Finnish Buy for Marketing Group Samy

Madrid-based digital marketing group Samy Alliance, the parent of British-based research firm Capture Intelligence, has acquired Helsinki-based social media agency Kurio, giving it a presence in the Nordic countries.

Founded in 2013, Samy now operates in around 55 markets and has 400 staff in offices in 14 countries including the UK, continental Europe and the US. The group develops complete digital strategies for brands, including research and market intelligence, data and analytics, social media, digital content, creative, influencer marketing, communications and public relations. In the UK, its three subsidiaries are global research agency Capture Intelligence, ad agency SHARE Creative and paid media agency Thyga.

Kurio, founded in 2012 by Jari Lähdevuori and Elli Tuominen, and since 2015 under the leadership of Tommi Opas as CEO, is ranked the 8th most creative agency in the world in the Global Creative Index 2023 by PRovoke Media and focuses on social media.

Opas says his company's goals 'align perfectly with SAMY's in both ambition and direction', and adds: 'We share a common desire to serve our clients both locally and globally as a leading 'social-first' agency, leveraging data and technology to enhance our offering. This partnership marks a significant milestone in our journey, and we are excited about the possibilities it opens up for us and our existing and new clients in the Nordics and globally'.

Patricia Ratia, co-founder at SAMY Alliance comments: 'The arrival of Kurio allows us to make a great statement in the Nordics, a market with huge potential that has the highest rate of social media adoption in the world reaching 81.7% of the total population. Furthermore, we are excited about the idea of having a HUB in Helsinki, a vibrant city with a strong edge in design and innovation. This HUB will undoubtedly function as an experimentation lab for the Samy Alliance, enabling us to export innovation to other markets'.

Web sites are at www.kurio.fi/en and www.samy.com/en .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.