Communisis buys rival for £7m

Editions Publishing is the UK’s leading content marketing agency in the financial services sector.

Communisis, which has operations in Leeds, said it will spend £5.4m in cash on the deal and will raise a further £1.7m through a share issue.

Editions Publishing, which trades as Editions Financial, has carried out over 2,000 projects for more than 33 financial brands over the last 14 years. It said this is more than any other content marketing agency in the UK.

Editions Financial is based in Edinburgh and has a 31-strong team of specialist writers, designers, digital experts, content strategists, broadcasters and marketing specialists.

It works directly with financial brands to develop their content strategies, including benchmarking, proposition development and campaign planning.

It then provides a co-ordinated content marketing delivery service including copywriting, video production, digital content, print and digital magazines, ezines, social media, event content and front line sales collateral.

The acquisition is expected to be earnings enhancing in its first full year of ownership by the group.

For the year to August 2012, Editions Financial reported pre-tax profits of £500,000 on turnover of £2.6m with gross assets of £1.3m at the year end.

Communisis said that its turnover and profit increased during the year to August 2013 and continued organic growth is expected in 2014 and beyond, helped by synergies within the bigger group.

Communisis said the acquisition is in line with its strategy of acquiring businesses in specialist complementary areas.

It added that Editions Financial will add considerable skill and experience in content marketing and will strengthen its leading position in the strategically important financial services sector.

The vendors and founding shareholders, Caspian Woods and Ruth Stewart-Simpson, have both signed contracts to stay on with the enlarged group for at least two years.

Andy Blundell, chief executive of Communisis, said: “As the UK’s leading content marketing agency within the financial services sector, Editions Financial is a clear strategic fit with the group’s aspiration to broaden and deepen its service offering.

“The acquisition also strengthens our already strong position in the financial services sector.

“We are delighted that the owners have decided to join Communisis and that they are equally committed both to the continuing development of the Editions Financial business and to the growth and expansion of the group.”

Caspian Woods, founder and chairman of Editions Financial, said: “Joining Communisis is an excellent opportunity for us to accelerate the growth of our business, to provide a broader range of services to our clients and to offer a richer experience to our staff, with the backing and resources of a larger group.

“As more brands adopt content marketing, the most important aspect will be its relevance to the reader. Communisis’ unparalleled capabilities in data-driven personalised communications coupled with compelling content will make for a powerful proposition. Developing it will be an exciting challenge for us and the Editions Financial team.”