Freemavens Name Goes as MSQ Merges Businesses

London-based marketing and tech services group MSQ has merged two of its insight and strategy businesses, Freemavens and The Forge, creating a new consultancy to be known simply as Forge.

Founded through an MBO of marcoms group Media Square in 2011, MSQ offers services including advertising, PR, design, brand strategy and direct digital marketing, employs around 1,900 people working from 24 global offices, and is the parent of nine other agencies including Big Spaceship and MSQ DX. The firm acquired Freemavens in 2020, along with its then-parent Be Heard. The Forge was acquired ten months ago, and worked with global clients across healthcare, consumer products, retail, fashion, entertainment and finance.

The new Forge will be headquartered in London, with further offices in Amsterdam and New York, and will be led by CEO Steven Melford (pictured right), and Chief Growth Officer and Managing Director, Eleanor Lloyd Malcolm (pictured left), reporting to MSQ Executive Director and former Kantar exec Bart Michels. The firm will help clients to identify and pursue growth opportunities, working around five 'core consulting capabilities': Foresight & Trends, Dynamic Demand, Growth Strategy, Go-to-market innovation, and Business Capability & Implementation.

'The strategic consultancy market is ripe for disruption,' says Michels. 'There is a big gap between brilliant strategic thinking and genuine business impact. By combining our senior consulting expertise with intelligent data, integrated technology and applied creativity, we believe Forge is perfectly placed to close that gap, giving clients both the thinking and the means to act on it.' Melford says the new firm offers a 'unique combination of exceptional 'deep thinking' talent in the same room as best-in-class data, AI technology and creative firepower.'

Web sites: www.msqpartners.com and www.forgemsq.com .

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