Strength in numbers and diversity as two creative agencies merge
Two of the region’s independent creative and marketing agencies have merged to create an 80-strong team with big plans for the future.
Manchester-based Shoot the Moon, and Salford digital marketing agency Delineo will continue to operate through the Shoot the Moon, JGM, Eat & Breathe, Anytime After 9 and Delineo brands under the direction of a newly-formed board.
The board comprises four directors from Shoot the Moon Group, four from Delineo and a non-executive director.
They plan to grow revenues of the combined business by 100% to more than £10m over the next five years.
Group chief executive, Phil Marshall, said: “Collectively stm_grp will maintain the spirit of independence, ensuring each studio nurtures its own specialism, team and identity, whilst embracing their collective talents, service-driven ethos and agile workflow.”
Both Shoot the Moon and Delineo have industry sector specialisms and track records of developing talent around emerging marketing strategies and technologies.
Delineo has established markets in technology, finance and manufacturing sectors, complementing Shoot the Moon, which established itself working in retail, food, drink and leisure over three decades.
More recently, Shoot the Moon acquired Anytime after 9, an agency specialising in clinical and medical communications to complement JGM, acquired in 2019, which, as well as public, education and third sectors, has a long history of work within clinical trial recruitment, including intensive work on the COVID-19 vaccine trials over the past six months.
The group also includes Eat & Breathe, the award-winning food and drink content studios, with locations in Manchester and Leeds city centres.
Phil added: “Merger discussions commenced early in 2020 and continued throughout the lockdown. Rather than sit back and wait to see what happens after the global health crisis, we’ve chosen to be bold and target growth.
“It won’t be easy with so much uncertainty out there, but there is strength in numbers, depth of talent and diversification. By bringing the agencies together we have a team that operates across multiple industry sectors with a broad spectrum of agency services.
“We believe the combined group is great news for our team, clients and their customers, who remain our top priority.”
Reflecting on the need for change in the ‘new normal’, Stephen Frater, group chief operating officer, said: “The two businesses have a long track record of navigating change, having successfully adapted to evolving markets over more than two decades.
“Together we will adapt for the future to deliver the agile agency model that clients need, and the team will thrive in. This merger is the first step in a journey of change both in services and service delivery – being easy and intuitive to work with has never been more important.”
The stm_grp board comprises Phil Marshall, Stephen Frater, Julia Ingham, Sam Rowlands, Oliver Zebedee-Howard, Leigh Sheridan, Rob Stafford, Stephen Oakes and non-exec director, Nick Melvin.
