Marketing tech firm expands reach in Asia-Pacific with New Zealand acquisition
Birmingham marketing tech firm Inspired Thinking Group (Team ITG) has acquired New Zealand-based Brand Machine, a deal that will see it accelerate its growth in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
Brand Machine helps the marketing teams of multi-location and franchise brands run with precision and efficiency, thanks to its expertise in local area marketing automation, digital asset management, proposal solutions and more.
In just under ten years, Brand Machine has gained a roster of clients that includes Hyundai, Kiwi Bank and ABS.
Founded by Andrew Mitchell in 2013, Brand Machine has been a tech-reselling partner of Team ITG for the past five years. Following the acquisition, Team ITG will leverage Brand Machine’s expertise as a vehicle for innovation, and its knowledge of the APAC market to further their ambitious plans for global growth.
The new venture comes after Team ITG was acquired by UK private equity firm Bridgepoint in March 2022.
Since then, Team ITG has opened its 30,000 sq ft, purpose-built photography, video and TV studio, ITG Capture – the largest UK facility of its kind outside London.
Andrew Mitchell, founder and director of Brand Machine, said: “Brand Machine is incredibly excited to have officially become part of the Team ITG family, in what is a hugely significant step for our team and our clients. Together, we’ll be bringing world-class creative automation solutions to brands across the APAC region. I’m looking forward to continuing our professional relationship with Team ITG under this new structure and unleashing the company’s full potential.”
Simon Ward, CEO of Team ITG, added: “We’re continuing to push ahead with the next stage of our global expansion with the acquisition of Brand Machine, giving Team ITG a more concrete presence in the APAC region. With Brand Machine having been such a close partner for several years, I see this very much as a natural progression in our relationship and I’m looking forward to the opportunities that it will unlock in the near future.”
Meanwhile, Team ITG has also announced the appointment of two CEOs – Sue Mountford and Lennard Kooy.
Mountford takes over as CEO of services, while Lennard Kooy has been appointed CEO of technology.
Simon Ward remains as group CEO.
