"We love what the Peppy team achieved in such a short space of time. We quickly saw that their values closely mirrored our own, which is why this acquisition was such a logical step for both parties."
Adam Oldfield
The UK-built and managed marketing automation platform Force24 has acquired full-service agency Peppy Marketing, for an undisclosed sum.
The news follows the announcement back in May 2018, that Leeds-based Peppy was appointed as a platinum partner of Force24 – also headquartered in the same West Yorkshire city.
But having experienced significant success as a partner – with a number of high-profile wins particularly in the automotive and slow-moving consumer goods sectors – discussions surrounding a new form of collaboration soon unfolded.
That’s why Peppy Marketing’s team has now relocated to Force24’s 5000sqft offices at Indigo Blu – Leeds’ city centre – as the business gears up for double-digit growth in 2019.
Commenting on how the relationship has unfolded, Force24’s managing director Adam Oldfield said: “With more than 20 years’ senior marketing experience, Brett James and Graham Davidson founded Peppy to develop multichannel, integrated and GDPR-compliant communication strategies for clients. But they stepped their offering up a notch when they were awarded certified platinum partner status in the spring, as they could then deliver automated campaigns as a managed service.
“We love what the Peppy team achieved in such a short space of time,” he continued. “We quickly saw that their values closely mirrored our own, which is why this acquisition was such a logical step for both parties. I’m delighted that the deal has been a success.”
Established in 2010, Force24 has grown to become the most well-known UK built and managed marketing automation platforms, with 1500 users – and counting. 2018 has already been a big year, with the team announcing it had reached the £5m organic investment milestone in September, and 682 updates rolled out to the expanding client base since January alone. Net recurring revenue is reported to have risen by 80% when compared to 2017 figures, user adoption is up 300% and 400 trillion data exchanges are now handled through the technology, per annum.
But the brand is as renowned for its marketing services, as it is its platform, insists Adam.
“As we continue to innovate new products and create fresh ways for marketers to work more efficiently, it’s crucial that we keep offering an outstanding level of advice, support and consultancy,” he expanded. “We’re extremely committed to helping our clients harness the full power of our platform, as we know this is where many other competitors fall flat.”
Hinting that 2019 is going to be a big year for the company, he added: “The launch of the Force24 social media publishing application is imminent. We know that the experience of the Peppy team will allow us to deliver the same high level of strategic support within the social space, as we’ve become renowned for throughout the wider world of martech.”
Peppy’s joint founding director Brett James concluded: “Force24 is an exciting and innovative business. At the start of the year, we performed our due diligence within the marketing automation landscape, and reviewed almost every platform in the sector before deciding to commit to the platinum partnership. Force24 stood head and shoulders ahead of the competition – not only were we impressed by the product, but also the company’s commitment to supporting clients and partners.
“Every day we hear stories from our prospects about unacceptable levels of service, exorbitant pricing and poor performance from the competition. We’ve always believed that a company prepared to show love, care and attention to its clients – plus a passion to help them evolve – will succeed in this competitive market. This is exactly what Force24 is about.”
