B2B and consumer PR consultancy Clareville has been acquired by the CI Group to become its PR partner.
Clareville has been working with clients in the industry for nearly 20 years, including destinations and venues, worldwide and in the UK. Among its current clients are IMEX Exhibitions (since 2003), German Convention Bureau, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Hamburg Convention Bureau, Riskline, HBAA, Maritim Hotels and Wyboston Lakes Resort.
This acquisition takes the CI Group even closer to its target of £20 million a year turnover and £5m gross margin by the end of 2020. It follows the earlier acquisition of data analytics consultancy Pearl Analytics and digital marketing specialists CI. Diginut.
The full-service integrated communications business now comprises six agencies, with Corporate Innovations specialising in experiential, live events and reward programmes, Roundtable in digital strategy and brand development, and Ellipsis, a design and creative agency.
David Watt, CEO of the CI Group said: “The Clareville team and their talents have added a new extra dimension to our wide range of communications expertise, skills that will be valuable to many of the Group’s clients.
“It’s an exciting addition but not, I expect, the last. We continue to search for talent, skills and expertise that will further enhance the capabilities of the Group and extend the range of solutions that we can provide our clients.”
Last year Watt told M&IT that one of his main focuses is meeting agencies with a view to acquisition.
Clareville has been developing and implementing media relations and more recently influencer programmes for major consumer and B2B brands since it was established 30 years ago by John Starr and Val Mumby. The company is based in London with staff also in North America, Germany and the Middle East.
John Starr, co-founder and managing director of Clareville said: “For quite a while we’ve been wanting to offer a wider range of services to the market by partnering with a bigger organisation with compatible but not competing skills. After working together with the CI Group agencies on projects on an informal basis for several months, we’ve formalised the arrangement and become part of the Group.”
Corporate Innovations started 20 years ago when David Watt led the business specialising in live brand experiences. Following a strategic review in 2014, the CI Group was formed and made its first acquisition of advertising, strategy and branding agency, Roundtable in 2015, followed by design and creative agency Ellipsis in 2016.
Clients include Diageo, Coca Cola and PepsiCo in the FMCG sector; Microsoft, Apple, Lenovo, Symantec, Trend Micro and Computacenter in the IT market; Tata Communications; telecoms businesses including O2 and Samsung and in the leisure industry Royal Caribbean International.
M&IT editor Paul Harvey is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience. He began his career in the local press, working for various titles across the north. Since joining M&IT in 2013, he has become a trusted and respected voice in the sector, championing event professionals and reporting on all aspects of the events industry for the brand.
