Amaze Realise, the agency formed in 2018 from a merger of two businesses, is being rebranded Kin + Carta Connect as part of yet another restructure implemented by the parent company which also sees Solstice and TAB brands axed.
The company claims the move is designed to simplify its structure under three pillars; Kin + Carta Connect, Kin + Carta Create (including TAB and Solstice) and Kin + Carta Advise.
However, other agencies will retain their branding, including Edit, Hive, Incite, Pragma, Loop and finally Spire Digital, which was bought in a $14.8m (£11.5m) deal last November.
Kin + Carta, then known as St Ives, paid £23.4m for Amaze back in 2013 as part of a strategy to diversify away from print that kicked off in 2010 with the £12m purchase of Occam.
Since then it has bought and rebranded more businesses than you could shake a stick at, including Realise, Response One and Branded3, as it strives for constant reinvention. It finally completed its exit from print in 2018 when it sold its print management division to Paragon Group for £11m. The group rebranded to Kin + Carta in October of the same year.
As part of the latest shake-up, Amaze Realise chief executive Fiona Proudler is understood to have left the agency; it has been reported that she has already joined digital business Equator.
Amaze Realise chief of staff Richard Neish, the former managing director of Dare who joined in 2018, will now lead Kin + Carta Connect as MD.
He said: “Clients want to be able to access an integrated suite of digital and consultancy services that evolve with their changing needs. Our vital part of that bigger picture is to combine data, market-leading platforms and experience design to turn customer relationships into enduring brand growth.
“Brands are in search of digital experiences that scale seamlessly across mobile, web, wearable, and voice, powered by data assets that are often under-utilised. Businesses increasingly demand long-term value across their customer experience and we believe this is the model that will deliver it.”
It is understood that a number of former Amaze Realise staff have entered consultation, although exact numbers are not known.
Kin + Carta’s existing management of chief executive J Schwan, chief connective officer Charlie Wrench and chief financial officer Chris Kutsor remains unchanged.
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