Firms Partner for Social Media Insights

In the UK, WPP-owned Grey Advertising has partnered with social media agency Wildfire Word of Mouth (which has rebranded as The Social Partners), to combine social media with offline' influencer' programmes.

Based in Grey's London office, the partnership links consumer influence and online social networking under the banner of 'Total Social', offering a full range of social media research and measurement solutions, along with social media marketing programmes, and social media channel education.

'Partnering with Grey gives us instant access to the agency's global network, enabling us to deliver social media campaigns for global brands,' explains Ben Corah from The Social Partners. 'Clients can therefore immediately benefit from our proven processes and measurement methodologies, developed over six years.'

Grey CEO Chris Hirst said that with the partnership, his firm has 'leapfrogged' the competition with an offer that delivers 'a measurable effect in the real world'. Grey London first became an investor in Wildfire in 2008, and took a majority share in the company in December.

Web sites: www.grey.co.uk and www.thesocialpartners.com .