Nottingham-based Eight Days a Week Print Solutions (EDWPS), currently in the midst of a repositioning to become Eight Group encompassing Eight Plus, has teamed up with Crawford Technology Consulting (CTC) to acquire London-based creative digital marketing agency Marketlayer for an undisclosed sum. The move is said to diversify Eight Group’s offerings, capitalising on Marketlayer’s expertise in digital marketing.
The transaction sees Eight Group acquire the majority and controlling interest with the remainder taken by CTC. Marketlayer’s managing director, Gabe Cooney, will retain his role and continue to oversee the day-to-day operations of the business.
Eight Group managing director Lance Hill commented, ‘This was a great opportunity to broaden our strategic and digital communications offering which will appeal to our existing customer base, plus a pipeline of new developments that are underway. Marketlayer has a solid customer base of their own, with a great customer-led service offering.’
CTC director Darren Crawford, who until recently was chief technology officer of The Go Inspire Group said, ‘Marketlayer has a first-class development team, and I believe that we can build upon Marketlayer’s unique and innovative technology to the benefit of theirs and EDWPS customers.’
Moving on from a 16-year spell as chairman and managing director at Data Direct, incorporating Marketlayer in 2008, Mr Cooney speaks on the company’s history and the importance of this new deal. He said, ‘Originally started with Robin Welch in 1992 offering database intelligence driven personalised printing, Marketlayer was my next chapter, designed to introduce our clients old and new into the digital world of email broadcasting.
‘My team and I are delighted and super enthusiastic to enter this next exhilarating and sensational chapter of our digital marketing journey, enabling all parties to combine and utilise our now second-to-none skill set being part of the Eight Group.’
Across all the companies, relationships had already been built years prior to this partnership. Mr Hill and Mr Crawford have a history of collaboration, having worked together for 10 years at 4DM, sitting on industry boards helping shape the direct mail and digital integration landscape. Mr Hill and Mr Cooney have a longstanding professional relationship dating back to their time at Graphic Inline and Data Direct in the 1990s.
On hearing of the deal Mr Welch, ex-CEO of GI Solutions Group, stated, ‘This is a fantastic pairing. I have worked with all the principles at various points in time, and I believe both businesses are a great compliment for each other bringing together the online and offline worlds for their clients.’
The acquisition did not require external finance and was structured with an upfront payment and deferred consideration.
