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Digital agency in MBO

ilG Digital, a digital media agency and consultancy, has been bought by private equity firm ECI Partners and its management in a deal worth more than £45 million. Management will retain a stake of approximately 40 per cent in the business, with the remainder owned by ECI. Mergers & Acquisitions / Thursday, 1st May 2008

End in sight for Leisure & Media VCT

Leisure & Media VCT, which was established by investment firm JO Hambro and chartered surveyor Humberts Leisure, will be placed in voluntary liquidation in 2009, according to its management. The company is making no new investments and has halved the size of its board in preparation for the wind-up. IPO & City News / Wednesday, 30th April 2008

Customer intelligence: the facts

An industry has sprung up that takes the old adage of ‘knowing your customer’ that stage further. Customer analytics software promises to help businesses explore patterns within their data, thereby learning more about their customers and hopefully encouraging them to spend more money. Marketing & Sales / Friday, 25th April 2008

Negotiation: turning up the heat

Sometimes it pays to be nasty. In the early days of commercial television, I worked in a small agency in the media department, which meant I had to do a little of everything while our larger competitors had specialist buying departments, recalls Chris Ingram. Marketing & Sales / Tuesday, 22nd April 2008

Tomorrow’s world wide web

The internet has created opportunities for entrepreneurs everywhere. GrowthBusiness talks to some of them about burgeoning trends in online business Technology in Business / Friday, 11th April 2008

Marketing in a recession

Over two-thirds (72 per cent) of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are now expecting a recession. However, under one third (28 per cent) have rewritten or adapted their marketing plan to prepare for it, according to research from marketing company New Brand Vision. Business News / Friday, 4th April 2008

YFM backs Fishawack MBO

Medical communications business Fishawack, which has offices in Cheshire and Oxfordshire, is undergoing a management buy-out (MBO) for £6 million. The MBO is backed by YFM Private Equity, with debt from the Co-operative Bank. Mergers & Acquisitions / Monday, 3rd March 2008

Saul Klein: an eye for talent

Skype, Last.fm, Lovefilm... Saul Klein has been involved in the remarkable success of each of these internet companies. Since joining VC firm Index Ventures last year, he’s on the lookout for more web start-ups with the potential for greatness. Business Leaders / Friday, 29th February 2008

Hasgrove buys London public affairs firm

Hasgrove, a pan-European marketing and communications group, has extended its public affairs network with an acquisition in London. The group bought Politics International, which advises clients on their strategies for dealing with issues of public or political interest, in a deal that could be worth £3 million. Mergers & Acquisitions / Tuesday, 12th February 2008

Buy.at joins AOL stable

Web services company AOL, a subsidiary of media behemoth Time Warner, has made its fifth acquisition in 12 months. The US company paid an undisclosed sum for UK-based affiliate network buy.at, which will now operate as a wholly owned business unit of AOL’s online advertising arm Advertising.com. Mergers & Acquisitions / Friday, 8th February 2008

Media group buys Exposure Events UK

United Business Media has bought Exposure Events UK, an exhibition business that focuses on the building and refurbishment of new secondary schools, for an initial £600,000 in cash.The agreement includes a performance-related consideration of up to £1.9 million to be paid in the next two years. Mergers & Acquisitions / Friday, 8th February 2008

Gyro raises £50 million from mystery US investor

Business-to-business marketing agency Gyro International has secured an investment worth more than £50 million from a US-based private equity firm. Neither the name of the firm nor the exact amount of the investment have been disclosed. Fundraising Deals / Tuesday, 5th February 2008

Baronsmead VCTs see 3.7 times return from RLA sale

Private equity firm ISIS Equity Partners says it nearly quadrupled the investment made through its Baronsmead VCTs in marketing agency RLA, which was sold last month. AIM-listed The Mission Marketing Group paid an initial consideration of £9.5 million for the company, with a further £11.5 million payable depending on its performance. Mergers & Acquisitions / Thursday, 3rd January 2008

Create killer marketing copy

Too often, marketing campaigns fail to elicit a market response. Don’t let yours be a statistic. Marketing & Sales / Friday, 9th November 2007

Getting your website ready for Christmas

When you’re gearing up for the biggest sales opportunity of the year, being well-prepared is everything – and online is no different. Mario Thomas, MD of Leeds-based digital agency Chapter Eight, offers his tips for getting your website ready for the rush. Marketing & Sales / Monday, 15th October 2007

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