Data-led marketing services company acquired by major UK tech firm.
Marketing Source completes trade sale to Equiniti, advised by Global M&A and consultancy firm, SI Partners.
Marketing Source, an award-winning agency, specialising in data and digital communications, has secured a deal with Equiniti, an intelligent provider of sophisticated technology, administration, processing and payments services.
The move by Equiniti reinforces a trend we are seeing across marcoms M&A in which industries from outside the typical buyer spectrum are converging on marcoms talent, driven by a need for greater digital and data capability.
"This type of acquisition would have been atypical of the industry three years ago, but this is now something we are seeing with greater frequency. Digital and data capabilities are in high demand". Tristan Rice, Partner at SI Partners
Marketing Source is a data analytics and cyber security business which helps clients mitigate risk and improve effective customer targeting through data analytics, identity checking and cyber security products. Marketing Source’s cyber security products provide regulatory-driven, technology-enabled specialist services focussing on prevention of email fraud and phishing scams, primarily targeting financial services firms and consumer brands. These businesses face the challenge of ensuring that data is reliable, analysed effectively and handled in a compliant way to minimise the risks of cyber security breaches.
Equiniti Group plc is a specialist technology outsourcer providing non-discretionary payment and administration services to blue-chip companies, Government and retail investors in the UK. In line with its mission to make complex things simple for organisations and individuals alike, the acquisition of Marketing Source is a further example of Equiniti’s growth strategy of integrating scalable technology platforms to provide regulation-driven, technology-enabled services.
The acquisition of Marketing Source by Equiniti is the latest deal example of a trend we would expect to see continue throughout 2017. SI Partners also recently advised WAE, a global customer experience and service design consultancy, on its sale to Argentinian technology services company, Globant.
SI Partners also recently advised Hong Kong based brand and consumer experience design consultancy on sale to WPP owned FITCH, read more about the transaction here.
