Inc Direct acquires Wand marcomms agency

DM printer Inc Direct has moved further upstream in its service offering with the acquisition of a majority shareholding in London-based creative agency Wand.

The acquisition will significantly boost Inc Direct's above-the-line offering, adding planning, creation and delivery services for advertising, broadcast and social media to its existing digital and direct marketing capability.

Inc Direct managing director Noel Warner said: "For a long time, we have told clients that we can deliver everything apart from the creative, and this formal partnership allows us to bridge that gap."

He added that the acquisition of Wand was "a logical step" after having worked with the agency, which was founded in 2006 by creative partners Brian Storey and Xanthos Christodoulou.

Storey described Wand as a "media neutral creative hot shop" and said that by joining forces with Inc Direct, the agency would be able to "deliver creative concepts to the right media and tap into Inc Direct’s cross media expertise at the back-end".

He added: "This alliance will allow us to integrate every stage of a campaign, from concept to design and execution. In many ways this partnership is a game changer for marketing and brand owners because they will be able to rethink the whole way they buy and place strategic campaigns."

According to Warner, the acquisition is only the first stage of Inc Direct's strategy to expand its services in "all areas of digital marketing". "This partnership really allows us to work seamlessly with clients on any aspects of their marketing mix, and add a little bit of magic at every stage to what they truly need," he added.

Wand's clients include Benson for Beds, JP Morgan, Peugeot, Ladbrokes and Schroders.