London Firm The Forge Becomes Part of MSQ

London-based marcoms group MSQ, already home to analytics, insights and strategy firm Freemavens, has acquired innovation and strategy research firm The Forge.

MSQ was established in 2011 and offers services including advertising, PR, design, brand strategy and direct digital marketing, via a dozen subsidiary agencies including Freemavens and digital CX agency UDG, acquired in the autumn. Its total of 1,850 people in 24 global offices includes more than 60 specialists with data, insight and tech capabilities, offering social media listening, qual and quant research, third-party audience profiling and research analysis, brand tracking, and attitudinal market segmentation. More than 100 senior employees are shareholders in the group, which in 2023 became a certified B Corp.

The Forge was founded in 2013 by Simon Garnett, Steven Melford, Karl Miley and Ben Glassock, has annual revenues of around £4m and combines consumer insight and commercial expertise to develop customer-driven business strategies for clients across healthcare and consumer products, retail, fashion, entertainment and finance. Its current leadership - which also includes Lee Manning Craik, Kirsty Yeomans and Daniel Quinn - will work closely with MSQ Executive Director and former CEO of Kantar Consulting, Bart Michels; while staff of The Forge more generally will work closely with those of Freemavens.

'The Forge is a brilliant addition to MSQ' says the latter's Group Chief Executive Peter Reid (pictured). 'The team brings greater depth and breadth to our strategic thinking, unlocks innovation growth opportunities for our clients and provides an opportunity for us to extend the scope of The Forge's work beyond strategy and into activation harnessing our broader skills particularly in creative, design and digital.' Melford (pictured), who is now MD of The Forge, comments: 'We've had a number of approaches over the years. Any growth partner had to ultimately fit our key criteria of being good people, with a strong cultural fit, a stimulating vision and a platform that would provide growth opportunities for our business, our clients and our team. MSQ ticks all the boxes and importantly has a strong track record of allowing entrepreneurial agencies to thrive under its ownership.'

The companies are on the web at www.thisistheforge.com and www.msqpartners.com .