London – Edelman today announced it has acquired Spook Media, the leading digital agency specialising in Web Design, Web Development, Mobile Application Development, and Content Management. The move sees the Spook team, led by Marcus Dyer, work in tandem with Edelman’s Digital practice with immediate effect. As well as maintaining his role as MD of Spook, Dyer becomes Managing Director, Edelman Digital, and will work alongside Marshall Manson, Director of Digital Strategy.
The combined team will comprise 25 people and fees in excess of £2 million per year. Spook Media clients include Seiko, British Motor Show, ExCel Exhibition Centre, Fashion Targets Breast Cancer – alongside Edelman Digital clients including Unilever, Fort Dodge, AXA, Microsoft, Snickers.
Robert Phillips, CEO, Edelman UK, said: “Marcus and his team have been doing some industry-leading work. There is a clear synergy in our views about the Conversation Economy and the future of communication in the digital world. Bringing together our capabilities and Next Generation thinking made perfect sense.”
Robert Phillips continued: “I believe that Edelman Digital business can, and should, deliver 15% of Edelman’s total UK revenues within the next two years. Our UK Digital practice is now over four times the size it was six months ago and offers clients some of the best talent in the industry. We continue to pioneer online communications strategies, with exciting developments in Mobile, Online Advocacy, and Conversation. Our new colleagues significantly boost our capacity and will play an important part in accelerating our development and growth. Last month, our own Digital business passed the £1million mark, so we are well on our way to achieving our targets.”
Marcus Dyer, Managing Director, Edelman Digital, said: “Bringing together our individually strong capabilities – Spook’s design and technical skills and Edelman’s strategic and communications expertise – creates a powerful new agency in the Digital space.”
Marcus Dyer will report into Robert Phillips and work closely with Marshall Manson and the global Edelman Digital team to embed online strategies into broader communications programmes.
In March 2008, Edelman consolidated its three worldwide digital entities into Edelman Digital, a global practice of 120 people led by Rick Murray, President, Edelman Digital.
Murray commented: “The Digital team in the UK is now the largest outside of the US. Our mission is to create authentic communications programmes that enable conversation and collaboration between companies, brands and their audiences across an increasingly complex digital landscape. We’re aggressively investing to create a truly global Digital footprint, and the Spook acquisition – our first in this space – marks a major milestone in our global strategy.”
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For further information, please contact:
Robert Phillips,
CEO, Edelman UK
T: +44 77 85 25 45 44
robert.phillips@edelman.com
Marcus Dyer,
Managing Director, Digital
T: + 44 7956 949566
marcus@spookmedia.com
Rick Murray,
President, Edelman Digital
T: +1 847 721 0424
rick.murray@edelman.com
