Next Fifteen Communications

Next Fifteen Communications Group Plc is a digital marketing communications and public relations group. It has more than 1,250 employees working across 36 offices in 18 countries. It owns four independent public relations brands: Text 100 and The OutCast Agency focus on technology, business and corporate communications; Lexis and M Booth both specialise in consumer communications. The Group also owns a global marketing services agency (Bite), research business (Redshift Research), a policy communications and corporate advocacy business (Vrge Strategies), a strategic investor relations consultancy (Blueshirt Group), a creative agency (ODD London) and a digital agency (Beyond).

History

The Group was formed in 1981 in London by Tom Lewis and Mark Adams. Its first major client were Microsoft and Fortune Systems, which it launched in Europe in 1982.^[1] In 1984 Tim Dyson joined the firm, later becoming its CEO. He oversaw its international expansion and flotation on the London Stock Exchange in late 1999.

Board of Directors

Next Fifteen is governed by a board of directors, which consist of Richard Eyre, Chairman; Tim Dyson, Chief Executive Officer; Peter Harris, Finance Director & Company Secretary; Alicja Lesniak, Non-Executive Director & Senior Independent Director; and Genevieve Shore, Non-Executive Director.

Next Fifteen brands

Beyond

Beyond is a digital consultancy, launched in September 2010 by integrating Context Analytics (Next 15’s research and analytics business), Type 3, a recently acquired digital creative agency, and consultants from Bite Communications. Beyond has offices in London, San Francisco and New York and uses earned, owned and paid media to lure traffic to "brand properties" and "experiences". Beyond’s clients include Apple, YouTube, Google and Cisco.^[2]

Bite

Bite is a global marketing services agency founded in 1995. Bite was formed in 2012 by the merger of Bite Communications, a strategic communications consultancy, and Bourne, a creative digital marketing agency.

Clients include: Citi, Dell, eClerx, Equinix, FedEx, Marriott, Microsoft, Sony, Telefónica Digital and Hasbro, as well as others.^[3]

The Blueshirt Group

The Blueshirt Group, with offices in San Francisco and New York, provides strategic investor relations counsel to companies and venture capital firms to help them effectively communicate with Wall Street, investors and the media. Blueshirt is best known for its involvement in IPOs.^[4]

Lexis

Next 15 bought a 25% stake in Lexis in 2005, and in 2008 increased its ownership to 100%. Now employing over 90 members of staff in London, Lexis is a full-service agency with consumer, corporate, healthcare, sport and youth divisions.^[5]

M Booth & Associates

New York-based M Booth caters for the consumer-PR market and specialises in building strong and powerful brands.^[6]

OutCast

Employing over 80 members of staff in San Francisco and New York, OutCast devises communications strategies.^[7]

Redshift Research

Redshift Research was established as a subsidiary of the Group in 2007. It is a full-service market research consultancy.

Text 100

Text 100 is the Group’s largest brand. It employs over 500 people in 21 offices around the world and has a further 15 licensed partners.

ODD London

ODD is an independent creative agency. Purchased by Next15 in December 2015.^[8]

Vrge Strategies

Next 15 owns a 76% stake in Vrge Strategies, a communications and advocacy firm based in Washington, DC, San Francisco and Seattle. It was formerly known as 463 Communications. This senior-level firm guides upstarts and legacy companies through the policy issues and business conflicts that arise from technology disruption and changing markets. The firm was founded by Mark Blafkin, Tom Galvin, Scott Gerber and Josh Zecher. {^[9]

Connections Media

Next 15 owns an 80% stake in Connections Media, a digital agency specialising in politics and public affairs. The Washington DC-based firm provides digital campaign services including: strategy, design, advertising, social media, and customized technology services to select political, advocacy & corporate public affairs clients. Connections Media's three original partners, Jonah Seiger (founder), Phil A. Lepanto, and Andrew Weishaar retain a minority stake in the company.^[10]

References

1. ↑ Microsoft Press Release
2. ↑ http://www.bynd.com
3. ↑ http://www.biteglobal.com
4. ↑ http://www.blueshirtgroup.com
5. ↑ http://www.lexispr.com
6. ↑ http://www.booth.com
7. ↑ http://www.outcastagency.com
8. ↑ http://www.oddlondon.com
9. ↑ http://www.463.com
10. ↑ http://www.next15.com/2013/04/09/connections-media-acquired-by-next-15-communications-group/