Unlimited Group Forms Global Partnership

UK-based marcoms network the Unlimited Group has hooked up with Japanese agency group Hakuhodo and owner-managed German group Serviceplan, promising clients a global offering based on locally rooted insight.

Unlimited (previously known as Creston) recently ditched two longstanding MR brands, Marketing Sciences and ICM Direct, and combined four insight businesses into a 'human understanding' agency called Walnut Unlimited. In addition to its Insight & Analytics discipline, Unlimited has divisions focused on Health, Customer Engagement, Brand, Digital Transformation, B2B & Technology, and CRM & Acquisition. The group has 850 people based in London, Bristol, Winchester and New York.

Serviceplan, which has 4,000 employees in offices across Europe as well as in New York, Dubai, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, also houses a number of specialist agencies across CRM, digital, research, PR and advertising; while Hakuhodo has offices in twenty countries and regions across Asia, employing 10,000 people.

Through the deal the UK, German and Japanese agencies are building joint teams to provide data driven, customer-centric, integrated solutions. The alliance will also enable the three to serve existing clients and pitch for global business as a single unit, with a flexible approach to working together.

Tim Bonnet, President of the Unlimited Group, comments: 'We have had a relationship with Hakuhodo and partnership agreement with Serviceplan for a number of years and as this grew in success, we are delighted to formalise this into a global alliance. We are really excited about the expanded offering and capabilities this will bring to our existing clients as well as the agile, innovative and data lead offering we can offer new clients on a global scale'.

Web sites: www.unlimitedgroup.com , www.hakuhodo-global.com and www.serviceplan.com .