AVENIR GLOBAL has acquired Marker Collective from Next 15 Group, expanding the Montreal-based communications group's international footprint.
Marker Collective includes Archetype, Nectar and Outcast, as well as Delve, an artificial intelligence-based media intelligence platform. The business has about 650 employees across 20 offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, continental Europe and Asia-Pacific.
After the acquisition, AVENIR GLOBAL has more than 1,500 employees worldwide and ranks among the 15 largest communications firms by revenue. Marker will continue to operate separately under Chief Executive Officer Helena Maus.
The transaction strengthens AVENIR GLOBAL's presence in technology communications, where Marker has built relationships with large technology companies. It also brings Delve, which turns real-time news and social media coverage into insights for executives.
AVENIR GLOBAL said the platform could be used more widely across its agencies for client service, campaign measurement and internal workflows, allowing teams to spend more time on client work.
Marker's three agencies will keep their identities, leadership teams and client relationships. Day-to-day operations will remain unchanged, with clients continuing to work with their existing agency teams.
The acquisition adds to a portfolio spanning Canada, the US, the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. AVENIR GLOBAL owns specialist communications businesses including NATIONAL Public Relations and Time & Space in Canada, Padilla in the US, and Hanover, Madano, Thinks, AXON and Cherry in Europe and healthcare communications.
Technology focus
The addition of Marker gives AVENIR GLOBAL a stronger position in a communications market where agencies are under pressure to show how technology and data tools support advisory and media work. Delve sits at the centre of Marker's operating model and supports more than 450 clients across its agencies.
Jean-Pierre Vasseur, President and Chief Executive Officer of AVENIR GLOBAL, said the quality of Marker's people, the strength of its agencies, its relationships with some of the world's leading technology companies, and the technology it has developed drove the deal.
"We believe in the value of communications and advisory firms that help organizations earn trust, strengthen their reputations and navigate change, particularly where science, technology, health, policy and capital intersect. Marker fits well with that approach. In our 50th anniversary year, this acquisition represents another important step in our international growth. We look forward to supporting Marker's continued success as part of AVENIR GLOBAL," Vasseur said.
Separate operations
Marker is structured as a group of specialist agencies linked by shared intelligence and technology. Under the new ownership, that model will remain in place, with Archetype, Nectar, Outcast and Delve keeping distinct brands and management teams.
Maus said the sale validated the structure Marker had developed.
"Today's announcement is a strong vote of confidence in our people, our clients, and the model we have been building - distinct agencies with strong points of view, connected by shared intelligence and technology," said Helena Maus, Chief Executive Officer of Marker Collective.
"AVENIR GLOBAL is an excellent home for us because of its confidence in making a long-term bet on communications, and that gives our people and clients confidence in what lies ahead. What makes AVENIR GLOBAL such a good fit is its understanding of what makes specialist agencies successful. We share a belief in preserving what makes each agency different while giving our teams opportunities to collaborate and deliver success for clients across markets. Joining AVENIR GLOBAL gives us a long-term partner that values what we have created. The next era of communications is being written now, and we are thrilled to write it with AVENIR GLOBAL," Maus said.
For Next 15, the sale marks the disposal of a communications asset. For AVENIR GLOBAL, it advances a strategy of acquiring specialist firms while allowing them to retain their market positions. The group said that approach has underpinned its growth across public relations, public affairs, health, media and strategic advisory work.
The latest deal also increases AVENIR GLOBAL's scale in major communications markets, especially the US and UK, while extending its reach in continental Europe and Asia-Pacific through Marker's network of 20 offices.
Marker's agencies advise clients in the technology sector, while Delve provides a shared layer of intelligence across the collective. Both companies said that combination of sector specialisation and technology tools was central to the transaction.