REG-Next Fifteen Comm Acquisition

Released: 27/10/2009

 
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20091027005670/en 
 
LONDON--(Business Wire)--
Next Fifteen Communications Group plc
Completion of the acquisition of the trading subsidiaries of Upstream Marketing
and Communications Inc
Further to the announcement made on 02 October 2009, Next Fifteen Communications
Group plc ("Next Fifteen") (AIM:NFC) announces that it has now completed the
acquisition of the marketing communications trading subsidiaries of AIM-listed
Upstream Marketing and Communications Inc.. These businesses referred to here as
"Upstream Asia" are located in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and
Sydney and will be integrated into Next Fifteen`s Bite Communications Group
("Bite") and will begin to be re-branded as Bite from November. 
Upstream Asia`s existing management team will remain in place, with David
Ketchum, president, Asia Pacific, joining the Bite Communications Group board
and executive vice president Paul Mottram running operations in the region.
Bite`s former Beijing team is being integrated into Upstream`s Beijing office to
form a single enlarged team. 
Bite is now able to deliver comprehensive global reach for its clients and
enable Asia-Pacific-based brands to grow on a global scale by adding Upstream
Asia`s offices to its current network, which includes offices in London, Los
Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Stockholm and Toronto. In addition to
geographic coverage, Bite will incorporate Upstream`s blue-chip clients to its
roster, ranging from Skype and HTC in consumer technology, to Qantas and
Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts in travel, and SWIFT in the financial industry. Bite
will also benefit from Upstream`s exceptional digital marketing and social media
capabilities. 
About Upstream Asia
Founded in 2000, Upstream Asia is a full service marketing and corporate
communications network positioned to help companies make the most of business
opportunities in the Asia Pacific region. Upstream Asia has offices in Beijing,
Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney, as well as regional affiliates. Key
practice areas include technology, corporate & financial, and consumer & travel.
Upstream Asia was acquired from London AIM-listed company Upstream Marketing and
Communications Inc. (UPS.L).
About Bite Communications
Bite Communications, a subsidiary of Next Fifteen Communications Group plc, is a
140-strong communications consultancy with offices in London, San Francisco, New
York, Toronto, LA, Beijing and Stockholm.With a mission to deliver fearless and
boundless communications campaigns to its range of B2B and B2C clients, Bite has
built its business on developing creative, results orientated campaigns for
market-leading blue chip as well as fast growing emerging start-up brands.Its
client list includes AMD, BT, HP, Microsoft and Sony.For more information, visit
www.bitepr.com.
About Next Fifteen
Next Fifteen Communications Group plc is the holding company for a group of
worldwide PR consultancies. It owns five independent subsidiary PR agencies that
operate as autonomous businesses and has a 70% stake in 463 Communications, a
policy communications company.It also owns two research businesses.Between them
these businesses have 43 offices in 18 countries. The Group has established
itself as a leader in digital public relations. The focus on digital PR comes
naturally to the Group given that the majority of the Group's clients are in the
technology industry, and include global names such as IBM, Yahoo!, Microsoft,
Facebook and Cisco. Over the last few years the Group`s strategy has broadened
and to include non-technology clients. This strategy was particularly helped by
the acquisition of Lexis Public Relations in 2005 and M Booth & Associates in
August 2009. The Group now works with brands such as American Express,
Coca-Cola, Whirlpool, TOTAL, Dove, Nokia and the Barclays Premier League.For
more information, visit www.nextfifteen.com.
For further information, please contact: 
 
 Next Fifteen Communications Group plc                          
 Tim Dyson, Chief Executive               +1 415 350 2801       
 David Dewhurst, Finance Director         +44 (0)20 8846 0771   
 Canaccord Adams Limited                                        
 Mark Williams                            +44 (0)20 7050 6500   
 Henry Fitzgerald O`Connor                                      
 
 
Next Fifteen Communications Plc 
Copyright Business Wire 2009