An advertising agency is expanding out of its West Midlands heartland by establishing a presence in the South West and North West.
M3.agency has acquired a stake in Bristol firm 7Fifty and will shortly open a new office in Manchester.
The firm, which offers services such as strategy, creative and branding, is based in Birmingham and Shropshire and also has an office in London.
It has now agreed an undisclosed deal to buy a stake in 7Fifty and says it is setting its sights on delivering a new type of marketing approach to clients in sectors such as hospitality, leisure, tourism, manufacturing and technology.
M3 said the aim of the tie up was to combine each other's collective strengths in the power of 'real' documentary content with digital distribution to promote brands, new products and destinations.
7Fifty works with celebrity clients such as actor Tom Holland, chef Tom Kerridge and music legend Gary Barlow alongside household names including shoe brand Birkenstock and luxury car manufacturer Bentley.
It produces video shorts, reels for social media, long-form factual entertainment series on YouTube, live events and collaborations.
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M3's chief executive Nick Lovett said: "I've never met anyone who does what (founder) Rosa Brough at 7Fifty does.
"She uses more than a decade's experience in broadcast television to get beneath the skin of a brand and her talented team of videographers, photographers and social media stars then bring the story to life.
"This documentary style production is something that we've never done before and this partnership gives our clients access to Rosa's unique storytelling skills."
M3 currently manages approximately £40 million of billings every year for a mix of domestic and international clients.
It said the deal with 7Fifty could boost turnover to £50 million and add to the four-strong team in Bristol along with giving it a foothold in the South West for the first time.
Ms Brough added: "We both see ourselves as challenger brands and are keen to disrupt the status quo when it comes to marketing.
"There's a massive opportunity to combine traditional methods of making programmes and turning them into really effective advertising tools. Consumers want to be entertained and educated, not continually sold to."
In a separate announcement, M3 has taken up new office space in Manchester city centre. It has agreed a deal to launch in the 'Colony' building in Ancoats district of the city.
Managing partner Rob Pollard said: "Throughout its history, Manchester has shown that focusing energy leads to success.
"We knew we wanted to enhance our reputation across the North West and the only way to do that properly was to put down roots here so we can live and breathe the culture, become part of the community and understand what makes this unique and vibrant city tick.
"Our new home gives us just that - an ideal location, room to grow and access to the most fantastic rooftop space overlooking Manchester."
M3 said it was targeting revenues of £500,000 in the first year with the aim of growing this to £2 million by the end of 2027.
Mr Lovett added: "We've just celebrated our 25th birthday so there is no better time to take our brand into new hubs and this move strengthens our vision of creating an independent network of agencies across the º£½ÇÊÓƵ and further afield.
"Manchester and the North West was the obvious first step given its vibrancy, energy and the important role it plays as a true home for creativity, innovation and emerging tech."
