid for Channel 4, it has emerged.

Miroma Group looks at possible Channel 4 bid

Miroma Group looks at a possible Channel 4 bid

According to The Sunday Times, Elba and Miroma’s founder Marc Boyan have discussed a joint bid for the broadcaster after the firm sought acquisition advice from bankers back in October.

In April the UK government decided to press ahead with a Channel 4 sale after a nine-month consultation period. ITV, Comcast and Paramount (formally ViacomCBS) have been touted as the most likely buyers, but a deal from a private equity group hasn’t yet been ruled out. JP Morgan is understood to have received at least 25 expressions of interest for the broadcaster.

So, what is Miroma Group?

Boyan set up Miroma Outcomes in 2002 as a corporate trading company. He later pushed the business into communications, buying up marketing agencies and creating the Miroma Group. Miroma Outcomes now is a separate unit within the group and acts as its commercial arm.

Staffed by 700 employees, the company has at least 20 marketing agencies within its portfolio, spanning experiential with the agency Hyperactive, influencer marketing through New Stance, and Way to be Blue, which covers PR and communications, as well as production (Contented) and digital development (Miroma Project Factory).

The most well-known is Fold 7, the creative agency that created the Ted Baker brand, helped launch Muji and developed Orange Wednesdays. It currently counts Carlsberg, Diageo and eBay as its clients.

Marc Nohr is the agency group's executive director and is the former founder and chief exec of Kitcatt Nohr, which used to run campaigns for the likes of Nissan, Sky and Heineken. Kitcatt Nohr was eventually acquired by Publicis Groupe, which folded it into Digitas. Nohr left his agency in 2015 to chair Miroma-owned creative agency Fold 7 before assuming responsibility for all creative agencies across the group.

Miroma’s chairman Sir David Michels was once at the helm of Hilton International. He oversaw the hotel chain’s £4bn sale to HHC and is a former Marks and Spencer deputy chairman and Arcadia director.

Ofcom’s newly appointed chair and former Channel 4 executive Lord Michael Grade is also an advisor at Miroma. However, he would have to step back if a bid was to take place.

Much of adland’s privatization fears have been about another commercial broadcaster cannibalizing competition... but what might Channel 4 look like with a marketing agency at the helm?

Future of TV Agency Models Mergers and Acquisitions

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