Kantar Consulting Buys Brand Strategy Business Mash

WPP's new unit Kantar Consulting has acquired brand consultancy Mash Strategy for an undisclosed sum.

Founded in 2010 by Clear Ideas co-founder and Added Value director Jonathan Williams and former Clear/Added Value exec Conrad Persons, Mash has a team of more than 25 insight, strategy, innovation and design specialists, based in its studio in London and office in New York. The firm provides integrated consulting services covering growth strategy, insight, innovation and brand transformation; and its tailored approach to gathering insights uses commercial, consumer and cultural understanding to identify growth opportunities with the most potential. In addition, the company offers a range of tools to help clients understand the way their brand creates value for the business and consumers.

Kantar Consulting was launched last week as a business which combines retail, sales, ecommerce and marketing expertise; an understanding of how consumers think, live, behave and buy; and proprietary data; and includes the Added Value, Futures and Vermeer units. In a statement, WPP said Mash will continue to operate independently under its current leadership team and will work with all Kantar's operating brands.

Persons says the deal and investment 'provide us with more opportunity to scale our impact, both geographically and in offer development terms to help take our core proposition to the next level'. He adds: 'We have always been a company who work with the broadest ecosystem of partners, and today's news is a natural extension of that strategy. We see big growth opportunities in working closely with all Kantar businesses'.

Web sites: www.kantar.com and www.mash.uk.com .