iris Announces Strategic Partnership with Edge

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iris Worldwide

This partnership is an ideal fit for Edge – iris is a leading, global, integrated marketing agency with an innovative approach and big ambitions.

Singapore (PRWEB) November 30, 2009

Independent marketing network iris Worldwide, has today announced a strategic partnership with Edge - a leading integrated marketing agency with offices in Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand. The deal marries "two very likeminded agencies" according to global CEO Ian Millner.

Edge's skill set of brand strategy, CRM, digital and event marketing to deliver 360 campaigns for clients like Johnnie Walker, Mead Johnson, Citibank and Syngenta, complements iris' integrated offering, which includes advertising, digital, direct marketing, sales promotion and experiential. iris, which also counts Johnnie Walker as a client and produces 360 campaigns for the brand out of its Singapore office, says the deal allows it to access key hubs like Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia, which are strategically important to be in for its existing clients Sony Ericsson, adidas and Shell.

Ian Millner commented: "Building capability in this way demonstrates agency agility, and it’s this type of flexible approach that the agency model of the future will be built on. iris has grown organically for 9 years and as we enter more challenging markets we'll look to acquisitions in some and to building strategic partnerships in others. Edge and iris are cut from the same cloth – we're independent, we're integrated and we're two very likeminded agencies both in our approach and our ambition to grow our business in a way that meets our clients' requirements”.    

Edge Marketing's CEO Patrick Looram, said: "This partnership is an ideal fit for Edge – iris is a leading, global, integrated marketing agency with an innovative approach and big ambitions. Edge's success has also been driven by innovation, especially in our ability to offer clients highly measureable, ROI-based campaigns. Clients are expecting this kind of approach in every market now. This deal will give Edge and iris a truly global footprint."

Patrick Pitcher, Chairman of Edge, said: "I spent a great deal of time with iris as this deal was being put together and now more than ever I am convinced that companies like iris and Edge represent the future of advertising, especially in Asia. Brand owners need more companies that have the skill to combine diverse disciplines like direct, digital and data analytics with real consumer insights that are built from the ground up. I am sure this will be a successful partnership for iris, Edge and both parties' clients."

Edge was founded in 2004 and is regarded as the leading CRM agency in Vietnam, with offices in Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Bangkok and Singapore. In February this year Edge announced the acquisition of New Media, the leading internet and digital agency in Thailand and Vietnam. The acquisition created a unique agency offering the powerful combination of digital advertising with eCRM marketing in Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore.

The partnership extends iris' reach in Asia Pacific where it already has offices in Singapore, Beijing, Delhi, Sydney and Melbourne.

About Edge:
Edge was founded in 2004 and is the largest independent marketing agency operating in Indochina and Thailand. The Group specializes in creating integrated Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM) programs which utilize a variety of media channels, both on and offline. Edge's CRM programs deliver measurable & targeted marketing campaigns to qualified consumer and trade databases.
The Group includes: Edge Marketing, a fully integrated CRM-focused marketing agency; Newmedia Edge, a digital marketing agency and Pivotal Edge, supplier of marketing services including call centers and mail fulfillment. The Group employs over 150 staff in Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

About iris:
iris is a global, independent, integrated marketing agency working across all media and all disciplines and is one of the fastest growing micro-networks in the world. Working with global clients which include Sony Ericsson, Sony, adidas, ING, Shell, Coca-Cola and Hertz, iris delivers award-winning creative work and truly integrated solutions across advertising, direct, digital, PR, retail, experiential and sponsorship, in addition to management consultancy.

iris was formed for a single purpose: to create competitive advantage and the agency is driven by the desire to find, do and "Be Better". "Be Better" is a philosophy that drives iris' deep business partnerships, its global growth, its talent and the creative output that enables its clients to stay ahead of their competition.

Founded in 1999 by Ian Millner and Stewart Shanley, iris has 15 offices in 10 countries and over 750 employees worldwide. Offices are located in London, Manchester, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Delhi, Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne, Beijing, New York, Miami, Portland and Atlanta.

iris was ranked 10th Nationally by the Sunday Times '100 Best Companies to Work For 2009' and was named Agency of the Year 2008 by the MCCA. In the US, iris ranked 5th in the large business category of Crain's Best Places to Work in New York 2008, while iris Singapore was acknowledged by Media magazine as being one of the top 3 independent agencies in Asia Pacific at their awards in 2008.

For more information please see http://www.irisnation.com

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