Ad group Javelin acquires Brand Social

"We felt we needed a quantum shift," says Javelin Group chief executive Joe Dobbin of the Dublin communications agency's decision to acquire digital specialists Brand Social for an undisclosed sum.

“Basically digital has been the only growth area in advertising we have seen in the last couple of years, so we had been looking at expanding our footprint.”

After deciding that an acquisition was the best way to proceed, Javelin took a controlling stake in Brand Social, and its people have “moved in with their computers into the warehouse in Smithfield” where Javelin is based.

The percentage of marketing spend that goes on digital media is "growing every day", says Dobbin: "It's all-pervasive."

Growing headcount
The full-service advertising, direct marketing and digital marketing group now has a headcount of 36, including Brand Social principals Ken Stanley and Ray Doyle.

Javelin, which was founded in 1986 by Dobbin, Conor Kennedy and Paul Myers, includes Toyota, Bacardi, Irish Ferries, Arnotts and Betfair on its client list, while Brand Social, established in 2009, recently worked with Cars Ireland on the launch of their app and with Universal Pictures on the premiere of Tom Cruise movie Oblivion .