LONDON, December 6, 2023 – Paritee, which last year acquired Scandinavian communications agency Geelmuyden Kiese, has acquired Brands2Life, one of UK's most award-winning and pre-eminent independent communications agencies, with net sales in FY 2023 of ca. £24m and approx. 200 employees in London, and in the U.S. Brands2Life is a digitally led PR and communications agency, focused particularly on technology and healthcare, and a welcome addition to Paritee's emerging EMEA agency platform. The UK is the most developed market in Europe and there has long been a strong business link between London and the Nordic region. The acquisition, which is backed by private equity company Explore Equity, opens up unique opportunities both to win international clients as well as attract the best international talent.
- Paritee’s mission is to create a new type of EMEA agency network and model for collaboration and joint value creation, one that invests in and brings together “National Champion” agencies from key markets onto the platform, while protecting their entrepreneurial ethos. The platform model will enable the agencies to co-operate for mutual benefit, providing clients with high-value services and deep sector expertise, explains Paritee Founder and Chairman, Lars Erik Grønntun.
As a pre-eminent National Champion in the U.K., displaying a consistent and impressive YoY growth, double-digit profit margin and longstanding client relationships, Brands2Life will remain a stand-alone brand run by Co-Founders Giles Fraser, Sarah Scales and their team. As part of this deal there are also plans over time to expand Brands2Life’s presence in the US.
- Brands2Life is simply a great agency, with great people and a great brand. By virtue of its size, unique position, and cutting-edge offering, Brands2Life is an important strategic cornerstone for Paritee. Both entrepreneurship and a passion for communication characterizes Paritee's and Brands2Life's culture, that sense of kinship is a strong basis for our continued growth journey, concludes Jonas Palmqvist, CEO Paritee and new Brands2Life Chairman.
The agency also runs the Brands2Life Global Network to serve clients on an international basis and this network will continue to operate.
- Paritee is not a network in the traditional sense, rather the advantage of Paritee is that it offers ‘the best of both worlds’ – the ability to stay agile and entrepreneurial whilst helping shape a growing network of like-minded agencies. It is impressive to see what Paritee has achieved already with Geelmuyden Kiese, in terms of growth and acceleration, since they acquired the agency just a couple of years ago. That certainly is inspiring, explains Giles Fraser - Through Paritee's vast experience, broad network, management skills and resources, we and the other agencies in the platform will see both faster growth and a richer client offering. And, crucially, we really like the Paritee team and know we will be able to achieve great things together, says Sarah Scales.