Marketing and technology company Amaze plc, part of Hasgrove, has acquired digital and eCRM specialist Underwired as part of its strategy to strengthen its presence in the capital.
Marketing and technology company Amaze plc, part of Hasgrove, has acquired digital and eCRM specialist Underwired as part of its strategy to strengthen its presence in the capital.
Amaze's clients include Coca-Cola Enterprises, Siemens Enterprise Communications, Toyota, Lexus, ODEON Cinemas and the Co-operative Group. It is currently ranked 15th in NMA’s top 100 interactive listing and has 180 staff in Manchester, Cheshire, London and Brussels.
Underwired's clients include News International brands The Sun and Brand Alley, McCain Foods, Nickelodeon, The Economist Group and AAR. It is ranked 5th in the UK for ROI generation and is the only pure play digital agency specialising in eCRM.
The four-year deal is based on cash and shares. The new company will be headed up by Felix Velarde, reporting directly into Amaze CEO Rod Hyde. The eCRM operation will continue to use the Underwired brand.
The acquisitions of Underwired and MCL Digital (announced last week) are both strategic acquisitions for Amaze. These reflect the growing importance of digital technology and communication to clients, as well as Amaze’s leadership position to bring the right skills to the table and take advantage of emerging opportunities.
Hyde commented that the acquisition of Underwired will make the business a formidable operation, “In the current economic climate, eCRM is a critical element of the mix as brands seek to look after their customer base and provide a superior customer experience. We believe the silos applied to various digital disciplines are inherently flawed, so this deal means we can provide clients with seamless management of the customer journey across all digital touch-points. The expertise and best practice that Underwired brings to Amaze, along with the advantage of their presence in London, means we are now able to offer an even greater breadth of services to our diverse stable of clients. Underwired is the obvious eCRM partner for Amaze and we see a highly successful future ahead.”
Felix Velarde, Managing Director at Underwired, said, "Obviously we're delighted to be joining an organisation with the ambition to bring highly strategic, results-driven service to some of the best brands in the business. For us this is an important step in helping clients take advantage of new customer-oriented marketing strategies, combining data and segmentation with exceptional creative. Being part of the Amaze family means that we will now be able to deliver every aspect of the digital story, from high-end planning to fast turnaround production."
Underwired’s Managing Director, Felix Velarde, started his first digital agency in 1994. He has founded pioneering SEO and interactive TV agencies, judges a variety of awards, writes for trade and national press and is a widely-known industry opinion former and thought leader in eCRM. Creative Director Jason Holland started his career winning the Creative Futures Award in 1995, and has won a huge number of industry accolades including Cannes, EPICA, World Media Festival, Marketing Design and BIMA awards.
