Marketing-communications giant WPP has merged two of its custom content units to create a new global content and communications company with “ambitious” growth objectives.
The new entity, Bookmark Content and Communications, is the result of a merger between the Toronto-headquartered Spafax Content Marketing Americas, which works primarily with clients in North America and Latin America, and the U.K.-based Forward Worldwide, which services clients in Europe and Asia-Pacific.
“There was very little overlap between our markets, but there’s a huge amount of [similarities] with our client portfolio,” said Nino Di Cara, executive vice-president of content marketing for Bookmark in Canada. “[Forward] works with a lot of premium luxury brands, and that’s very much in our DNA, and culturally we had a very similar style and outlook.”
Bookmark’s expertise includes custom content capabilities such as content strategy, editorial and video production, but also adds CRM, data-driven solutions, mobile strategy, PR, media relations and event management.
Di Cara said that Bookmark’s expertise in three key disciplines – content creation, PR and events and digital infrastructure – is a key differentiator in the Canadian market.
“If you look at the market, that combination doesn’t exist, and it’s something that clients are very much looking for,” he said. “We’re coming at it from a creation point of view, an amplification point of view and an activation point of view. We think premium luxury brands are looking for that type of service.”
Di Cara said that Bookmark’s suite of services enables it to develop “very bold” and “high-quality” client solutions. “We work with premium brands that have very high expectations around their touch-points in content creation and the way their message is conveyed on a PR basis,” said Di Cara. “That’s something that’s very much a part of our team’s operation. Our team has a very high-quality mindset about its work.”
Bookmark will be one of the world’s largest content and communications companies, with more than 250 employees operating out of nine “neighbourhoods” – including Toronto and Montreal as well as London, New York and Shanghai. There are no planned job cuts as a result of the merger, said Di Cara.
Spafax president Raymond Girard and Forward Worldwide CEO Simon Hobbs will lead the new entity as co-CEOs, while current Spafax Group CEO Niall McBain will serve as chair.
According to a company representative, the Bookmark name was developed by Forward Worldwide with in-house assistance from Spafax’s Chile office, and reflects the company’s objective of creating memorable content and experiences, while straddling both the physical and digital environments.
Spafax was originally established as Spafax Airline Networks in London in 1986, and opened its Canadian office about 20 years ago. Its first client was Air Canada, for which it continues to publish the in-flight magazine enRoute while also overseeing social media and community management as well as PR and experiential efforts.
The company also works with Dyson on experiential and produces print publications for both Latam Airlines and Mercedes-Benz, as well as a global print magazine for Fairmount Raffles Hotels International.
Bookmark will be actively soliciting what Di Cara described as “like-minded” brands, with the company set to announce what he characterized as a “significant” client win in the coming weeks.
“Content marketing is a term that has grown to incorporate so many types of activations and campaigns,” said Di Cara. “There are many players that have grown their skillset in the area – the brand agencies, the media agencies and digital agencies have all looked to grow their capabilities.”
Bookmark is part of the Spafax Group, which is housed in WPP’s “connected consumer” group of agencies, tenthavenue.
